Why Debian?

For me the choice of a Linux Distro is first and foremost about the packaging method. The idea of compiling everything is totally unpalatable to me... just too much wasted time at full CPU usage. After using a variety of RPM based Distros and ending up in various forms of rpm hell, I finally discovered an up and coming Distro called Mepis and realized that the Deb packing made running Linux as my main OS a real possibility.

I've been involved with and understood operating systems from Dos through OS/2 to XP, but, I never really 'got' the workings of Linux. Mepis allowed me to learn more about Linux in a year than I had learned in the previous 5 years. From that point I've progressed to Debian Linux which I find suites me to a tee.

I've been asked why I insist on running Debian when others just pop in one of the many Distros that are derived from that Distro. People tell me that "I can just install it and everything works... So why are you taking the time to configure Debian?" While I have little interest in converting users to Debian, that's a fair question. There have been times when I ask myself the same thing.

In part I run Debian because I enjoy learning how the configuration process works, but, many of those processes are, with the latest Debian net-install, already set up. I always get a decent screen, and eth0 is always detected... Apt is always immediately available and I have a huge list of repositories to draw apps from. Although the setup requires a little more knowledge and information at hand, really, the configuration is not all that different, or difficult, or lengthy.

In part, I run Debian because none of the other Distros are set up the way I prefer them to be, either visually or (in some cases) structurally. Could I work on those other Distros? Sure, but why would I want to when I can configure then exactly as I want them.

So I am not saying that Kubuntu, or Ubuntu, or Kanotix, or even Mepis are bad or inferior in an way (well maybe some ways :-)). I am simply saying "why should I have to re-modify something to get it the way I want it?" If you can live with another persons configuration of 'your' system, then by all means, stop reading now.

each Distro has a set of applications that they think a person will want and need to use. These rarely meet my needs. I usually end up adding, deleting, and modding nearly everything. My contention it's that it is impossible to supply what any user wants, unless that person has 'no' experience with Linux.

Every Distro has it's own Theme.. wallpapers, boot screens, login screens, icon sets, cursors.... the list is endless. Being heavily into graphics and visual design, I will inevitably change it all. I've found that this is true for many users, whether they use their own work, or the ready supply of excellent graphics available on the web. Nearly everyone has their personal preference, and, it is rarely what the Distro supplies.

nearly every Distro has it's own 'utilities' to mask one from the real configuration files. while this is sometimes convenient, it often prevents one from learning the real Linux structure. Often it may be a little more difficult to learn the basics, but knowing the basics will save you much time and effort in the long run. Again, Kubuntu gets my vote for going a step further an actually making the KDE control center 'less' user friendly. At least the other guys keep their utilities separate.

Debian is not perfect. Some may find this of no consequence, but, there is a huge difference in how cleanly the configuration files are written in different Distro's. Too many years as an Engineer I guess, but, this bothers me and makes it just that much more difficult to follow what the file is doing. In this the Debian auto-configure only gets so so marks... a little too verbose. I have to give kudos to Mepis and Kanotix on this one. Those guys do know how to write a clean file. Then again,I guess I do now too....

The following Desktop is 'one way' that Debian can be Configured:

I am currently running Debian with a 2.6.13-386 kernel, xorg 6.8.99.900dfsg.1-0pre1, and KDE 4:3.4.2-1


Debian Desktop