[PLUG] ubuntu or debian

[Ben Koenig]

------- Original Message -------
On Thursday, November 17th, 2022 at 8:54 PM, Keith Lofstrom <keithl at kl-ic.com> wrote:


> On Thu, Nov 17, 2022 at 06:34:42PM -0800, Randy Bush wrote:
> 
> > ubuntu has drivers for almost all kinky hardware
> > debian does not, but may move that way
> > ubuntu for laptops, debian for servers, is my use pattern
> 
> 
> There are some places in the world, with specialized
> jobs and tools, where a properly equipped person can
> honestly say "YOU CAN'T HAVE TOO MANY DOGSLEDS!"
> 
> For my office, and my job, I can (and DO) have too many
> operating systems.
> 
> My goal is to have fewer machines using one operating system,
> and focus my time and attention on writing, math, science,
> engineering, invention, and learning.
> 
> I want to pay as much attention to operating systems as I
> do to my gutters ... which we finish replacing tomorrow,
> using materials that will outlast me, and perhaps my wife.
> 
> Like the rainwater in my gutters, I want my data to flow
> without turbulence or leaks. I don't want two kinds of
> gutters, or operating systems.
> 
> Indeed, debian is suboptimal for my laptops, and ubuntu
> is suboptimal for my servers, but two distros are
> suboptimal for the limited mind-space I can devote to
> them. Which distro is least-suboptimal for both jobs?
> Which distro will be least-suboptimal in ten years?
> 
> Note that I cannot afford to hire a sysadmin - and I've
> tried to do so with what little I can afford.
> 
> Keith
> 
> --
> Keith Lofstrom keithl at keithl.com

You said you have old Thinkpad T60 laptops. 
https://wiki.debian.org/InstallingDebianOn/Thinkpad/T60/lenny

I doubt debian will be anything other than out-of-the-box on your Thinkpads. And even IF (that's a really big if) debian is a PITA to run on your laptops, it will always be the same PITA. On Debian - Any hoops you jump through now will be the same hoops people jumped through 10 years ago. The same cannot be said for Ubuntu. 

The Ubuntu I used in 2010 is dead. It's gone and it never came back no matter how many people complained. In 2032 the Ubuntu everyone is using today will be gone.