About Debian Paste
paste.debian.net, also called the Debian Pastezone, is the pastebin run for the Debian community. It suits sharing terminal output, log files and configuration snippets when asking for help, and its syntax highlighting list includes Debian-specific formats such as control files and sources lists.
The software was written by Alexander Wirt, who also administers the site, and is released under the GNU AGPL 3.0. In January 2026 the service was overhauled: the backend was rewritten using the Mojolicious framework, login through Debian's Salsa GitLab was added, public listing of pastes was switched off, the old XML-RPC API was retired and retention was capped at 90 days. Development moved to Salsa at the same time.
Anyone can paste without an account. Users who log in with Salsa get relaxed rate limits and spam checks, can list their own pastes and can create API tokens.
How to create a paste
- Go to paste.debian.net.
- Optionally enter a name, then choose a language for highlighting and an expiry time (1 hour, 24 hours, 3 days or 90 days).
- Paste your text, or upload a file, and select Send.
- Share the hidden link you are given.
With the JSON API you can paste from the command line:
curl -s -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"code": "hello from the terminal", "lang": "text", "expire": 86400}' \
https://paste.debian.net/api/v1/paste
The response includes the paste URL and a digest used as a deletion key. Unauthenticated API requests face strict spam filters; logged-in users can send an X-Paste-Token header for relaxed limits.
Things to know
- Hidden by default: new pastes are always hidden and are only reachable through their link. They are not encrypted.
- 90 day maximum: nothing is kept longer than 90 days, so it is not suitable for permanent links.
- Line length: the site asks you to keep code lines under 80 characters for legibility, and offers an option to wrap text at 78 characters.
- Scraper protection: the site runs iocaine to deter AI scrapers.
Frequently asked questions
Are pastes on paste.debian.net public?
Not in a listed sense. Since an overhaul in January 2026, public indexing is disabled and every new paste is hidden, so only people you give the link to can find it. The content is not encrypted, so avoid posting secrets.
Do I need a Debian account to paste?
No. Anyone can paste, but anonymous pastes go through stricter spam checks. Logging in with a Debian Salsa account relaxes the rate limits and lets you create API tokens.
Does the old pastebinit XML-RPC interface still work?
No. The January 2026 update retired the legacy XML-RPC API and replaced it with a JSON API documented on the site.