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Why do you use debian?

Here you can discuss every aspect of Debian. Note: not for support requests!
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d0zme
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Re: Why do you use debian?

#481 Post by d0zme »

Debian is the most stable operating system I've used thus far, and I've tried lots of distros over the years. Freebsd is the only other operating system I use in my day-to-day life.

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Re: Why do you use debian?

#482 Post by CrackedShell »

I am not really sure why I started using Debian.

I was a lifelong Windows user and after much suffering I decided 'enough!'. I switched to Linux Mint and started to learn all I could about Linux. I got a Raspberry Pi4 for myself late last year but I did not at all like the Raspbian OS that came with it, so I started to search for other options. I ended up going with Manjaro i3 and have been very happy with that choice. The Pi makes it easy to run other operating systems, and I tried a few others, but Manjaro was tough to beat.

As a challenge, I wanted to try a more advanced distro, and came to Debian. After install, I had a working CLI and internet, but that was all. I slowly learned and gradually built up my Debian system to a full working XFCE DE. Full disclosure, there were a couple of Noob screw ups that set me back, but in the end I got a working system.

I did not do a perfect job. I borked my wifi somehow and cannot get it back, and I cannot get my dual displays to work at all. These setbacks are a little disappointing, but are a result of my failings, not Debian's! Notwithstanding, ethernet works great and one display is enough!! I feel a great sense of accomplishment every time I log in to Debian, and know that I built this up from scratch. It is still a work in progress, but it does what I need it to do.

So I log into Manjaro and have my lovely extended dual displays and wifi as well as all the latest iterations of software. Yet, I keep coming back to this Debian install. There is something about opening Xterm, neofetch running and seeing that soothing, happy Debian swirl rendered. It means stability, it means freedom, it means I accomplished something by getting here.

Manjaro worked 'out of the box', I had to make Debian work. It took work, effort, RTFM and more RTFM!! Also RTFF (Read The F***ing Forum). This platform here was very helpful to me and I learned much just reading threads here. Let's be honest: sometimes the Man pages are dull, esoteric, and unhelpful. I want to thank all the experts on here who helped me without even knowing it.

This Forum is NOT the touchy - feely Manjaro or Ubuntu Forums. While there is a collegial feel of community here among the experts (well, mostly anyway :D), I would not be comfortable posting questions here yet as a neophyte. I have read lots of rather supercilious rhetoric aimed at dumb noobs like me. (OK, some of it was extremely entertaining... :lol: ). Still, this forum is a goldmine of information and expertise about Debian and Linux, and I am grateful to all the experts who make it so; even the ones who are maybe not so nice! I will not post much here, so forgive this post for being rather prolix, but I wanted to write a note of appreciation to Debian and to this community.

Noobs - do some homework (RTFM, RTFF, Google)
Experts - show some patience and humility (all were noobs at one time).

Finally to answer the question: I use Debian because it makes me happy!! Yeah, that!
Last edited by CrackedShell on 2021-04-07 15:54, edited 2 times in total.
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Hallvor
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Re: Why do you use debian?

#483 Post by Hallvor »

CrackedShell wrote: This Forum is NOT the touchy - feely Manjaro or Ubuntu Forums.
People here are usually nice if you have done your homework and made an effort to solve your own problems. This forum is also more honest than the fake courtesy and fake "community spirit" you'll find other places.
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Re: Why do you use debian?

#484 Post by CrackedShell »

Hallvor wrote:
CrackedShell wrote: This Forum is NOT the touchy - feely Manjaro or Ubuntu Forums.
People here are usually nice if you have done your homework and made an effort to solve your own problems. This forum is also more honest than the fake courtesy and fake "community spirit" you'll find other places.
Agreed!! I do appreciate that, even if it can be little intimidating...

I will say that it makes for much more entertaining reading than many other forums!! 8) :wink:
Sometimes I think the surest sign intelligent life exists elsewhere in The Universe, is that none of it has tried to contact us.
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Re: Why do you use debian?

#485 Post by Marie SWE »

Hi all :mrgreen:
This will be my first post in this forum and my English is not the best and my irritating dyslexia isn't directly to my favor either. Hahaha :lol:
I ran into this thread when I was looking for information on an effective firewall.

