this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2026
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Debian is generalist, with it's strongest strength being it's stability. That said, I'm not sure who I would recommend it to. Zorin or Mint would be better for new linux users, and Debian's slower updates mean it will fall behind other distros for anyone wanting games. Also the rise of immutable distros means that it's stability isn't as much of a selling point as it used to be, if I'm worried about a kid messing up the install an immutable distro would be better than Debian probably.
I have a lot of respect for Debian, but the main people I hear using it these days are more experienced linux users who want to settle down (done distro hopping) and just have a reliable computer for non-gaming stuff.
Mostly, this makes sense to me - but at the end you stated that people who want to settle down and have a reliable computer for non gaming stuff - and I would think that this would be a parallel userbase for non gamers coming from windows. Granted you did say "experienced" Linux users, but I honestly find Debian to be extremely noob friendly after the initial Linux familiarization of how installing apps and such works. And with LLMs these days, troubleshooting any issues is pretty easy, especially on .deb . Idk, maybe I've just become a fanboy or something, but I just feel that the distro gets overlooked as an overly stable/outdated option for servers when I've had an absolute great experience so far as a daily driver (of course, not playing games)
in my experience, most distros have become more stable over the years, closing the gap with debian
for example, i've only borked my arch install to the point i had to mess with it for 20 mins before i could get it to boot again once in the ~5 years i've used it as my daily and i'm not exactly careful with it