Future of Mint: Ubuntu or Debian Based

[antiquexray]

As a long time Mint user, I've seen Clem take this distro from little know to one of the tops. As I now play around with LMDE I ponder the pros and cons of these version and wonder which will emerge on top. What is your opinion?

[TBABill]

I love LMDE but as an adventurous user, my thoughts may not be in line with lots of users. I would guess a lot of people just want some stability and the kind of system you get with an LTS version. Plus Mint based on Ubuntu is easier to configure for a new user. That one or two click install for drivers makes it a breeze, but I would bet Clem's team could bring that capability to the installer for LMDE and make it a non-issue. Then there could just be a stable based on Squeeze (for now) and unstable based on testing. I would think basing off Squeeze would take a lot of load off the devs from having to care for a new release every 6 months and having to run down issues upon every release.

Still scratching my head and unsure what my answer is I like rolling release but some people just want more stability than a distro based on testing (which is completely stable for me so far).

[viking777]

Debian every time for me. Of course a lot might depend what Mint decide to do regarding Unity. We already have new forum members using LMDE to avoid Ubuntu's Unity lunacy!

Having said that why do you have to choose at all - just run both, that is what I do. It's not windows, you are allowed more than one copy you know?

[Stennie]

I think Ubuntu based Mint is great, its gives Clem and the developers time to work on things that matter.
Why invent the wheel twice.....

[hasuin]

I would go for a stable debian edition with backports and extra repos enabled, all drivers and mint goodies preinstalled.

It would be the best debian derivative ever.

[willie42]

I think LMDE is great. Cutting edge.

[GhoS]

While it doesn't matter as much to me because I use KDE and it doesn't appear that Kubunutu is following directly with what Ubuntu does, I lean towards a Debian based Mint being the primary one at some point.
Ubuntu is straying too far from where I believe Clem wants Mint to head towards. All of the changes with Unity, etc are not fully embraced by the Mint community.
It would have be a careful transition since many use Mint because it is easy to use, and part of that is the Ubuntu framework. Although with many tools built for Mint on its own, I think the reliance on Ubuntu is less and less.
I'd like to see Mint move into it's own distro and not piggy-packing on Ubuntu, but the resources aren't there currently for Mint to do that.

[monkeyboy]

As a long time Mint user, I've seen Clem take this distro from little know to one of the tops. As I now play around with LMDE I ponder the pros and cons of these version and wonder which will emerge on top. What is your opinion?

As a user I am not privy to the resources, aims and desires of the folks who actually produce Mint so its hard to comment on much more then just my own preferences. Currently I have both LMDE and Gnome 10 loaded and I like them both, neither has any show stopper problems or major advantage over the other, so at this point I don't care.
That could change because things are always coming down the pipe but my ability to see the future with a significant degree of clarity has never been good. So, for now I am just happy with the options I have. Enjoy

[Striker]

I would love to have a Linux Mint Debian Stable (LMDS)! A perfect marriage! The stability of Debian, and the fine tuning of Mint. Brilliant!

[Murdock]

I think I'll stay with multi-booting toys and use Mint 10 as my main system for the next several years like I did with Xandros beta 2.If it isn't broke leave it the duck alone.

[MALsPa]

It doesn't matter to me. I don't have a problem with Ubuntu-based Linux Mint. I also use Debian here. One's as good as the other, as far as I'm concerned.

[msuggs]

I would love to have a Linux Mint Debian Stable (LMDS)! A perfect marriage! The stability of Debian, and the fine tuning of Mint. Brilliant!

You can have it now. Install LMDE. Change the repos to point to Squeeze rather than testing,
then:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Once it's all up and running you could probably also disable the Mint repos if you are happy with the way the Mint tools are performing.

There it is, LMDE Stable

P.S. I don't have a LMDE box handy to check but I assume you'd have to add the backports repo at some stage as well.

[Dave68]

You can have it now. Install LMDE. Change the repos to point to Squeeze rather than testing

Actually, since Squeeze went Stable over the weekend, you would have to change "testing" or "squeeze" to "stable" to achieve what you speak of.

