Re: Debian or Ubuntu

linuxnewbie1234 wrote:

I really like the amazing number of packages that are in the Debian
distribution however recently I see the same packages in Ubuntu: the
Edgy has ~21000 packages exactly like the Debian Testing.

So, since this requisite of mine (large number of packages) is now also
satisfied by Ubuntu, I would like to know if there is any reason to
prefer Ubuntu over Debian Testing for a desktop or vice versa? Please
note that I am not referring to Debian "Stable" which I would not choose
anyways. Also note that it would be ok for me to occasionally pick a
specific package from the Unstable if needed.

I heard from someone that the Debian kernels miss the most
advanced/recent/edgy features compiled in, so that you often have to
recompile. Is this thing true? This would be a deciding factor for me
because I would really like to avoid this: my computer is old and
recompiling takes forever (and also a lot of disk space).

Note that I don't know much about the Debian kernels because I didn't
actually use Debian extensively, only briefly, and zero Ubuntu

Note that I have already read this:
http://www.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/relationship

TIA

I haven't compiled a kernel for years, except one that was just a little
experiment of my own.

I would say that you will not get a more solid version of Linux than Debian
proper. Much of the time the distros that are Debian based have gone some
way to make the setup and application handling easier for you, with maybe a
restructured menu and a couple of helper dialog boxes along the way. Ubuntu
is popular simply because it makes many of the decisions for you that on
Debian proper you would have to do for yourself.

Debian have never been ones to waste much time being pretty, you can make it
pretty of cause, but that isn't what the Debian distro is about.

So for the easier life or the prettier life Ubuntu, Linspire or one of the
others would be best.

However, because Debian is the base package, you can look along the shelves
of what is available to you and know without doubt that the install will be
faultless. So for example if you fancied an alternate window manager such
as Enlightenment, you could can get it with just a couple of apt-get
commands knowing that it will slip in like a ..... erm .... the only thing
I can think of to finish my sentance with is 'vets arm up a cows jacksy'.
Sorry.

.

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