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Debian vs Linux Mint: What are the differences?
Key Differences between Debian and Linux Mint
Debian and Linux Mint are both popular Linux-based operating systems, but they have several key differences that set them apart.
Installation Process: Debian offers a minimal installation process, allowing users to customize their system from the ground up. On the other hand, Linux Mint provides a user-friendly installer with a pre-configured desktop environment, making it more accessible for beginners.
Desktop Environment: Debian offers a wide range of desktop environments to choose from, including GNOME, KDE, Xfce, and more. Linux Mint, on the other hand, focuses on providing a polished and user-friendly desktop environment called Cinnamon, which is known for its simplicity and ease of use.
Software Management: Debian has a vast software repository with over 51,000 packages, providing users with a wide range of software choices. Linux Mint, on the other hand, comes with its own software manager called "Software Manager," which simplifies the installation and management of software.
Release Cycle: Debian follows a time-based release cycle, which means that new versions are released every two years on average. Linux Mint, on the other hand, follows a more incremental release cycle, with new versions being based on the latest long-term support (LTS) release of Ubuntu, which is itself based on Debian.
Community and Support: Debian has a large and active community of developers and users, providing extensive support and documentation. Linux Mint also has a supportive community, but it is more focused on providing a user-friendly experience and may not have the same level of depth in terms of technical documentation and support resources.
Out-of-the-box Experience: Linux Mint comes with a variety of proprietary software and multimedia codecs pre-installed, allowing users to enjoy a complete multimedia experience without the need for additional installations. Debian, being more focused on free software ideology, does not include proprietary software or codecs by default, which may require additional setup by the user.
In summary, Debian is a more customizable and versatile operating system, while Linux Mint provides a user-friendly and beginner-friendly experience with a pre-configured desktop environment and additional software support out of the box.
Coming from a Debian-based Linux background, using the Ubuntu base image for my Docker containers was a natural choice. However, the overhead, even on the impressively-slimmed Hub images, was hard to justify. Seeking to create images that were "just right" in size, without unused packages or dependencies, I made the switch to Alpine.
Alpine's modified BusyBox has a surprising amount of functionality, and the package repository contains plenty of muslc-safe versions of commonly-used packages. It's been a valuable exercise in doing more with less, and, as Alpine is keen to point out, an image with fewer packages makes for a more sustainable environment with a smaller attack surface.
My only regret is that Alpine's documentation leaves a lot to be desired.
I liked manjaro a lot, the huge support it has and the variety of tools it provides is just awesome. But due to its parent platform being Arch Linux it has bleeding-edge technology and that meaning, we get updated 'daily', and if we keep updating the system daily, due to the bugs in the recent updates the system sometimes used to crash, this made the OS really unstable. However, one can avoid such crashes using periodical and careful system/package updates. I now use LinuxMint which is based on Ubuntu, and this OS is completely stable with reliable(mostly tested) updates. And, since this OS is backed up by UBUNTU the concerns/questions one can encounter while using the OS can be easily rectified using the UBUNTU community, which is pretty good. Though this is backed up on UBUNTU it most certainly does NOT include the proprietary stuff of UBUNTU, which is on the bright side of the OS. That's it! Happy Computing.
Pros of Debian
- Massively supported54
- Stable50
- Reliable21
- Aptitude9
- Customizable8
- It is free8
- Turnkey linux use it8
- Works on all architectures6
Pros of Linux Mint
- Simple, Fast, Comfort and Easy to Use15
- Stable14
- Elegant12
- Good for beginners11
- Free to use10
- Out of the box3
- Reliable3
- Good software support1
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Cons of Debian
- Old versions of software10
- Can be difficult to set up on vanilla Debian2
Cons of Linux Mint
- Easy to mess up with a few settings (like the panel)3
- Security breaches2
- Idiots can break it because it is open source1
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