| Published: | Nov 23, 2003 | |||
| Published by: | www.debian.org | |||
| License | GPL $0.00 to purchase |
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| Trial Period: | ||||
| OS: | Console | |||
| Cow Rating: |  |
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| Popularity: | 8% | |||
| User Rating: | 
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On the other hand, new users might not fully appreciate Debian, because it isn't terribly new user-friendly.
Linux isn't Red Hat, and this distribution proves it.
Debian's installation process is completely text-based and not terribly intuitive, but it is very flexible, and more experienced users will appreciate options you wouldn't normally see, such as "installation over PPP." This installation process is unique, and I must admit that it felt like I was answering a lot of questions when I installed it, but they were all relevant. I was asked several questions regarding security, which made me feel a little better. At least they warn you about possible security problems during the install, instead of hoping that you will notice and fix them yourself.
You can also find regular security alerts on www.debian.org.
Undoubtedly, the very best part of a Debian system is the "apt" tool. Assuming you've got the "/etc/apt/sources.list" file properly configured, you can update your system with the "apt-get" command.
This is a truly powerful tool, and it can even be used for updating Helix GNOME from Helix Code.
Debian also offers support by way of Mailing lists, Consultants and even IRC -- pretty good for a free distribution. You can find basic installation instructions for your specific hardware on the Debian site as well.
Also worth noting here is the fact that Debian supports x86 Intel machines, as well as Alpha, ARM, Motorola 68K, PowerPC and SPARC systems. Overall, this is a very complete system, but it's probably not a good starting point for your average Windows user.
