Hello. I am going to try Debian for the first time, although I have been a Linux user for years. For a user with experience in Linux and for non-technical use of the system, is it more advisable to use Debian stable or testing? Thanks
I would go stable. I see testing branches for when you want to test your applications or workflows before the update is live.
Stable
Stable. If you really want to use bleeding edge, I would use sid over testing. It breaks marginally more often, but gets fixed quicker.
Testing really is for testing. If you like to tinker and don’t mind the occasional breakage, testing can be great to help the project by trying out newer software and reporting bugs. Otherwise, stable with backports and/or flatpaks if you need newer packages will be a lot more relaxing.
Start with stable. You can migrate a stable installation to testing later if you’re so inclined.
Just go unstable (sid). Do not let the name scare you, been running it for decades. Debian unstable is a lot more stable than other distros main line.
Every now and then a package might be broken, usually due to missing dependencies. But it is fixed within hours usually.
