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Debian vs Ubuntu vs openSUSE: What are the differences?
Key Differences between Debian and Ubuntu and openSUSE
Introduction
Debian, Ubuntu, and openSUSE are popular Linux distributions that offer different features and characteristics. Understanding the key differences between these distributions can help users choose the one that best suits their needs.
Package Management: Debian and Ubuntu use the Advanced Packaging Tool (APT) for package management, while openSUSE uses Zypper. APT is known for its vast package repository and smooth upgrades, while Zypper offers a robust dependency resolver and rolling release updates.
Release Model: Debian follows a stable release model, where new versions are infrequent but highly stable and reliable. Ubuntu, derived from Debian, offers a more frequent release cycle with long-term support (LTS) releases providing stability. openSUSE, on the other hand, follows a rolling release model, providing the latest software updates continuously.
Default Desktop Environment: Ubuntu uses the GNOME desktop environment as the default, while Debian offers different options such as GNOME, Xfce, KDE, and others. openSUSE provides the KDE Plasma desktop as the default but also supports other desktop environments like GNOME and Xfce.
Community and Support: Debian has a strong community-driven development model with a focus on stability and security. Ubuntu benefits from the support of its parent company, Canonical, providing commercial support and regular updates. openSUSE combines both community contributions and corporate backing from SUSE, offering extensive documentation and support.
Installation Process and Configuration Tools: Debian and Ubuntu use the Debian Installer, known for its flexibility and customization options. Ubuntu adds a user-friendly graphical installer alongside the text-based installer. openSUSE uses the YaST tool, which provides a comprehensive set of configuration features during the installation process.
System Administration: Debian and Ubuntu primarily use the sudo command for administrative tasks, while openSUSE uses the su command. This difference influences the default behavior for command execution and privilege escalation. Additionally, Ubuntu employs the Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW) by default, simplifying firewall management for users.
In summary, Debian and Ubuntu offer a stable and widely supported Linux experience, while openSUSE provides a rolling release model with extensive configuration capabilities. The choice between these distributions ultimately depends on the user's needs and preferences.
Ubuntu always let people do what they want to do, it pushes its users to know what they are doing, what they want and helps them learn what they ignore.
Ubuntu is simple, works out-of-the-box after installation and has a incredibly huge community behind.
Ubuntu is lightweight and open, in the way, that the user has access to free AND efficient applications (most of the time, without ads) and, even if learning its folder structure is challenging, once done, you are really able to call yourself "someone who knows what is in your computer".
Windows, in comparison, is heavy, tends to make decision for you and always enable tracking application by default. grr
It has a simple user interface, of course, but on the stability point of view, it is hard to compete with something simpler (even with less features).
Personal preference : I prefer something simple that works 99% of the time, than a full-featured auto-magical system that works 50% of the time (and ask if the good version of the driver is really installed...)
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.
Ubuntu is much more faster over Windows and helps to get software and other utilities easier and within a short span of time compared to Windows.
Ubuntu helps to get robustness and resiliency over Windows. Ubuntu runs faster than Windows on every computer that I have ever tested. LibreOffice (Ubuntu's default office suite) runs much faster than Microsoft Office on every computer that I have ever tested.
Global familiarity, free, widely used, and as a debian distro feels more comfortable when rapidly switching between local macOS and remote command lines.
CentOS does boast quite a few security/stability improvements, however as a RHEL-based distro, differs quite significantly in the command line and suffers from slightly less frequent package updates. (Could be a good or bad thing depending on your use-case and if it is public facing)
At the moment of the decision, my desktop was the primary place I did work. Due to this, I can't have it blow up on me while I work. While Arch is interesting and powerful, Ubuntu offers (at least for me) a lot more stability and lets me focus on other things than maintaining my own OS installation.
Pros of Debian
- Massively supported54
- Stable50
- Reliable21
- Aptitude9
- Customizable8
- It is free8
- Turnkey linux use it8
- Works on all architectures6
Pros of openSUSE
- Stable4
- Lightweight for server3
- Snapshot2
- Rolling release2
- Reliable2
Pros of Ubuntu
- Free to use230
- Easy setup for testing discord bot96
- Gateway Linux Distro57
- Simple interface54
- Don't need driver installation in most cases9
- Open Source6
- Many active communities6
- Software Availability3
- Easy to custom3
- Many flavors/distros based on ubuntu2
- Lightweight container base OS1
- Great OotB Linux Shell Experience1
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Cons of Debian
- Old versions of software10
- Can be difficult to set up on vanilla Debian2
Cons of openSUSE
Cons of Ubuntu
- Demanding system requirements5
- Adds overhead and unnecessary complexity over Debian4
- Snapd installed by default2
- Systemd1