Why would I want to use LMDE vs Current LM Cinnamon?

[ChrisMW]

A couple of reasons you might want to use LMDE over LM
1. LMDE is based on volunteers and embraces the open source concept
2. LM is based on Ubuntu, a sponsored by a company that has tried a couple of dubious earning models, some feel are not in line with the Debian DNA.
3. LM, being based on Ubuntu, adds stuff to Debian. Perhaps you don't need that...
4. LMDE (since 3) lives on top of Debian rather nicely, it gives you tinker power.

Of course, being based on Ubuntu also has some perks
1. Probably the best community for Linux curious people in the world
2. Ubuntu is a great experience just post install, lots of stuff works, and works well. Very little post-config needed

My reason for using LMDE (since the first version actually), LM barfed on me and could not fix it. I blame (3) in the first list. Went with LMDE and it worked well for me. Did not look back after that. Haven't found where LM is better than LMDE, so for me the reverse is true, why would I go to LM?

In all cases, if you're happy with your current setup, then you're probably best off staying there. VM's are good to experiment. LMDE has been a very reliable base for me, I need this laptop to run, everywhere, all the time, it is my work environment. So I can recommend it. But there will be a lot who will say the exact same for LM. LM just did not work for me.

[LanceM]

I'm new to LMDE 4. I put it on my little 11.6" eMMC Asus laptop. Works fine so far. Install was a bit strange; it said there was no GPT, even though there was. It couldn't make one either with a default install and resulted in an error. Finally, I gut put a GPT with Disks and ignored the missing GPT notice. It installed fine with Btrfs. Had no such installation issues on i-5-8500 desktop. I'm assuming it's a bug related to eMMC.

[Moonstone Man]

for your sake ...

There must be reading comprehension issues confusing things for you. What was disputed was the support of a statement for a claim. The claim itself was never disputed. I suppose you'll want to try and save face by clutching at straws so I'll just cut you off the at the pass ... while the claim remained unsupported, it was also a wild claim.

HTH

[pbear]

Some random figures..

More useful than most statistics I see on the question.

What I don't understand is how. Ubuntu is pretty far down the list as far as downloads go. Is it peer-to-peer sharing of installation media?

[MrEen]

Some random figures..

More useful than most statistics I see on the question.

What I don't understand is how. Ubuntu is pretty far down the list as far as downloads go. Is it peer-to-peer sharing of installation media?

Those aren't downloads. Those are hits on Distowatch only. If those number were to be taken seriously, MXLinux should have a heck of a lot more than <10000 forum users (2 days worth of hits.)

[pbear]

Fair point. Plus, of course, downloads is a poor surrogate for adoption anyway. Problem is, there seem to be no good data, so we speculate based on what's available. The important thing to remember is that the speculations can't (validly) be more firm than the data.

[pbear]

Well, if we're going to get sidetracked by the actual question, I'll point something going the other way which no one seems to have mentioned.
As it's based directly on Debian, LMDE doesn't support and can't uses PPAs. That's strictly an Ubuntu-universe feature.

[gene0915]

I'll offer up my $0.02.

Right now, I've been running Mint 19.3 on my media server since it came out. The only complaint I have is the freaking GPU hang bug that is impacting me. It got so bad I had to revert to the 4.15 LTS kernel. Once support ends for 19.3, I'll gladly install LMDE 4! I don't need any PPAs..... just a rock solid foundation for my Plex server to sit on. Heck, if I get bored one day, I might just switch over to it some weekend. Being confined to home due to COVID-19, I got LOTS of free time on my hands and I love to tinker. Plus, I kinda can't stand Ubuntu/Canonical and IMHO, the sooner Mint gets away from them the better.

But back to the question at hand...... I'll turn it around....... why WOULDN'T you use LMDE over LM? What does LM provide you that LMDE can't?

[smurphos]

LMDE doesn't support and can't uses PPAs. That's strictly an Ubuntu-universe feature.

Not strictly true - there are official ways and means - https://wiki.debian.org/CreatePackageFromPPA

[smurphos]

What does LM provide you that LMDE can't?

Support for newer hardware - this will become more of an issue over the life of the release. Easy access to PPA's. And not so much a problem right now but bearing in mind the average gap between Debian release, users who like their software to be current (or at least close to current) versions are going to find the Debian base very stale in a couple of years time.

[pbear]

LMDE doesn't support and can't uses PPAs. That's strictly an Ubuntu-universe feature.

Not strictly true - there are official ways and means - https://wiki.debian.org/CreatePackageFromPPA

I've done neither (yet), but looks just as difficult and more work than building from tarball.

Speaking of making LMDE work, is there a way to replace the Cinnamon desktop with MATE and/or XFCE?
Not interested in cohabitation. (That I know how to do.) I mean outright replacement.

[gene0915]

What does LM provide you that LMDE can't?

Support for newer hardware - this will become more of an issue over the life of the release. Easy access to PPA's. And not so much a problem right now but bearing in mind the average gap between Debian release, users who like their software to be current (or at least close to current) versions are going to find the Debian base very stale in a couple of years time.

