Looking for artwork for the next Debian release: Forky
Each release of Debian has a shiny new theme which is visible on the installer, the boot screen, the login screen and, most prominently, on the desktop wallpaper. It's a very important part of a Debian release as it is usually the first thing new users see when installing or booting the system for the first time. Not only that, but also the first thing appearing when debianites share their screen or connect to an external device when giving talks around the world.
As the most enthusiastic users will know, the forky - yes, that is the name of the next stable version, Debian 14 - release cycle is rapidly approaching its latter stages. This means we need to select the artwork shipping with forky soon, really soon!
And as with everything else in Debian, collecting artwork is a collaborative effort which Debian shares with its community. So, if you would like (or know someone who would like) to create a desktop look and feel that will be seen by trillions of people around the world - and in space! - be sure to send in your artwork ASAP!
The deadline for submissions is: 2026-11-26.
For the most up to date details please refer to the Debian wiki.
At the same time, we would like to thank Elise Couper for creating the Ceratopsian theme for our last trixie release.
And for the interested or the curious ones, the artwork is usually picked based on which theme looks the most:
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''Debian'': admittedly not the most defined concept, since everyone has their own take on what Debian means to them. Though, usually they all agree when something looks like Debian.
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''Plausible to integrate without patching core software'': as much as we love some of the insanely looking themes, some would require heavy GTK+ theming and patching GDM/GNOME.
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''Clean and well designed'': without becoming something that gets annoying to look at a year, or ten, down the road. Examples of good themes include Emerald, Homeworld, Joy, Lines, softWaves and futurePrototype
If you'd like more information or details, please post to the Debian Desktop mailing list.