20 LXF257 December 2019 http://www.linuxformat.comREVIEWS Linux distribution
Minimum
CPU: Intel or
AMD 32- &
64-bit, Arm,
MIPS and S
architectures.
Mem: 256MB
(desktop)
HDD: 2GB
(desktop)SPECS
One of the best-
established
Linux distros
and a jack of all
trades, but is it
the master?IN BRIEF
significant is that because of Debian’s dedication to free
software, there were no binary blobs, such as the one
needed by the Intel wireless card. One solution is to
download the firmware files separately, or copy them
from an existing distro, put them on a USB stick and tell
the installer where to find them. We took the easier way
out of plugging in a USB Ethernet interface, which worked
perfectly. With a wired setup, it is unlikely you would have
any such issue.
The Debian installer is not a one-size-fits-all affair
installing a set of packages defined by the distro. Instead,
it installs the base distro and then asks whether you want
one of the desktop environments installed. There are five
to choose from, or you can install as a web or other
server. You are not limited to one of these choices – you
can install multiple desktop environments, or multiple
servers, depending on your needs. Alternatively, you
could install nothing extra at this stage and add the
packages you need once your new system is running.Free or not: you choose
Debian is committed to free software, so you will not find
anything proprietary on the install discs or the default
repositories, which is why my laptop’s wireless card
didn’t work. If you do need some non-free software, fear
not – it’s just a matter of adding the non-free option to
the repositories in the package manager. After doing that,
we could install the firmware and network wirelessly.ebian has a reputation, somewhat deserved but
no longer so accurate, of being way out of date
in terms of software versions. A few years ago it
had a huge gap in its release cycle, but things are much
better these days.
No, you won’t get the latest versions in the stable
version, but that’s not what it is about. The main Debian
tree is called stable for a reason: it remains relatively
static rather than always chasing the latest versions. That
makes administering a Debian system so much easier as
you don’t have a continual stream of changes to deal with- to the point of being the difference between
manageable and unmanageable with a large number
of computers. So what is the latest release like?
Getting it on the disk
There are DVD installation images available, but these
generally result in you downloading more than you use.
Unless you need an image to install on a machine with no
net connectivity, the much smaller netinst image is a
better choice, as it only downloads what you choose to
install. Another advantage of this method is that you get
the current version of everything, eliminating the need to
install updates as soon as the system is running.
There were a couple of minor issues when running the
installer on a Dell XPS laptop. The first was that the
trackpad wasn’t recognised, but the graphical installer
can be fully controlled from the keyboard. MoreDebian 10.1 Buster
Claiming to be the universal distribution, Debian should good for
everyone. Neil Bothwick wonders if this is true.
D
Here is Debian’s
GNOME desktop,
but you are free
to install one of a
number of other
desktops instead
of or as well as
GNOME, or even no
desktop at all.20 LXF257December 2019 2220Decmbr 19Cl0a 9REVIEWS Linux distribution
Minimum
CPU:Intelor
AMD32-&
64-bit,Arm,
MIPSandS
architectures.
Mem:256MB
(desktop)
HDD:2GB
(desktop)SPECS
Oneofthebest-
established
Linuxdistros
andajackofall
trades,butisit
themaster?IN BRIEF
significant is that because of Debian’s dedication to free
software, there were no binary blobs, such as the one
needed by the Intel wireless card. One solution is to
download the firmware files separately, or copy them
from an existing distro, put them on a USB stick and tell
the installer where to find them. We took the easier way
out of plugging in a USB Ethernet interface, which worked
perfectly. With a wired setup, it is unlikely you would have
any such issue.
The Debian installer is not a one-size-fits-all affair
installing a set of packages defined by the distro. Instead,
it installs the base distro and then asks whether you want
one of the desktop environments installed. There are five
to choose from, or you can install as a web or other
server. You are not limited to one of these choices – you
can install multiple desktop environments, or multiple
servers, depending on your needs. Alternatively, you
could install nothing extra at this stage and add the
packages you need once your new system is running.Free or not: you choose
Debian is committed to free software, so you will not find
anything proprietary on the install discs or the default
repositories, which is why my laptop’s wireless card
didn’t work. If you do need some non-free software, fear
not – it’s just a matter of adding the non-free option to
the repositories in the package manager. After doing that,
we could install the firmware and network wirelessly.ebian has a reputation, somewhat deserved but
no longer so accurate, of being way out of date
in terms of software versions. A few years ago it
hadahuge gap in its release cycle, but things are much
better these days.
No, you won’t get the latest versions in the stable
version, but that’s not what it is about. The main Debian
tree is called stable for a reason: it remains relatively
static rather than always chasing the latest versions. That
makes administering a Debian system so much easier as
you don’t have a continual stream of changes to deal with- to the point of being the difference between
manageable and unmanageable with a large number
of computers. So what is the latest release like?
Getting it on the disk
There are DVD installation images available, but these
generally result in you downloading more than you use.
Unless you need an image to install on a machine with no
net connectivity, the much smaller netinst image is a
better choice, as it only downloads what you choose to
install. Another advantage of this method is that you get
the current version of everything, eliminating the need to
install updates as soon as the system is running.
There were a couple of minor issues when running the
installer on a Dell XPS laptop. The first was that the
trackpad wasn’t recognised, but the graphical installer
can be fully controlled from the keyboard. MoreDebian 10.1 Buster
Claiming to be the universal distribution, Debian should good for
everyone. Neil Bothwick wonders if this is true.
D
Here is Debian’s
GNOME desktop,
but you are free
to install one of a
number of other
desktops instead
of or as well as
GNOME, or even no
desktop at all.