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icett
April 18th, 2012, 10:36 PM
Hello everyone,


I have been trying to convert a friend of mine who is a Windows user to Linux. I would install the OS for him to use. And for this I need the best of the best OS distro in Linux. Above all else it should not be buggy and unstable. It should be very stable. As far as I know Debian Debian 6.0 Squeeze is very stable. Also I have read about Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx LTS and I understand that since its a LTS it must be stable. As I have never tested the LTS version I wish to know from you about it. Kindly inform me if Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx LTS is as stable as Debian 6.0 Squeeze?:)

papibe
April 18th, 2012, 10:42 PM
Hi icett.

I'm using 10.04 in my main desktop, and I would say it is super stable. However, this is what I would do: wait a few weeks and install 12.04.

IMHO, you will have more chances of converting your friend with something that is modern, up-to-date, and design to be around several years.

Just my thoughts.
Regards.

icett
April 18th, 2012, 10:53 PM
Hi icett.

I'm using 10.04 in my main desktop, and I would say it is super stable. However, this is what I would do: wait a few weeks and install 12.04.

IMHO, you will have more chances of converting your friend with something that is modern, up-to-date, and design to be around several years.

Just my thoughts.
Regards.



Yes you are right. A modern up-to-date version would be a big plus and I would wait for a few weeks for 12.04. But I would like to know one thing about this upcoming LTS. Would it be stable just upon its release or would it take a few more months to be more bug free and super stable?:)

Bölvağur
April 18th, 2012, 11:20 PM
Yes you are right. A modern up-to-date version would be a big plus and I would wait for a few weeks for 12.04. But I would like to know one thing about this upcoming LTS. Would it be stable just upon its release or would it take a few more months to be more bug free and super stable?:)
Give it about 2 months to become stable. It should be fine giving it to him in a month though.
Just remember that the least stable thing about linux is the user, the user normally destroys the configs within a week.... so you might want to copy everything in /home and back it up somewhere if he will do something silly.

icett
April 18th, 2012, 11:29 PM
Give it about 2 months to become stable. It should be fine giving it to him in a month though.
Just remember that the least stable thing about linux is the user, the user normally destroys the configs within a week.... so you might want to copy everything in /home and back it up somewhere if he will do something silly.


Yes that seems the right approach! :D

haqking
April 18th, 2012, 11:32 PM
Stable is subjective.

It will depend on hardware and level of experience and your definition of what stable is ;-)

And only try to convert someone if you want to support them for the rest of your life, if not let them use what works for them or what they can make work.

Peace

CharlesA
April 18th, 2012, 11:34 PM
stable is subjective.

It will depend on hardware and level of experience and your definition of what stable is ;-)

and only try to convert someone if you want to support them for the rest of your life, if not let them use what works for them or what they can make work.

Peace

+1.

Ghil
April 19th, 2012, 12:04 AM
First of all, be ready to be "on call". You'll be his support line, his first call each time. You're the one introducing him to Linux, so you need to be solid about the fact that there will be a lot of questions.

Ubuntu 12.04 is so far really good, so once it's out, it shouldn't be a problem. Though if he's using an AMD graphic card, be sure to help him understand how to update the drivers himself. This isn't the most user-friendly thing to do on a linux system.

Also, you could preload some programs, but leave him some room to grow. He needs to learn how to search/install programs, not mess with configs unless required, etc... (They say teach a men to fish...blah blah)

:D

icett
April 19th, 2012, 12:25 AM
Actually he himself is very interested in using Linux on his desktop. Some time ago he bought an Android Smartphone and upon knowing that Android is Linux he got very interested in Linux. And as he know that I use Linux he approached me to install Linux on his desktop. I have already informed him about the differences between using Linux and Windows and that Linux is a completely different OS and for him to understand how to use it would require time and efforts on his part. So I don't have any worry on this part. I understand that in the beginning I would have to assist him but later he would pick up. As for graphic card, he has ATI graphic card. Can you give me some clue on how to update this card?

grahammechanical
April 19th, 2012, 04:20 AM
I have been using/testing 12.04 as a daily OS since before it was alpha back in November 2011.

I have found 12.04 to be very stable. During that time a few things have closed unexpectedly from time to time but nothing happened so serious as to stop me using the OS. A couple of clicks and I was able to continue working.

