What is Peppermint based on?

[kendall]

Peppermint is a derivative of Ubuntu, specifically the *.04 versions which release every April. Peppermint is not, nor has ever been based on Linux Mint, though it does make use of some of Linux Mint's open source tools. Originally, The Peppermint ISO files typically use Lubuntu ISO files as a starting point as they share the highest number of packages of any official Ubuntu release. Peppermint is not affiliated with Ubuntu, Lubuntu, Canonical, or Linux Mint in any capacity, but does make use of the Ubuntu official package repositories. Peppermint also houses its own repositories on Canonical's development service called Launchpad.

[Admiral_Smith]

It is based from Debian.

[VinDSL]

(grabs a bag of popcorn) 

[scifidude79]

This is a thread created to answer a question, not ask one.  Kendall was the lead programmer, pretty much the guy who created the distribution, for several years, so everything is in that first post.  It's based on Ubuntu, not Debian.  Ubuntu itself is realistically only partly Debian based, as it's developed independently and at a much quicker pace than Debian.

Now, I'll step aside and let our current commander in chief, PCNetSpec, take it from here.

[PCNetSpec]

Not much to add to what scifidude said .. Peppermint is based on Ubuntu (or more accurately the LXDE spin Lubuntu) not Debian.
(no part of Peppermint is sourced directly from Debian, conversely nearly all of it is sourced directly from the Ubuntu repos)

Sure you could attempt to suggest Ubuntu is based on Debian (so Peppermint by extrapolation), but besides using Debian package management Ubuntu host all their own packages very few of which are 1:1 copies of Debian packages.

Remember, nearly all the code Debian host is not written by them, just packaged by them .. in the same way Ubuntu package/patch/repackage then host it.

Ubuntu also track their own packages for bugs, and release their own security patches independently of Debian.

It'd be hard to define a distro as "based on" another just because it uses the same package management system don't you think ?

The whole "Ubuntu is based on Debian" argument may have once held some water but I'm not sure it still does, as nearly all the packages have diverged.
(including the core package management packages such as dpkg)

But at the end of the day it doesn't matter what anyone's stance on the "is Ubuntu Debian based" question, Peppermint is built from Lubuntu (sourcing Ubuntu packages) so is Ubuntu based.


If you see any statement  on this forum by Kendall .. you should probably presume it to be true and well considered, he is after all not new at this

(grabs a bag of popcorn) 

Thanks for that, gave me a chuckle

[fak77a]

It's based on Lubuntu - So many times has been linked to Linux mint but it only takes a few apps from them and the concept (mint app centre,.. )

[OliverM]

Peppermint OS is a Linux OS based on Lubuntu, a derivative of the Ubuntu Linux operating system that uses the LXDE desktop environment.[4] It aims to provide a familiar environment for newcomers to Linux, which requires relatively low hardware resources to run

[Slim.Fatz]

The previous post is somewhat misleading. You will not find the LXDE desktop environment in the current PeppermintOS releases. To check this, open the synaptic package manager and search for the following packages:  lxde  (the metapackage for LXDE), lxde-common, lxde-core, lxdm and various other LXDE-related desktop environment components. None of these are installed!

What is present from LXDE are only several LXDE-related items: lxappearance, lxpolkit, and lxsession being the most relevant. While the initial starting point in the development of PeppermintOS has traditionally been Lubuntu, most of the LXDE desktop environment components have been stripped out of it and replaced by components that our developers consider more in line with the overall Peppermint philosophy. For example: the file manager nemo, the terminal program sakura, the text editor xed, the xfce4 whisker menu, the xfce4 panel, and many more are used in place of LXDE desktop environment components.


So while Lubuntu-based is not wrong, it simply represents the convenient starting point for us to develop our hybrid linux distro that is PeppermintOS.

So, fak77a is more on target here. 

Regards,

-- Slim

[Johan]

LXDE is going away this year and Mark didn't like LXQt, so it will likely be XFCE coming releases 

[peppycrab]

What (if you know) did Mark dislike about LXQT?

[spence]

What (if you know) did Mark dislike about LXQT?

Wasn't really about not liking lxqt, but not particularly caring for the direction they were heading @peppycrab... I'll hafta dig a bit... 

 

[spence]

What (if you know) did Mark dislike about LXQT?

Reviewing a few background threads... incompatibility with his "pick & choose" vision for always carrying forward his curation of "best of linux packages" ethos was the real deal. Applying PeppermintOS preferred theming became too much work.

Then there was lubuntu's shelving of LXDE, PeppermintOS is increasingly one of very few distros still using LXDE components. He'd slowly been replacing the few remaining ones as his time allowed. His last interview says as much.

http://www.linuxandubuntu.com/home/an-interview-with-peppermint-ceo-mark-greaves

 

[mirsonni]

Thanx for sharing the interview spence.

Although I have been regularly visiting linuxandubuntu site, somehow I overlooked the interview, which I find now  pleasure to read.

We, the users, hope the voyage will continue.

m

What (if you know) did Mark dislike about LXQT?

Reviewing a few background threads... incompatibility with his "pick & choose" vision for always carrying forward his curation of "best of linux packages" ethos was the real deal. Applying PeppermintOS preferred theming became too much work.

Then there was lubuntu's shelving of LXDE, PeppermintOS is increasingly one of very few distros still using LXDE components. He'd slowly been replacing the few remaining ones as his time allowed. His last interview says as much.

http://www.linuxandubuntu.com/home/an-interview-with-peppermint-ceo-mark-greaves

 

[peppycrab]

I (among many, I guess) found Peppermint in search of a linux version of Chrome OS.
 While in that search, I tried out several "lightweight" distros to install  on older computers that couldn't handle Windows 10. After trying out at least a half a dozen,  I returned to Peppermint. I am no longer looking for a Chrome OS alternative, (although I still use ICE occasionally), but P mint is my favorite among light distros.
I use Win 10 on most of my computers, but if were to need to use Linux full-time, I know of no "full-weight" distros that I would prefer over P mint.
I look forward to a bright future for Peppermint!

[perknh]

I (among many, I guess) found Peppermint in search of a linux version of Chrome OS.
 While in that search, I tried out several "lightweight" distros to install  on older computers that couldn't handle Windows 10. After trying out at least a half a dozen,  I returned to Peppermint. I am no longer looking for a Chrome OS alternative, (although I still use ICE occasionally), but P mint is my favorite among light distros.

Every now and then I play around with  Neverware's, CloudReady, but honestly, in my opinion, it doesn't hold a candle to Peppermint for lightweight, everyday, computing.  Neverware's CloudReady is based off of Chromium OS, and the version of Neverware's Chromium OS is always a couple of versions behind Chrome.  Also, you've got a better chance of having an old printer working with Peppermint than working with CloudReady.  It's really a hit of miss affair with CloudReady.  Don't get me wrong, CloudReady is not bad for what it can do when it can do it, but, from what I've seen, CloudReady is either hit or miss on older hardware.  From what I've seen over the years, Peppermint works well 99.9% of the time, and if Peppermint, and in the relatively rare moments Peppermint does screw up, the support team here gets around to fixing the problem as soon as possible.