Why i use Debian and Ubuntu

[jdhore]

Basically, i thought i'd make a post about why i use both. I thought it might be an entertaining/interesting read and some others might learn something.

First off, let me say, I was a Debian Developer way back in the day (around 2002/2003) and i don't mean to boast, but if you're using any Debian-based distro since then, you're using my code.

Why i use(d) Ubuntu:
I used/used Ubuntu for one simple reason: I'm lazy. Sure, it's fun to play with Gentoo and Arch and all these advanced distros, but sometimes i wanna be lazy and not have a distro that i have to maintain and spend 4 hours installing packages to get everything to work nicely (codecs, flash, nvidia package from the binary from nvidia.com, etc).

Why i basically stopped using Ubuntu:
Simply (again): The Ubuntu devs are idiots. In gutsy, i believe about 3 months ago, a new kernel or something hit the repos and it broke A LOT of people's systems...on a "stable" release...Unacceptable...Also, in Hardy, post-Alpha 6, the devs pushed a new kernel to the repos...and *oops* FORGOT TO ENABLE ANY SOUND SUPPORT AT ALL! Also, about a week after the kernel incident, there was a libc6/glibc update...That broke EVERYTHING to the point where you couldn't even chroot in to fix it. Maybe i'm just "floating" this, but the Ubuntu devs are PAID whereas the Debian and ArchLinux devs aren't, and i haven't seen this many problems in Arch since i started playing with it in 2004 or Debian in the 1.5 years running Unstable and the 4 years running Testing. So that only proves one thing to me: That the Ubuntu devs are incompetent. Hell, if i was at my day job, and i did that Gutsy update on one of the servers, i could possibly get suspended or fired (I couldn't, but there are offices like that)...Yet the Ubuntu devs screw up this much and still have a job.

Finally, Why i run Debian (Testing):
I run Debian Testing for multiple reasons:
1. It's extremely stable...I've never had a real breakage in Testing in the 4 years i've been running it.
2. It's much faster than Ubuntu in every test i've run.
3. It endorses Free Software guidelines better than Ubuntu...That doesn't bother me too much, but i still like it.
4. It's quite up-to-date.
5. It has the absolutely perfect balance of stability, quality and up-to-date-ness.

[kerry_s]

i use a custom debian etch/lenny install. built from the base up.
i find debian just works better on my old rig.
i've tried returning again and again to ubuntu, but it has always let me down, something always go's screwy.
with debian it's solid you install it once and your set, if something go's wrong it's most likely my fault, i like to tinker under the hood.
my systems 450mhz 256mb ram laptop, i use jwm for my window manager and other lite programs, i have to do alot of things at once for it to even use swap, most of the time swap is never used.
it's just great, love it.


ps: thanks for your past effort in debian, i appreciate it.

[jdhore]

i use a custom debian etch/lenny install. built from the base up.
i find debian just works better on my old rig.
i've tried returning again and again to ubuntu, but it has always let me down, something always go's screwy.
with debian it's solid you install it once and your set, if something go's wrong it's most likely my fault, i like to tinker under the hood.
my systems 450mhz 256mb ram laptop, i use jwm for my window manager and other lite programs, i have to do alot of things at once for it to even use swap, most of the time swap is never used.
it's just great, love it.


ps: thanks for your past effort in debian, i appreciate it.

That's the other great thing about Debian...It'll run just fine on old or even ancient Hardware...I still have a copy of Sarge sitting around if i ever need to run on like a Pentium 1 box or something and...Yea...I doubt the Ubuntu alternate CD would even boot let alone install.

[kerry_s]

That's the other great thing about Debian...It'll run just fine on old or even ancient Hardware...I still have a copy of Sarge sitting around if i ever need to run on like a Pentium 1 box or something and...Yea...I doubt the Ubuntu alternate CD would even boot let alone install.

yes, ubuntu will work to, but they have cut out alot of things for older stuff, to add support for newer things.
p1 time to toss that sucker, lol, i've seen etch work on 233mhz 32mb ram. so it might even go there, but i wouldn't.

i feeling minimal this month, did away with all the fancy icons, so not much to look at. pic's

