Software gain: LMDE 6 vs Linux Mint 21.2

[t42]

So LMDE 6 is up and running fine, it has not beta but a final release feel.
Here is a comparison of selected software packages in both systems:

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Linux Mint 21.2 ---> Debian 12 (bookworm)

Bash   5.1.16 ---> 5.2.15
Cryptsetup   2.43 ---> 2.6.1
gcc   11.4.0 ---> 12.2.0
GIMP   2.10.30 ---> 2.10.34
GnuPG   2.2.27 ---> 2.2.40
Inkscape   1.1.2 ---> 1.2.2
Python   3.10.12 ---> 3.11.2
Systemd   249 ---> 252
libc6   2.35-0ubuntu3.1 ---> 2.36-9+deb12u1

[SMG]

I do not have the beta installed, but noticed this in someone inxi output. Surprised to see the Mesa is older. Is that what your install is showing?

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Linux Mint 21.2 ---> Debian 12 (bookworm)

X.Org 1.21.1.4--->.1.21.1.7
 Mesa   23.0.4<---22.3.6

Additionally, it appears it is running only ALSA and PipeWire with Wireplumber. There's no PulseAudio.

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Linux Mint 21.2 ---> Debian 12 (bookworm)

PipeWire 0.3.48 ---> 0.3.65

[vimes666]

According to distrowatch Bookworm has Mesa 22.3.6, Sid has 23.1.3.
Sadly Yad is still 0.40.0, same as 5 years ago.

[Hoser Rob]

Never ever assume that a newer software version is better. Linux developers are as bad as WIndows ones, if not worse, at adding new features while neglecting old bugs.

[t42]

re mesa I can just confirm this one more time:

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Linux Mint 21.2
inxi
  OpenGL: renderer: RENOIR (renoir LLVM 15.0.7 DRM 3.49 6.2.0-32-generic)
    v: 4.6 Mesa 23.0.4-0ubuntu1~22.04.1 direct render: Yes

LMDE 6
inxi
 API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: AMD Radeon Graphics (renoir LLVM
    15.0.6 DRM 3.52 6.4.0-0.deb12.2-amd64) direct-render: Yes

As for PulseAudio it is complicated a little:

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Audio LM21.2:
inxi
  Device-1: AMD Renoir Radeon High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 09:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:1637
    class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD Family 17h HD Audio vendor: Gigabyte driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 09:00.6 chip-ID: 1022:15e3
    class-ID: 0403
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k6.2.0-32-generic running: yes
  Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
  Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes

Audio LMDE 6:
inxi
  Device-1: AMD Renoir Radeon High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 09:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:1637
    class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD Family 17h/19h HD Audio vendor: Gigabyte
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16
    bus-ID: 09:00.6 chip-ID: 1022:15e3 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.4.0-0.deb12.2-amd64 status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.65 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin

Here is the same with the latest pinxi on both systems

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Audio LM21.2:
pinxi
  Device-1: AMD Renoir Radeon High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 09:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:1637
    class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD Family 17h HD Audio vendor: Gigabyte driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 09:00.6 chip-ID: 1022:15e3
    class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.2.0-32-generic status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 status: off
  Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 status: active

Audio LMDE 6:
pinxi
Audio:
  Device-1: AMD Renoir Radeon High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 09:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:1637
    class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD Family 17h/19h HD Audio vendor: Gigabyte
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16
    bus-ID: 09:00.6 chip-ID: 1022:15e3 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.4.0-0.deb12.2-amd64 status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.65 status: n/a (root, process) with:
    1: pipewire-pulse status: active 2: wireplumber status: active
    3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin

[t42]

Bookworm has Mesa 22.3.6, Sid has 23.1.3.

Indeed, it's newer in testing, I just look at my Debian 13 trixie, it has Mesa 23.1.6-1 already.

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 API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 23.1.6-1 renderer: AMD Radeon Graphics (renoir
    LLVM 15.0.7 DRM 3.52 6.4.0-4-amd64) direct-render: Yes

[SMG]

As for PulseAudio it is complicated a little:

Yes, it is because LM21.2 does use PipeWire, but not with Wireplumber. All three sound servers in LM21.2 have their part to play in what they handle (they do not overlap).

Some people have done the switch in LM21.2 which removes PulseAudio and adds WirePlumber and some other packages (similar to Ubuntu in either 22.10 or 23.04--I don't recall which one made the switch), but that is not the default.

Here is the same with the latest pinxi on both systems

Code: Select all

Audio LM21.2:
pinxi
  Device-1: AMD Renoir Radeon High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 09:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:1637
    class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD Family 17h HD Audio vendor: Gigabyte driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 09:00.6 chip-ID: 1022:15e3
    class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.2.0-32-generic status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 status: off
  Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 status: active

Audio LMDE 6:
pinxi
Audio:
  Device-1: AMD Renoir Radeon High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 09:00.1 chip-ID: 1002:1637
    class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: AMD Family 17h/19h HD Audio vendor: Gigabyte
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16
    bus-ID: 09:00.6 chip-ID: 1022:15e3 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.4.0-0.deb12.2-amd64 status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.65 status: n/a (root, process) with:
    1: pipewire-pulse status: active 2: wireplumber status: active
    3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin

Thanks for that comparison. Did you backport a newer kernel to LMDE 6? I notice ALSA indicates v: k6.4.0-0.deb12.2-amd64.

[t42]

Did you backport a newer kernel to LMDE 6

yes, I did:

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Kernel: 6.4.0-0.deb12.2-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64
    compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0 Desktop: Cinnamon v: 5.8.4 tk: GTK v: 3.24.37
    wm: muffin vt: 7 dm: LightDM v: 1.26.0 Distro: LMDE 6 Faye
    base: Debian 12.1 bookworm

[dave0808]

Never ever assume that a newer software version is better. Linux developers are as bad as WIndows ones, if not worse, at adding new features while neglecting old bugs.

It's a sad fact that users prefer shiny shiny new thing rather than bug fixed old thing. It's also better for marketing. In my day job, we get a weekly quota of time to fix existing bugs, but it's fair to say that many devs find bug fixing to be tedious and unrewarding (I think these are the same devs that don't test their code properly in the first place )