Is LMDE suitable for daily usage ?

[jan_goyvaerts]

Hello There,

I'm using the Mint 11 at work for daily desktop usage. Now the time for upgrade has come I was wondering whether the Debian Edition would be a viable alternative.

A question to those already using the Debian Edition: is it stable and user-friendly enough for daily use ? Or better keep to the "regular" Mint edition for the time being ?

Many TIA !!!

Jan

[Kilz]

That depends, if you like a very up to date system and cant wait for release packs and will rely on update tools like apt-get with no tollerance for bugs, no, stick with Mint 11. There isnt a lot of difference and Mint 11 will be rock solid stable.

[jan_goyvaerts]

It depends on the "bugs" really. I'm no Linux newbie so I'm able to cope with some level of problems. If the bugs however are of a fundamental kind, then I'd rather pass.

The reason why I'm thinking about the Debian Edition is performance. I'm developing software and needs every cycle I can get.

[wayne128]

The reason why I'm thinking about the Debian Edition is performance. I'm developing software and needs every cycle I can get.

If performance is most important, go for straight Debian, so that you install minimum apps and it is lean.

[jan_goyvaerts]

The only thing that is keeping me back is how big a problem/bug/... am I risking ? I really can't spend hours on fixing system-level problems.

Btw, does anybody know whether the Debian Edition is a rolling update via apt. Or the Mint-way: backing up & fresh installs.

THX !

Jan

[craig10x]

there will be occasional regressions and breakages, so if you don't mind tinkering, and troubleshooting (since fixes don't always come down that quickly) then you will probably like it...otherwise i would suggest you stay with mint 11...I tried LMDE twice but always ended up coming back to mint main edition...65% of mint users use main edition while about 10% use LMDE....i think there is a reason for that

[richyrich]

The reason why I'm thinking about the Debian Edition is performance. I'm developing software and needs every cycle I can get.

Imho, in a development / production environment ? stability, stability, stability!

I wouldn't care about rolling or upgrade paths, My main concern would be rock solid stability !

[autocrosser]

The only thing that is keeping me back is how big a problem/bug/... am I risking ? I really can't spend hours on fixing system-level problems.

Btw, does anybody know whether the Debian Edition is a rolling update via apt. Or the Mint-way: backing up & fresh installs.

THX !

Jan

Debian Edition is rolling updates---no re-installs...so a bug could crop up at any time. I use Apt or Aptitude for my updates.

[zerozero]

Btw, does anybody know whether the Debian Edition is a rolling update via apt. Or the Mint-way: backing up & fresh installs.

Jan

with LMDE you don't need re-installs, it rolls (well at much as debian testing does- one can't forget the deep freeze), as for stability and bug-free you have 2 options
- stay with the default repos in the new isos and follow the UP, this way you will have a stable, reliable system
http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1781
- change your repos to track testing, you will have a more up-to-date system, but breakages may occur (in more than one year following testing i was never left with an unbootable system and the issues were always easily solved with a quickly google search or here in the forum, specially here viewtopic.php?f=198&t=67502 )

[Kilz]

Debian Edition is rolling updates---no re-installs...so a bug could crop up at any time. I use Apt or Aptitude for my updates.

Apt and Aptitude is a fast way to introduce a ton of bugs into LMDE. I tried it and found I was fixing issues a few times a week.

[zerozero]

Apt and Aptitude is a fast way to introduce a ton of bugs into LMDE.

well with the risk of going off-topic, can you please elaborate on this?

[rjs]

Is LMDE suitable for daily usage ?

Yes, absolutely. It's the only opsys I'm currently using.

[wyrdoak]

Debian Edition is rolling updates---no re-installs...so a bug could crop up at any time. I use Apt or Aptitude for my updates.

Apt and Aptitude is a fast way to introduce a ton of bugs into LMDE. I tried it and found I was fixing issues a few times a week.

I would say, Yes, Apt and Aptitude do cause problems if you mix them. Use Apt or use Aptitude not both.

[Kilz]

Either way is a bad idea for some users imho because Apt-get and aptitude bypasses the ranking in the mint update application. Apt or Aptitude will just blindly update all released upgraded packages regardless of the possibility of them causing bugs. Those that want a more stable experience, that have a low tolerance for bugs, and/or don't have good troubleshooting skills (linux newbies for example) should imho stick to the Mint Update application or even better they should consider using upgrade packs only.

[zerozero]

MintUpdate-Debian doesn't use levels or rankings anymore (for months now)

[rjs]

I use apt aptitude both all the time. No issues here at all.

[Kilz]

MintUpdate-Debian doesn't use levels or rankings anymore (for months now)

Its probably happened after I uninstalled and went with Mint 11 because of the constant nagging bugs. Nothing that couldnt be fixed, but I would rather use applications than fix issues. But the advice in my last comment is still good to use update packs for those who dont want to deal with bugs or cant.

[aes2011]

Hello There,

I'm using the Mint 11 at work for daily desktop usage....

Stay with your current install for a couple of months. Monitor the forum and then upgrade to Mint 12. LMDE is still experimental and shouldn't be used at work.

[rjs]

LM 9, 10, 11, 12 all run off of Ubuntu which in turn gets much of the packaging from debian unstable/testing. Excuse me for saying that the only thing more stable than debian unstable is debian stable concerning debian. If you want stable no matter where it's used, use debian stable or slackware. But as for all of LM and LMDE, it's all debian unstable/testing when you get right down to it.

Use it at work, use it on your ipod, use it to flush your toilet. It's plenty stable to do what's needed in any name of the game. The only issues you might encounter are just the changes that are made by LinuxMint. Maybe a few aesthetic issues. That's about it. But to claim it's better to use Linux Mint 11 at work instead of LMDE due to LMDE being experimental is a flawed view.

LMDE is no more "experimental" than any linux distro out there using the same debian branches. And very few distro's use debian stable as a base. With few exceptions like crunchbang (which is also very good).

[jan_goyvaerts]

I thought I could go for an intermediate solution: Install it into a VM and try it from there.

No such luck. It installs, but the VM crashes when booting the installed LMDE. Are these the kind of problems you people were talking about ?

Any ideas to make the VM run ?

Btw, I think it's wonderful to get reactions that quick from almost as many people. Mint's clearly having its own community. Thanks guys !