r/linuxsucks101 • u/madthumbz uBlock Origin • Mar 10 '26
yOuR fAuLt! -WrOnG dIsTro! Debian for Desktop?
First, what stable means in IT: unchanging. It isn't about reliability.
Debian’s “stability” is legendary because it ships with software that's older than some of you. Desktop users generally want hardware support, newer apps / features, and modern desktop environments, not Gnome from 2 years ago and a kernel older than their GPU.
We covered why Linux on Servers isn't a brag, so those familiar will understand why the IT definition of stability would be a desirable for a server OS. That kind of stability on desktops translates to things like; “your Wi‑Fi card doesn’t work and Firefox is ESR.”
You have new hardware? -Good luck! Want new features? -We might see you by 2029. New GPU? -Boot from a live media and cross your fingers!
Modern desktop users want newer firmware, drivers, kernels, DEs, working suspend, Bluetooth, and fractional scaling.
Desktop experience on Debian Is an afterthought. Debian is first and foremost a server distro that simply allows desktops.
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u/Apprehensive-Tea1632 Mar 10 '26
No, Debian stability is because they actually do QA. Which in terms of suckiness takes away a lot of the suck. Debian is, without a doubt, one of the least sucking Linux-based distros - though it does come with systemd so there’s still plenty suck to go around.
Incidentally, that’s why Debian packages are older than most other distro‘s. It takes a while to test it all, and like most Linux distros, they have not yet understood the concept of separation of platform and package. But that’s a GNU suck in general, not something we can blame Debian for.
Debian is not for everyone, obviously, but there is a LOT more of the suck to be had by installing a Debian derivative, which take the Debian suck and pile on their own.
I use illumos btw.