*nix experts will love it, novices won't
Written: Apr 23 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Package system, automatic updating, free software
Cons: Tricky installer, slow releases, not as user friendly as competitors
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| reishus's Full Review: Debian GNU |
Debian GNU/Linux is one of the many distributions of Linux. It is different than most in that it is not controlled by a single company, such as Redhat, or Caldera. Rather, Debian is put together by volunteers who collaborate over the internet. These maintainers carefully package software and then give it away for free.
Debian is also different in that it is committed to free software. By free software, Debian means not only software that is free of charge, but also software that can be freely redistributed. More information about this can be found by reading the social contract found on Debian's page.
For someone who is new to Linux, the Debian installation can be a bit intimidating. The installer is not very user friendly, compared to the other competing Linux distributions. The dselect program, which is used to choose which packages are installed on one's system, is hated by some and loved by others. Someone familiar with Linux should not have much problem installing it, though.
Once it is installed, Debian offers a feature that is miles ahead of its competition: Superb package management. When software is packaged, it is made to conform to a set of standards. All of the hassles of unintended interaction between programs are solved for you. Another plus is the wonderful "apt" program. Do you want the mozilla browser? Type "apt-get install mozilla", and apt will download, unpack, and install mozilla automatically. Want the vim editor? "apt-get install vim". Want to upgrade your entire system? "apt-get upgrade". Nothing else is like it!
These wonderful packages come with a disadvantage, however. Because they are all made to conform to a set of standards, Debian's releases are quite slow. Currently, the stable distribution is lacking many recent improvements to linux, such as GTK 1.2 and Gnome. The unstable version is very current, but there is the risk of bugs in the software. Personally, I have not experienced any major bugs in over a year of running the unstable branch of Debian, but I do not use a wide variety of software and the risk is always there.
Debian's awesome package management makes setting up systems a breeze for the experienced linux user. It also is the only linux distribution that is free in the sense of the GNU ideals. I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a try if you are familiar with Linux. I tried it, and never went back to Redhat.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
reishus
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Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 5 members
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