Why Debian .. It's unfortunately not completely voluntary..... I escaped from windows when win7 reached EOL2020 and win10spyware is not an option and replace all my computers to Apple is way-way to expensive.. I have to many of them :oops: :oops: :oops:
After around 30 years with windows and Microsoft ms-dos since 1987, Linux it is not an completely painless experience. :oops:
First I tested all flavors of ubuntu, but it just felt wrong in some mysterious way that can't put my finger on. Then I switched to Mint18.3 which worked fine with win/linux network and all, but when I had to switch to Mint19 some things stopped working, so I switched to LMDE3 Which worked well and was super stable.. just a BIG downside with LMDE... it had a short life before EOL :?

So Debian seems to be the only distribution which is a LTS version with a little longer life before EOL.. which I am used to from Windows, I really hate to install and tweak computers from core more than once during a computers lifetime. (after installations, setups, tweaks and configurations, I create a recovery partition and a imagebackup of each computer to my server to avoid doing new core installation on each computer ever again.. just a 15min recovery and some security updates and the computer is fit for fight again.) :mrgreen:
There is one downside with Debian and that is it's lack of user-friendliness. After 30 years with windows, used to GUI's since the mid/late 90s is the gui-lackiness the only disadvantage i have notised.. otherwise Debian seems to be a good, stable, reliable and promising distro to have on my work-machines. :D
I have now used Debian in almost 2weeks and I have not managed to configure the 1st computer completely yet.. and I have 6 more computers standing in line. But I'm working on it and I have notice that my microsofts/windows knowledge is my nemesis. I am used to spending a maximum of 3-4 hours/computer on the first install to finished computer with a recovery partition.. I am used to GUI's since the 90s, so Linux feels like a time travel 25 years back in time to ms-dos and win 3.1 And a big downside.. the terminal doesn't have spellcheck for dyslexics hahaha

But it will be fun to learn Debian and to see how Debian develops over time and attracts more and more users, so Debian can compete on the market against wincrap and apple. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I wish you all a nice day and take care of you and your loved ones in these covid times 8)
//Marie
Why make things complicated in life, if you can make it easier for yourself... Do it. ;o)
You only have one life, so make the most of it and enjoy it while you can.

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Re: Why do you use debian?

#486 Post by CwF »

Marie SWE wrote:So Debian seems to be the only distribution which is a LTS version with a little longer life before EOL.. which I am used to from Windows, I really hate to install and tweak computers from core more than once during a computers lifetime...snip...and a imagebackup of each computer...snip...spending a maximum of 3-4 hours/computer on the first install
//Marie
Something that really doesn't follow from windows ways is the idea that each computer is somehow a unique install. With windows everyone thinks that is the case, we were brainwashed by product id's. With linux the system is more fungible. A Debian system can easily graduate to a new system, and ultimately, it is the OS that should outlive the hardware, not vice versa.

So you might want to polish this first computer to your liking, then simply image it and run it it in each of those other 6 computers... in whatever way it can be done...that is more than one way...you don't have to be concerned with 'uniqueness' until you get them talking to each other.

Enjoy.
oh, and the cli is a necessary evil, implying no - we're still not done.

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Re: Why do you use debian?

#487 Post by Marie SWE »

CwF wrote:
Marie SWE wrote:So Debian seems to be the only distribution which is a LTS version with a little longer life before EOL.. which I am used to from Windows, I really hate to install and tweak computers from core more than once during a computers lifetime...snip...and a imagebackup of each computer...snip...spending a maximum of 3-4 hours/computer on the first install
//Marie
Something that really doesn't follow from windows ways is the idea that each computer is somehow a unique install. With windows everyone thinks that is the case, we were brainwashed by product id's. With linux the system is more fungible. A Debian system can easily graduate to a new system, and ultimately, it is the OS that should outlive the hardware, not vice versa.

So you might want to polish this first computer to your liking, then simply image it and run it it in each of those other 6 computers... in whatever way it can be done...that is more than one way...you don't have to be concerned with 'uniqueness' until you get them talking to each other.

