Articles about Debian

Debian is a great Linux distribution in its own right, but also, it serves as a base for many other operating systems. For instance, two of the best Linux distros, Ubuntu and deepin, are based on Debian.

Linux Mint is a popular operating system based on Ubuntu, but did you know there is actually a lesser-known variant of the operating system based on Debian? It's true! The unimaginatively named "Linux Mint Debian Edition" (aka LMDE) cuts out the Ubuntu middleman and is based on Debian directly.

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If you live in the Northeastern United States like me, there's a very good chance you are snowed-in right now. For instance, my town on Long Island got nearly two feet of snow dumped on it, so I am stuck indoors. While I have been passing the time by watching movies and playing old-school video game ROMs, I am starting to get a bit bored.

Thankfully, there is a new Linux-based operating system version to play with! You see, version 2.0.0 of the Debian-based Nitrux distribution is finally available. The distro comes with KDE Plasma 5.23.5 as the desktop environment, MESA 21.3.5, and the XanMod-modified Linux kernel 5.16.3 by default.

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Linux-based operating systems are frequently touted as being far more secure than the likes of Windows or macOS. More secure they may be, but they are not completely infallible.

A great example of this is the recently discovered PwnKit vulnerability in the pkexec component of Polkit. The flaw can be exploited to gain root access to a system and it has been a security hole in pretty much all major Linux distros for over 12 years, including Debian, Fedora and Ubuntu.

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Debian is a great operating system in its own right, but also, it makes for an excellent base for other Linux distributions as well. For example, Ubuntu is probably the most well-known Linux distro and it is based on Debian. There are countless other operating systems, such as Netrunner, that stand on Debian's figurative shoulders.

The prettiest and most exciting Debian-based operating system, however, is deepin. This Chinese-developed Linux distribution is probably the most beautiful desktop operating system on the planet; it is arguably better than both macOS and Windows 11 in the style department.

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This Thursday is one of my favorite holidays -- Thanksgiving! While I will absolutely fill my (large) belly with turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and other traditional foods, I will be sure to celebrate the true nature of the day as well -- being thankful. This year, I am thankful for my health, my family, and of course... Linux!

Yup, folks, we should all be thankful that many wonderful Linux distributions exist, making it possible for people to enjoy truly free and open source software. One of the prettiest Linux-based operating systems is deepin. Today, version 20.3 of the Debian-based operating system becomes available for download, meaning you can install it on your Grandma's computer after eating her yummy cooking. What better way to thank your Thanksgiving host than replacing Windows with Linux for them? Forget dual-booting. She will be so pleasantly surprised when she turns on the computer!

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Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu -- that is pretty common knowledge. But did you know there is a different version of the operating system that is instead based on Debian? It's true! Called "Linux Mint Debian Edition," or "LMDE" for short, it is far less popular than the "regular" Mint. Then why does it exist? Believe it or not, it exists (partly) to serve as a contingency plan in case Ubuntu ever stops being developed.

Today is November 1, and the Linux Mint developers have shared some monthly development news that is largely boring. One small tidbit of information is interesting, however; Linux Mint Debian Edition 4 (code-named "Debbie") will ditch the Mozilla Firefox ESR web browser. LMDE 4 will instead move users to the normal "rapid release" variant.

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MX is one of the most popular Linux-based desktop operating systems these days. In fact, according to DistroWatch, it has been consistently achieving the top daily hits, surpassing better-known distributions, such as Ubuntu, Debian, and more.

Today, MX Linux 21 finally becomes available as a stable release. Code-named "Wildflower," the operating system is based on Debian 11 "Bullseye" and uses Linux kernel 5.10. MX 21 is offered with the Fluxbox window manager (1.3.7) or your choice of two popular desktop environments -- KDE Plasma (5.20) and Xfce (4.16). Not sure which environment to choose? The MX-Tour will highlight them so you can make an informed decision.

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Today is October 5, which is particularly significant as it is the official Windows 11 release date. This is even more special as Microsoft's latest desktop operating system isn't just good... it's great. Yes, this is probably the best version of Windows ever, and if you are a Windows user, you should absolutely upgrade if your computer is compatible.

