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It always feels weird when Linux distro articles brag about new releases that are mostly just updated versions of third-party software. The stuff in the article (GNOME 48, KDE Plasma 6.3, python 3.13, etc.) have cool new features for sure, but it’s not like they were created by Debian.

That’s not a knock on the distro. Debian is great. It’s just a strange state of affairs.

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My understanding of a "distro" is as being a curated collection of components from lots of different sources which have been re-compiled and tested to work together. At its core is always a specific version of Linux and then the userland packages that users may choose to install.

The most fundamental alternative would be to build the core Linux system, e.g. following the Linux from Scratch process and then downloading each application from its repository and compiling, installing and configuring. That too is a valid choice but one that some of us don't care to indulge in.

Arch linux is a good roll-up-your-sleeves alternative to linux from scratch. It is the polar opposite of debian, forcing you to understand and make choices of how your system is set up, and what packages you install.

What is interesting is that after the initial hard install, you just keep on updating incrementally and there is never a "giant upgrade" like debian12 -> debian13

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