I recently switched from Ubuntu to Debian, because I had heard that Debian is better on privacy issues. In relative terms, Debian kind of seems like a huge headache in terms of support and package availability, though.
Question: How bad is Ubuntu, really?
(boosts welcome)
@dynamic Debian is much more FOSS focused than Ubuntu. I switched from Ubuntu to Debian, because Ubuntu really didn't seem too concerned with FOSS.
I run Debian testing on my laptop and Debian stable on my server. I haven't had many issues with upgrading to new releases. I just follow the Debian guidelines as another reply mentioned. The biggest issue in the past was with the Nvidia display driver. You also need to keep needed nonfree firmware on USB for install (again documented).
@dynamic I'm a firm believer in usability, but I also know that FOSS is always going to suffer in that regard against corporations in our #capitalist system. I'll sacrifice a little install time in favor of freedom. Debian has been slowly improving in this regard.
Just my perspective. YMMV
@lwriemen
I realize this is a contentious position to take, but I don't think I should have to consult documentation for upgrades at all.
Most of the software I use is open source, and I feel pretty good about that, but I care more about functionality and not needing to think about tasks that can be easily handled for me than about making sure I never touch closed-source software.
*However* I'm open to persuasion where there are legitimate privacy issues.