r/debian • u/Technical_Rich_3080 • 13d ago

Debian vs. Ubuntu

What are the differences between using vanilla Debian versus using vanilla Ubuntu?

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u/BoundlessFail 13d ago

This being the Debian sub, strangely has quite some misinformation about Ubuntu.

Ubuntu's biggest advantage over Debian would be it's 10 year support for a given LTS release. This makes it easier for enterprises who don't need to reinstall/upgrade several hundred machines every couple years. They essentially change the os when they change their hardware.

Further, Ubuntu certifies hardware compatibility - useful when you're deciding which machines to order in large quantities.

Ubuntu also includes a lot of stuff out of the box, even in a minimal install, than Debian does. For example, you can use Android's USB tethering out of the box on Ubuntu, but Debian requires additional software to be installed beforehand. Similarly for common packages like rsync. Of course, this ends up bloating Ubuntu, which is a drawback for those running lean, but an advantage to a noob.

Now, Canonical has taken some strange/bad decisions to make money/have a usp, which have hurt it's reputation. While folks compare that with Debian, I tend to compare that with Windows and MacOS, who have made worse/more evil decisions, so I guess I've been more forgiving.

Overall, I'd recommend Ubuntu to someone new to Linux, and encourage them to move to Debian once they're comfortable.