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Version numbers can also tell you the date of the release.

Debian is definitely not alphabetical

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian_version_history

Just checked. Android and Ubuntu, yes. TIL. Debian I don't think so though? It goes Jessie(8), Stretch(9), Buster(10), Bullseye(11). Many other examples of non-alphabetical products exist.

Regardless, numbers are easier to work with, easier to remember, and it's immediately apparent what's going on with them. "debootstrap focal target" is more difficult to remember than a hypothetical "debootstrap ubuntu 20.04 target" would be. In practice I have to consult a chart almost every time.

So, Impish Indri vs. Intrepid Ibex - which one is newer? ;)