DATAMATION
is a professional web site with information on Linux,
Apple, Windows and even Mobile architecture.
I am reproducing his article to SHOW
how inadequate my blog site (NOW) is.
Few years ago, I used to write almost
every day on Linux.
Still
visitors are mainly for Linux (not for my bizarre satire on
Sri-Lankan affairs, including pathetic politics.
No.1.
I use Linux exclusively now and my
current workhorse is Peppermint.
Reason
Light weight.
Sleek.
Web (Google enhanced).
Small foot print.
I download only the packages I use,
nothing more.
It has its own weaknesses with which I
can live with it.
No 2.
When they started fiddling with the
desktop, I was really annoyed and I voiced my (gut out) concerns.
No Linux developer has tried less hard
to (I am convinced now) keep abreast with the individual and
community concerns.
They are great guys and girls there.
They need accolade if not “Nobel
Prize”.
No 3.
I have no worries now with Linux.
I am 99% satisfied with the work
output.
No breakdowns for over 10 years.
Only the hardware failures over 10
years (only due to electricity surges).
No 4.
I have Debian, Ubuntu, SuSe, PCLinux,
KiWi and few other flavours for an emergency.
Multi-booting
is the way out, if you miss something in a particular distribution.
No. 5.
I am currently testing Fedora 21 and it
is FAB.
I am downloading the Fedora Games DVD
and currently interested on Linux Games ONLY.
That was the only weakness and STEAM
Machine will fulfil the needs.
Having said that if I find something
fresh, I will post a brief account.
If you are happy with a distribution
“Do Not Change!”
No.6.
Subscribe to Linux Magazine (I do) and
you'll get a lovely update and a 12 DVDs (12x2) over 12 months (two
distributions on both sides.).
That saves my electricity bill
downloading images.
If the DVD is defective for some
reason, they send you another FREE.
It happened only twice over three
years.
No. 7.
Please, please if you find something
amiss, do not start a “flame war” but report it immediately and
in three months you get a solution free of charge (unlike Microsoft
or Apple)
Recently, famous Linux Guru has
suggested to Charge (do not do it FREE) a healthy Fee for service
provided. I agree, Linux guys and girls also need bread and butter or
rice and curry to Live not to Survive.
November 24, 2014
Debian
vs Ubuntu:
Which is
Best for You?
By Bruce
Byfield
Debian and Ubuntu are the most influential Linux distributions
ever. Of the 285 active distributions listed on Distrowatch, 132 are
derived from Debian, including Ubuntu, and another 67 are derived
directly from Ubuntu -- just under 70%. Yet the experience of using
them differs in just about every aspect. Consequently, choosing
between them is no easy matter.
Asked to explain the difference between the two distributions,
most users would describe Debian as an expert's distribution, and
Ubuntu as a beginner's. These characterizations are partly true, but
exaggerated. Debian's reputation rests on its state over a decade
ago, and today allows as much hands-on control as each user chooses.
Similarly, Ubuntu is really its design team's conception of easy.
Should your work habits not be compatible with that concept, you may
disagree strongly that it is easy to use.
However, although Ubuntu is derived from Debian, their differences
are marked. From installation and desktop to package management and
community, what everybody thinks they know about the two may be
wrong, or at least in need of heavy qualification -- all of which
makes choosing which is right for you a difficult process.
Installation
Right away, the distribution for you may depend on your hardware.
Debian currently develops for 13 hardware architectures, ranging from
standard 32 and 64 bit Intel to Arm and PowerPC, with support for two
more in progress. By contrast, Ubuntu supports 32 and 64 bit versions
as computer desktop environments, and is developing Ubuntu ARM for
mobile devices.
Another consideration is the installers for each distribution.
Ubuntu's standard installer is designed to require a minimum of user
input to keep installation simple and as fast as possible. Should you
encounter problems, you can try the expert mode installer -- a
lightly re-branded version of the Debian Installer.
The Debian Installer clearly has other priorities. Its graphic
version is a GUI that differs from the text-based installer mainly in
toolkit, offering no advantage except comfort for those nervous about
the command line.
Contrary to Debian's former reputation, it can usually be
installed by following the online instructions and accepting the
default settings for each stage. However, if you choose, you can make
individual choices at every step of the installation process,
substantially increasing the required time. Instead of catering to
inexperienced users, the Debian installer accommodates all levels of
users. It may not be pretty, but, short of compiling your own
packages, you are unlikely to find a more flexible installer.
Desktop
Debian and Ubuntu default to different desktop environments.
Ubuntu defaults to Unity, the desktop that Canonical, Ubuntu's
corporate sponsor, has been developing for the last five years.
Should Canonical succeed in marketing its mobile devices, in the
future you may be able to have the same desktop on all your hardware.
Debian, though, seems in no hurry to support Unity. Instead, its
standard disk images default to GNOME 3.
However, these defaults mean little more than convenience. Both
Ubuntu and Debian support multiple desktops. In Ubuntu, other
desktops are semi- independent distributions, such as Kubuntu for KDE
and Xubuntu for Xfce. These variations share the underlying GNOME
technologies with the standard-issue Ubuntu, and may or may not sync
with official releases, give or take a few weeks.
