Why Debian Matters More Than Ever 345
Julie188 writes "If you look at the feature list for Debian 6, released on February 6, it's easy to be underwhelmed. This is especially true when measuring Debian against its offspring, like Ubuntu. Debian doesn't get much credit, and its become trendy for industry pundits to claim it's become irrelevant. But it's more relevant than ever. If you're using Ubuntu (or Linux Mint, or Mepis...), you're really using Debian with some enhancements. According to a presentation given recently by Debian Project Leader (DPL) Stefano Zacchiroli, only 7% of Ubuntu is directly derived from upstream projects, Canonical's projects, or other non-Debian sources. Of the rest, 74% of Ubuntu is rebuilt Debian packages, and 18% are patched and rebuilt Debian packages."
You can't just count packages and draw conclusions (Score:5, Insightful)
You can't just count packages and draw conclusions from counts. Some of the packages haven't been updated in years. Some are only used by like five users on the planet. Some are so buggy they won't even run.
Weigh them by how many people install and use them, and you've got something to talk about, though.
Re:Since when? (Score:5, Insightful)
If anything it makes me question 'industry pundits' who fail to recognize the layered way that open source projects are able to build on each other.
Like saying a plant is irrelevant to the flowers that grow on it
Re:Since when? (Score:4, Insightful)
Somebody named Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols [zdnet.com] the third. Should be working at the DMV
Re:Since when? (Score:5, Insightful)
Say who? If you're going to call others irrelevant, shouldn't you first have some modicum of relevancy yourself?
debian is better for n00bs (Score:5, Insightful)
This is how I see it. (Score:5, Insightful)
If Debian disappeared tomorrow would the Ubuntu team notice?
Now ask yourself. Who exactly isn't relevant?
Re:Since when? (Score:5, Insightful)
Steven Vaughan-Nichols is calling it "no longer as important as it once was"
He should know. He's on ZDnet.
I should know, I'm commenting on Slashdot.
Re:Since when? (Score:4, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)