Which distro is best for you? Debian or Ubuntu?
Which distro is best for you? Debian or Ubuntu? You wouldn't make a mistake by choosing either of these two, but if you know what to expect from a distribution, you can get more helpful answers to your questions.
Debian and Ubuntu have been among Distrowatch's 3 most popular Linux distributors for the last 4 years. Since 2005, it has never been left with the first gold. So which Linux distro is better for you? The answers to this question are sought below.
In many places Debian experts, you may have heard that Ubuntu is a beginner-friendly distro. This is partially true. But there is no longer a big difference between them as before.
It took Ubuntu several years after its launch in 2004 to manage to make desktop use easier, especially for non-English speaking users. However, thanks to free licenses, Ubuntu has begun to find its place in many desktop environments.
Also, the era of Ubuntu's interface innovations is now largely a thing of the past. Now, Ubuntu development is more focused on unification, that is, making Unity desktop features a common interface for phones, tablets and desktops. But since Ubuntu phones and tablets have limited availability, the aforementioned convergence feature does not mean much for many users. Similarly, Ubuntu's parent company Canonical seems to have placed more emphasis on successful OpenStack build rather than desktop development.
Debian, on the other hand, offers easier installation than ever before and emulates Ubuntu starting from its latest version. Modern Debian is also more focused on its role as a resource for other distros. Among these distros is not only Ubuntu, but also Linux Mint, which has always been number one on Distrowatch's list for the last 4 years.
Debian today can be defined as a distribution suitable for everyone, very easy to install by anyone who can follow the instructions, and with features that satisfy the experts with its detailed control features.
Of course, these general definitions are only some of the differences we will discuss. Despite their common origins, Debian and Ubuntu installers differ in terms of desktop environments, administration and communities.
Debian or Ubuntu: Installation
Despite what has been said about it forever, modern Debian is no longer a more difficult distro in terms of installation than its other counterparts. It is even possible to say that if you cannot install Debian on your hardware with the Debian Installer available for eleven hardware architectures, with text, graphics and audio formats, and expert mode for troubleshooting, you will most likely not install any Linux distribution.
Ubuntu's installer, on the other hand, has also developed ARM development in recent years, but concentrated on 32 and 64 bit versions of Intel architecture for desktop computers and servers. Ubuntu has 9 different alternatives, from those for educational purposes such as Edubuntu to those with different default desktop environments such as Lubuntu, which installs LXDE and Xubuntu.
All of these Ubuntu options use an installer designed to require minimal user input. In case of any difficulties, Ubuntu uses an expert installer, which is a rebranded version of Debian.
Debian or Ubuntu: Desktops
Ubuntu originally used GNOME as the default desktop. But since 2010, it has developed its own desktop called Unity. Although Unity has been designed to be easy to use, it has never been fully popular. However, there are many alternative desktop environments after installation. However, as KDE Ubuntu, aka Kubuntu, is now produced independently, there is no longer a link for Kubuntu on the Ubuntu website.
Debian also used GNOME by default for many years. Its latest installer offers half a dozen desktop environments, saving time for those who want to use multiple desktop computers. The difference depends on when and how you set up these multiple desktops.
Debian or Ubuntu: Administration and Package Management
Debian is installed with a root account and at least one non-priority user. Unlike Ubuntu, it doesn't use sudo, which stores the root password, and allows at least one user to access root privileges by entering their own password. Using sudo has the advantage of minimizing the time the root account is in use, but it is controversial whether Ubuntu's sudo setting is more secure than Debian's classic configuration. Users, whether using Debian or Ubuntu, can choose to choose another sudo setting that fits their security understanding.
Debian's packages are Unstable and go through Test repositories to become Stable with the release of the new version. Between the two versions, Update and Backport features make Stability continuous. Users can also choose between Legacy Stable and Experimental options. These pools are divided into three parts: the main part with free licensed packages, the contrib package with free licensed packages dependent on proprietary software, and the paid package with proprietary packages. Among these three packages, only the main package is included on the installation DVDs. Contrib and paid packages must be added to resources by the user.
For comparison, Ubuntu repositories are organized by the organization responsible for these pools. The main repository includes software supported by Canonical, and the universal repository includes software supported by the Ubuntu community. Proprietary drivers are in a limited pool, and software with legal problems is in a multiverse pool.
Both distributions use the .deb format and many packages work with both distributions. Third-party packages also usually run on both distributions, so dealing with only one package is sufficient. However, it is worth remembering that some packages created by Ubuntu do not work in Debian.
Ubuntu is developing the Mir, which replaces the X Window System that provides Linux's graphics display feature. Debian, on the other hand, is moving to Wayland, like many other distributions.
In addition, Ubuntu is promoting Snap packages starting in 2016. So far, an official plan has been announced to replace .deb packages with Snap ones outside of hardware, but many people suggest such a change can be made at any time, despite official statements made by Ubuntu.
Unlike .deb packages, which depend on other packages, snap packages include their own dependencies in the package, thus making these packages a kind of updated static "tarball" and running each package in a container. Ubuntu states that snap packages are easier to prepare and are more secure, but it can also be argued that the quality of the packages depends on the testing process, not the technology.
In addition, due to the multiple dependencies on different packages, snap packages take up more space on the hard disk.
Debian or Ubuntu: Administration and Support
Debian is a support distribution. In this support, anyone who passes the tests to become a Debian developer and selector has a say in the selection of the project leader and votes in referendums on important policy issues. Many decisions, especially those related to legal matters, are discussed at length on Debian forums.
Ubuntu is more complicated. In day-to-day matters, Ubuntu acts as a support distribution with support council and various subcommittees. But Mark Shuttlewoth, the founder of Ubuntu, has declared himself a Lifelong Philanthropist and is known for having the final say on support decisions in which his company Canonical Software's interests are at stake. This attitude once or twice caused great riots on the support side, and resentment about the lack of a clear definition of support.
Debian or Ubuntu: Verdict
Despite all these differences, there is still a close interaction between Debian and Ubuntu. While some Debian members feel that Ubuntu does not give Debian the value it deserves, many people from the forums are working for both distributions. Members of both distributions attend the annual Debconf conference.
On the other hand, these two distributions offer increasingly different options for users, especially potential donors. For example, while Debian remains a general purpose distribution, Ubuntu increasingly reflects Canonical's commercial interests. The latest Ubuntu releases have not offered much new for desktop users, but the same can be said for Debian because Debian has reached a level of maturity where the vulnerabilities in its software have been reduced.
An absolute recommendation, it can be said that Ubuntu is better for new users in desktop environments other than Unity, while Debian is better for more experienced users or new users who want to learn Linux without changing distributions.
Of course, at this last point, it is worth mentioning that the technological basis of Debian and Ubuntu are still the same and both distributions are very good choices for average Linux users.
Helpful Sources
- Podcast, What is Ubuntu?
- Podcast, Ubuntu OS
- Podcast, GNU/Ubuntu
- Podcast, Ubuntu/Linux
- Podcast, The History of Ubuntu
- Podcast, What is Debian?