I have run the Ubuntu Versions, but currently run 1 LMDE Testing, and 1 LMDE Stable (Daughters Machine). No issues there thus far. To me, LMDE out performs Mint Main. Initially it had a more advanced knowledge demand than the Ubuntu based versions, but Clem and Ikey, for certain, have done an excellant job in bringing it up to par with the other Mint Flavors.

I guess that means, I would like to see the other Mints shift away from Ubuntu as well, and lean more heavily on Debian. Debian is tried and true by many Users and it runs well on older hardware. It's stability is unsurpassable in comparison to any other GNU/ Linux Derivitive, so I don't see how anyone could compare it to re-inventing the wheel. The Minty features that so many people have enjoyed, will still be available in a Debian Base, as has already been proven from what I have experianced.

My Opinion Only,
Dave

[MintLucius]

I guess that many people will leave Ubuntu from 11.04 onwards because of Unity and Mint will be the natural alternative.

Personally, I'd prefer Debian over Ubuntu any time. It's just ridiculous, all "Ubuntu Netbook Editions" feel more bloated on my netbook than a normal Ubuntu-gnome-install (because they are Ubuntu+extra stuff, not really smart for netbooks), and the normal Ubuntu-install still annoyed me. LMDE is SO much faster.

I think Mint should focus on the Debian edition, and maybe enable features that changing your sources from stable to testing is easy and quick for everyone. Stable sources as the normal install, but changing to testing just a click away would be nice and smooth and safe.

[Striker]

I would love to have a Linux Mint Debian Stable (LMDS)! A perfect marriage! The stability of Debian, and the fine tuning of Mint. Brilliant!

You can have it now. Install LMDE. Change the repos to point to Squeeze rather than testing,
then:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Once it's all up and running you could probably also disable the Mint repos if you are happy with the way the Mint tools are performing.

There it is, LMDE Stable

P.S. I don't have a LMDE box handy to check but I assume you'd have to add the backports repo at some stage as well.

You know, after I made my post, I was actually thinking about doing just what you suggested. I think I'll give it a try, on a separate partition. Thanks for the encouragement!

[msuggs]

Actually, since Squeeze went Stable over the weekend, you would have to change "testing" or "squeeze" to "stable" to achieve what you speak of.

Squeeze and stable remain the same thing until wheezy is stable. Pointing to squeeze should be good for another couple of years I'd imagine at that stage that remaining on stable would break the Mint tools but a reinstall every 2 years is okay with me

[DrHu]

It would be a difficult decision whether to give up Ubuntu's help (they are creating enough newer ideas from a Debian based distribution), that Mint would lose that developer support if they decided to switch completey to a Debian base only, instead of the hybrid they now use

• Debian + Mint options

--gets them Debian developer support

Or Ubuntu + Mint options
--gets them Ubuntu developer support

Will there ever be a Mint only system, not based on some other upstream developers

• I think not
  --not unless Mint decided and could afford to support that much larger developer & research requirements

[antiquexray]

I would love to have a Linux Mint Debian Stable (LMDS)! A perfect marriage! The stability of Debian, and the fine tuning of Mint. Brilliant!

You can have it now. Install LMDE. Change the repos to point to Squeeze rather than testing,
then:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Once it's all up and running you could probably also disable the Mint repos if you are happy with the way the Mint tools are performing.

There it is, LMDE Stable

P.S. I don't have a LMDE box handy to check but I assume you'd have to add the backports repo at some stage as well.

How do I do that...and you need to be specific:)

[antiquexray]

I would love to have a Linux Mint Debian Stable...

You can have it now...

The obvious advantage I see is a rock-hard, stable box with little fear of it breaking. What is, or are, the disadvantages?

[randomizer]

The obvious advantage I see is a rock-hard, stable box with little fear of it breaking. What is, or are, the disadvantages?

Old software, which just looks older as time passes and other distros are using much newer versions.