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Ask HN: Should I learn arch Linux or Debian Linux?

• smb6620294 6y ago
  https://www.fee-calculator.net/blog/how-to-uninstall-chrome-managed-by-your-organizat/ https://www.fee-calculator.net/blog/how-to-uninstall-chrome-...
• giantg2 6y ago
  I don't think it really matters that much. You should try them out and see which you like better. Many of the features/commands will be the same between them.
• mardiyah 6y ago
  thumb rule: do the simpler/simplest one over the next this'd be Debian, more stable, robust, basic by basic mean more common, a Linux which has many descendant/derivatives eg. Ubunu, MX https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/introduction-to-linux-operating-system/ https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/introduction-to-linux-operatin...
  • ramary 6y ago
    Agreed, simpler is better, especially since OP is coming at this from the perspective that software is a means to end. Few things are more discouraging than realizing you're in way over your head in Linux land and have no idea what's going on, then not having the time to figure it out to boot (as OP suggests they don't).
• blitblitblit 6y ago
  Neither, try KISSLinux or Gentoo on a VM to actually learn. Arch and Debian are both binary based and don't really teach you much in the way of development and command line.
• TheAnswerMan 6y ago
  Deciding between Debian/Arch is mostly about the package system. Debian locks in to package versions for stability. You don't need to worry about updating package A changing it's API and breaking package B. It's sort of a professionally managed package system. The downside is you might miss out on cool new feature of package A since you're locked in to an old version. A lot of the big moving and shaking in Arch has already come to pass, so it's not likely you will brick your system from an update. So if you are really into the latest versions of things, then Arch. If you prefer to remove the risk of breaking your system and limit updates to security patches then go with Debian.
• speedgoose 6y ago
  Probably Debian if you want something that work without thinking much about it on the long term. You could also try Ubuntu, which is based on Debian but a bit more straightforward for beginners. ArchLinux is more work and you may enjoy it. If you do and really want to learn a lot, you can read the book Linux From Scratch, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_From_Scratch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_From_Scratch , and build your Linux from scratch.
• rahimnathwani 6y ago
  If you want things to be easy, then go with Ubuntu. It's based on Debian but has some things which make it easier to get started. As you suggested purity isn't your top priority, if you decide to go with Debian then you probably want the 'non-free' images, that include blobs for making wifi and such work: https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/cd-including-firmware/ https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/cd-in... I would not recommend arch for a beginner. There's a chance that you need to reinstall drivers after a kernel upgrade, which can be inconvenient if the drivers that no longer work are needed for your wifi connection.
• runjake 6y ago
  > I am a practical person so while I appreciate purity I simply don't have time for it.Software is a means to an end. Then Arch is definitely not for you. Look at Ubuntu or Debian. I’d add Manjaro to this list but I run it and feel it requires more finicking and has more bumps in the upgrade road than the tin says. So just stick with Ubuntu or Debian.
• oftenwrong 6y ago
  I will throw in another vote for Debian. >I am a practical person so while I appreciate purity I simply don't have time for it.Software is a means to an end. This describes myself as well, and this is why I have used Debian (stable) for years on my personal servers and desktops. For an example, you can turn on unattended upgrades and not have to think much about it. The Debian maintainers work hard to keep the package repository stable. Obviously, this is a biased opinion, since I use Debian. I have used Arch in the past, and had some mishaps where I broke things by installing updates. On Arch, you need to vet updates more carefully. I don't want to have to be careful, because I want things to "just work" (as much as is possible in the realm of linux), so I use Debian.
• joshxyz 6y ago
  Debian so your contributions will trickle down to Ubuntu linux which i use lol
  • joshxyz 6y ago
    Ive tried windows and mac and what i can say is switching to ubuntu of course has it own challenges, but as someone who also uses linux servers at work, having a similar desktop and server environment is the smoothest dev experience ever.
• blackcats 6y ago
  It depends on your hourly rate and availability. Debian is one of the oldest distributions, stable, binary packages. You can install and get to work. If you need latest packages, you can run the testing version (or Kali Linux) Arch is a Gentoo light experience, from what I understand. I used Gentoo when I was a student, but now have no time to fiddle with operating system compilation for 3 days and use Debian or Debian based.
