Re: transition from Ubuntu -> Debian to avoid Unity Desktop?
Mr. Johnson, good morning.
> Anyway, I just learned that in the next Ubuntu, they are adopting the
> "Unity Desktop". I did some checking on that and I totally hate it.
I understand completely. I've had the same reaction to KDE4.
> Can I escape Ubuntu to Debian?
Yes. Although the "default" in Debian is the GNOME desktop, the Debian
developers go to great lengths to make running any desktop environment
or window manger that is packaged for Debian as seamless as possible.
The GDM (and KDM for that matter) login screens have a menu list of
all installed window managers and "desktop environments" from which to
choose. This allows for easy changes of desktop, so you can use which
ever one strikes your fancy, or just leave "last" selected to use the
one you're accustomed to.
Debian install CD#1 comes in three flavors, GNOME (generic), KDE and
XFCE (specified), you would have to be careful to download the
specific one you wanted if you don't want GNOME.
Debian DVD#1, bootable-business-card and net-install disk images have
the option (under "advanced") to install either the full KDE, GNOME or
XFCE package suites right from the start.
http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/squeeze_di_rc1/i386/iso-cd/
Scroll to the bottom of the above directory to see the "other" install
images. This is for Squeeze, the "about to be declared completely
stable".
> 1. Is Debian defaulting to the Unity Desktop too? (please say no)
Even if the Debian Developers were to make such a decision in several
years, the one and only time that would be an issue is if you didn't
know about it and chose the generic CD#1 with which to do an install.
It is a simple matter in aptitude, dselect or whatever your package
manager of choice, to simply install the desktop of your choice, and
choose it when you log in.
> 2. How can I make a transition to Debian from Ubuntu? So I need to
> change my apt repositories and then do what else?
Maybe someone else has answered this question. Not knowing exactly
what the Ubuntu developers do that is different than Debian, I
personally wouldn't risk it without having done a full backup of my
data anyway in case it went bad and a reinstall was called for.
> 3. If I make this change Ubuntu -> Debian, will I end up back in
> "Nvidia Hell" where the OS updates frequently break the
> commercial/proprietary video drivers?
In my personal experience, I have only had that happen once in many
years of using the Nvidia proprietary driver: three days ago. One of
the simlinks was altered. Re-running the Nvidia proprietary installer
solved the problem, with nothing more difficult than stopping X,
running the binary, and logging back in.
HOWEVER, I run Unstable, by choice. Sid breaks all his toys, so I
expect to have problems like this once in a while. I fully expect that
if you chose to run Debian Stable, you wouldn't see that kind of
trouble.
I fully expect you will have no problems running Debian, whatever way
you choose to do so. The benefits of self-organizing anarchy.
Curt-
--
The Magistrate, enrobed in taxes, condemns the thief in stolen rags.
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