Debian is a hugely popular operating system for users who value 100% open-source software and want maximum control over their setup. On DistroWatch, Debian consistently ranks among the most popular Linux distributions worldwide. Debian is fully developed and supported by a large community of volunteers, with a new stable release roughly every two years. The current stable release is Debian 13 “Trixie”, which ships with Linux kernel 6.12 — a long-term support (LTS) kernel that brings improved hardware compatibility and modern performance optimisations. Debian 13 is supported for five years in total: three years of full support until August 2028, followed by two years of Long Term Support until June 2030.
Debian is well known for its conservative approach to kernel updates. Once a stable release ships, the kernel version is not replaced during the lifecycle — only critical security patches and bug fixes are applied. This deliberate restraint is exactly why Debian has earned its reputation for rock-solid stability: once your Debian laptop is up and running, it simply keeps running, year after year.
Debian 13 ships with GNOME as the default desktop environment, but is also available with KDE Plasma, LXDE, LXQt, MATE, Xfce and Cinnamon — so you can configure your Debian laptop exactly to your liking. It’s an excellent distribution for experienced Linux users who want maximum control, the highest level of transparency and a truly dependable foundation for both desktop and server use.