When comparing Devuan GNU+Linux vs RebornOS, the Slant community recommends Devuan GNU+Linux for most people. In the question“What are the best Linux distributions for desktops?” Devuan GNU+Linux is ranked 9th while RebornOS is ranked 40th. The most important reason people chose Devuan GNU+Linux is:
Devuan is Debian just without systemd, it just mirrors the the Debian archive and repacks packages that have hard dependencies on systemd.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro It's Debian
Devuan is Debian just without systemd, it just mirrors the the Debian archive and repacks packages that have hard dependencies on systemd.
Pro Stability
It is stable like Debian.
Pro Excellent for normal people
It is easy to use and is a good choice for beginners.
Pro No Systemd
Pro Most decent look amongst other XFCE distros
Default XFCE theme is unique of all the XFCE distos including MXLinux, Xubuntu etc.
Pro Arch Customization without the hassle
You can choose from 15 different desktop environments. Choose from a list of software to install that lets you pick web browsers, Spotify, what kind of office suite, etc. Not as robust in terms of choosing what you install compared to Arch, but more than enough for newcomers and those just looking to get things done. Nice midweight OS.
Pro AUR enabled by default
The Arch Users Repository is already enabled. Really helps with finding some proprietary software.
Pro Very stable
Pro Great community!
Pro Runs Android apps
Reborn OS has a program that allows you to install and run Android apps on your desktop. Great for app developers or those who might be addicted to a certain app.
Pro Flatpak support
Having Flatpak support adds a nice graphical app store to the OS. You can find most software you might need in there.
Cons
Con Difficult to install on non-free hardware
Unlike Debian, Devuan offers no unfree netinstall media, so if your system needs unfree drivers (e.g a laptop or a tablet), you'll have to download the Debian firmware on a separate USB.
Con No systemd
Con Fragmentation
Forked distributions like Devuan and Artix fragment the Linux community and hurt the original project. Debian users who do not want systemd should use Slackware or BSD instead.
Con AUR enabled by default
this is a security risk since AUR packages are maintained by users rather than a single company and anyone can insert malicious code into the AUR packages
Con Redundant
it is just Arch Linux with an easier installer and doesn't provide any functionality that neither Manjaro nor Arch doesn't already have.
Con Uses systemd
Con Can be a little buggy sometimes
Although not outright system crashes or freezes, but programs not working correctly after an update is quite common. Some desktop environments can be temperamental. Examples: running Deepin DE at first and the zoom for the display is 150%. You can fix this by going to settings and setting the desktop to 100%, but then something else might happen, e.g. you lose icons on the dock. Minor headaches and some are easily fixable. Certainly not a deal breaker.
