While many Linux users like to try out new distros, especially those new to Linux, Debian and its derivatives have consistently given me what I need. Here are the reasons I’ve never felt the need to distro-hop.
Debian’s long development history
With over 30 years of development, Debian must be doing something right. Along with Slackware, it’s one of the oldest Linux distributions in active development.
If I’m going to invest the time in learning an operating system, I want one that won’t be obsolete tomorrow. I can be confident that Debian will exist in the future. I don’t fetishize legacy technology. Linux, with its appeal to developers, doesn’t hesitate to jettison components that no longer serve a purpose. Witness how many distros switched to systemd over the old System V init system. Debian is also one of them.
While Slackware retains some archaic choices, such as the use of the LILO bootloader, Debian maintains a sense of continuity while incorporating modern components. This is why it’s one of my distros of choice.
My own comfort with Debian-based distros
A significant part of my preference for Debian and Debian-based distributions, such as Ubuntu, is likely due to my own inertia. My first Linux experience was with a Debian-based distro, Knoppix, a pioneering live distro that I revisited recently.
My Debian journey continued indirectly. When I first started getting seriously into Unix-like systems, I happened to be working on the Mac. The OS was known as Mac OS X at the time. I delved into the built-in Terminal application. The book I was using to learn mentioned the Fink package manager, which was inspired by Debian’s APT package management system. This reinforced my allegiance to the Debian way of doing things.
When I decided to perform a real hard disk installation (SSDs weren’t available then), I decided to go with Debian. The installation was more involved than with Windows, but I was able to get through it to end up with a dual-boot system. Not long after, Ubuntu was gaining ground in the Linux community. Ubuntu is also based on Debian, and I breezed through the installation. At the time, it used the same familiar text-based Debian installer, with the blue background.
Since Ubuntu also uses APT, I feel comfortable on it. along with other variants. A Debian-based distro feels like a comfortable pair of shoes I can slip on and get productive with on a new system.
Portability to different architectures
One thing that distinguishes Debian from other distros, even variants like Ubuntu, is the large number of processors that Debian supports. Just about any distro will support x86 processors, as Linus Torvalds initially targeted the 386 processor. His initial prediction that Linux would only work on Intel chips was quickly and hilariously proven wrong.
Apart from 64-bit x86 processors, Debian has official ports for ARM, including Raspberry Pi, PowerPC, and IBM System z mainframes. You can also find ports for processors like the Motorola 68000 and Sun SPARC, among others. Debian might be the closest equivalent to NetBSD in terms of hardware support. It’s not hard to see why a Debian variant is the OS of choice for the Raspberry Pi.
Large number of packages available
Debian popularized the idea of a package manager in Linux. You didn’t have to shuffle floppies or CDs to install new software. You could just download a new program you wanted using the package manager.
While Ubuntu became the Linux of choice for new users, it could build on Debian’s work to offer a large number of packages on its own. Ubuntu has controversially offered a growing number of Snap packages. Debian has stuck to its own APT system. You can download other packages thorugh Flatpaks if you want. For most people, using APT might be all you need. It’s certainly good enough for me.
Since many packages are “backported” to the stable version, this also helps reduce the problem of possible obsolescence in practice.
Different versions are available
While the stable version of Debian is the one you should try first, there are other versions available. While I do run Arch (with a legally-mandated “btw”), I can get a lot of the benefits of newer software with the Testing repository without the manual installation process. Access to newer software is beneficial in my line of work.
Maybe someday, I would be brave enough to install “Unstable.” This would likely be on a spare or virtual machine. This would be on a system where it wouldn’t matter if I experienced “full system breakage.”
I can customize Debian
What I like about Debian is that it doesn’t try to enforce an idea of what an ideal system would be like. They have preferences, but they seem like that, preferences. This might be why Debian has had a reputation as a “difficult” distro. Choice can be scary. I can set up the desktop the way I want. I can swap out the default GNOME desktop with my favorite, Xfce.
Debian just works
A lot of the time, when I want to install Debian on a new system, I’m finding that it increasingly just works. I installed it on an old laptop. The Wi-Fi even worked. I attribute this to Debian’s decision to include proprietary firmware in the default installation image. I wonder if Debian would ever usurp Ubuntu’s popularity, given how it seems to be shedding its reputation as a system that’s temperamentally difficult to install.
All of these reasons are why when I’m reaching for a Linux installation, it will likely be Debian or a Debian-based distro.