When you install Ubuntu and get to a desktop press the Super key (windows key) that will open the Dash and in the search panel type help and you will be able to launch the Ubuntu Desktop Guide. That will explain a lot of things.

Also if you press and hold down the super key an overlay will appear that contains keyboard shortcuts.

Ubuntu is open source. Non-open source software is not installed unless we give permission. In the early stages of the install process you will be asked to tick if you want proprietary software installed. It is usually better to tick that box then there will be less problems viewing videos and such stuff.

You might find that the graphic card driver will be installed. If not you will soon get an icon in the top panel inviting you to install a proprietary video driver.

One more thing. 12.04 is also LTS and it is supported for 5 years. The support for 10.04 runs out April 2013. Better to install 12.04 and not 10.04.

LTS has more relevance to the length of support for security fixes than as a measure of stability.

10.10, 11.04 and 11.10 are also stable releases but only supported with security fixes for 18 months.

Regards.

SemiExpert
April 19th, 2012, 04:33 AM
Have your friend use a Live Disk or try it from from a USB flashdrive using Unetbootin. Don't worry about stability. It either works or it doesn't, and on more recent hardware, you might have a worse experience with an older release. Tell your friend to try it first. Better yet, provide the information, provide a Live Disk and show your friend how to temporarily change the boot order - and then let your friend decide. Don't attempt a conversion. Linux either fits your friend's needs or it doesn't. It's not up to you.

icett
April 20th, 2012, 06:58 AM
LTS has more relevance to the length of support for security fixes than as a measure of stability.

10.10, 11.04 and 11.10 are also stable releases but only supported with security fixes for 18 months.

Regards.



This is surprising. At every other distro forum I have been told that LTS always means stability. Also Debian's LTS is Debian 6 Squeeze and it is famous for its stability. So here when you mention that 10.10, 11.04 and 11.10 are also stable; I agree that they might be stable, but not as stable as the LTS version. LTS version should be super stable. This has confused me. :confused:

CharlesA
April 20th, 2012, 07:01 AM
LTS releases aren't usually running the most recent versions of software. That adds a bit to the stability portion.

pissedoffdude
April 20th, 2012, 08:05 AM
Hello everyone,


I have been trying to convert a friend of mine who is a Windows user to Linux. I would install the OS for him to use. And for this I need the best of the best OS distro in Linux. Above all else it should not be buggy and unstable. It should be very stable. As far as I know Debian Debian 6.0 Squeeze is very stable. Also I have read about Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx LTS and I understand that since its a LTS it must be stable. As I have never tested the LTS version I wish to know from you about it. Kindly inform me if Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx LTS is as stable as Debian 6.0 Squeeze?:)

There really is no "best" linux distro. This is completely subjective. If you're concerned about stability, have a look at his hardware and check if the most popular distros support it. From my experience, no distro completely stands out in terms of stability. Also, you shouldn't be too forceful in getting him to use linux. Let him use whatever suits him fine.

That said, I think you should let him try a couple of live cd's so that he can pick the desktop environment or window manager he prefers. Some distros I'd recommend are the latest Ubuntu, Bodhi (e17 distro based on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS), Mint, and Pclinuxos

ubuntu27
April 20th, 2012, 08:43 AM
This is surprising. At every other distro forum I have been told that LTS always means stability. Also Debian's LTS is Debian 6 Squeeze and it is famous for its stability. So here when you mention that 10.10, 11.04 and 11.10 are also stable; I agree that they might be stable, but not as stable as the LTS version. LTS version should be super stable. This has confused me. :confused:


What grahammechanical might mean is that Ubuntu LTS releases are stable not because they are LTS itself, instead LTS becomes stable since they have long term support. Meaning they receive bug fixes for a long period of time, which makes the said Ubuntu version much more stable as time passes.

And, yes, Ubuntu LTS are relatively much more stable than other releases since they try to limit the inclusion of experimental software, and also they receive longer support (more bug fixes, etc)

Erik1984
April 20th, 2012, 10:05 AM
This is surprising. At every other distro forum I have been told that LTS always means stability. Also Debian's LTS is Debian 6 Squeeze and it is famous for its stability. So here when you mention that 10.10, 11.04 and 11.10 are also stable; I agree that they might be stable, but not as stable as the LTS version. LTS version should be super stable. This has confused me. :confused:

The problem here is the definition of stability. Stable in release terms just means that a version is final and fit for release. It's very hard to measure stability, because what is stability exactly? # of crashes? ability to restore from crashes? maximum uptime?

