We wanted to run several websites on a single Virtual Machine. We wanted the OS to be easy to use and economical. Also, it should not use a lot of RAM. It should be mature, stable, and not crash. Most importantly, the OS should be compatible with our applications like WordPress.
Pros
Fast
Uses less RAM
Easy to use
Cons
More documentation
Easier to install
Likelihood to Recommend
When you need almost complete over the OS, Debian fits the bill and it does without extra complications. It is good for running a web server and almost all web applications. It is Linux so you still have to use the Command Line to customize and install applications. It is practically free to use so cost is minimized.
We use Debian OS in our org in two different aspects. One for the servers that powers most of our websites and the next is on the staff laptops. We try to avoid as much as cost on licenses and any unwanted fess so we opted Debian OS. Its very good on our servers and helps us to run all our websites and application using the Apache web server. The staff computers are also using this Linux flavor since its easy to use and manage the machines.
Pros
Security
Easy of use
updates
Application support
Cons
OS support
support to modern applications
Initial kernel loading time
Likelihood to Recommend
Debian OS is well suited for almost all purposed that we have in our org. It can be used as a client OS with all permissions set in place. Also it can be installed on a Server to run various server applications and web apps. So in general for us Debian OS is the best OS that runs on all our needs.
I have used Debian OS since I inherited a personal desktop in 1995. I now run it on multiple computers at home, and my kids are more familiar with XFCE than Windows... I also use it on all of my web servers for my business. There have been a few hiccups over the years, though mostly were due to kernel issues that I would have seen on any distribution.
I used to run the "testing" distribution, but have migrated to the "stable" distribution, not because it is more stable, but I just want to spend less time upgrading.
I highly recommend Debian OS - very little "extra" cruft, and I have made lots of old hardware work that had been rejected by others as "too slow", but just needed a simpler OS on it.
Pros
easy to use
easy to install
open source software
Cons
sometimes I have trouble with drivers; took me a while to figure out that my HDMI TV was overriding my onboard sound card.
Likelihood to Recommend
It is appropriate in all scenarios. Particularly when looking for truly open source/free licenses and you are concerned about distributions that use more closed source/more restrictive licenses.
We have several instances of Debian running in our environment ranging from Debian 9 to Debian 11. It is lightweight and very stable. Because it's so lightweight, we have no troubles running both containers or full VMs for each application we use with it. We use Debian to run media software, security software, network management software, and computer/user support software.
Pros
Lightweight to make hardware resources stretch far
Stable. You basically have to be trying to break it to break it.
Versatile. Because it is so lightweight and stable, many, many pieces of software are built around it.
Cons
At first, learning how to use the command line interface can be difficult. Just takes some time to learn.
Setting up a minimal base Debian install to be an every day use desktop style OS takes time to learn and do effectively.
Likelihood to Recommend
My favorite way to use Debian OS is to run shared, hosted, network applications for easy segmentation of apps so that when doing work on one you don't have to effect or take down others. I would not use it is for a daily use desktop style OS. For that I would stick to Windows, macOS, or a distribution of Linux that is already geared towards a daily use desktop OS.
VU
Verified User
Technician in Information Technology (51-200 employees)
Debian OS is an operating system which is aimed and designed to work in a very smooth and fast way. The developer-friendly feature of Debian OS is particularly useful for companies like us as we developers use various programming languages to develop and support various client applications in our day to day life. We use it across organization for various good reasons.
Pros
Runs smooth and fast.
Supports many tools since it being an OSS.
Has got rich software feature and great backend support.
Cons
Having frequent updated versions to its feature set could have been better.
Great OSS operating system with few glitches in their menus here and there.
Very few times, running multiple Debian OS in a VM environment may overheat and lag.
Likelihood to Recommend
Since Debian OS is an open source software distribution, it is feature rich with good integration of pre-loaded tools with the operating system itself. Many more tools required for later supporting tasks can very well be installed with just few commands. Debian OS has great community help and support both from the existing users and the back end supporting technical teams as well. So you will never be left alone if stuck at some point. I don't see any points which take it back.
