Debian and Ubuntu are commonly thought to be two fantastic distributions to fulfill your desktop and server requirements. However, what are the distinctions and what is identical, and which of the two is good for you?
Perhaps the most common answer people new to Linux ask the more experienced ones is which linus distro is best for Newbie DE in our context a new DE may be told Ubuntu. Perhaps, the same answer will be given if you ask about server distributions. You might also hear Debian added to the mix.
Debian and Ubuntu are both free and are two of the best Linux distributions available. In a contest, one does not defeat the other. But I suppose Google Ubuntu would be easier to use and understand. While Debian is most popular for its excellent security, I and the folks online agree with this observation ardently. As one user on the Debian User Forums neatly puts it: “Need handholding? Go with Ubuntu. Want privacy? Use Debian.”
Actually the two are similar because these are two open source operating systems, however there are differences. In this article, I will first discuss what Linux distros are and then look at the two distros and how they are the best to help your business.
Learn about Debian
Debian is sometimes known as the “Mother of all distributions.” As you are aware Ubuntu is built on Debian and there are hundreds if not thousands of distributions with Ubuntu at their base. The Debian Project founded by Ian Murdock released Debian GNU/Linux on August 16th of 1993.
The name Debian comes from the first name of his former girlfriend, Debra Lynn. The developers drew other Debian code names from the Toy Story movies, and they named the unstable branch of the OS Sid, after the movie character known for destroying toys.
Learn about Ubuntu
Ubuntu is also an operating system released by Canonical that, in this case, has its root in Debian. However, the first version of Ubuntu operating system was 4.10 which is known as Warty Warthog and it was released in the month of October in the year 2004. Ubuntu is released in three different versions:
- Desktop – a desktop version.
- Server – a server version.
- Core – an IoT-specific version.
Debian vs Ubuntu: Comparing Features
| Feature | Debian | Ubuntu |
| Release Model | Stable, Testing, and Unstable branches | Regular releases every 6 months, LTS every 2 years |
| Target Audience | Advanced users, system administrators | Beginners to advanced users |
| Stability | Highly stable (Stable branch) | Stable but more cutting-edge |
| Software Availability | Extensive repositories, slower updates | Up-to-date repositories with PPA support |
| Default Desktop | No default, user chooses during installation | GNOME (default) |
| Support & Community | Strong community support, no official support | Community and Canonical-backed support |
| Customization | Fully customizable, manual setup required | User-friendly with simplified customization |
| Performance | Lightweight, minimal by default | Slightly heavier due to pre-installed packages |
| Ease of Use | Requires advanced knowledge | Beginner-friendly |
| Hardware Compatibility | May require manual configuration | Better out-of-the-box hardware support |
| Security | Prioritizes security and reliability | Security-focused with frequent updates |
| Use Cases | Servers, enterprise environments, and developers | Desktops, laptops, and enterprise environments |
Debian vs Ubuntu: A Comprehensive Comparison
Release cycle
Ubuntu offers two different releases: LTS – Long Term Support and regular releases – which occur more frequently. The developers publish the LTS releases every two years, providing five years of security maintenance for all packages in the “Main” repository and also offering five years of standard security maintenance for all packages within the same repository. Semi-annual releases are provided and have only nine months of support to their credit.However, if users choose the Ubuntu Pro (known as Ubuntu Advantage previous to the 19.10 release), they are provided with the extended security maintenance, allowing for security fixes for both the “Main” and “Universe” repositories for 10 years.repository. The team makes regular releases available every six months and provides only nine months of support.
If users opt for Ubuntu Pro (formerly known as Ubuntu Advantage) subscription, they can access Expanded Security Maintenance, which covers security fixes for packages in both the “Main” and “Universe” repositories for 10 years.
Debian, on the other hand, has three different releases: These include the Stable, the Testing and finally the Unstable. Support-wise, we recommend using the Stable release only for production. On the other hand, the Testing release does encompass newer software from the [Debian project](http://www.debian.org), so if you’d prefer Debian with software more recently included in the tree, go with the Testing branch. The Testing version derives the name Stable. The structure indicates that only the Stable branch has a fixed schedule of updates, which occur every two years.
Options of application and availability of software
So, to be clear, neither Debian nor Ubuntu is provided with the latest and greatest of software, and indeed, I do not think anyone can conclusively assert a clear victory here. But as I said above, Ubuntu offers newer packages between the two. As you may know, Ubuntu performs all updates with the users logged in the system and just in case there is an upgrade on the kernel, it asks for a reboot.
Debian, however, stands more on the values of stability. For that, it does not seek to provide fresh versions of most of the software. In November 2024, Debian stated that the distribution contains over 63,879 packages, including news servers and readers, sound support, FAX programs, spreadsheets, database programs, image processing programs, communication net and mail utilities and servers, Web, and ham radio programs.