  • I_complete_me 6y ago
    I use Arch as an example of how to predict if someone is very software savvy. Although I did not know that Gentoo was a 'parent' of Arch. Silly me.
    • blackcats 6y ago
      My bad, Crux is the parent of Arch. Thought it was a Gentoo derivative
  • MichelBen 6y ago
    exacte
• elipsey 6y ago
  What do you want to use it for? Debian is probably easier to set up, and will be more likely to have pre-built third party packages if you want something that isn't in the distribution repositories. Some of the software is getting a little old right now, because Debian 10 came out in 2019 (11 will probably be done in a few months). Arch will always have the newest FOSS software, but if you want to install a bunch of proprietary apps, it might be harder (anyone?). Arch expects more hand holding from the user at install time. You will therefore get to learn how to do things by hand on a CLI like: set the timezone and clock, config and bring up the network, choose and configure your partitions, shell, and gui. This is fussy and time consuming and teaches you how to fix those things by hand in a shell (or remote ssh!). I'm a debian user, and it would take me an afternoon to remember how to bumble through all of that; if you're a newb, clear your weekend. If you're interested in systems programming or devops or want to know all about the care and feeding of your operating system, this stuff might be worth learning about. Of course you can do the same by hand on other distros if you want. The Arch documentation is second to none, and I use it all the time. The Arch community is... well... the kind of people who run Arch. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ On the other hand, Debian is easy to install and picks sane defaults for just about everything. One under-appreciated result of this is commodity. If something happens to my laptop I can reinstall Debian and unzip a backup of my home folder before I finish my coffee. No product keys, no hardware restrictions, no bullshit, and don't make me think. This is a big deal to me because it means never having my work depend on any particular computer! A couple of quick pointers if you want to try going this way: --the text mode installer looks scary but is pretty nice. --it will set up full disk encryption for you if you select the option. --Debian (but not ubuntu or most others) annoyingly doesn't install some proprietary wifi firmware by default; you can try to add the firmware during the install, but it's a pain, so just use a cable if you can, then remember to add it after install (e.g. the intel wifi firmware package is called 'firmware-iwlwifi'). --FYI, the Gnome desktop requires that you turn on 'Location Services' to get automatic time/zone updates when you travel (it's lately off by default for privacy). I'm sure Arch installs can be scripted or automated, but I'm too lazy to figure that out. I haven't done things that way since I was a student, although I'm tempted from time to time because of the newer packages. You could start installing Arch and see what happens. If you care enough to bother and you get it done before you loose your temper, you're an Arch user. If you're like "OMFG how many questions do I have to answer about parse trees to install zsh, I still don't have WIFI and it took two days to set my clock, I'm out!", then quit and install Debian.
• gtirloni 6y ago
  You might want to try Fedora for a more polished desktop experience.
• p0d 6y ago
  I have been using linux for 20 years. Backup your device and dual boot linux with whatever OS you are currently using. If you go all in too quickly you will exasperate yourself. As for Arch or Debian, I think the answer is Ubuntu.
  • mvolfik 6y ago
    Not sure about the Ubuntu recommendation... I have used the LTS releases on my laptop for 5 years without reinstall or any major issues (I'm a student, so the complexity of what I use increased gradually), but the latest update f*cked a lot of things up. Didn't have time to do a reinstall yet, but i sense it's highly needed. So Debian might be a better option at the time, especially as stuff is expected to be tinkered with more (switch to Wayland etc). Oh, and don't get me started on the Ubuntu Python installation :/
• aaccount 6y ago
  If you really want to learn linux internals, try installing arch linux from scratch
• kleer001 6y ago
  Why not all three? First Ubuntu to get a feel for the easy essentials. Then Debian for a more through feel of the whole shebang. Then Arch for the masochist in you.
• viktoracoric 6y ago
  It doesn't matter that much, if you learn one, you have learned 99% of the other. Most noticeable difference is package manager, and lesser noticeable differences are locations of some system files for which you will need to read documentation anyways. I would recommend Arch-based Linux distributions like Manjaro, because package manager is way more user-friendly imo.