http://www.techradar.com/pro/linux December 2019 LXF257 21Linux distribution REVIEWS
Debian 10.1 Buster
Debian has a wide choice of software to install – even a choice of the
software you use to install software.The standard
software
installation is the
bare minimum to
get going, then
you choose what
you need based on
intended use.VERDICT
A benchmark distribution that provides just about everything
you could need, with a solid project backing it.FEATURES 9/10
PERFORMANCE 9/10EASE OF USE 8/10
DOCUMENTATION 8/10Rating 9/10
DEVELOPER: The Debian Project
WEB: http://www.debian.org
LICENCE: Various open source/free softwareSimilar issues are present with many wireless cards and
some video cards, although those at least have a free
driver that gives basic functionality. Once you have
enabled non-free and installed any needed drivers or
firmware, the system works well.
Because you choose what software to install, there is
no standard configuration to evaluate as, for example,
with Ubuntu and its GNOME desktop. We tried three of
the desktops on offer: GNOME, Cinnamon and LxQt. As a
rule, Debian tries to stick closely to the upstream default
for any software it includes, so these were box-standard
desktops with no distro-specific tweaks or frills beyond
Debian’s choice of wallpaper.
That’s not to say you cannot customise your desktop
experience – you can colour and theme and enhance it all
you want – it’s just that you start with a standard setup.
For GNOME and Cinnamon, this gave the experience one
would expect: slick and smooth. LxQt does still show its
immaturity; it’s good for a lightweight or older system,
but still has a few minor annoyances.
The package manager you get depends on the desktop
you choose to install. One system with only GNOME had
the GNOME Software Manager, another installed with
Cinnamon and LxQt got Synaptic. While nowhere near as
pretty as its GNOME counterpart, Synaptic is an excellent
package management front end (both option work with
the same apt system in the background) and is
something we would always install right away on a
new Debian-based system.13GB and counting...
The range of software available to Debian users is huge.
If you want to download the full set of installation files,
they’re available on three DVDs – nearly 13GB! As already
mentioned, there is no default set of packages to install.
This makes Debian less suitable for someone new to
Linux, where the ‘Here is the software you need’
approach of some other distros is a better option. Debian
is better for someone already using Linux, who has some
idea of what they want.
Once it’s installed, using and maintaining a Debian
system is no more involved than anything else. If you are
coming from a Debian derivative such as Ubuntu or Linux
Mint, you will feel right at home, once you have chosen
how to furnish and decorate that home.Testing, testing
We have already mentioned how Debian prioritises a
stable experience over chasing version numbers, but it
doesn’t have to be like that. Debian maintains three sets
of packages in parallel. When you install a new systemyou get Stable. If you want more frequent and timely
updates, you can switch to the Testing variant – this is
what Ubuntu and friends are based upon. It might not be
called Stable, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s
unstable – just newer.
The third level is Experimental, and this one is not
recommended for general use. Some of the software in
here is so bleeding-edge it needs a tourniquet; it’s a place
for developers to do their stuff.
With such a large, well-organised project, you would
expect the documentation to be top-notch. It is decent,
and probably has all you need, but could be better
organised. The installation guide is comprehensive but the
documentation page then lists a handbook for version 8.
However, there is a lot of documentation, and a wiki for
user contributions, so anything you need to know should
be in there.
With so many people running Debian the community
is huge, so web searches for specific issues will usually
turn up good advice. With the experience of the Debian
user base, responses should contain some real nuggets
of wisdom.
Debian describes itself as “The universal operating
system” and this is largely true. While it is not the most
newbie-friendly of distros, for anyone with a little
experience of Linux it’s a good choice, whatever their
intended use of the system. There are a lot of systems
running Debian out there, and a lot of distros based on it- and that didn’t happen by accident.
2220Decmbr rb0c19Clb1Caingt December 2019 LXF257 21
Linux distribution REVIEWS
Debian has a wide choice of software to install – even a choice of the
software you use to install software.The standard
software
installation is the
bare minimum to
get going, then
you choose what
you need based on
intended use.VERDICT
A benchmarkdistributionthatprovidesjustabouteverything
youcouldneed,witha solidprojectbackingit.FEATURES 9/10
PERFORMANCE 9/10EASEOFUSE 8/10
DOCUMENTATION 8/10Rating 9/10
DEVELOPER: The Debian Project
WEB: http://www.debian.org
LICENCE: Various open source/free softwareSimilar issues are present with many wireless cards and
some video cards, although those at least have a free
driver that gives basic functionality. Once you have
enabled non-free and installed any needed drivers or
firmware, the system works well.
Because you choose what software to install, there is
no standard configuration to evaluate as, for example,
with Ubuntu and its GNOME desktop. We tried three of
the desktops on offer: GNOME, Cinnamon and LxQt. As a
rule, Debian tries to stick closely to the upstream default
for any software it includes, so these were box-standard
desktops with no distro-specific tweaks or frills beyond
Debian’s choice of wallpaper.
That’s not to say you cannot customise your desktop
experience – you can colour and theme and enhance it all
you want – it’s just that you start with a standard setup.
For GNOME and Cinnamon, this gave the experience one
would expect: slick and smooth. LxQt does still show its
immaturity; it’s good for a lightweight or older system,
but still has a few minor annoyances.
The package manager you get depends on the desktop
you choose to install. One system with only GNOME had
the GNOME Software Manager, another installed with
Cinnamon and LxQt got Synaptic. While nowhere near as
pretty as its GNOME counterpart, Synaptic is an excellent
package management front end (both option work with
the same apt system in the background) and is
something we would always install right away on a
new Debian-based system.
13GB and counting...
The range of software available to Debian users is huge.
If you want to download the full set of installation files,
they’re available on three DVDs – nearly 13GB! As already
mentioned, there is no default set of packages to install.
This makes Debian less suitable for someone new to
Linux, where the ‘Here is the software you need’
approach of some other distros is a better option. Debian
is better for someone already using Linux, who has some
idea of what they want.
Once it’s installed, using and maintaining a Debian
system is no more involved than anything else. If you are
coming from a Debian derivative such as Ubuntu or Linux
Mint, you will feel right at home, once you have chosen
how to furnish and decorate that home.
Testing, testing
We have already mentioned how Debian prioritises a
stable experience over chasing version numbers, but it
doesn’t have to be like that. Debian maintains three sets
of packages in parallel. When you install a new system
you get Stable. If you want more frequent and timely
updates, you can switch to the Testing variant – this is
what Ubuntu and friends are based upon. It might not be
called Stable, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s
unstable – just newer.
The third level is Experimental, and this one is not
recommended for general use. Some of the software in
here is so bleeding-edge it needs a tourniquet; it’s a place
for developers to do their stuff.
With such a large, well-organised project, you would
expect the documentation to be top-notch. It is decent,
and probably has all you need, but could be better
organised. The installation guide is comprehensive but the
documentation page then lists a handbook for version 8.
However, there is a lot of documentation, and a wiki for
user contributions, so anything you need to know should
be in there.
With so many people running Debian the community
is huge, so web searches for specific issues will usually
turn up good advice. With the experience of the Debian
user base, responses should contain some real nuggets
of wisdom.
Debian describes itself as “The universal operating
system” and this is largely true. While it is not the most
newbie-friendly of distros, for anyone with a little
experience of Linux it’s a good choice, whatever their
intended use of the system. There are a lot of systems
running Debian out there, and a lot of distros based on it- and that didn’t happen by accident.