I get asked that question a lot.
Up until now, it has been a bit difficult to put it into words for me.
I know I prefer it. I have more Debian and Debian based installs than anything else.
What exactly is it about Debian that appeals to me though?
I finally figured it out today.
I have always been the type that likes to do it my own way. I don't just take the standard things and be happy with them.
I like to take it apart and see what's going on inside. Moreso, I like to lay things out the way I think they should go best.
Ever since I was a kid, I have loved Lego blocks. I thought they were the best things ever.
Back then, Lego block sets were just a big box of various shapes and types of Legos. Not the pre-determined sets that are available now, like pirate ship Lego set or space shuttle set Legos. Nope, back then it was you, a big box of god only knows how many different pieces and a couple pages of instructions on how to make the things pictured on the box cover. That's it. It was up to you and your imagination.
They gave you the base set and the blocks. That's it. You decided what to build and how to build it. You could use the instructions and have a good looking item or totally wing it and have something even your mother wouldn't recognize.
To me, Debian is the old fashioned Lego block set of Linux.
They give you a clean base and all the blocks in the form of packages in the repos. After that, it's up to you.
You can even decide which box of blocks you want to use, or mix and match from the various repos for the really imaginative ( and bold ).
That spells nothing but fun to me.
Each distro has it's own appeal to different people. I am not going to make a judgment on any distro in this article. Just saying why I Like Debian so much.
I like other distros for other reasons and maybe I'll explain those sometime in the future. Maybe not.
All I can say is give me a Debian netinstall disk or a base livecd and I'm a happy camper.
For me, it just doesn't get better than that.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
My dog is more Linux than your dog
Is there really a way for any one distro to be "more Linux' than another?
Possibly the answer is yes and no, right down the middle.
For example, you have several distros that only package and include a limited number of apps and tools that best fulfill what their distros intended goal is.
These are almost always "sub-distros" or remasters and spinoffs of the 'bigger' distros.
It's hard to say that one distro is "more Linux" than any other, because technically, as long as they contain the Linux kernel, then they are Linux.
Now is where we bring GNU into the GNU/Linux discussion. GNU is where a whole lot of the apps Linux users use come from.
So maybe the question shouldn't be "Is a distro more Linux than another", maybe it should be "Is this distro more GNU than another?"
Take a distro like PCLinuxOS or Mint. I like to refer to these because I like those versions and they work well. They are also examples of distros with a specific goal in mind. To be a top performing 'desktop' distro.
They have laid out quite specifically that the intention of their distro is to be the best GNU/Linux desktop they can be. They are not interested in being known as a server distro or a workstation distro. They are all about the Linux desktop.
Consequently, they focus more on packages that support that goal.
Now if we take a distro like Debian, we see they are about presenting as much as they can that exists in the GNU/Linux world. The repositories for Debian are notorious for their size.
I have heard people say that "If it's not in Debian, it's not to be had." While I'm sure that's not exactly true, it is true they have a formidable possession of a whole lot of packages.
Debian appears to not be about presenting a specific presentation in focus rather than being able to use it as a general, across the board, make of it what you will, kind of distro.
Red Hat and OpenSuse have taken a slightly less generalized position than that. While their repositories are quite sizable, they do lean more toward the commercial/enterprise usage of GNU/Linux.
Consequently, CentOS is the same, if not a bit tidier and free of course.
Not to leave our source based distro friends out, they have their fair share of apps available also, but, being source based, it's up to the user to "roll your own' as it were.
It is interesting to see how some source based distros are starting to meet users 'halfway" in providing a limited number of base applications in pre packaged form now.
What does all this prove? Not a danged thing.
There really is no such thing as 'My distro is more Linux than your distro" because they all have the Linux kernel, or they wouldn't be Linux at all.
What about the GNU factor, is distro A more GNU than Distro B? hmmm, possibly.
But, what it really boils down to is, does a distro help you do what you want to do?
If it does, by golly, you have a winner on your hands.
If not, well, there is a long list of distros that could have just what you're looking for.
They're all Linux after all.
Possibly the answer is yes and no, right down the middle.
For example, you have several distros that only package and include a limited number of apps and tools that best fulfill what their distros intended goal is.
These are almost always "sub-distros" or remasters and spinoffs of the 'bigger' distros.
It's hard to say that one distro is "more Linux" than any other, because technically, as long as they contain the Linux kernel, then they are Linux.
Now is where we bring GNU into the GNU/Linux discussion. GNU is where a whole lot of the apps Linux users use come from.
So maybe the question shouldn't be "Is a distro more Linux than another", maybe it should be "Is this distro more GNU than another?"
Take a distro like PCLinuxOS or Mint. I like to refer to these because I like those versions and they work well. They are also examples of distros with a specific goal in mind. To be a top performing 'desktop' distro.
They have laid out quite specifically that the intention of their distro is to be the best GNU/Linux desktop they can be. They are not interested in being known as a server distro or a workstation distro. They are all about the Linux desktop.
