I was experimenting with TAILS. Seems good overall, but somehow I didn’t feel comfortable with using TOR browser only. So I decided to stick with VPN + Mullvad browser.
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This is the exact reason I went to Linux Mint.
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I like Linux Mint a lot. All the driver goodness from Ubuntu AND all the goodness of Ubuntu’s Debian roots. I also like Cinnamon a lot.
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I am in full agrément on this choice.
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I’m (still) a fan of LMDE with Cinnamon because I like Linux Mint and Debian but don’t like Ubuntu. 
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My preference is with you. But any mint version of all else fails. (Mate and xfce as second and third choice(
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I apologize for going off-topic, but I can’t let this go unnoticed.
My friend Howard,
Welcome back to the forum 
Jorge
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back to topic 
I usw Arch (btw 
) because it gives me all I need. All things working like they shloud.
For experiments and testing I use NixOS on an old Notebook
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Yes, keep experiments away from your daily work distro.
A refurbished desktop is a good cheap way to get a place for linux experiments.
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Hi @abu and @callpaul.eu,
I been using LM Cinnamon for a long time and never have tried LMDE. Is using LMDE just a personal preference or is there something I should know about LM besides it being based upon Debian + Ubuntu?
I don’t consider I am using Ubuntu when using Linux Mint. Just like I don’t consider I am using Debian when I am using MX Linux. Just curious.
Take care,
Howard
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Good question. From the end user perspective there is no difference, both use the same cinammon desktop so no change no matter which you select
I am not a fan of ubuntu but that is just personal experiance many years ago before I found mint.
I tend to find when doing installs the lmde has more drivers for different equipment so tends to have less issues, but again I have gone debian for the last 5 years or so, perhaps that image is now incorrect. But I feel I am closer to the original ideas of debian rather than adding bits from ubuntu I may never need
The other part the debian version tends to last longer changed perhaps every 2 years where the ubuntu is yearly. Ok the updates are still needed on perhaps a weekly fix.
Personal choice.
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Hi Howard,
You are (indirectly) using the Ububtu repositary when using Mint, or Debian repo when using MX. I know MX also accesses its own repo, so it is a blend. I suspect Mint does the same.
Regards
Neville
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LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) is a backup project, a plan “B” as I understand.
It is based on Debian stable.
As the title shows, “Its goal is to ensure Linux Mint can continue to deliver the same user experience if Ubuntu was ever to disappear.”
I think disappearing of Ubuntu is less probable in the next couple years, though as I see it may turn into something that’s unusable as a base of such a distro like Linux Mint. In that case LMDE will just become Linux Mint. This is just my speculation though.
On the other hand regular Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, which is based on Debian testing.
What that means: LMDE inherits the stability of Debian, having older software packages of course. Except those which are directly created by the Mint developers, such as Cinnamon binaries: they tend to be newer than those in the Debian repos.
Regular Mint is based on Ubuntu, that means it has somewhat newer packages (as they are indirectly drawn from Debian testing). It also means, the regular Mint is more prone to update hickups, if an Ubuntutu update breaks something in Ubuntu, that malfunction may land in Linux Mint as well.
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LMDE comes with Cinnamon by default, this is understandable, as the “Mints” are the primary developers of Cinnamon.
This does not mean you can’t use other DE’s on LMDE, you need just install them for yourself, and remove the default Cinnamon.
It is somethink like
apt install task-mate-desktop ; apt purge cinnamon* ; apt autoremove --purge; reboot
I did this kind of change some time ago, and can’t remember the exact package names, but it surely was not more complicated than this.
Now I can’t try, but later I may try it on a VM
Maybe replace task-mate-desktop with task-xfce-desktop for XFCE.
The end result will be a LMDE with MATE or XFCE desktop.
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In my experience, it’s easy to install and use another DE, but getting rid of Cinnamon isn’t. Far too many things seem to be “glued” together.
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I always have my concerns when a distribution (Ubuntu) is owned or controlled by a big enterprise (Canonical). Whenever they decide to use snaps as packages, all have to take that. Whenever they decide to pull the plug for some reason, well…
IIRC there was a cause lately when Red Hat pulled the plug at CentOS. I don’t know any further details, but I think some people were rather disappointed then.
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I think I understand what Howard is saying.
I also use LM Cinnamon on my PC and don’t even think of it as “Ubuntu.” I only really remember it when version upgrades come out.
Jorge
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I thought all Linux version had there own separate repository not a shared common one. But had no idea who or how it was maintained and who decided that app was good and up to date. Plus who tests them in each version. Does it need to be different for Ubuntu against lmde or Debian
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Thought the mirror was just for updates to the system rather than apps repository
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