My experience (as time goes by) has left me thinking that slow and steady wins the race. Case in point..... with Mint. 18.3/19.x, I originally had no problems with Timeshift. Somewhere down the line, a newer version was included with one of the point releases and it no longer worked with my MDADM array. In Mint 19.1 and 19.2 I think, I had non-stop problems with shortcuts disappearing from the task bar. I think the problem was totally a Cinnamon issue and EVENTUALLY solved in 19.3. Then there is the GPU reset issue that plagues the 5.3/5.4/5.5 kernel and is present with Mint 19.3. Who knows when that will be fixed, Mint 20.0? Backport?

I've also had weird problems with Arch's rolling model. I never had system breakage but one day, I'd update application X..... would have problems with it and a day or so later, an update came about that fixed it.

Sure, support for bleeding edge hardware is nice (don't use bleeding edge hardware.... can't afford it ) but I'm REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY tempted to switch to LMDE 4, especially for my media server.

I agree that packages in Debian/LMDE can stagnate with time but I think this is a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Old packages=stable system. I don't have any need for bleeding edge hardware support so I think I'll be alright if I go down the LMDE path.

[Laniakean]

why would I want to use that as an every day driver vs the current version of LM Cinnamon? Or MATE? Or XFCE?

Just for fun?

I have, uhm... "a few" computers (the newest with an Athlon 3000G - no, not with Linux, but with Windows 10.. - and I love that thing!), all put together myself... just for fun.

Is GNU/Linux not ALL just for fun?

[Laniakean]

let's just cut right to it :

LMDE is a LINUX MINT project based on Debian :

DEBIAN * is a volunteer project that has developed and maintained a GNU/Linux operating system since 1993

LINUX MINT ** is a volunteer project still/currently based on Ubuntu

UBUNTU *** is a project produced by a company called Canonical … and friends ? based on … Debian

Could Linux Mint not be renamed "LMUE"?

[Laniakean]

Windows : 77.26%

Ignorance is bliss.

At work we have Windows 10 (after Windows 7, after SLED 10 for seven years and that were fantastic years, after the years of AIX, end of the 90s ), and I just "hate" Windows 10.

I f*cking hate it.

The other week I wanted to quickly fire up "Skyrim" (anyone else (still) playing it?), but noooooo, Windows 10 wanted to update itself for about half a goddam hour... So much for "quickly starting Skyrim".

I "hate" Windows 10. I "hate" it. And did I already say that I "hate" it? Goddam!

If it weren't for the lack of support by MS, I'd choose Windows Vista over W10 without a nanosecond of doubt (I still have Vista on one machine; it does a cold boot in 15 seconds on a SSD; yes, TRIM works, albeit only "manually").

I do not understand why "everyone" says that Windows 10 is the best version. They don't know sh!t... Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

[teatime]

Well it is easy to answer for me - I get a current Cinnamon desktop on top of a stable Debian and I simply do not like where Ubuntu is heading (snaps - ok longtime Linux user here so on a testing disk I got rid of the whole snaps too) at and therefore I stick with Debian. Out of boredom installed Cinnamon with Mint-Icons and Mint-Themes from git and my Debian Testing looks awesome so I think working more closely with Debian Devs would be better and faster from my point of view - e.g. next Mint has to be build against Ubuntu 20.04 and later against their HWE stacks so I would go the the root Debian Sid ==> Debian Testing for Mint Users with a small package delay in case packages got broken in Debian Testing. LMDE is nice in this regard.

[malapetsasc]

For me are a simple answer.
DEBIAN is a project that has developed and maintained a GNU/Linux operating system.
LINUX MINT DEBIAN is a volunteer project based on DEBIAN (GNU/Linux operating system.
UBUNTU is a project produced by a company (Canonical) based on Debian.
LINUX MINT is a volunteer project based on Ubuntu that is not GNU/Linux (Canonical project).
LINUX MINT DEBIAN are faster.
LINUX MINT DEBIAN are semi-rolling release.
LINUX MINT DEBIAN are more stable.
LINUX MINT DEBIAN are more usefully out of the box operating system than DEBIAN GNU/Linux operating system.

[axisofevil]

I use LMDE4 because Ubuntu have a history of changing things apparently just for the sake of change instead of usability.
Basically, I got permanently distrustful of what Canonical do, so I'd rather that my PC is a Ubuntu-free zone.

Before Mint/LMDE emerged, I did use Ubuntu - despite having to find ways to fix the Desktop everytime they decided that scrollbars were bad or good or whatever was flavour of the month.

[Oldbill]

How would you all feel if Microsoft were to buy Canonical?

https://build5nines.com/microsoft-to-ac ... ould-they/

LMDE is looking very attractive to me after reading this article.

[aaditya4u]

I'm using it now, with no intention of leaving 19.3 Cinnamon. Why? Curiosity. So far, it's proven stable and the user day to day experience seems to be indistinguishable from 19.3. Just good to know in case some day Ubuntu ceases. I noticed Chromium doesn't have the feature to turn on sync. It's Chromium and not Chromium-Browser. A slightly different version. Chrome is the same and works fine.

there are so many reasons but for new linux users

it has the most stable base. it has more graphics support i found and smooth nvidia than mint cinnamon. little bit faster i found. less ppa support but i found all apps online for debs. to be honest mint 19 has heavily customised graphics but lmde 4 is the same looking with stability. if you are using it in ur daily one and only pc than i would prefer lmde 4