I have been a Debian fan for about three decades now. Needless to say I really enjoy using Debian. Debian has a problem though. Debian is a great source but a poor Distribution. Debian distribution is sparsely populated and every time I wanted to do something more, I had to install, tinker and tweak. You do not get spoiled using straight Debian.
Debian Linux does produce some awesome children. MX Linux and Linux Mint Debian Edition are two of the finest. Both distributions are similar with a few minor differences.
Linux Mint Debian Edition does an excellent job at being a Debian version of the original Linux Mint. Everything you find in Linux Mint, you find in LMDE. MX Linux on the other hand is built for users with user input on where the distribution goes and how it gets there.
I have used both until recently when my eight year old desktop decided it was not going to work any more. My new computer is about as new gets and some Linux Distributions do not work well with new computers. Others do not suit my preferences. LMDE and MX Linux however do both.
I first installed LMDE 5 and was happy except for the fact it is a back-up of sorts to Linux Mint. I installed MX Linux a month later and have also been very happy with it, with a few exceptions.
My issues with MX Linux are probably due to my hardware being so new. In the past, when I purchased a new computer, I was limited to the one distribution it would happily run for the near future. Being a Debian fan, this time I have at least these two distributions to use.
LMDE performs flawlessly, while MX Linux suffers from maintaining a few of my important configuration settings. Generally this would not be an issue, except it is for my online meetings. Printing is not so pressing.
My camera is not found when plugged into the USB Port. Neither is my USB microphone. Google Chrome - Meet - finds and turns on my webcam, but sound is not found. I also experience an after upgrade issue of no network printer. Not sure why this is either.
After a system upgrade I have to go into the Audio Mixer and reset my settings. Not sure why this is happening, and it probably will not happen six months from now. Other than these issues, I prefer MX Linux.
Both distributions have most of the software an everyday user will want. MX Linux feels like it offers more tweaks and setting adjustments, but without counting out settings and adjustments on each distro, that is a perspective matter. Kudos to MX Linux for the tool assortment contained in MX Tools.
I use a mix of software, including some KDE software and never had an issue with either distribution. I install applications not in the software store and they work as advertised, never skipping a beat.
MX Linux and Linux Mint Debian Edition are built from Debian which means they are rock solid and tested ad nauseam. Between them they differ on what type of packages used in their respective distribution.
I recommend taking either or both for a test drive on a USB stick. They are both not resource hogs and are quite fast. You will not be disappointed, and you may be pleasantly surprised.
As for me, I am using a modified Xubuntu in the moment. Xubuntu seems to work well for me when I have a new computer. More to follow in another post on Xubuntu.
