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It wasn't "just" that. Debian seems to want to be configured out-of-the-box as a secure server, and expects the user to turn it into a usable desktop, which is impossible for novice users and can be time-consuming even for power users. Ubuntu has much more sensible defaults, especially for a novice user. IIRC: 1. Debian's installer is vague about how to install a working system. You have to pick between Gnome, KDE, XFCE, and more, which don't mean anything to a new user. By contrast, Ubuntu's installer contains a single desktop environment, and to use alternative DEs you download a different ISO like Kubuntu or Xubuntu. 2. If you insert a DVD in a Debian PC, by default it's mounted as noexec, preventing you from running any installer on it. Not only that, but when you try to open autorun.sh by double-clicking it in the file manager, it opens in LibreOffice Writer!!! At no point does Debian even try to give a hint to the user what they need to do (not that a novice should be unmounting/remounting). In Ubuntu, you get shown a warning and are asked if you would like to execute the script if you trust it. 3. /bin and /sbin are not in users' PATH, so commands like "reboot" and "shutdown" don't autocomplete unless you edit the environment variables. OK, the terminal isn't for novices, but it's the sort of thing that makes no sense to me. I didn't spend long using Debian as a desktop but these are the things I remember seeing. I do use it as my server of choice, however. |