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decuser

Member

Registered: 2026-04-22

Posts: 3  

Recent install

Hi,

I just installed Devuan on my t430. Used the desktop iso and it was pretty reminiscent of a pure Debian install. I chose Cinnamon cuz I’m normally on Mint. I also tried the xfce install, and that worked fine. Cinnamon looked better.

What I’m wondering is, is this just Debian with Systemd removed? Meaning, are the package sets pretty much the same or are there lots of missing stuff? The systemd trick is my primary motivation- I detest bleeding concerns and systemd bleeds everywhere. Are there issues I’m likely to run into as a pure Debian user migrating over? I expect the Ubuntu dependencies of Mint to bite, but figure the Debian bits to just work?

golinux

Administrator

Registered: 2016-11-25

Posts: 3,693  

Re: Recent install

Welcome to devuan, decuser!

A text and graphical answer to your question:
https://pkgmaster.devuan.org/bannedpackages.txt
https://pkgmaster.devuan.org/log/unstable-banned.svg

Also how the magic works:
https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?id=3192

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fsmithred

Administrator

Registered: 2016-11-25

Posts: 2,887  

Re: Recent install

Most of the packages in devuan come directly from debian. We only fork about 100 packages, and the rest get pulled from debian servers and run through something like a filter to remove packages that require systemd. Here's the list of banned packages: https://pkgmaster.devuan.org/bannedpackages.txt

If you're an old debian user, you'll probably feel like you finally came home after 10 years of being lost.

decuser

Member

Registered: 2026-04-22

Posts: 3  

Re: Recent install

Nice, thx @golinux, @fsmithred. This is helpful. I particularly like the return to old debian. Yes, when devuan forked, I was ambivalent. I wasn't that concerned, did systemd break things, not for a user who was only getting used to linux as daily driver, after all this time though, systemd's gone nuts, init just isn't that hard, which I guess they agreed with, cuz then they started getting their fingers into everything. The most recent ones that I noticed were logging (really?) and now birthdays? wow, talk about mixing concerns. Anyhow, I appreciate the banned packages list. Nothing concerning there. I'll be trying my new environment out with an eye toward a stronger move if it works out.