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Debian vs Ubuntu

TorC
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Almost everywhere I go, I see ubuntu being called a Debian distribution.  Debian began in 1993 by Ian Murdoch, ubuntu in 2004 by Mark Shutleworth.  Ubuntu is derived from Debian.  Since its inception, ubuntu has gone its separate way, becoming more commercia and incorporating non-free software.   So, one is able to say that ubuntu is related to Debian and be correct.  To say it is a Debian distro is not correct. 

 

Anyone who has tried both can verify that installing Debian is a PITA whereas installing Ubuntu is pretty easy.  If someone has been using both for several years, he or she can also see the difference in stability.  In short, ubuntu can be buggy and unstable, especially if other than the Long Term Support (LTS) versions of any 'buntu (kubuntu, lubuntu, ubuntu, xubuntu, et cetera) are used.  Debian, once installed, is very stable.  Which is why it is one of the preferred Server distros. 

 

I have included more or less chronologically links that show how the two differ, which is better for beginners learining about GNU/Linux and which non-ubuntu distros are suitable for newbies.  I hope it sheds some light on why the two are not in the same category.

Why Linus Torvalds Doesn’t Like Using Debian Or Ubuntu Linux?

Debian vs. Ubuntu: Which One Should You Use?

Debian vs Ubuntu – Main Differences and Similarities in 2020

Debian vs Ubuntu in 2021- The Ultimate Showdown

6 Best Linux Distributions That are Not Based on Ubuntu or Debian

 

Choose what you may, the first main thing is to have fun!  The second thing is to wean oneself from windows -- that is, should a person not be willing to spend hard-earned cash unnecessariy!

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i think you don't know what that sentence means 

95% of ubuntu's code (aside from gui) is the same with debian and as long as it shares the same package manager as debian its debian distro

if it was useful give it a like :) btw if your into linux pay a visit here

 

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2 hours ago, TorC said:

Anyone who has tried both can verify that installing Debian is a PITA whereas installing Ubuntu is pretty easy.

Disagree on that, installing Debian is quite easy for anyone with a basic idea of what an operating system is. Not as easy as Ubuntu but really not much harder at all.

2 hours ago, TorC said:

In short, ubuntu can be buggy and unstable, especially if other than the Long Term Support (LTS) versions of any 'buntu (kubuntu, lubuntu, ubuntu, xubuntu, et cetera) are used.  Debian, once installed, is very stable.

Yeah, try installing Sid... Ubuntu doesn't call their non-LTS distributions "unstable" but they are the same type of release as Sid, whereas "stable" Debian is to be compared with LTS releases of Ubuntu. There's still some stability advantage just by virtue of Debian typically sticking with slightly older packages but it's not as large as you make it sound.

2 hours ago, TorC said:

Why Linus Torvalds Doesn’t Like Using Debian Or Ubuntu Linux?

This was just an off-hand remark Torvalds made almost 15 years ago about an experience he had even prior to that, anything you could have gathered from that is at the very least painfully out of date. Realistically people like Torvalds just don't care what distribution they use, if they try one and are comfortable with it they'll just stick with it because there's no reason for them to switch.

2 hours ago, TorC said:

6 Best Linux Distributions That are Not Based on Ubuntu or Debian

I'm not sure what this has to do with the topic at hand...?

Don't ask to ask, just ask... please 🤨

sudo chmod -R 000 /*

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On 3/31/2021 at 2:34 PM, Nayr438 said:

If I am not mistaking. Ubuntu packages are periodically pulled from Debian Sid (Unstable). If that's still the case, it would be a Debian Based distribution.

 

testing not Sid

 

On 3/31/2021 at 11:42 AM, TorC said:

I hope it sheds some light on why the two are not in the same category.

Nope it doesn't

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The acid test as to whether a disrtro being run is truly Debian or a corruption thereof is the award-winning script SMXI by h20.  Many here were probably still in elementary school when the controversy arose in late 2009 and festered in 2010, so it cannot be expected for such to know even who Ian Murdock was or anything about his mysterious death.

Test it out, as smxi is a truly useful post-install tweak script for Debian, not ubuntu! 

 

 

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Thank you, @LloydLynx, for the constructive post and sharing your experience.

I 'cut my teeth,' so to speak on the Debian Sid distros Aptosod and Siduction. Of course, reinstallation after trying some cutting edge softwares that crashed the system is a given, but it was a learning adventure that, all in all, I enjoyed. Nowadays I almost always go with Testing -- most recently in antiX, after using the smxi script to tweak the nVidia graphics, the kernel, eliminating language packs and to change the repos to the fastest for Testing.

See https://smxi.org

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30 minutes ago, TorC said:

C'mon guys!  Try installing smxi and disprove my point that ubuntu in NOT Dedian!

Ubuntu is based on Debian. That's not up for debate, because it's simple fact. Saying "Ubuntu is not based on Debian" is like saying "Pizza doesn't have pizza dough."

 

It's obviously not the same as Debian (otherwise there would be no reason for it to exist) and it's definitely not "Dedian", whatever that is.  But why are you so hung up on people running some random script, which for all we know is malware, just to prove the point?

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pythonmegapixel

into tech, public transport and architecture // amateur programmer // youtuber // beginner photographer

Thanks for reading all this by the way!

By the way, my desktop is a docked laptop. Get over it, No seriously, I have an exterrnal monitor, keyboard, mouse, headset, ethernet and cooling fans all connected. Using it feels no different to a desktop, it works for several hours if the power goes out, and disconnecting just a few cables gives me something I can take on the go. There's enough power for all games I play and it even copes with basic (and some not-so-basic) video editing. Give it a go - you might just love it.

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3 minutes ago, TorC said:

@pythonmegapixel

Being based on and being are two different things.  I suggest rereading my posts with an open mind and critical thinking instead of reacting emotionally without full understanding!

Fine, but nobody ever said that Ubuntu WAS Debian. 

 

If it's a "Debian[-based] distribution" it's referring to it being based upon Debian and using Debian's package management system etc.

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____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

pythonmegapixel

into tech, public transport and architecture // amateur programmer // youtuber // beginner photographer

Thanks for reading all this by the way!

By the way, my desktop is a docked laptop. Get over it, No seriously, I have an exterrnal monitor, keyboard, mouse, headset, ethernet and cooling fans all connected. Using it feels no different to a desktop, it works for several hours if the power goes out, and disconnecting just a few cables gives me something I can take on the go. There's enough power for all games I play and it even copes with basic (and some not-so-basic) video editing. Give it a go - you might just love it.

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On 3/31/2021 at 11:42 AM, TorC said:

Choose what you may, the first main thing is to have fun!

Seeing all the antagonistic replies you're posting, this thread was obviously made to stir shit up instead of having an open discussion.

 

* thread locked *

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