In Debian, the choice of desktops is roughly the same, but the
teams developing them are less separate from standard Debian. The
timeliness of these releases varies, so expect to take some time in
online searches to find what is happening with any team whose results
may interest you.
Except for Unity, most software written for Ubuntu is also
available for Debian. Software written for Debian is almost always
available for Ubuntu, because Ubuntu draws its packages from Debian's
repositories. Depending on where Debian is in its ponderously slow
release cycle, Ubuntu's software is usually more current than
Debian's, but as a tradeoff, Debian's tends to be more thoroughly
tested and stable.
A warning, though: do not assume that a common origin makes
packages cross-compatible. While many packages can be installed on
both Debian and Ubuntu, about twenty percent of Ubuntu's packages
stand a large chance of being incompatible with Debian due to
differences in name and file locations.
Administration and Package Management
Unsurprisingly, both Debian and Ubuntu encourage the use of a root
account for administrative purposes, and restricted accounts for
everyday computing. However, the chosen security models are
different.
In Debian, users do administrative wprl by logging directly into
the root account, then -- ideally -- logging out again as quickly as
possible to reduce the period of vulnerability. Ubuntu, though,
obscures the root password, instead using sudo, and allowing at least
one user to enter their own password to issue administrative
commands.
Which of these security models is preferable is frequently
debated, so you should search for a discussion on the subject so that
you can decide which you prefer.
Debian's packages are divided into three main categories:
Unstable, Testing, and Stable. A new package enters stable, and
transfers into Testing when it has been debugged. When an official
release is prepared, the current packages in Testing under further
examination, and are eventually become the new Stable.
In recent years, other repositories have been officially or
unofficially added, such as Experimental, Old Stable, Security,
Backports ,and Update. However, users should pay most attention to
the three main repositories.
The advantage of Debian's system is that you can choose a position
anywhere between two extremes: rock-solid stability, at the cost of
older versions of software, or cutting edge, at the cost of less
robust software and, at times, drastic changes in technology that can
cripple an unwary user's system. The choice can depend on whether you
upgrade a core component, such as the Linux kernel, or a
self-contained utility with its own libraries that affects nothing
else when disaster strikes.
By contrast, Ubuntu derives its packages from Debian Unstable or
Testing. Instead of being organized by testing status, Ubuntu's
repositories are organized by other criteria. Main contains software
supported by Canonical, Universe software supported by the Ubuntu
Community. Restricted contains proprietary drivers, while Multiverse
holds software with copyright or legal limitations.
Another major difference is that Debian is much more dedicated to
software freedom. By default, it installs only free software, and its
installer even goes so far as to offer a kernel free of proprietary
firmware. If you want nonfree software, you have add the Contrib and
Nonfree sections to each repository.
By contrast, the distinction between free and proprietary is much
less clear in Ubuntu. While Debian discourages the use of proprietary
software (although allowing users to make their own choice), Ubuntu
encourages users to install proprietary software in order to have a
computing experience comparable to that on any commercial operating
system. You can get the same experience on Debian if you are willing
to work, but Debian makes clearer that you do so at the expensive of
software freedom.
Communities
For users who may
become involved with developing, Debian's and Ubuntu's communities
may also be a factor in their choice.
Debian is famous -- even infamous -- for discussing everything in
great detail. Especially contentious issues can even go to a general
vote.
In recent years, Debian appeared to mellow, but the discussion can
still sometimes become a free-for-all. In the past, Debian has been
described as a hostile environment for women, and, just recently, the
debate on replacing init with systemd became so intense that a couple
of veteran developers resigned rather endure abuse.
At the same time, Debian is a meritocratic democracy, with all
official maintainers voting on the Debian Leader and other issues.
Although appointed positions can sometimes be a source of power, in
general Debian officials lead more by suggestion and diplomacy than
direct command.
Ubuntu contrasts with Debian in that it has a Code of Conduct for
community interaction. Until recently, Ubuntu's community manager was
Jono Bacon, who literally wrote the book on The Art of Community, and
made considerable effort at conflict resolution. In addition, a
Community Council and Technical Board is partly elected every year.
However, this democratic appearance is not quite what it appears.
Ubuntu's founder, Mark Shuttleworth, sits on both governing boards
permanently, and casts the deciding vote. Shuttleworth -- and, at
times, his Canonical representatives -- also have veto power over the
community, which in the past has caused several user revolts.
Making a Choice
Beginner or expert? Platform support? Ease of use or control?
Unity or GNOME? Cutting edge or stability? Free or proprietary?
Outspoken but democratic, or polite or controlled? As you can see,
choosing between Debian and Ubuntu comes down to what is important to
you.
Before you choose one distribution over the other, I suggest that
you decide where you stand on all these dichotomies. Or perhaps some
of these divisions is more important to you than the others.
However, no matter how you decide, you can hardly go too far
wrong. For all their differences, Debian and Ubuntu did not become
the leading distributions in free software by chance. Their joint
dominance suggests that either is a valid choice, so long as you
understand your priorities.