Consequently, they focus more on packages that support that goal.
Now if we take a distro like Debian, we see they are about presenting as much as they can that exists in the GNU/Linux world. The repositories for Debian are notorious for their size.
I have heard people say that "If it's not in Debian, it's not to be had." While I'm sure that's not exactly true, it is true they have a formidable possession of a whole lot of packages.
Debian appears to not be about presenting a specific presentation in focus rather than being able to use it as a general, across the board, make of it what you will, kind of distro.
Red Hat and OpenSuse have taken a slightly less generalized position than that. While their repositories are quite sizable, they do lean more toward the commercial/enterprise usage of GNU/Linux.
Consequently, CentOS is the same, if not a bit tidier and free of course.
Not to leave our source based distro friends out, they have their fair share of apps available also, but, being source based, it's up to the user to "roll your own' as it were.
It is interesting to see how some source based distros are starting to meet users 'halfway" in providing a limited number of base applications in pre packaged form now.
What does all this prove? Not a danged thing.
There really is no such thing as 'My distro is more Linux than your distro" because they all have the Linux kernel, or they wouldn't be Linux at all.
What about the GNU factor, is distro A more GNU than Distro B? hmmm, possibly.
But, what it really boils down to is, does a distro help you do what you want to do?
If it does, by golly, you have a winner on your hands.
If not, well, there is a long list of distros that could have just what you're looking for.
They're all Linux after all.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Popularity VS Usability
We see blog posts and articles everywhere. They proclaim that Distro X has the most users. Distro B has the most hits on a site that lists distros. Distro C is the top because Linus or some other "Geek God" prefers it.
They have this notion that being being the most popular somehow also makes them the best.
Gee, Windows is the dominant OS in the market. Well over 90% of desktops in the world are said to be running Windows.
That obviously and beyond a shadow of a doubt makes it the best. Right?
I don't think so.
It means that it's popular. That's it.
I am leery of "popular" Distros in Linux. Usually it leads to finding that the Distro is most known for catering to the lowest common denominator. Those in the middle of the road or slightly below in terms of OS/Distro familiarity.
There is a fine line between making something easy to use and something that is hobbled to be made easy.
For example, some people take the notion that because they think logging in as the "root" user is not a good idea, they should hobble or limit access to the root user so that 'new users' or perhaps anyone using their distro, cannot log in using the root account.
That crosses a line. There is making users aware of concerns that may be viable and letting them (users) choose for themselves how they will use Linux and the Distro developers telling users how they will access their Linux install.
Yet, for some reason, most of the Distros that are considered to be 'popular' and target that lowest common user group, inevitably inhibits the root account. After a user gains experience though, they may find, for what ever reason, they want or need to log in as root and in this great, "popular" Distro, they cannot or cannot easily.
That is just one example, and an extreme one at that. It does show the lengths to which these popular Distros will go to make their Distros "newbie" friendly and cater to a group that may outgrow the 'childproof' locks the Distro developers have put in place.
They sacrifice usability for popularity.
Now, not all of them, I am sure.
I am just waiting to find the ones that aren't. There are a lot of Distros out there, and quite a few "popular" ones.
When I find the "popular' ones that don't sacrifice usability for popularity , I promise to feature them prominently here.
Some come close. Some come very close, in that some do many things to inhibit usability and others only sacrifice a few.
PCLinuxOS comes to mind as very very close, as close as a Mandriva base can get to it anyway.
Linux Mint comes very very close as well, at least as close as a Distro based on Ubuntu can be.
I'm sure there are others. Just not coming to mind right now, but, I will go over as many Distros as I can, and mention all that are popular and at least even close to not sacrificing usability for popularity.
They have this notion that being being the most popular somehow also makes them the best.
Gee, Windows is the dominant OS in the market. Well over 90% of desktops in the world are said to be running Windows.
That obviously and beyond a shadow of a doubt makes it the best. Right?
I don't think so.
It means that it's popular. That's it.
I am leery of "popular" Distros in Linux. Usually it leads to finding that the Distro is most known for catering to the lowest common denominator. Those in the middle of the road or slightly below in terms of OS/Distro familiarity.
There is a fine line between making something easy to use and something that is hobbled to be made easy.
For example, some people take the notion that because they think logging in as the "root" user is not a good idea, they should hobble or limit access to the root user so that 'new users' or perhaps anyone using their distro, cannot log in using the root account.
That crosses a line. There is making users aware of concerns that may be viable and letting them (users) choose for themselves how they will use Linux and the Distro developers telling users how they will access their Linux install.
Yet, for some reason, most of the Distros that are considered to be 'popular' and target that lowest common user group, inevitably inhibits the root account. After a user gains experience though, they may find, for what ever reason, they want or need to log in as root and in this great, "popular" Distro, they cannot or cannot easily.
