My Debian experience so far
Posted: 2019-09-09 04:10
Before I go off into my experience I just want to mention a few things since this is my first post. I am traditionally a Slackware and OpenBSD kind of guy. I first installed Debian Slink back in 1999 and I had to compile a kernel just to get my sound card to work and the default user interface was WindowMaker if I remember correctly. I downloaded the entire Debian Slink to a Windows partition via a slow external 56k modem (had to use external so it would not be a winmodem) and then inserted the vfat module into the kernel, during install, then mounted the windows partition exactly where Debian Slink was and installed it that way. Then in 2007 I installed Debian Etch. I first started using Linux in 1997 and around 2001 switch to FreeBSD then NetBSD (which is now unofficially dead) and then OpenBSD.
Anyway, the unnofficial non-free driver version of Debian 10 buster did not support my QCA9377 driver or at least that media failed to load it. The main Debian page for installing non-free drivers by loading it from secondary media like a second usb stick was wrong on the method (or not the complete method or not exact enough) compared to another Debian webpage for a model laptop that was not mine. I followed the instructions for the laptop that was not my model and it worked but before it worked it still threw out errors to me. A less experienced user would have given up installing but I pressed next and then my wireless card was working so I did not have install Debian from my ethernet jack. All in all seemed very unprofessional compared to OpenBSD which is alsofree (non-corporate) or however you would like to phrase it.
Second thing is I don't like plymouth because going back to the oldschool linux days and my experience with the *BSDs. During bootup the kernel/systemd spits out a few errors saying certain non-free firmware failed to load then like a few seconds later it loads fine.
These are the only two things I have noticed that makes Debian 10 Buster seem a little unpolished.
Other than that I like it because through the *BSDs I have come to appreciate stability for getting real work done rather than having something bleeding edge like Arch Linux (which I have tried a few times).
So far I think I am starting to like Debian better than Slackware. I won't compare Slackware to Debian because that would be a long post and it is late now so there is some crossover between features I like here but Debian is :
1.) fast
2.) Stable
3.)reasonably secure (though security depends on the sysadmin to a large degree)
4.) I like Apt better than DNF and Zypper (OpenSUSE)
5.)lots of packages
So overall despite my first negative impressions Debian 10 Buster is a very good release from the Debian crew that just looks a little unpolished to me where I mentioned but that is because they are not a big corporation like Canonical or RedHat.
P.S. since I have a core i3 budget laptop I run MATE pimped out to look like MacOSX and it works real fast. Gnome seems bloated to me even in comparison to kde plasma, nowadays.
Anyway, the unnofficial non-free driver version of Debian 10 buster did not support my QCA9377 driver or at least that media failed to load it. The main Debian page for installing non-free drivers by loading it from secondary media like a second usb stick was wrong on the method (or not the complete method or not exact enough) compared to another Debian webpage for a model laptop that was not mine. I followed the instructions for the laptop that was not my model and it worked but before it worked it still threw out errors to me. A less experienced user would have given up installing but I pressed next and then my wireless card was working so I did not have install Debian from my ethernet jack. All in all seemed very unprofessional compared to OpenBSD which is alsofree (non-corporate) or however you would like to phrase it.
Second thing is I don't like plymouth because going back to the oldschool linux days and my experience with the *BSDs. During bootup the kernel/systemd spits out a few errors saying certain non-free firmware failed to load then like a few seconds later it loads fine.
These are the only two things I have noticed that makes Debian 10 Buster seem a little unpolished.
Other than that I like it because through the *BSDs I have come to appreciate stability for getting real work done rather than having something bleeding edge like Arch Linux (which I have tried a few times).
So far I think I am starting to like Debian better than Slackware. I won't compare Slackware to Debian because that would be a long post and it is late now so there is some crossover between features I like here but Debian is :
1.) fast
2.) Stable
3.)reasonably secure (though security depends on the sysadmin to a large degree)
4.) I like Apt better than DNF and Zypper (OpenSUSE)
5.)lots of packages
So overall despite my first negative impressions Debian 10 Buster is a very good release from the Debian crew that just looks a little unpolished to me where I mentioned but that is because they are not a big corporation like Canonical or RedHat.
P.S. since I have a core i3 budget laptop I run MATE pimped out to look like MacOSX and it works real fast. Gnome seems bloated to me even in comparison to kde plasma, nowadays.