Debian vs Linux Mint

Overview

Debian

Stacks16.4K

Followers11.2K

Votes164

Linux Mint

Stacks288

Followers389

Votes77

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.

Share your Stack

Help developers discover the tools you use. Get visibility for your team's tech choices and contribute to the community's knowledge.

View Docs

CLI (Node.js)

Manual

Advice on Debian, Linux Mint

Gopi

Jun 21, 2020

Decided

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.

231k views231k

Comments

Dimelo

Nov 10, 2020

Decided

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.

66.6k views66.6k

Comments

Detailed Comparison

Debian	Linux Mint
Debian systems currently use the Linux kernel or the FreeBSD kernel. Linux is a piece of software started by Linus Torvalds and supported by thousands of programmers worldwide. FreeBSD is an operating system including a kernel and other software.	The purpose of Linux Mint is to produce a modern, elegant and comfortable operating system which is both powerful and easy to use.
Statistics
Stacks 16.4K	Stacks 288
Followers 11.2K	Followers 389
Votes 164	Votes 77
Pros & Cons
Pros 54 Massively supported 50 Stable 21 Reliable 9 Aptitude 8 Customizable Cons 10 Old versions of software 2 Can be difficult to set up on vanilla Debian	Pros 16 Simple, Fast, Comfort and Easy to Use 15 Stable 13 Elegant 12 Good for beginners 11 Free to use Cons 3 Easy to mess up with a few settings (like the panel) 2 Security breaches 1 Idiots can break it because it is open source

What are some alternatives to Debian, Linux Mint?

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is an ancient African word meaning ‘humanity to others’. It also means ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’. The Ubuntu operating system brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the world of computers.

Arch Linux

A lightweight and flexible Linux distribution that tries to Keep It Simple.

Fedora

Fedora is a Linux-based operating system that provides users with access to the latest free and open source software, in a stable, secure and easy to manage form. Fedora is the largest of many free software creations of the Fedora Project. Because of its predominance, the word "Fedora" is often used interchangeably to mean both the Fedora Project and the Fedora operating system.

CentOS

The CentOS Project is a community-driven free software effort focused on delivering a robust open source ecosystem. For users, we offer a consistent manageable platform that suits a wide variety of deployments. For open source communities, we offer a solid, predictable base to build upon, along with extensive resources to build, test, release, and maintain their code.

Linux

A clone of the operating system Unix, written from scratch by Linus Torvalds with assistance from a loosely-knit team of hackers across the Net. It aims towards POSIX and Single UNIX Specification compliance.

CoreOS

It is designed for security, consistency, and reliability. Instead of installing packages via yum or apt, it uses Linux containers to manage your services at a higher level of abstraction. A single service's code and all dependencies are packaged within a container that can be run on one or many machines.

Gentoo Linux

It is a free operating system based on either Linux or FreeBSD that can be automatically optimized and customized for just about any application or need.

Alpine Linux

Alpine Linux is a security-oriented, lightweight Linux distribution based on musl libc and busybox.

Manjaro

It is an accessible, friendly, open-source Linux distribution and community. Based on Arch Linux, it provides all the benefits of cutting-edge software combined with a focus on getting started quickly, automated tools to require less manual intervention, and help readily available when needed.

FreeBSD

An operating system for a variety of platforms which focuses on features, speed, and stability. It is derived from BSD, the version of UNIX® developed at the University of California, Berkeley. It is developed and maintained by a large community.

Related Comparisons

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.

Debian vs Linux Mint

Overview

Debian vs Linux Mint: What are the differences?