For the Linux based operating system Ubuntu, it offers applications mainly for web accessing; Chrome, Firefox, web messaging, gaming through Steam, discord, content creation through OBS studio, office suites through LibreOffice, and enhanced development tools. You can find the available ones in the Ubuntu Software Center, where you can also install additional software from third-party repositories if necessary. Ubuntu also reveals that with the Snap Store, users can receive thousands of other applications as well.
Package manager
However, Debian and its derivative Ubuntu share the same base package management system precisely, apt and dpkg. Apt (and apt-get) are used to install packages out of remote repositories, while dpkg is used for the installation of.deb files which have been downloaded.
The largest distinction for Debian and Ubuntu is that Ubuntu has integrated the Snap universal package manager by default. Canonical developed snap but it is not installed with Debian but can be downloaded and installed though. Well, that’s not much of a hassle but I take it as just one more way in which Ubuntu is more friendly to the user.
Sudo
The two distributions use the sudo security mechanism but Ubuntu has the default user created at the moment of installation automatically enrolled in the sudo group. To add users to the sudo group in Debian, either use the command or switch to the root user. For example, you can run the command: usermod -aG sudo USER, where USER is the username you want to add.
That is why Ubuntu is slightly more advantageous than Debian: at least with the package managers. Due to security concerns associated with the root user it’s advisable that you create at least one normal user with the sudo group created so that you don’t have to login to root user or switch between from the root user.
Desktop environments
Debian and Ubuntu use the GNOME desktop environment by default. But the developers modified the GNOME desktop on Ubuntu, and it comes with a dock and some other modifications.
You can decide to install other desktops on both and Debian makes it even choose a particular desktop to install during installation (the options being GNOME, Xfce, KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, MATE, and LXDE). I would suggest that in case this is your first contact with Linux Mint, you opt for MATE as it has low resource requirements as compared to other distributions for older hardware.
Kubuntu and other distributions of Ubuntu also come with different desktop setups as well such as Xubuntu and Lubuntu. The first letters are rather clear, as with Kubuntu which is based on KDE Plasma, Xubuntu which is based on Xfce and Lubuntu based on LXQt.
Supported platforms
Ubuntu officially supports tests for five processor architectures which are x86_64 – AMD64, ARM64 – AArch64, PowerPC 64 – POWER, IBM System z or S390X, and RISC-V while the previously tested processor architectures include x86, POWER5, SPARC64.
Debian supports both 64 and 32-bit computerisation, 64-bit ARM, ARM EABI, ARMv7, little-endian MIPS, 64-bit-little-endian MIPS, 64 bit little-endian PowerPC and IBM System Z.
Debian and Ubuntu alternatives
If Debian and Ubuntu are unappealing, take a look at the array of options that are currently available. The following are some that are available, however, I have only given you some of the best below.
1. Like other Linux distributions, Linux Mint has Ubuntu as its base. Mint decides to build a default for a desktop environment that is a lot more conventional than the others, something called Cinnamon. Cinnamon designers aimed to create a simple interface that retained the familiar desktop design we are all used to while avoiding a return to the traditional pre-Aquos Ubuntu’s GNOME GUI, which relied more on a modern style and approach.
2. Fedora is an operating system of Red Hat Linux distribution and applications packages which are available under many types of licenses. It serves as the labs or beta for Red Hat’s main product, Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Fedora was first launched in November 2003 and has a policy of providing updated features, new technologies and technologies only for Fedora in conjunction with upstream or Linux which benefits all Linux flavors.
3. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is an open-source operating system. RHEL has earned its place among the leading big-scale businesses as a modern OS with an emphasis on security. The OS enables the scaling of the digital resources, workloads, technology stack, and dependencies that advanced firms deploy on-premises, in VMs or containers, and in the cloud. Oracle’s OS is certified on several hundred clouds, thousands of hardware and software partners.
Debian versus Ubuntu Which one is better?
Based on the excellent work by Richard S. Matson, a question that most people will ask is which of the two languages is preferable for programming and which is faster.
Considering the programming aspect I consider Debian and Ubuntu to be relevant and great in equal measure. I checked around, and in general the opinion on Quora and Reddit is the same. For instance, one of the users on the Quora platform says that in general-purpose programming, the disparities existing between those operating systems plus Fedora are minimal. A conversation on Reddit about Debian and Ubuntu also doesn’t show that anyone has emerged as the winner in this war.
The question of speed is another matter completely. As a result Debian ‘wins’ that round as it is quicker and in my opinion that is correct. For instance, a user on Reddit pointed out mercilessly that Ubuntu is often more heavy and has more things installed and running in the background as a standard. I can also imagine that snap does not help (snap definitely uses more disk space, I don’t know about loading time and responsiveness.)
Ultimately, I think you can simplify the choice: Do you want an operating system that prioritizes stability over new programs and simplistic interfaces, or are you seeking a user-friendly OS? If you want to have a stable OS to work on, choose Debian. If you want an OS that can detect the hardware and is very easy to use then Ubuntu should be the choice. In any case, both Debian and Ubuntu are wonderful operating systems which may be enjoyable by anybody.