Returning to Debian

I'm a Linux user, everyone and their immediate families all know this by now. So fair warning, technospeak ahead:

A few months ago I stopped using Ubuntu and Ubuntu derivatives based on some things that Canonical had done. The first and the one that honestly made me first look for an alternative was what they had done to Jonathon Riddle. Though I never met the man he and I have had email exchanges and I have a lot of respect for his work in KDE. I may no longer use KDE myself I feel his forced removal from the Kubuntu project was wrong and extremely politically motivated.

The forcing of needing Mir just to run certain applications, like Synaptic Package Manager in root mode, and gedit made me realize that it is most definitely not in my best interest to continue using Ubuntu or any Ubuntu based Distribution if the tools I use, want and really need won't work for me because I use a desktop other than Unity.

Canonical does not seem to have the best interests of the Linux community as a whole in mind and are pushing an agenda more than a product. The main point of Linux and Open Source Software as a whole, is the freedom to make choices.

I went to Fedora and it actually worked great but I quickly realized that the reason I initially started using Ubuntu to begin with was that it had the largest selection of available software in the Open Source Community since it was Debian based and essentially was Debian to begin with only more up to date and less restrictive on non GPL licensed software.

My problem really was going back to using Debian as it was not exactly easy to install, as Debian's installer kept hicupping on the GRUB installation when I used the Live DVD image.

Had to go to the Internet install CD image to get that accomplished, after I installed the driver for my wireless card. The main reason I went with the non-free Live CD installer is the network device drivers on my Lenovo ThinPad were included but it failed to install GRUB and I can't boot my system without it. (GRUB is a boot loader that runs the initial startup for Linux systems.)

Finally I got Debian 8.3, Code Name Jessie, installed. Up and running I began to install the software I needed and updated it where I could. After I finally got the base packages installed I turned on Debian's backports repository and got a whole lot more of it updated, including the kernel.

The biggest issue with Debian is multi-media, as nearly none of the codecs meet with Debian's licensing requirements. Had to add a third party repository to get those, though I am happy to say I can once again watch movies and stream video from sites. That means I can watch all my television shows and DVDs as before. Though getting the system to do it wasn't pretty I did indeed accomplish the task.

I even got Compiz (Linux compositor and effects system) going so I have my virtual desktops available (a.k.a. the infamous desktop cube) as well as the Emerald Windows decorator so I don't have a bland and boring desktop to look at. (My biggest gripe about Windows 8 and 10 is the flat look they use. Absolutely hate it.)

Ah yes it took a whole lot of work and research to get Debian up and running the way I want it to and worth every bit of it. Viva La Linux.