Ubuntu is completely based upon Debian. Going back to Debian ensure familiarity with tools (like apt). Also, the longer release cycle is perfectly adapted for people using only Ubuntu LTS (which, in itself, is quite awkward as Ubuntu was created to allow short release cycle for desktop users).
There’s also multiple companies offering Debian support if needed.
And it can safely be assumed that Debian is probably one of the 10 operating systems with the most probability of still being supported in 20 years.
On the downsides, you may end using some experimental/external repositories to have some bleeding edges applications and those make dist-upgrade often problematic (not that it is better with Ubuntu). You may also lose some automatic configuration at install time. I’ve one laptop which, for example, does not have middle-click working out-of-the box (it is just one apt-get away but you have to know what you want).
So, yeah, Debian should be one of the first to consider.
Honest question: how is Debian's hardware compatibility compared to Ubuntu?
My impression is that Ubuntu had people testing it on modern hardware, either on the Canonical side, or perhaps on the Dell side (even though I don't own any Dell now)
About 10 years ago I installed Debian on a desktop, and I remember having graphics issues that I didn't have with Ubuntu.
I guess I needed the proprietary driver that Ubuntu offered? I don't remember exactly. Probably some nvidia crap
But either way, I just want to buy some hardware and have the graphics and sound work.
Is Ubuntu currently any better than Debian in that regard? Do they have more testing, or are they the same now?
Any solution that work with Ubuntu should theoretically work with Debian. You'll just need to cobble it together more manually, I imagine.
The good news is that Debian is a very popular distro. You'll be able to find copious amount of information online to guide you to relevant hardware support [1].
It's not at all a "it just works" situation. But if you're comfortable with getting your hands a bit dirty, and you're not using any super exotic hardware, it's not at all bad.
deb https://deb.debian.org/debian stable main contrib non-free
The non-free installer is separated from the "official" installer though. There is a general push to "fix" the multiple installer issue, but I think how exactly to fix it is still up in the air. The listed winner in the 2022 vote to "Change <the debian social contract> for non-free firmware in installer, one installer" also notes it needs a 3:1 majority (but I don't know much about the machinations of Debian policy/voting).
Ubuntu is completely based upon Debian. Going back to Debian ensure familiarity with tools (like apt). Also, the longer release cycle is perfectly adapted for people using only Ubuntu LTS (which, in itself, is quite awkward as Ubuntu was created to allow short release cycle for desktop users).
There’s also multiple companies offering Debian support if needed.
And it can safely be assumed that Debian is probably one of the 10 operating systems with the most probability of still being supported in 20 years.
On the downsides, you may end using some experimental/external repositories to have some bleeding edges applications and those make dist-upgrade often problematic (not that it is better with Ubuntu). You may also lose some automatic configuration at install time. I’ve one laptop which, for example, does not have middle-click working out-of-the box (it is just one apt-get away but you have to know what you want).
So, yeah, Debian should be one of the first to consider.