VU
Verified User
Consultant in Research & Development (5001-10,000 employees)
We use Linux Debian as the main operating system in the area of development, testing and implementation of systems, as well as in the area of servers and services that we offer to our internal users and some external users. the main obstacle to implementation towards end users is the learning curve and the habit of using traditional opporative systems
Pros
The stability of the operating system is excellent, that is, it manages resources very well
the support from the international community is among the best there can be
The wide catalog of tools, applications, programs with which it has support makes you have confidence that you will always find a solution to your need
The security it offers makes those who try it do not want to leave
Cons
The installation could include suggested partitioning schemes for those beginning users or those who have their first approach with Debian OS
offer encryption of the home partition or the entire hard drive by default
an improved visual package manager and if it could be native it would be very well received
Likelihood to Recommend
Debian OS is very useful as a stable operating system, which provides confidence and security, it is highly recommended for development work environments, computing, as well as in the area of networks and servers due to the many tools and software with which it is highly compatible and efficient.
For end users it would not be recommended unless they have intermediate knowledge that they would be able to use it daily without many complications.
We use Debian for nearly all of our servers, along with various Ubuntu flavors (a derivative of Debian) for some additional servers and all of our Linux workstations. Debian is such a robust, general-purpose, and well-thought-out OS, that we use it as the base for our file servers, web application servers, database servers, hypervisors, and a whole heap of other purposes, both small and large. It never lets us down, and it's very predictable life-cycle makes it incredibly easy to manage within our business, with no nasty surprises.
Pros
The APT package manager is dead simple to use, and the APT repositories contain pretty much every package you can think of. If there's something missing from the standard repositories, there's a good chance a third-party repository can be added to fill the gap.
Debian OS releases are often considered, "boring". But that's a good thing! The Debian developers do not make changes for change's sake and this means new releases are very predictable and intended to cause as little drama as possible.
Debian is such a widely used and popular Linux distribution, that practically all Linux software vendors officially support it.
The Debian community is huge, especially when you consider Ubuntu is derived from it. If you need help with anything, you'll usually find it has been asked before and already has a resolution.
Cons
Official documentation is lacking in certain areas. Whilst the Debian Administrator's Handbook is actually rather good, the official Debian Wiki is rather old and tired, outdated for many topics, and seemingly difficult to contribute to. In contrast to, say, the Arch Wiki, it's a world apart.
Debian's bug and issue tracker is painful to use! It's a very dated system and I'm sure this must discourage a lot of people off from using it properly. I would love to see this moved to something more streamlined, easier to use, and less foreboding.
Likelihood to Recommend
<div>Debian is very well suited for application servers, web servers, file servers, hypervisors (personally, we use Proxmox for some hypervisors and this is based on Debian), and much more. It can run on various CPU architectures and scales well from large to small. We have Debian DNS servers running on Raspberry Pis, and large application and database servers running on powerful Debian installs in our racks.</div><div>
</div><div>If you want an OS that is rock solid, easy to manage, and predictable, Debian might be the OS you're looking for. The official packages are generally far from being bleeding edge versions, but this means that you are using packages that are battle tested and will not break compatibility at any point during its life-cycle. This, to me, is one of Debian's core strengths and a good reason for recommending it to others.</div><div>
</div><div>On the flip-side, the lack of up-to-date versions of various packages may be an annoyance if you actually do need to be using the latest version of such a package. If you need to be using more modern versions, you will need to remedy that yourself or look at an alternative distribution. Ubuntu may be worth a look, in this case, being that it is basically Debian with newer packages and some minor differences here and there.</div><div>
</div><div>Personally, I would not recommend Debian for a graphical desktop OS. You'll nearly always be better off with one of the Ubuntu flavors for a modern desktop with all the bells and whistles you'd expect with a GUI desktop.
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VU
Verified User
Employee in Information Technology (1-10 employees)