[jdhore]

yes, ubuntu will work to, but they have cut out alot of things for older stuff, to add support for newer things.
p1 time to toss that sucker, lol, i've seen etch work on 233mhz 32mb ram. so it might even go there, but i wouldn't.

i feeling minimal this month, did away with all the fancy icons, so not much to look at. pic's

lol...I think you misunderstood me. I still HAVE A P1, but i don't use it...No system i actually use on a semi-regular basis is slower than a 2.4GhZ Pentium 4

[Caraibes]

I run Debian Testing for multiple reasons:
1. It's extremely stable...I've never had a real breakage in Testing in the 4 years i've been running it.
2. It's much faster than Ubuntu in every test i've run.
3. It endorses Free Software guidelines better than Ubuntu...That doesn't bother me too much, but i still like it.
4. It's quite up-to-date.
5. It has the absolutely perfect balance of stability, quality and up-to-date-ness.

What a great post 1 You expressed exactly my own feeling ! I now run Debian Testing as well. And I also run Debian Stable on various other PC's, and Debian Testing on my older Mac iBook G3 (ppc, 600Mhz...)
Anyway, that is in no way a disrespect to other distros, or other Debian offsprings... To each his own. But Debian Testing is the "King of the Road" !

[sujoy]

i am considerably new to linux, but i liked ubuntu cause its what made me realise what linux really is and now I am all into debian, both my pc and laptop runs debian now (with arch on my laptop in dual boot), and its the perfect distro i have found so far.

jdhore: i highly appreciate your contribution and being a student of computer engg. myself, i feel greatly inspired.

[ruibernardo]

Hi,

interesting thread, this one. I understand what you're all saying, but I have some opinions and questions. Here goes.

I've been using ubuntu since 2005 and I've also had my "breakage" with it, most of them until Edgy. Since Feisty I can't say I had a real problem like those posted on the first post. Can't remember of even a "dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg" since Feisty. I try to use only ubuntu repositories and being very careful about what I install from other repos. I do not use compiz & desktop effects, even with a nvidia graphic card.

There are many Debian developers that are developers at Debian too. Ubuntu contracted some of them. So It's hard for me to think that Ubuntu developers are more or less than the Debian ones. At least in the packaging development, from what I've found in the mailing lists and bug support of both distros they are almost the same people.

But I also have my problems with Ubuntu. Some package are not up to date, mainly in the universe repository. And I must wait 6 month for a new ubuntu release, hopefully with a new version of that package and for that I'll have to "dist-upgrade" or use "unsupported backports" (if that package is backported) or reinstall. I'm getting tired of this part. LTS is how Ubuntu deals with this, but I don't want a system that be 1 and a half years outdated. For the same reason, Etch doesn't attract me as well.

Debian testing seems to be where the real more-up-to-date-stuff is. But can it be used for the every day Desktop? In 4 years of Debian Testing did you had any problem with dependencies that changed, xorg problems while newer versions of xorg were available? I ask that because if I tried to dist-upgrade a Dapper to Hardy, it wouldn't work.

How does those things don't break in Debian Lenny? Can Debian Lenny, when used as the every day desktop, be a "Ubuntu 0x.x Always Latest Packages"?

[p_quarles]

How does those things don't break in Debian Lenny? Can Debian Lenny, when used as the every day desktop, be a "Ubuntu 0x.x Always Latest Packages"?

Things do break in Testing. At the same time, the development model of Debian is specifically looking for broken things in Testing, so they tend to get repaired relatively quickly.

You don't have the irreperable breakage like you do with Ubuntu dist-upgrades simply because everything upgrades in smaller steps.

It should also be noted, however, that Debian Testing is currently very far along in the development process, and is scheduled to be released as Stable later this year. Users shouldn't always expect it to be as stable as it currently is.

[Caraibes]

Debian testing seems to be where the real more-up-to-date-stuff is. But can it be used for the every day Desktop?

This is precisely the experience I am doing right now... I am running Debian Testing on my desktop for my everyday life (work, play and all...)
I don't run Compiz. My repos are the regular Debian Testing (main, contrib, non-free), plus Skype, Google Picasa and Opera...
I have Debian Stable on 4 other (older) PC's, but Testing looks more fun...
I plan to analyze if it is "stable" enough (what a paradox for a Testing version!)
If not, I would be ok to return to Stable...