About the relationship between Ubuntu and Debian, to understand!
GRATEFUL: Ubuntu users should be concerned about Debian
Today's most popular desktop Linux Ubuntu non-none other than, it already has a large number of fans, has become one of the mainstream PC user's operating system. Although Ubuntu is still relatively young, but its predecessor, but it is with many years of history and experience of the Debian project, or that it inherits Debian the oldest and most influential Linux distribution advantages. There is a "blood" a close relationship between the two most popular Linux distributions.
Although Debian to Ubuntu's past and future have a significant impact, but the source of many new Ubuntu users know little about Ubuntu but then, naturally did not know the relationship between it and Debian. This article will focus on the importance of Debian to Ubuntu, and Debian important role in the Ubuntu ecosystem plays.
Debian: a strong solid cornerstone
Debian created by Ian Murdock in 1993, compared to its competitors in terms of, Debian has several important advantages. It has an extremely powerful package management system and a wealth of available software. According to recent statistics show that, in its main library, the only stable version of the package to more than 20,000, but the latest unstable development version, there are more than 30,000.
Let Debian distinguish one from another key point other Linux distributions is that it has a perfect community-oriented development model. Debian is a vendor-neutral standard transparent, non-bureaucratic.
Although Debian has a very strong advantage, but it also has serious weaknesses, especially in the desktop systems. Its development cycle is too long, two to three years to release a version every, for users want to experience the latest software, this is undoubtedly a nightmare.
Debian in three forms: stable, beta and unstable version. Stable is widely used on the server, but many users prefer to choose a desktop or unstable Beta version, because you can use the current popular software on both versions. Unfortunately, the two versions can not guarantee full functionality and the user often encounter serious exception error.
The underlying ideology of the Debian project often has hindered its development. The project advocating democracy, but the lack of a strong central leader, which leads to inefficiency of its decision-making process, and the lack of a stable direction. Development work will usually be some non-technical debate specific issues affecting progress.
In the past few years, some differences Debian management model has been greatly reduced its participants, forcing some high-level contributors had to abandon the project. Although other Linux distributions such problems also exist, but Debian community in this issue is particularly prominent.
Ubuntu: make up a great career
Ubuntu Linux as early as 2004 as a branch of Debian appears, its founder is a South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth. Shuttleworth's Ubuntu project by the company Canonical and community volunteer developers developed with the joint efforts aimed at achieving a modern version of the Linux version, so on a desktop system truly competitive, more suited to mainstream non-technical users.
Ubuntu is focused on improving ease of use, and insisted the timing of release of new version, release a new version every six months. This ensures that the user is no longer using outdated software. Its release is planned immediately after the general desktop environment GNOME project, Ubuntu is generally available in the new version of the new version of GNOME month also launched a new version.
Ubuntu is not a one-time branch of Debian. Both Linux versions are still in close contact, a lot of Ubuntu packages still come directly from upstream Debian. In the early stage of development of each Ubuntu release, a new update package from automatically imported directly into Debian unstable version of Ubuntu. After the import is completed, these packages have been adequately tested and refined in Ubuntu, in order to ensure a high degree of reliability and robustness after the launch of the official version.
From the point of view of the relationship with Debian, Ubuntu you can be seen as a series of snapshots of Debian Unstable, but it has already been made perfect, and improved ease of use. Ubuntu developers work done is simplify the software installation process on the basis of Debian, making it easier to be used by a desktop computer.
Ubuntu has a user-friendly Live CD disk, it has a ready-made complete Linux environment, without requiring the user to select individual packages or other options, you can experience the Ubuntu system. Ubuntu also includes some auxiliary tools, so you can easily install and configure proprietary hardware drivers, encoders and other components you need. These tools make Ubuntu just after a little modification or configuration suitable for most environments can become full-featured version of the desktop platforms.
Ubuntu has a significant improvement in many aspects, but Debian also has its own advantages. One disadvantage Ubuntu timed release management strategy is sometimes not contain some useful upgrade package, and Debian Unstable While not provide guarantee stability, but it was rolling update ensures that it always offers the latest packages . Another huge advantage of Debian is that it supports multiple architectures, but the official Ubuntu supports only standard desktop computers and ARM.
Ubuntu and Debian conflict
In many ways, Ubuntu reliance on Debian is still very serious, but the relationship between them was not always so harmonious. Ubuntu's relationship with Debian success it began to get nervous, people accused of Ubuntu is a parasite, not make a return equivalent to Debian. In the past few years, Ubuntu community has taken important steps to ease tensions, resolve conflicts between the two.
Dispute between the two 2005 first time, Debian founder Ian Murdock representation, Debian, and Ubuntu in order to achieve win-win situation, the need to maintain compatibility and interoperability between the two versions of Linux.
He said, "If Ubuntu is a Debian family, its success represents the success of Debian family. However, the premise is a good son Debian or Ubuntu family. My worry is that it becomes self-willed child is showing signs of early success that it becomes arrogant, began to wonder if he still needs its father. If Debian Ubuntu benefit from, the blood between the two will be extended, Ubuntu to be more powerful, rather than simply imitation Debian. "
Shuttleworth agreed with most of the points Murdock, emphasizing collaboration is the only way forward the development of both.
Shuttleworth few years ago said, "I think, no no Debian Ubuntu. So I think Ubuntu is a Debian extension product, Ubuntu has the responsibility and obligation to promote the development of Debian, because Ubuntu's success is due to the great Debian standing shoulder . "
However, they are two divergent views on several key technical issues, for example on the interoperability problem solving both have different points of view. Murdock served in senior positions DCC Alliance, an organization of several Debian-derived Linux and co-founder, aims to create a common core LSB-compliant system for Debian. Murdock hope that this will ensure that all compatible between Debian-based Linux systems, and to prevent what he feared phenomenon of fragmentation. The failure of the Department plans exist at several levels, its technical failures eventually led to its collapse. Shuttleworth had accurately predicted these problems and did not follow the DCC standard.
There have been several events to allow the two communities to increase cooperation, but these activities has not been to achieve greater success. In Debian, the establishment of Utnubu project to help Ubuntu packages added to Debian! In Ubuntu is concerned, we created the Debian Collaboration Team (DCT) to achieve similar goals. Both projects have not made significant progress, but they also show the two sides hope to strengthen the will to cooperate.
Closer ties ties
ultimately improve bilateral relations are cultural shift Ubuntu community. More emphasis is placed on contributing to Debian, Ubuntu team some individuals begin to cooperate with upstream Debian developers on specific projects. Ubuntu developers are encouraged to volunteer to actively submit bug reports to the Debian team, as well as directly involved in Debian development. In certain areas, Python packages such as the two sides is also active collaboration.
Canonical return Debian certain extent eased the tensions between the two sides. Ubuntu Launchpad development platform is widely used, but it's closed source state is a prominent problem. Early last year, this problem is solved, Shuttleworth announced that the entire portfolio will be fully open source Launchpad year.
Despite the differences between Ubuntu and Debian has been greatly reduced, but the relationship between them is still not perfect, to get people to give up Ubuntu harvest is greater than the pay point of view, Ubuntu community and Canonical have a lot of work to be done.
Ubuntu because inherited the powerful features of Debian to be born, and it will continue to rely on the strength of the Debian community to achieve their own improvement. At the same time, Ubuntu is Debian's popularity also increased visibility played a catalytic role,, Ubuntu developers have already begun to contribute to the development of Debian technical work collaborative. Learn Debian and its goals, values and strength, will help clarify Ubuntu past and future.