• Registered: 2010-07-13
  • Posts: 13

Topic: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

Just wondering. Technical and user advantages are good.

  • Registered: 2008-11-24
  • Posts: 1,858

Re: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

Basically it was a personal decision by CrunchBang's sole developer, so I won't put words into his mouth. smile

http://reddevil62-techhead.blogspot.com … lains.html
http://crunchbanglinux.org/forums/topic … explained/

  • Registered: 2010-07-13
  • Posts: 13

Re: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

Yeah, I saw that thread after I posted this. Of course. roll

So it's strictly just a personal decision?

  • Registered: 2008-11-24
  • Posts: 1,858

Re: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

TemperingPick wrote:

So it's strictly just a personal decision?

A few of us may have whispered in his ear. smile

  • Registered: 2010-07-13
  • Posts: 13

Re: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

Hehe. tongue

I'm not saying anything bad. I love Debian. I was just wondering.

  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

Well one advantages is being able to use a rolling release system (testing or unstable). Statler currently uses "squeeze" but you can easily change it.

Note: ** Please read before posting **

BTW if you wish to contact me, send me an e-mail instead of a PM.
  • Registered: 2008-11-24
  • Posts: 1,858

Re: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

Personally, I won't say anything bad about Ubuntu (it was my first distro), but I find their fresh-reinstall-every-6-month release cycle to be a time-waster. I am actually still using CrunchBang 9.04 on 2 computers. It works fine for my purposes, but support will be ending in October, and I'll be forced to move on.

The switch to Debian means more stability and double the support period (roughly 3 years) which I think makes #! a more appealing choice for a work/productivity computer.

  • Registered: 2009-10-08
  • Posts: 91

Re: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

I have noticed alot of distros have made the move from Ubuntu to Debian as a base lately. I think the majority of it has to do with Linux and FOSS politics. Meaning people are just unhappy with the direction they see Ubuntu moving towards. As for Crunchbang, I think Debian was a better fit for development, as well as the user base. you probably won't find very many people complaining that #! is no longer based on Ubuntu big_smile

"I have always wished for my computer to be as easy to use as my telephone; my wish has come true because I can no longer figure out how to use my telephone."
AMD PhenomII x4 955be, MSI 785GT-E63, 8GB DDR2, Radeon hd5570, Unity Gnomemini x64
  • From: Scotland
  • Registered: 2009-12-29
  • Posts: 330

Re: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

I think the move was for the best, and really would like if #! evolved into something like Mepis - taking advantage of the incredible stability of debian (stable release) and putting additional newer software and "corenominal's touch". As it would be just great. smile

  • Registered: 2010-07-26
  • Posts: 3

Re: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

There was an article with some answers explaining the switch. I completely agree with the change to debian base. I have found ubuntu to be growing further away from the reasons why I originally chose it. Being on ubuntu since edgy, 10.04 was the worst release ever to me.  I really like crunch based on 9.04 ( just converted after I got fed up with 10.04 ) and probably would not have used statler if it was based on 10.04.

  • Val_B
  • #! CrunchBanger
  • Offline
  • From: SE United States
  • Registered: 2010-01-25
  • Posts: 238

Re: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

There are some negatives, mainly being that things like my Ralink card need to have drivers compiled and added as modules rather than just working out of the box, but Debian does make changing the kernel pretty easy so I can't complain.

The biggest advantage really though is that there are fewer dependencies pulled in by default. This really helps for those that have slow Internet connections or that don't feel like cluttering their computer up with needless software.

For whatever reason my computer uses significantly less ram when running the same system as a debian base, rather than an ubuntu one, but it is impossible to compare directly easily as the same application will pull in other packages on Ubuntu versus Debian.

  • Registered: 2009-03-31
  • Posts: 12

Re: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

Val_B wrote:

The biggest advantage really though is that there are fewer dependencies pulled in by default.


This times eleventy.  Also, Ubuntu seems to have some very strange ideas about what constitutes a "dependency".  I can't cite any specifics at the moment, but there have been lots of times when I've had:

$ sudo aptitude remove $trivial_package_I_dont_want

The following packages will be REMOVED:
{pretty much the entire system}
  • benj1
  • Wiki Wizard
  • Offline
  • From: Yorkshire, England
  • Registered: 2009-09-05
  • Posts: 1,084

Re: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

futuremonkey wrote:
Val_B wrote:

The biggest advantage really though is that there are fewer dependencies pulled in by default.


This times eleventy.  Also, Ubuntu seems to have some very strange ideas about what constitutes a "dependency".  I can't cite any specifics at the moment, but there have been lots of times when I've had:

$ sudo aptitude remove $trivial_package_I_dont_want

The following packages will be REMOVED:
{pretty much the entire system}

yeah, i had that once when i removed vim or something, the trick is to use aptitude and mark everything as user installed, the man page should tell you how to do it.

- - - - - - - - Wiki Pages - - - - - - -
#! install guide           *autostart programs, modify the menu & keybindings
configuring Conky       *installing scripts
  • pvsage
  • Internal Affairs
  • Offline
  • From: Section Six
  • Registered: 2009-10-18
  • Posts: 4,912

Re: Advantages of using Debian as the base instead of Ubuntu?

Another thing to remember about Ubuntu is that many of the "packages" that get removed are just meta-packages.  If the trivial package is a "recommend" of several metas, those are no longer considered to be installed.  (I freaked out too the first time I saw that removing some-trivial-package would remove gnome-desktop & a ton of other metas.)

while ( ! ( succeed = try() ) );