There are numerous Linux Distributions, and new ones are added regularly with improved features that amaze everyone. If you move to Linux from any other OS, you’d probably ask about the best Linux distro, which was often answered as “Ubuntu” Right?
Now, there is an interesting turn of events saying that Debian is the mother of all distributions of Linux, as several are based on it. The users may be wondering if Ubuntu is Debian based, then the answer is a big “YES”, which is further explained in this article.
What is Debian?
Debian is an original Linux Distro that was first made public back in 1993, and since then, it still supports several architectures. It is best for experienced users of Linux but not recommended for newbies.
It has a strong and experienced community that is independent and a framework for many other distros like Ubuntu, Linux Mint, PureOS, Deepin, and others. Developers find it useful because of the development-friendly features like bug tracking.
Although Debian is an Open-Source, it offers one of the most secure desktop environments regarding security and other operations. All the versions are rigorously tested, resulting in almost no bugs or errors.
Pros of using Debian
Some of the advantages of using Debian are as follows:
- Secure, bug-free, and stable with the largest community
- Community-driven and non-commercialized
- Bug tracker
- Timely upgrades
- Easy switching from an older release to the latest with almost zero hassle
- Lightweight and amazingly fast
Cons of using Debian
Some of the Cons of Debian OS are:
- It may not be compatible with the latest hardware due to the old kernel
- Not very user-friendly
- The latest features aren’t available until stabilized, which takes time
What is Ubuntu?
Ubuntu is an open-source OS, just like many other distros of Linux. It is based on Debian and was released and is still being managed by Canonical. Ubuntu is best for users new to Linux because of its user-friendly, windows-like interface.
Pros of using Ubuntu
You’ll get the following advantages while using Ubuntu
- Highly customizable
- Gnome extensions
- Secure and bug-free with regular updates
- Supports the latest hardware
- Strong community support with over a 40million users
Cons of using Ubuntu
Ubuntu comes with the following cons
- Limited applications
- Not stable as Debian
- Bugs with new releases
Debian vs. Ubuntu: The Differences
Debian and Ubuntu may feel the same because Ubuntu is based on Debian, but there are quite a few changes, and they are as follows.
Ease of use
For a better UI, we would vote for Ubuntu as it is pretty easy to install and has cloud storage, one of the few features Debian lacks.
Ubuntu’s Software Center has revolutionized how you can install the software, but in Debian, you’ll have to use the command line, which could be a bit annoying for some users.
Hardware Compatibility
Even today, there are a few Linux Kernels that aren’t compatible with the latest hardware. Debian is perhaps one of them, as it had some issues earlier, but when it comes to Ubuntu, we haven’t heard anything about it, did you?
Stability
Debian is more stable as newer features are constantly added to Ubuntu, resulting in bugs. But apart from that, the original distro is good enough to be called stable. Debian has three types of releases.
- (Stable) tested, bug-free, and ready to be deployed)
- (Testing) a version that is under the testing phase)
- (Unstable) an under-trial version that is ready to be fiddled with by the developers
While Ubuntu has two types of releases:
- LTS, or Long-Term Support, is released every two years and updated every six months for bugs.
- Ubuntu Interim comes out every six months with the latest software, built on the unstable versions of Debian.
That’s all from this guide!
Conclusion
The answer to the question “Is Ubuntu Debian Based?” is “Yes”. Ubuntu is Debian-based distribution of Linux. Ubuntu and many other distros are based on Debian, and both look almost identical. However, there are a few differences, like Debian doesn’t have a user-friendly UI and can be hard for new users, especially the ones who’ve recently switched to Linux. This post has enlightened the fact that Ubuntu is Debian based. Apart from that, a short intro to each distribution is provided alongside the differences between Debian and Ubuntu.
