Debian Linux Review

A Linux Distro Intended for Stability

Perspective

This review is written from the standpoint of being a life-long Windows user. Linux is new to me, and I hope to learn more about it. This is an accounting of my experience using this particular distro.

Discovery

I researched and watched YouTube Videos to determine what distros might be worth exploring. Debian was high on the list based on the recommendations found on multiple websites and on YouTube. Debian is one of the oldest Linux distros with a lot of users. It has become the base of several other distros. It is well known for its stability at the expense of NOT having the latest features. Debian has a desktop version as well as a server version. I picked the desktop version.

Installation

I downloaded the newest ISO file for Debian 12. Then I created a virtual machine with Hyper-V. Debian proceeded to install from the ISO and asked all the standard questions you get with a typical Linux OS.

Hyper-V Settings for Debian

The following assumes you have some experience with Hyper-V. These are the minimal hardware settings that worked for me to create a new virtual machine in my test environment. You will need to specify your paths accordingly. If you are installing this for regular use, you will want to give the VM more memory and disk resources or dedicated hardware.

• Security = Secure Boot Disabled
• Generation = 2
• RAM = 4096 or more, (non-dynamic)
• Virtual Processors = 2 or more
• Virtual Hard-Disk = 100 Gig or more
• Network Adapter = vSwitch
• Integration Services = Check everything
• Checkpoints = disabled
• Page Files = disabled
• Autostart = Nothing
• Automatic Stop = Save

Start the VM, proceed through the setup process, assign your administrator password and your good to go!

Windows Hyper-V Video Settings for Debian Based Distros

I have noticed that using Debian based distros within Hyper-V do not allow a person to change the screen resolution by simply expanding the Window or by changing it within the OS. However it is possible by making a Grub modification to specify screen size. Contact Meyer Computer for these instructions and I can provide them.

Printer Driver

Debian auto detected the Brother Laser AIO printer on the network. No driver install was necessary. Printing simply worked. NOTE: I have NOT attempted to locate software for the scanner or test that function of the device. There may be software from Brother or I may need to locate generic Linux scanner software.

WI-FI

This was not tested as I only installed Debian as a virtual machine. My Internet connection was achieved by using the passthrough ethernet to the host machine.

SMB Support

Samba allows Windows computers to interact with file shares and printers on a non-Windows server, making it a crucial tool for interoperability between different operating systems.

This feature works just as expected without any additional installation or configuration. The first time you connect to a shared network drive, it may take a second or two. I am assuming the system has to search for the shared device and folder the network. Then, you’ll need to enter a password for the network share. Once that’s done, you’re good to go. The connection will stay active until the computer is shut down. You can access the shared folder as much as you want without re-inputting a password. I like to bookmark the location within the file manager/file explorer so I don't need to type the network path. This will save you a little time.

It would be nice to make these connections semi-permanent. I want to be able to set it up and forget it. I want the ability to bypass the password requirement on my home network.

Sudo Issue:

The default installation of Debian doesn't grant SUDO access, preventing installation of ANYTHING. All of my attempts to gain SUDO access failed. As a new user of Linux, I almost gave up, thinking this distro was utterly useless. Web searches were of little help to me as a novice Linux user. I tried again some time later and eventually found a website that explained it well enough in beginner terms that I was able to get past this issue. For this issue alone, I would never recommend Linux to a person just starting out on Linux. This was a real deal killer for me.

Software

Untested. I had previously tested many Linux software packages using Mint. There is no reason for me to believe that they would function any differently with Debian. I may revisit this issue when time allows.

Overall Impression Of Debian v12

Setup was just as fast if not faster than a Windows 10 installation. However, the installation has a few questions that may be intimidating to novice users. I had a difficult time navigating the desktop as the default GNOME style desktop significantly different than Windows. In my opinion, the Debian desktop seems extremely clumsy and things are hard to find. In my opinion, Debian is not a good choice for a novice Linux user like myself.