Majorix
April 20th, 2012, 06:12 PM
I would have to mention Debian Stable or a RedHat/CentOS installation.

snowpine
April 20th, 2012, 06:19 PM
When I hang out on non-Ubuntu forums, the three distros I hear mentioned most as "most stable" are (in no particular order): Debian, Slackware, Red Hat (and its clones like CentOS).

That being said, I recommend that you recommend to your friend whichever distro you personally use, so that you are available to give help/support.

Also I'll say that, in my obervations on these forums, a large portion of users who choose "stable" releases end up disappointed with the older application versions; they add a whole bunch of PPAs and 3rd-party repositories, which makes the system less stable than if they'd just gone with the current release in the first place. :)

tmaranets
April 20th, 2012, 06:20 PM
12.04 is going to released. I am sure your friend would be interested in a new, stable, and smart OS that is better than his current one.

Hylas de Niall
April 20th, 2012, 06:30 PM
I would vote Debian 6 'Stable' (Squeeze) as a good friendly and stable distro, even above and beyond Ubuntu, which although it is ultra user-friendly is based on Debian 'Testing' (please correct me if i'm wrong here), and therefore built on a version the developers themselves are not happy enough to call 'stable'.

It's nowhere near as pretty or up-to-date in regards applications etc (still uses Gnome 2) as Ubuntu, and has far fewer bells and whistles, but it is 'officially' stable.

Hope this helps ;)

CharlesA
April 20th, 2012, 06:35 PM
When I hang out on non-Ubuntu forums, the three distros I hear mentioned most as "most stable" are (in no particular order): Debian, Slackware, Red Hat (and its clones like CentOS).

That being said, I recommend that you recommend to your friend whichever distro you personally use, so that you are available to give help/support.

Also I'll say that, in my obervations on these forums, a large portion of users who choose "stable" releases end up disappointed with the older application versions; they add a whole bunch of PPAs and 3rd-party repositories, which makes the system less stable than if they'd just gone with the current release in the first place. :)

What he said. I've been sticking with 10.04 for a while but I will probably be moving to 12.04 when I have time to test it.

icett
April 20th, 2012, 08:55 PM
At first I thought about the three you mentioned; 1- Debian 6.0 2- CentOs and 3 Slackware. But CentOS and Slackware seem to me too difficult to install and use. I am not that advanced a user. About Debian 6.0 I can install it and it seems that it is the most user friendly among the other two distros I mentioned. I would get that installed on my friend's PC. Also I am thinking of using Debian 6.0 myself. But one thing is bothering me which I think I should discuss with you. Although it is very far away from now but the next Debian stable 7 would not be using the present Gnome but Gnome 3 which I don't like as well as most other users. So if anyone of you uses Debian what and dislike Gnome 3, what would you do to skip Gnome 3 and use a desktop user interface you like which is same as the present Gnome or similar to it. :)

snowpine
April 20th, 2012, 08:58 PM
I would vote Debian 6 'Stable' (Squeeze) as a good friendly and stable distro, even above and beyond Ubuntu, which although it is ultra user-friendly is based on Debian 'Testing' (please correct me if i'm wrong here), and therefore built on a version the developers themselves are not happy enough to call 'stable'.

True, but prepare to have your mind blown: Debian Stable is also based on Debian Testing.

Whoa! :KS

haqking
April 20th, 2012, 09:01 PM
True, but prepare to have your mind blown: Debian Stable is also based on Debian Testing.

Whoa! :KS

LOL indeed

+1

CharlesA
April 20th, 2012, 09:03 PM
True, but prepare to have your mind blown: Debian Stable is also based on Debian Testing.

Whoa! :KS
Debian Testing is based on Debian Unstable isn't it?

*mindblown*

snowpine
April 20th, 2012, 09:03 PM
Although it is very far away from now but the next Debian stable 7 would not be using the present Gnome but Gnome 3 which I don't like as well as most other users. So if anyone of you uses Debian what and dislike Gnome 3, what would you do to skip Gnome 3 and use a desktop user interface you like which is same as the present Gnome or similar to it. :)

"Bring back Gnome 2!!!" is probably the most frequent topic of conversation here over the past year. Do a Google search on "Gnome 3 alternatives" and you'll find lots of good suggestions. My personal recommendation would be: Switch to Xfce or KDE. :)

Hylas de Niall
April 20th, 2012, 09:13 PM
True, but prepare to have your mind blown: Debian Stable is also based on Debian Testing.

