Debian 12

What do you like best about the product?

I love using Debian because of its rock-solid stability, reliability, and trustworthiness. It is perfect for running reliable servers, software development, and everyday desktop work because of the exceptional stability, long-term support, and huge software repositories. Its minimal bloat and strong security practices allow me to customize the system easily. Debian’s flexibility lets me build exactly what I need, and its predictable updates ensure the system stays reliable for years without surprises. The most valuable Debian features for me include APT for reliable package management, stable releases with long-term support, and the vast official repositories. The strong security updates, excellent documentation, and support for multiple architectures give me confidence when running both servers and desktop systems. Debian also integrates smoothly with tools like Docker, Podman, Git, and VS Code, providing a stable and efficient foundation for both development and production environments. I switched to Debian from Ubuntu Server for greater stability, fewer disruptive updates, and longer release lifecycles. Overall, it's a system I can trust to run smoothly for long periods without interruption.

What do you dislike about the product?

Debian can feel slow to adopt the latest software, which can be limiting for users who need cutting-edge features. Hardware support for very new devices sometimes lags. The installer and desktop setup process could be more user-friendly, and documentation, while thorough, can feel fragmented for beginners.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

I use Debian for running reliable servers, software development, and desktop work. It solves instability, frequent updates, and vendor lock-in. Its stability, long-term support, and strong security practices ensure smooth, predictable operations without disruptions.

My main use case is running data analysis scripts, managing databases, scheduling jobs, and supporting analytic pipelines. Debian  provides a clean and stable environment for Python, SQL, and other data tools. I use Debian  to run Python scripts, manage data files, connect to databases, and schedule jobs using Cron. It is also used for hosting analytics tools and internal dashboards.

The deployment was on cloud infrastructure through AWS . I use it on public cloud infrastructure and mainly deployed it on servers in my organization, depending on the use cases. For data analytics workloads, Debian provides a stable and secure environment for running scripts, databases, or scheduling jobs. The deployment is flexible and works well across different environments.

Debian provides many features, with the best being its stability, security, and package management using APT. Once configured, Debian runs smoothly for long periods.

Package management is very easy, as I only need to install packages using sudo apt install or other commands. Debian's package management is one of the greatest features because it uses APT, which makes installing, updating, and managing software very simple and reliable. As a data analyst, I regularly use it to install Python, data libraries, database clients, and system tools.

The overall impact has been very positive because it provides stability, scalability, and all the requirements I need. Debian has improved system stability and reduced maintenance effort, allowing the system to run longer without any issues. Analytics workflows are more predictable and stable. In terms of security and stability, it definitely helps, and it has improved the complexity in my workflow. Overall, it saves my time.

One area where Debian can improve is around newer packages. Sometimes the default repositories have older versions of tools, which can be a limitation for data analytics work. Improving access to newer packages or making backports easier to use would help. A slightly more user-friendly initial setup and better guided onboarding for new users could make Debian more accessible.

I have been using Debian for over a year now as part of my analytics and development environment. It is mainly used on servers and sometimes on a local machine for data processing tasks.

Debian is very stable, which is why I chose it. Compared to other operating systems, Debian is extremely stable in my experience. Once the system is set up, it runs for long periods without crashes or unexpected issues. This is very important for data analytics workloads where scripts, batch jobs, and scheduled processes need to run reliably. The updates are well-tested, so they rarely cause problems, which gives me confidence in using Debian in production. It provides better stability.

Debian is highly scalable in my experience. It works well for small setups and scales smoothly as workloads grow. On AWS , I can easily increase compute or storage resources, and Debian continues to perform reliably with more data, users, and scheduled jobs. This makes it suitable for growing analytics pipelines and production environments. Debian scales very well and handles increasing data volumes and workloads without any performance issues.

I do not need any special customer support for it, as it does not have traditional vendor support since it is open source. However, the community support is very strong, with extensive documentation, forums, and detailed guides available. In my experience, most issues can be resolved quickly using community resources. For organizations that need it, third-party paid support options are also available, but I mostly use the documentation to resolve any issues.

Positive

Before Debian, I used Ubuntu  because I was very familiar with it. I chose Debian over Ubuntu  mainly because of its long-term stability and predictable behavior. For data analytic workloads, especially on servers, stability is more important than having the latest software version. Debian updates are conservative and well-tested, which reduces the risk of breaking analytics pipelines. It also has a smaller footprint.

The initial setup process of Debian does not have a user-friendly experience, and a better guided onboarding for new users could make Debian more accessible.

Debian is open source, so there are no licensing costs. Combined with the reduced downtime, it provides a very good return on investment.

For pricing, I do not have a proper understanding because my seniors handled it. However, Debian is completely free and open source, so there are no licensing or subscription costs. This has been a big advantage for my organization, especially for analytics workloads running on AWS. The costs incurred are for infrastructure, such as AWS, not for Debian itself. Overall, this makes Debian very cost-effective.

My advice would be to choose Debian if stability is a priority. Spend some time on the initial setup and security configuration, as that will pay off later. Make  good use of APT package management, automation, and community documentation. For data analytics workloads, Debian works best when you keep the system lean and well-maintained. I would rate this product nine out of ten.

Public Cloud

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Positive

What do you like best about the product?

The security features are top-notch. Just keep it updated, and it will work smoothly for months—if not years. The stability is unmatched. We can do whatever we need on it, whether that’s coding, browsing, or even VAPT when required.

What do you dislike about the product?

Nothing major—just a bit less polished out of the box.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

It’s great for setting up a server that’s reliable and stable.

What do you like best about the product?

I use Debian mainly for servers and development environments because it’s extremely stable, secure, and reliable. I appreciate its rock-solid stability and reliability, and I find it well suited for hosting web services, running databases, and testing applications where long-term consistency and minimal downtime are important. The strict testing process, long-term support, and strong focus on security make it a dependable choice. I also like how it solves issues around system instability and unexpected updates by offering a stable, predictable environment. For setup, the guided installer made things fairly straightforward, handling disk partitioning, networking, and base package selection smoothly, making it easy to get a stable system up and running with minimal issues.

What do you dislike about the product?

One drawback of Debian is that it often ships with older software versions, which can be limiting if you need the latest features or hardware support. The release cycle is also slower, and some newer devices may require extra configuration or backports to work smoothly.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

I use Debian for servers and development because it's stable, secure, and reliable. It solves system instability issues, reduces maintenance effort, and minimizes downtime with its predictable environment and long-term support.