Ubuntu and Debian#

Concepts#

Debian: The Universal Operating System#

Debian is one of the oldest Linux distributions, first released in 1993. It is entirely community-driven, meaning no single company controls it. The Debian Project is run by volunteers who elect a project leader and make decisions through consensus.

Key characteristics:

• Stability above all. Debian stable releases are thoroughly tested. Packages are often older but extremely reliable. It just works (unless you fuck it up).
• Release cycle. A new stable release comes out roughly every 2 years. Each release has a codename from Toy Story characters. Debian 12 is codenamed “Bookworm” (released June 2023).
• Three branches:
  • Stable: production-ready, frozen packages, security updates only. This is what you install on a server or workstation where reliability matters.
  • Testing: next stable release in development. Packages are newer but may have bugs.
  • Unstable (Sid): rolling release, always receives the newest packages first. Named “Sid” (the kid who breaks toys in Toy Story) because things can and will break.
• Minimal by default. Debian installs only what you ask for. The base system is lean. You are now in charge of the bloating department.
• No proprietary software by default. The official repositories contain only free software. Non-free firmware and drivers are available in separate repositories (non-free and non-free-firmware).

Ubuntu: Linux for Human Beings#

Ubuntu is based on Debian. It was created in 2004 by Canonical Ltd., a company founded by Mark Shuttleworth. Ubuntu takes Debian’s foundations and adds:

• Ease of use. Hardware detection, proprietary driver installation, and a polished desktop experience out of the box.
• Regular releases. A new version every 6 months (April and October), numbered by year and month (e.g., 24.04 means April 2024).
• LTS releases. Every 2 years, an LTS (Long Term Support) release gets 5 years of free security updates (12 years with Ubuntu Pro). Ubuntu 24.04 LTS “Noble Numbat” is the version this course focuses on.
• Commercial backing. Canonical provides paid support, certifications, and enterprise services.
• Proprietary software included. Ubuntu ships proprietary drivers and codecs, and has its own package format (Snap) for sandboxed applications.

How Ubuntu Relates to Debian#

Ubuntu is not a fork of Debian — it is built from Debian. Here is the relationship:

Debian Unstable (Sid)
    │
    ▼
Ubuntu imports packages, patches them, adds its own
    │
    ▼
Ubuntu Release (e.g., 24.04)

Every Ubuntu release starts by importing packages from Debian Unstable, then applies Ubuntu-specific patches and additions. This means:

• Most commands work identically on both.
• .deb packages and apt work the same way.
• System layout and file paths are almost identical.
• The differences are in defaults, configuration tools, and extras.

Key Differences at a Glance#

When to Use Which#

• Debian when you want maximum stability, minimal bloat, and full control. Popular for servers, embedded systems, and experienced users who want to build their system up from a minimal base.
• Ubuntu when you want a polished experience with good hardware support out of the box. Popular for desktops, laptops, development workstations, and cloud servers (AWS, Azure, and GCP all offer Ubuntu images).

For learning, either works. This course covers both. Wherever a command or file path differs between the two, it will be clearly noted.

A Note on Derivatives#

Both Debian and Ubuntu have many derivatives (distros based on them):

• Ubuntu-based: Linux Mint, Pop!_OS, elementary OS, Kubuntu, Xubuntu
• Debian-based (directly): MX Linux, Kali Linux, Raspberry Pi OS

Everything you learn in this course about Ubuntu also applies largely to its derivatives. The same goes for Debian. Derivative distros differ in user experience and some are made for a very specific purpose (e.g Kali Linux is a distro with cybersecurity as its primary focus).

Lab#

Exercise 1: Identify Your System#

If you already have a Linux system running, open a terminal and run these commands:

# Show distribution info
cat /etc/os-release

Example output on Ubuntu 24.04:

PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 24.04 LTS"
NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION_ID="24.04"
VERSION="24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat)"
VERSION_CODENAME=noble
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian

Example output on Debian 12:

PRETTY_NAME="Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)"
NAME="Debian GNU/Linux"
VERSION_ID="12"
VERSION="12 (bookworm)"
VERSION_CODENAME=bookworm
ID=debian

Note the ID_LIKE=debian line in Ubuntu’s output: it tells you Ubuntu identifies as Debian-like.

# Show kernel version
uname -r

# Show architecture
uname -m

Exercise 2: Compare Release Timelines#

Look up the release dates for:

1. Debian 10 (Buster), 11 (Bullseye), 12 (Bookworm)
2. Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, 24.04

Notice the pattern: Debian releases roughly every 2 years, Ubuntu LTS releases exactly every 2 years in April.

Please note that at the time of writing Ubuntu released version 26.04 LTS but I personally recommend using 24.04 or earlier as they are more “battle-tested”

Review#

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