Enjoy.
oh, and the cli is a necessary evil, implying no - we're still not done.
Hi and thanks for your reply :mrgreen:
Yes and no :wink:
Yes I know that it is possible to clone and run a linux install on a totally different hardware. I discovered that by mistake a year ago when I swapped a HDD on a laptop. :D
and No part... my computers have different tasks and therefore different software installed. I see no reason to have freeoffice, gimp, Krita or an email client on a computer that's not use those programs. Some of them have different resolutions, one or up to three monitors, different settings for mouse sensitivity, shared folders and partitions different networkdrives from my server and so on. So tweaks and software is different on them.
Just a basic Debian install without tweaks or customizations, that is only 10min work. so it's no need to clone that part... it is the other part that is the pain in the butt part. hahaha. :mrgreen: :lol: :mrgreen:
But yes I can clone two of my laptops that is almost mirrored of two of my desktops for portable work.. then only tweak [Fn]keys and mouspad settings and resolutions and shared resources.
My so far two first weeks with one of my desktops I see as the learning curve.. Setup Debian network win/linux took 1½days, now I can do it in 15-20mins... so some progress. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: (the same networksetup takes only 3-5mins in windows) :oops:
Why make things complicated in life, if you can make it easier for yourself... Do it. ;o)
You only have one life, so make the most of it and enjoy it while you can.

methuen
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Re: Why do you use debian?

#488 Post by methuen »

I've moved over due to Apple's increasing mobile focus for MacOS - that, and the deprecation of the entire 32bit software world I didn't find endearing. High Sierra just went out of LTS, and my plan was always to move over to Debian. Treated myself to a new SSD for the mac as I did it, so loads of storage to play around with interesting packages !

pendrachken
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Re: Why do you use debian?

#489 Post by pendrachken »

Because it's easier to just keep using my installs that are already Debian than move them over to something else.

Debian is just like anything else, a tool. It's the right tool for some jobs, but there are other tools that make some jobs easier. Workstations, for example, I've found were easier to setup and configure how you want with CentOS 7, and to a lesser extent 8. Now that that is gone, AlmaOS is a drop in replacement. EPEL and some of the appstreams for updated stuff have a MUCH larger selection of backports that would interest a desktop user. Support is very long term per release too, effectively more than long enough to outlast most PC builds usable life expectancy.

Server wise I still find Debian easier to configure / administer, just because I have more years of experience with it.


Other than a few minor things like being able to add repos directly from the command line directly through the dnf package manager, there isn't much difference in the day to day use... other than learning to type dnf upgrade instead of apt-get upgrade.
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Re: Why do you use debian?

#490 Post by sirfer »

Bulkley wrote: For example, years ago I installed Icedove to handle my email, just email. Icedove became Thunderbird and grew. Now it has a calendar and a task manager and a chat function none of which I use or need in an email client. Most alternatives are also bloated. What to do? I've tried a lot of OSs during the past year and find myself stripping stuff I don't want out of them. Bloat is not just a Debian problem. There are some stripped down OSs but they tend to have a steep learning curve and very few packages, if any, in their repositories. I admit to be terrible at installing from source and I loathe dependency hell as we used to call RPMs. Debian's big advantage is a massive repository and easy tools to use them. For now, I'm still here.
Just a thought, have you tried Sylpheed? I've been using it for years, with very few issues, except every time I reinstall I forget how to set it up for GMail :shock: :lol:

But yeah, it's an email client and just that, nothing else.

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Re: Why do you use debian?

#491 Post by Bulkley »

sirfer wrote:Just a thought, have you tried Sylpheed? . . . But yeah, it's an email client and just that, nothing else.
Thanks for reminding me. Along time ago I used Sylpheed-Claws. I don't know why I stopped. Maybe I should look at it again.

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Re: Why do you use debian?

#492 Post by conclave »

I have several desktops going, all older machines some over 10 years. I have tried with other LInux operating systems to hook them up together using a switch/hub for file sharing, so much better than using a thumb drive. Linux Debian is the only operating system that I have been able to get file sharing connections between computers by following instructions in books I have like "LInux All in One for Dummies" and "Linux Bible". On other operating systems like Fedora, AV Linux, Mint, or Ubuntu cannot get a steady connection between computers, some will start working when fresh upgraded operating system is installed (Fedora) and then eventually fade away. Windows always works well by simply following their instructions yet limits to one directory path, I guess this might be a good security procedure?

I started using Debian approximately six years ago. Liked how you could purchase complete DVD sets of their repositories through an on-line web site OS Discs. For many years I did not have any internet at home and would use library for downloading operating systems then take home on thumb drives and with the help of books use Debian operating system for running programs. Debian worked well without any dependency upon the internet for repositories and DVDS always worked well through the Synaptic Package Manager.

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Re: Why do you use debian?