Whoa! :KS

LOL! well yeah, 'course it is, but i gather 'stable' is test-ed rather than still test-ing? making 'stable' stabl-er than 'testing'? Otherwise why have both? ;)


...hmmm. Yep ~ it's blown now! LOL!

Zill
April 20th, 2012, 09:27 PM
Debian Testing is based on Debian Unstable isn't it?
This document (http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-faq/ch-ftparchives#s-stable) helps to clarify things with Debian.

I regard stability in this context as relating to time. In other words, new programs that are developing rapidly go into "unstable". As they are improved with bug fixes they move into "testing". Finally, the program moves into "stable". At this point, it will only receive occasional bug fixes, mainly those relating to security.

Ubuntu LTS releases, although based on Debian testing initally, do eventually settle down to equate to a "stable" release.

icett
April 20th, 2012, 09:41 PM
This document (http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debian-faq/ch-ftparchives#s-stable) helps to clarify things with Debian.

I regard stability in this context as relating to time. In other words, new programs that are developing rapidly go into "unstable". As they are improved with bug fixes they move into "testing". Finally, the program moves into "stable". At this point, it will only receive occasional bug fixes, mainly those relating to security.

Ubuntu LTS releases, although based on Debian testing initally, do eventually settle down to equate to a "stable" release.


So this means that both Debian stable and Ubuntu LTS based on Debian testing do eventually reach the same destination i.e a stable distro. At this point both are equally stable. Am I right? If so then I would go with the current LTS version of the tried and tested Ubuntu. But I would choose XFCE so I would go with Xubuntu 10.04 LTS.:)

|{urse
April 20th, 2012, 09:44 PM
@ op. So far as stability with "free" distros..
Fedora (not rawhide)(assuming you have compatible hardware and the administrator knows what they are doing, of course).

forrestcupp
April 20th, 2012, 09:52 PM
That being said, I recommend that you recommend to your friend whichever distro you personally use, so that you are available to give help/support.

Also I'll say that, in my obervations on these forums, a large portion of users who choose "stable" releases end up disappointed with the older application versions; they add a whole bunch of PPAs and 3rd-party repositories, which makes the system less stable than if they'd just gone with the current release in the first place. :)

Great points. Recommend what you use.

Also, if his hardware is supported fairly well, you normally don't have to worry a lot about stability. If you're not using a pre-release, you're usually not going to have a lot of stability problems, no matter where they're at in the release cycle with respect to the LTS. But as for Ubuntu, you're definitely coming at it at the right time. The latest, modern version coming up is also an LTS.

I'd say don't worry so much about the stability side of it. If his hardware isn't supported well, it's not going to be supported well on any version of any distro. And just be prepared that AMD GPUs are about the crappiest ones to deal with. But a lot of people have them and are happy with them in Linux.

neu5eeCh
April 20th, 2012, 10:39 PM
I've been using Ubuntu 12.04 since Beta 1, and I can't say I'd recommend it. I still find that if I pass my pointer over the panel, the menu often won't appear until I've clicked on it several times. HUD is still immature and doesn't presently work for Libre Office. Using any app with multiple windows like GIMP or XSane is still a PITA. There are still apps that won't work with Unity if they rely on the penal sys tray. If he wants the global menu to work with Libre Office, he'll have to install lo-menubar from the software center. I haven't had any problems with it though some users claim it's unstable.

My recommendation? It's apostasy but, wait for Linux Mint "Maya" and have him use Cinnamon (for a gnome base). If he's the tweaking type, have him use XFCE (Unity is deliberately non-customizable while Cinnamon is clunky in terms of customization). If he wants a super slick, fast and polished desktop right off the bat, I'd recommend Voyager (http://voyager.legtux.org/) - my new favorite XFCE re-spin. It comes with Conky configs that a user can easily choose between, has a hundred nice wallpapers, comes pre-installed with dozens of useful apps - and just works.

icett
April 20th, 2012, 11:14 PM
I've been using Ubuntu 12.04 since Beta 1, and I can't say I'd recommend it. I still find that if I pass my pointer over the panel, the menu often won't appear until I've clicked on it several times. HUD is still immature and doesn't presently work for Libre Office. Using any app with multiple windows like GIMP or XSane is still a PITA. There are still apps that won't work with Unity if they rely on the penal sys tray. If he wants the global menu to work with Libre Office, he'll have to install lo-menubar from the software center. I haven't had any problems with it though some users claim it's unstable.