Unfortunately, that is a pretty big "if" this time around. You see, Microsoft is quite strict with the system requirements, meaning many computers will not be compatible or officially supported. Even though Windows 10 will continue to be supported for a while, understandably, some users will want to jump ship immediately knowing their PC has no future in Microsoft's eyes. Thankfully, these users have a wonderful alternative to Windows 11 -- Linux!

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Back in July, we shared with you that Linux Mint 20.3 would be released around Christmas. Unfortunately, that was pretty much all we knew about the upcoming version of the Ubuntu-based operating system. Thankfully, today, the developers give us some more details.

Not only do we now know the name of Linux Mint 20.3, but the moniker of the upcoming Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) 5 too. Following Mint's tradition of only using female names, the former will be named "Una," while the latter shall be called "Elsie."

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Linux does not belong to any specific country -- the open source kernel can be enjoyed by people all over the world. This includes China, a great ally of the United States. We depend on China to manufacture many of our goods, but also, developers in that country contribute to open source projects.

Case in point, deepin is a Linux-based operating system from China that is both beautiful and elegant. For some, it could be a nice alternative to Windows 11. deepin is a miraculous Chinese gift to the open source community. Today, the wonderful deepin developers release version 20.2.4 of the Linux distribution. Based on Debian, it uses Linux kernel 5.13.13 and has a new global search feature.

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Security researchers have discovered a new type of malware that makes use of Windows Subsystem for Linux as a way to stealthily attack systems.

Attacks can be carried out using malicious Linux binaries using a technique that was previously just a theoretical proof-of-concept. The new attack vector was discovered by researchers from Black Lotus Labs who describe it as "the first instance of an actor abusing WSL to install subsequent payloads".

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There are a lot of great desktop environments for Linux, such as Cinnamon, KDE Plasma, and Xfce to name a few. With that said, only one can be the best, and that is GNOME. If you prefer a different environment, you are simply wrong or ignorant on the subject. You know what? That's fine. As they say, ignorance is bliss, so if you are happy not using GNOME, more power to you.

For those of us superior Linux users that prefer GNOME, it is time to get excited. You see, as of today, the GNOME 41 Beta is officially here! Keep in mind, the Beta tag is quite literal -- unless you are a Beta tester or Linux developer, you shouldn't be bothering with it just yet.

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There are a lot of Linux-based operating systems these days, and if you have some free time, I suggest trying as many as you can. Think of it like fruit -- apples are great, but you shouldn't stop after just tasting that. The world is full of different choices, such as mangoes, bananas, and oranges. The same can be said of Linux -- even if you really like, say, Ubuntu, you should also test Fedora, Mageia, and more.

Today, yet another distro hits a major milestone; SparkyLinux achieves version 6.0. Code-named "Po Tolo," it is a rolling release operating system that is based on the brand-new Debian 11 "Bullseye." Sparky aims to be easy on system resources, with choices of three main desktop environments -- LXQt, KDE, and Xfce. This lightweight operating system can breathe new life into aging computers. SparkyLinux even still supports older 32-bit processors.

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Reading devices with E-ink displays are an absolute must for hardcore readers. Can you read books using a traditional Android tablet or Apple iPad? Sure, but the screen can cause eyestrain. An E-ink reader, such as Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite, makes reading digital books much more enjoyable -- your eyes will thank you.

What if there was an open tablet, running Linux, that utilized an E-ink screen? That would be quite the interesting device, and it would be very exciting to imagine how such a thing could be used. Well, folks, such a product is on the way! Called "PineNote," the E-ink tablet has similar specs as the Quartz64 single board computer. The device should be available for purchase later this year. As of today, it is expected to launch with Manjaro Linux as the operating system.

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Debian is a great operating system in its own right, but also, it makes for an excellent base for other Linux distributions as well. For example, Ubuntu is probably the most well-known Linux distro in the world, and it is based on Debian. There are countless other operating systems, such as deepin Linux, that also stand on Debian's figurative shoulders. That's why it is so significant when a new version of Debian is released.

And today, that is exactly what is happening. You see, after much testing, Debian 11 is finally available for download! Called "Bullseye," the number of changes is absolutely insane. You see, it has 11,294 totally new packages and 42,821 updated packages. Some major changes include native exFAT support and improved printing.

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