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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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Does anyone know why SteamOS is based on arch rather than Debian? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 2 years ago by LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/linux@lemmy.ml

119 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Just got a steam deck and immediately checked out the desktop mode, and I was somewhat surprised to see KDE and pacman as opposed to GNOME and apt, I have nothing against the former though a strong preference for the latter, anyone know why Volvo went in this direction?

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[–] TunaCowboy@lemmy.world 16 points 2 years ago (2 children)

It's pretty common to use debian unstable as a base. stable is not the only release that debian offers, and despite their names they tend to be more dependable than other distros idea of stable.

$ awk -v k=$(uname -r) '/^NAME=/{gsub(/^NAME=|"/, "", $0);print $0,k}' /etc/os-release
Debian GNU/Linux 6.7.12-amd64

[–] dsemy@lemm.ee 21 points 2 years ago

In my experience, Debian unstable has been less stable than "pure" rolling release distributions. Basing on unstable also means you have to put up with or work around Debian's freeze periods.

[–] lemmyvore@feddit.nl 0 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

stable is not the only release that debian offers,

Did you mean to say "branch" rather than "release"? Debian only releases stable. Everything else is part of the process of preparing and supporting stable.

Testing branch may work well or it may not. Its goal is to refine packages for the next stable release so it has an inherent strive towards quality, but it doesn't have a commitment to "quality now" like stable does, just to "quality eventually".

Testing's quality is highest towards the start of each release cycle when it picks up from the previous stable release and towards the end when it's getting ready to become the next stable. But the cycle is 2 years long.

[–] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 5 points 2 years ago

Puts on reading glasses back in my day, we had a saying: “there’s nothing more stable than Debian unstable.”

[–] TunaCowboy@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

No, I meant release: https://www.debian.org/releases/

Debian always has at least three releases in active maintenance: stable, testing and unstable.

[–] lemmyvore@feddit.nl 4 points 2 years ago

Interesting, I didn't know they consider testing and unstable to be releases too.