My recommendation? It's apostasy but, wait for Linux Mint "Maya" and have him use Cinnamon (for a gnome base). If he's the tweaking type, have him use XFCE (Unity is deliberately non-customizable while Cinnamon is clunky in terms of customization). If he wants a super slick, fast and polished desktop right off the bat, I'd recommend Voyager (http://voyager.legtux.org/) - my new favorite XFCE re-spin. It comes with Conky configs that a user can easily choose between, has a hundred nice wallpapers, comes pre-installed with dozens of useful apps - and just works.


Good suggestion! I would wait for Linux Mint Maya. :D

Zill
April 20th, 2012, 11:19 PM
So this means that both Debian stable and Ubuntu LTS based on Debian testing do eventually reach the same destination i.e a stable distro. At this point both are equally stable. Am I right? If so then I would go with the current LTS version of the tried and tested Ubuntu. But I would choose XFCE so I would go with Xubuntu 10.04 LTS.:)
I would agree that both Debian stable (currently Squeeze) and Ubuntu LTS (currently 10.04) do eventually reach a similar level of stability. But you must consider that Ubuntu 10.04 was not really "stable" when it was first released in April 2010, as it was simply a modified version of Debian testing. The meaning of LTS is Long Term Support, which means that limited bug fixes are issued for a substantial period after release. This means that, over time, an LTS release does achieve a measure of stability but the primary advantage is that it provides an unchanging base of applications that are very suitable for business use. The disadvantage is that some applications could seem rather dated and, if you try to mitigate this with PPAs etc then you risk losing some of the stability that may be important to you. ;-)

If you intend to install the 12.04 LTS release then I suggest waiting for at least a couple of months after release before installing as this gives time for the initial bugs to be ironed out.

icett
April 21st, 2012, 12:54 AM
I would agree that both Debian stable (currently Squeeze) and Ubuntu LTS (currently 10.04) do eventually reach a similar level of stability. But you must consider that Ubuntu 10.04 was not really "stable" when it was first released in April 2010, as it was simply a modified version of Debian testing. The meaning of LTS is Long Term Support, which means that limited bug fixes are issued for a substantial period after release. This means that, over time, an LTS release does achieve a measure of stability but the primary advantage is that it provides an unchanging base of applications that are very suitable for business use. The disadvantage is that some applications could seem rather dated and, if you try to mitigate this with PPAs etc then you risk losing some of the stability that may be important to you. ;-)

If you intend to install the 12.04 LTS release then I suggest waiting for at least a couple of months after release before installing as this gives time for the initial bugs to be ironed out.



Ok. For the first 6 months I would install the current Linux Mint LTS, because it resembles Windows and would be easy for my friend. After 6 months I would install the next Linux Mint LTS. I think that is the best strategy.:guitar:

Primefalcon
April 21st, 2012, 01:15 AM
If stable is your primary concern, I'd say Ubuntu is perfectly fine... just stick to LTS edititons and wait until one LTS has reached end of life before upgrading to the next LTS.

This way you'll have a completely rock solid 100% reliable OS!

Artemis3
April 21st, 2012, 02:13 AM
I suggest you go with Xubuntu 12.04 LTS. Xubuntu uses the XFCE desktop, which uses the classic style used in windows9x, gnome2 or kde3.

XFCE is very stable and doesn't need 3d, unlike gnome, no matter its shell.

12.04 LTS will have support for 5 years, this is longer than the typical time needed for Debian to release their next stable (around 3 years). Linux Mint is always lagging few months behind Ubuntu, you need to wait until Ubuntu releases, so they can prepare their own, but the wait is not worth it if you use XFCE. Cinnammon is a nice gnome shell replacement, but i believe XFCE is a much more solid DE than gnome2 ever was or gnome3 ever will (regardless of unity, cinnamon or gnome shell).

https://i4.ytimg.com/vi/_LOa6bLDoac/hqdefault.jpg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LOa6bLDoac)

If you pick 12.04 LTS, you will be able to wait for the next LTS in 2 years, and upgrade directly instead of doing full upgrades every 6 months; but the key is staying with the LTS.

