Debian, Ubuntu, and multi-media that works and doesn't
I am a big fan of all the Debian based Linux OS. In fact, like many others, I tend to romanticize Debian, as though it is superior to Ubuntu or Mint. However, even though the similarities are greater than the differences between the variations of these OS, I have found that there are important differences between them - especially in the area of usability of multi-media software.
There are a few multi-media software programs that do not seem to work as well in Debian compared to Ubuntu or Mint. The following is a partial list of what I've experienced so far: 1) Tupi ( for 2d animation) works well in Ubuntu LTS, but seems to crash upon opening a new file in Debian. 2) Mixxx (for digital turntable and mixing of recorded and live sound) crashes in Debian, but works well in both Mint and Ubuntu. 3) Synfig Studio (for 2d animation) will not render animated GIF in Debian. I'm sure there are other examples that I have forgotten to list.
In fairness, Ubuntu is, sort of, more commercial for lack of a better term, and likely has more resources to test and fix such things. Mint is mostly based upon the Ubuntu packages. So, I'm completely willing to cut Debian some slack in this realm.
Regarding printer set up, I have found Debian to be way easier to use than Ubuntu or Mint. The printer seemed to just work in Debian. In Ubuntu and Mint, I always have to work much too hard to get the printer to work. Probably, this is because of the type of printer more than anything.
Of the three, Mint is the easiest to set up and use. Both Debian and Ubuntu require extra work to set up, with Debian being the most work. But really, what I am now calling work is actually fun for people like myself. And also, Debian provides more of an opportunity to learn how to set things up the way you may want them.
One problem I've consistently had is upgrading Debian to use different sources, such as testing. Ubuntu seems to upgrade flawlessly through a graphical interface. Debian requires one to manually change the sources list, and sometimes doesn't always upgrade so flawlessly.
Still, I tend to like all three. For new users though, I would recommend Mint.
There are a few multi-media software programs that do not seem to work as well in Debian compared to Ubuntu or Mint. The following is a partial list of what I've experienced so far: 1) Tupi ( for 2d animation) works well in Ubuntu LTS, but seems to crash upon opening a new file in Debian. 2) Mixxx (for digital turntable and mixing of recorded and live sound) crashes in Debian, but works well in both Mint and Ubuntu. 3) Synfig Studio (for 2d animation) will not render animated GIF in Debian. I'm sure there are other examples that I have forgotten to list.
In fairness, Ubuntu is, sort of, more commercial for lack of a better term, and likely has more resources to test and fix such things. Mint is mostly based upon the Ubuntu packages. So, I'm completely willing to cut Debian some slack in this realm.
Regarding printer set up, I have found Debian to be way easier to use than Ubuntu or Mint. The printer seemed to just work in Debian. In Ubuntu and Mint, I always have to work much too hard to get the printer to work. Probably, this is because of the type of printer more than anything.
Of the three, Mint is the easiest to set up and use. Both Debian and Ubuntu require extra work to set up, with Debian being the most work. But really, what I am now calling work is actually fun for people like myself. And also, Debian provides more of an opportunity to learn how to set things up the way you may want them.
One problem I've consistently had is upgrading Debian to use different sources, such as testing. Ubuntu seems to upgrade flawlessly through a graphical interface. Debian requires one to manually change the sources list, and sometimes doesn't always upgrade so flawlessly.
Still, I tend to like all three. For new users though, I would recommend Mint.
