In a surprise move, Vanilla OS Drops Ubuntu, Adopts Debian Sid (UPDATED)
The Vanilla OS team today announced that the next release of Vanilla OS would not be based on Ubuntu anymore. It will be based on Debian sid, the "rolling" release or unstable version of Debian Linux.
Here are all the updates.
UPDATE
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Vanilla OS Ditches Ubuntu for Debian
Well, there are a few reasons.
Firstly, there’s clue in the distro’s name: vanilla. It wants to ship a desktop as close to source as possible, in this instance GNOME. Ubuntu makes a number of modifications to GNOME and unpicking those changes is, frankly too much darn effort, all considered.
Secondly, Snaps. Vanilla OS devs aren’t that enamoured by them as they continue to have performance and integration quirks. Plus, some of Ubuntu’s deb-to-snap transitional packages (like Mozilla Firefox) get tangled up inside of their APX package manager.
Thirdly, Vanilla OS wants to be in charge of its own release cadence, rather than kowtow to Ubuntu’s six-monthly drops. Switching over to Debian Sid gives it more control in this area.
MUO:
Neowin:
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Vanilla OS 2.0 will move to Debian base from Ubuntu
The relatively new Vanilla OS will be based on Debian Sid in the next version, the project’s developers have announced. Currently, the Linux distribution is based on Ubuntu but Vanilla OS’s developers have decided to make the switch as they have identified several good reasons to use Debian over Ubuntu, such as greater flexibility.
The first reason outlined was that Debian uses a less modified GNOME Shell and the Vanilla OS team wants their distribution to use a vanilla version of GNOME. By switching to Debian, the Vanilla OS developers will not have to undo the changes Canonical has made which they describe as “time-consuming”.
Now in It's FOSS:
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Vanilla OS 2.0 Embraces Debian Sid, Moving Away from Ubuntu
Vanilla OS is a relatively new distro released around New Year's Eve that aims to provide a stock GNOME experience with a few unique features.
It had been using Ubuntu as a base since the beginning, when we first took a look at it during its early development stages.
But now.
That is all set to change with a move to Debian Sid for its upcoming Vanilla OS 2.0 Orchid release.
Very late coverage (end of April):
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Vanilla OS shifting from Ubuntu to Debian
Vanilla OS, a lightweight, immutable operating system designed for developers and advanced users, has been using Ubuntu as its base. However, a recent announcement has revealed that in the upcoming Vanilla OS 2.0 Orchid release the project will be shifting to Debian unstable (Sid) as its new base operating system. Vanilla OS is making the switch due to Ubuntu's changes to its version of the GNOME desktop environment along with the distribution's reliance on the Snap packaging format. The decision has generated a fair amount of interest and discussion within the open-source community.
Other distributions have explored making a similar switch; for example, Linux Mint, as Hacker News user "pyrophane" pointed out in a comment on the Vanilla OS announcement. The Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) was created ""to ensure Linux Mint can continue to deliver the same user experience if Ubuntu was ever to disappear"".