Debian Stable with XFCE is also a valid choice; using XFCE will save you the gnome3 path once Wheezy becomes stable, which should be soon. Its the same with Mint and other distros, picking XFCE will save you trouble, especially to someone used to classic desktops.

You could also wait for 12.04.1, which should come in July. But if you are able to install and use successfuly 12.04, it won't matter because the updates will get you there anyway.

It would be interesting to know the hardware you plan to install this.

Penguinnerd
April 21st, 2012, 02:18 AM
XFCE is very stable and doesn't need 3d, unlike gnome, no matter its shell.

12.04 LTS will have support for 5 years, this is longer than the typical time needed for Debian to release their next stable (around 3 years)

Although I second your Xubuntu suggestion, I should point out that only Ubuntu and Kubuntu are getting the 5 year support. Xubuntu 12.04 will still only be 3 years...and Lubuntu isn't even LTS at all.

It's clear that this point isn't getting enough talk. I've pointed this out in at least three different threads now. (No offence to the uninformed intended)

szymon_g
April 21st, 2012, 03:17 AM
why do you wanna "convert" your friend?
maybe hi is happy with what he uses..

neu5eeCh
April 21st, 2012, 03:52 AM
Although I second your Xubuntu suggestion, I should point out that only Ubuntu and Kubuntu are getting the 5 year support. Xubuntu 12.04 will still only be 3 years...and Lubuntu isn't even LTS at all.

Right, I was going to mention that too; but it's not quite that clearcut. Since Xubuntu is based on Ubuntu, it will effectively be getting five year support. The only portion that won't be getting long term support, unless I'm mistaken, is the Xubuntu desktop, but that can easily be remedied by simply installing the relevant PPA.

wolfen69
April 21st, 2012, 04:06 AM
Stability varies from person to person. There are so many variables that it's near impossible to give a 100% recommendation. Most of the big distros are pretty stable, it just depends......

forrestcupp
April 21st, 2012, 01:20 PM
Ok. For the first 6 months I would install the current Linux Mint LTS, because it resembles Windows and would be easy for my friend. After 6 months I would install the next Linux Mint LTS. I think that is the best strategy.:guitar:If you want something that resembles Windows, then have him install Kubuntu 12.04 LTS. KDE probably resembles Windows more than anything else.


why do you wanna "convert" your friend?
maybe hi is happy with what he uses..icett already said that the friend already has an interest in using Linux. So in this case, it's probably not a stupid thing to do.

MisterGaribaldi
April 21st, 2012, 04:56 PM
Bar none, the most stable distro I've ever used is Debian.

That being said, Ubuntu (especially if you mod it back to the Gnome 2.x-type of UI) would be my ideal choice for desktop Linux.

mips
April 21st, 2012, 08:22 PM
If you want something stable go for Debian or Scientific Linux. Even Debian Weezy is pretty stable. Bottom line is that it's as stable as you make it.

SemiExpert
April 21st, 2012, 11:07 PM
Stability is almost never an issue. Hardware compatibility is the real issue for most beginning Linux users, especially with recent hardware. Try the current, extremely dated version of Debian Stable on a Sandy Bridge system and you'll have headaches.

mips
April 21st, 2012, 11:16 PM
Stability is almost never an issue. Hardware compatibility is the real issue for most beginning Linux users, especially with recent hardware. Try the current, extremely dated version of Debian Stable on a Sandy Bridge system and you'll have headaches.

Agreed. other things is people want newer package versions of Debian 6, so you enable the testing repos with pinning and that can become hell. I honestly think if you want to go debian for a desktop environment got with Wheezy/testing as it's actually pretty stable.

Zill
April 22nd, 2012, 10:48 AM
Agreed. other things is people want newer package versions of Debian 6, so you enable the testing repos with pinning and that can become hell. I honestly think if you want to go debian for a desktop environment got with Wheezy/testing as it's actually pretty stable.
I agree that apt pinning to mix'n'match Debian testing and stable repos can be a recipe for disaster! For this reason, I would not advocate this as appropriate for a newbie.

As Debian in general is not quite as "user friendly" as other distros, I suggest this may not correspond with the OP's requirements. As already discussed, Mint LTS may be the most appropriate solution.