#493 Post by Lonewolf71 »

I have a lower end desktop that can't handle bloated Windows 10, so since the second week of December of 2020, I decided to give Linux another shot...so after months of distro hopping but always going back to Linux Mint MATE, I was pretty happy, but for some reason I had quite a bit of crashes with Mint or various software, I installed Debian for the 3rd time and since then I am trying to stay with it cause afaik there has been no crashes, and it runs great on my old 2006 HP Pavilion Desktop with 3gb's of ram. I do have a Laptop that I dual boot Linux Mint MATE and Windows 10, but I hardly use it because I prefer a larger screen. The Lappy has an i3 with 8g's of ram but has some minor pixel damage on the screen is the main reason I prefer using my desktop even though the laptop is faster and is 64bit so I can actually use the latest Mint vs. staying on 19.3.

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Re: Why do you use debian?

#494 Post by esp7 »

I use Debian since forever on all my machines to avoid having to rant about the upcoming Windows releases :mrgreen:
ThinkPad X220: i5-2520M CPU 2.5GHz - 8GB RAM 1333 MHz - SSD 860 EVO 250GB - Debian - ME_cleaned
ThinkPad X230: i5-3320M CPU 3.3GHz - 8GB RAM 1600 MHz - SSD 860 EVO 500GB - Debian - ME_cleaned

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Re: Why do you use debian?

#495 Post by ticojohn »

It works! I started my Linux experience with Knoppix. Found that it provided me with everything I needed so that that other OS, used by most of the world, would no longer be dragging me around by the short hairs. Installed Debian in 2009 and other than a brief experience with Ubuntu on my Intel NUC, because I couldn't get Debian to work at that time, I haven't used anything else. Nothing in life is without faults, but Debian comes pretty darned close. I have even managed to get a couple of people to change from that other OS, you know which one I mean, to Debian. They think it is one of the best computer related moves they ever made. Long live Debian!
I am not irrational, I'm just quantum probabilistic.

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Re: Why do you use debian?

#496 Post by esp7 »

That other OS :lol: It should become a rule on this forum to only refer to the other OS by using "that other OS" :mrgreen:
ThinkPad X220: i5-2520M CPU 2.5GHz - 8GB RAM 1333 MHz - SSD 860 EVO 250GB - Debian - ME_cleaned
ThinkPad X230: i5-3320M CPU 3.3GHz - 8GB RAM 1600 MHz - SSD 860 EVO 500GB - Debian - ME_cleaned

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Re: Why do you use debian?

#497 Post by Ko_D »

I used debian as my basic distro for some years. However, after an upgrade, my system widely broke, and did not manage to got it back. Also, I was tired to fix things by writing a dozen of commands in bash and reading for hours the documentation! So I left debian and went to ubuntu, which I believe is awesome and I have no problems. I have also a second laptop (old 32 bit) which run ubuntu 18, but after an upgrade the system broke (finger cross after upgrade)! I decide to go back to debian, at least I believe for 32 bit is the best choice. I burned bullseye. Well congrats to debian devs, my 10years laptop works like a charm.

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Re: Why do you use debian?

#498 Post by rodin »

I was quite happy at Mint but after installing v20 MATE I lost my sound and endless fiddling failed to fix it.

I then tried Manjaro which kept freezing crashing.

I tried a couple of others where the text input seemed scrambled. (possibly my error but frustrating).

But Debian has been fab although this is day 1. Everything works

Now I feel like a geek. Wannabe anyway.

So thanks to the fine folk at Debian.

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Re: Why do you use debian?

#499 Post by Daniel-GNQ »

F37U5G0D wrote: 2009-05-25 00:50 Why do you use debian and not another distrobution?
I'm quite a new user, I started with using only GNU/Linux distributions and leaving Windows, around a year ago in October at first I started with Ubuntu because due to complete inexperience I didn't know what to choose but as soon as I discovered Debian I immediately switched to it with some diffycults at first, but in a matter of a few months I managed to understand or at least start to know what to do or not to do for making the system works.

But the reasons for which I choose Debian are it's stability that is something that I love to have for a computer used for serious reasons, another reason is the philosophical one Debian is a community distro and in the main repositories there is only free/open software so privacy and freedom are at their maximum and Debian is the only distro which does this, and the fact that it is a community distro only makes it better for the full spirit of cooperation of the free software.

I am a Debian user and i will continue to be it :)

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Re: Why do you use debian?

#500 Post by bx249 »

Hi
I switched from Ubuntu Mate to Debian because I didn't want the snap packages and other stuff imposed by Canonical.
I tried Debian before but now I'll keep it for good.

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