The source code of this card is available via the Debian Subversion server in DocBook/XML format. You may access the repository via the web interface. Or check out the latest version using the commands:

svn checkout svn://svn.debian.org/svn/ddp/refcard/trunk

Older versions can still be found on the Debian CVS server in Look for the refcard module in the debian-doc root. Checkout the outdated stuff from CVS via the commands:

cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@cvs.debian.org:/cvs/debian-doc login
cvs -d :pserver:anonymous@cvs.debian.org:/cvs/debian-doc checkout refcard

The actual reference card for printing is in [PDF] format, in English, and in international paper size. For other languages and letter size, see below.

First, the paper side with the title and the legal notice (copyleft) are on the back. Fold the right third of the paper to the small mark at the upper margin between the left and middle third. Now fold the left third over the right one. The title page should be in the front, the legal notice on the back. If not, try again.

Of course, you may alter the reference card to you needs and create a cusomised refcard. You need to apt-get install the following packages first: cm-super, db2latex-xsl, docbook-xsl, gs-common, lmodern, psutils, tetex-extra, and xsltproc. cm-super is not an official Debian package yet, you have to download it from Claire Connellys (<cmc AT debian.org>) site.

If you like to have a sponsors advertisement on the back (between the last entries and the copyleft notice), e.g. for the German version, just call: make refcard-de-a4.pdf AD=ad-example.tex. The file could be sth. like:

\href{http://www.lob.de/}{%
\includegraphics[height=1cm]{ad-example.eps}}

For some languages, the toolchain (db2latex-xsl plus texlive, using UTF-8 input encoding) does not yet work. If you have experience with e.g. LaTeX and Greek or Hebrew, please contact me!

I am looking for tranlators for at least all languages that are supported by the toolchain, i.e. most left-to-right, character-based languages. If people can make the toolchain work for right-to-left (Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew) and non-letter-based (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) languages, that would be even better.

If you like to help out in one of the following languages, or any other language, please contact me first, so that doublicated work is prevented:

If you going to translate the refcard, make sure to

The preferred, validating editor is GNU Emacs with nxml-mode, but use whatever you like.

Michael Wiedmann managed to get the toolchain working for the Russian translation. Also, Michael solved problems with French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

The following people helped by correcting my so-called English, by adding important commands, by advertising the card, by giving valuable hints, or just by motivating me: Adrian Dagurashibanipal von Bidder (<avbidder AT fortytwo.ch>), Andreas Tille (<tillea AT rki.de>), Chris Walker (<chrisw AT chiark.greenend.org.uk>, Eduard Bloch (<edi AT gmx.de>), Holger Blaschka (<holger.blaschka AT t-online.de>), Oliver Kurth (<okurth AT gmx.net>), Philip Miller (<millenix AT zemos.net>), Rahmat M. Samik-Ibrahim (<rms46 AT ui.edu>), Ralph Aichinger <ralph AT mail.pangea.at>), Ralph Katz (<ralph.katz AT rcn.com>), Rob Bradford (<robster AT debian.org>), Frank Küster (<frank AT debian.org>), Wouter Verhelst (<wouter AT grep.be>).