Adam Powell 's GNU/Linux Page

Debian Logo

Debian

Debian is one of the "distributions" of the Linux kernel and GNU system software.  You could say I'm a "Debian chauvanist", as I use it exclusively on a wide variety of machines (Intel workstations, Alpha number-crunchers, StrongARM Netwinder on my desk, PowerMac at home, 1992 Sparc10 grad student loaner) because it's the greatest distribution there is.  Here are some reasons why:
  1. Intelligent package management.  From  the source package format and maintainer network, to autobuilders and the "push" mirror system, to the dpkg local package management suite and debconf (which is "wizards done right"), to the dselect and multiple apt auto-download front-ends, the Debian package framework is easily best practices anywhere in the industry in every aspect, bar none.
  2. Easily the best quality: it's not called "stable" until it really is!  The 2.2 "Potato" distribution underwent seven months of testing before being released as stable in early August, 2000, 3.0 "Woody" had a similar pre-release testing period.  Those who want the latest and greatest can use the 3.1 "Sarge" testing release, or the even more bleeding-edge "Sid" unstable release.
  3. Decent default security policy: extremely few services are turned on in a default install.
  4. Open bug tracking system .
  5. All configuration files are stored in /etc, and the bug reporting tool automatically adds diffs between original and edited config files.
  6. /etc/alternatives lets you easily choose among alternative pagers, editors, E themes, etc. system-wide, just by editing the symlinks.
  7. Centralized documentation repository: /usr/share/doc has it all, dhelp links all installed HTML documentation from file:/usr/share/doc/HTML/index.html.
  8. Dynamically updated menu of installed X and text apps following the package hierarchy, which appears in GNOME, E and WM (and others I'm sure) menuing systems.
  9. Minimal install in just 20 MB (depending on platform).
  10. Emacs plugins which install into all emacs flavors with applications (e.g. installing gettext installs .po mode to emacs19, emacs20, MULE and xemacs, whichever are installed).
  11. /usr/include/linux and /usr/include/asm done THE WAY LINUS WANTS THEM (RedHat and derivatives have done it wrong for years).
  12. Best cross-platform support (2.2 shipped for Intel, Alpha, Sparc(64), m68k, PowerPC and ARM; woody will add IA-64, HPPA, MIPS(el) and S/390; Hitachi SuperH under development).
  13. Network of several hundred package maintainers, giving Debian 3.0 nearly 9000 packages on Intel, at least 8000 on the other platforms!  This makes Debian 3.0 considerably larger than all other distributions in terms of shipping software.
  14. Releases not controlled by any single corporation, open alpha and beta releases via the unstable and testing andfrozen distributions respectively.
  15. Clearly divided into free and non-free software, with a third section for free software which depends on non-free software, based on the Debian Free Software Guidelines.
  16. Multiple kernels (Linux and Hurd; FreeBSD, OpenBSD and Win32 under consideration).
In summary, Debian is just the leanest, tightest, baddest GNU/Linux distribution out there!  There are one or two disadvantages:
  1. Glacial stable release cycle (once a year -- or two -- is really too slow).  Package pools, when they are implemented, should help considerably.
  2. Not as many third-party .deb packages as .rpms, though the "alien" utility converts them, and there are so many more packages shipped with a Debian release that this is largely irrelevant.
  3. No automatic disk partitioning during install, you have to choose partition sizes.
  4. No snazzy graphical installers, though you can use one by buying a CD of the Debian-based Progeny distribution.
  5. No autodetection during install, and no detection tools like lspci or pnpdump in the install floppies, you just have to know which modules you'll need for your hardware.
  6. Two-stage installation process requiring more interaction throughout.
  7. Generally more difficult installation procedure.  So get a machine with Debian pre-installed if you can, or install it with close support from someone who knows what they're doing!
  8. ARM has only fbdev X driver, which is unfortunate given problems in some framebuffers (e.g. Netwinder Cyber2000, ATI Mach64 VT in Motorola StarMax).
  9. Various other bugs on PPC.

My little contributions

My Debian packages: Finished projects: Todo list, in roughly decreasing order of priority: As you can see, many of these involve the PPC and ARM platforms, on which Linux is not nearly as mature as on Intel or Alpha; others relate to my group's research.

Miscellaneous

(Not this server, but there's one on my desk)
Adam Powell