That is just one example, and an extreme one at that. It does show the lengths to which these popular Distros will go to make their Distros "newbie" friendly and cater to a group that may outgrow the 'childproof' locks the Distro developers have put in place.
They sacrifice usability for popularity.
Now, not all of them, I am sure.
I am just waiting to find the ones that aren't. There are a lot of Distros out there, and quite a few "popular" ones.
When I find the "popular' ones that don't sacrifice usability for popularity , I promise to feature them prominently here.
Some come close. Some come very close, in that some do many things to inhibit usability and others only sacrifice a few.
PCLinuxOS comes to mind as very very close, as close as a Mandriva base can get to it anyway.
Linux Mint comes very very close as well, at least as close as a Distro based on Ubuntu can be.
I'm sure there are others. Just not coming to mind right now, but, I will go over as many Distros as I can, and mention all that are popular and at least even close to not sacrificing usability for popularity.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
When the Linux missionaries come a-callin.
No one is a bigger fan of Linux more than I. I am sold on it lock, stock and barrel.
However, There is liking Linux, encouraging people to try Linux and then there are the Linux missionaries for whom Linux has become a religion.
Unfortunately, This extreme of Linux fanaticism is usually localized to a specific Distro.
All too often we will see the Distro Missionaries, proclaiming their way is the true Linux way. They tell us the only way to true Linux happiness is through the solitary use of that Distro.
It's kind of sad too. They are so blinded by their "happiness" in their Distro, they do not see the faults that do exist within it. They do not understand that the reason there are so many Distros under the Linux banner is because there are so many different types of users. different ways to use Linux.
They fail to remember that in the end, it is all Linux.
They have elevated their Distro to BE Linux itself.
They don't see that while they're Distro is Linux, Linux is not just their Distro.
So, they march. Their mission is to convert. Their goal is to collect new recruits to their distro.
It is not enough that they have found a way of using Linux that meets their needs and helps them be better computer users. No, They must make others see things the same way.
What they cannot communicate by logic, they project by volume. He who yells loudest and proclaims in the most serious voice must surely be right.
Yes, the Distro Missionaries can be annoying, sometimes even reckless. However, they are to be pitied in the long run.
They cannot grasp the true nature of Linux. To be there for everyone. They want it to be for only the 'chosen' or those who choose their Distro.
It makes them feel special, privileged and 'right.
The more popular their Distro is, it must mean it's the 'best' and therefore, the 'true' Linux.
I say to you now, don't yell or argue with the Distro Missionaries. instead, smile and let them spill the short version of their Distro spiel.
Then invite them to come inside and discuss it in the tub with you. You will see the righteous brightness leave their eyes, followed by confusion replaced quickly with fear.
They will tell you they have others to visit and they wish they could stay and be walking away from you all the while.
They will never knock on your door or wander in you neighborhood again.
You will still encounter them in public places, and they will still be annoying. At least you know they won't be coming to you as much anymore and you are free to use Linux any old way that works for you.
Have a nice day.
However, There is liking Linux, encouraging people to try Linux and then there are the Linux missionaries for whom Linux has become a religion.
Unfortunately, This extreme of Linux fanaticism is usually localized to a specific Distro.
All too often we will see the Distro Missionaries, proclaiming their way is the true Linux way. They tell us the only way to true Linux happiness is through the solitary use of that Distro.
It's kind of sad too. They are so blinded by their "happiness" in their Distro, they do not see the faults that do exist within it. They do not understand that the reason there are so many Distros under the Linux banner is because there are so many different types of users. different ways to use Linux.
They fail to remember that in the end, it is all Linux.
They have elevated their Distro to BE Linux itself.
They don't see that while they're Distro is Linux, Linux is not just their Distro.
So, they march. Their mission is to convert. Their goal is to collect new recruits to their distro.
It is not enough that they have found a way of using Linux that meets their needs and helps them be better computer users. No, They must make others see things the same way.
What they cannot communicate by logic, they project by volume. He who yells loudest and proclaims in the most serious voice must surely be right.
Yes, the Distro Missionaries can be annoying, sometimes even reckless. However, they are to be pitied in the long run.
They cannot grasp the true nature of Linux. To be there for everyone. They want it to be for only the 'chosen' or those who choose their Distro.
It makes them feel special, privileged and 'right.
The more popular their Distro is, it must mean it's the 'best' and therefore, the 'true' Linux.
I say to you now, don't yell or argue with the Distro Missionaries. instead, smile and let them spill the short version of their Distro spiel.
Then invite them to come inside and discuss it in the tub with you. You will see the righteous brightness leave their eyes, followed by confusion replaced quickly with fear.
They will tell you they have others to visit and they wish they could stay and be walking away from you all the while.
They will never knock on your door or wander in you neighborhood again.
You will still encounter them in public places, and they will still be annoying. At least you know they won't be coming to you as much anymore and you are free to use Linux any old way that works for you.
Have a nice day.
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