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The way the repository list is set up, all the packages that you find listed in the Synaptic Package Manager have been tested to work with Debian Gnu/Linux. If you go outside of the PM, Then the best is to find a .deb package which can be installed using dpkg. Example dpkg -i package.deb You can install packages other than .deb from sourse or from a .tar but you can run into dependency problems. So if you want a system to remain stable staying with the Package manager and use stable repo list. If on the other hand your not to concerned about your system getting borked up every now and then, you can install from the testing repo list. I my self stay with stable. I have one system a pIII dual cpu runing Debian Sarge, I have not had the need to upgrade it to Etch. I am running Etch on three of my other systems thou, and on one server.
Stable (Etch) is the sure way to maintain full functions for everything included since it is well tested. It's certainly the choice for production and heavily networked business machines and for the home desktop user who is not interested in the latest toys. There's plenty of toys in Etch. Over 18,000 packages worth!
Testing (Lenny) is pretty much recommended for the majority of home desktop users. The software is only allowed in after being tested not to break things in the testing distribution and no new bugs, and very limited bugs exist in the software itself. This ensures a testing distribution that is pretty much a release candidate ready at all times. It is only when all available Debian software is installable into testing on all supported Debian architectures that it freezes and is finished up to replace Stable as the next Debian official release.
Some folks love Unstable (Sid) but they live on the cutting edge as this is where software freshly released from the software makers initially gets put into Debian. Mostly, it's okay since the software was deemed release ready by the software makers. However it has not yet been tested on the vast selection of different computer configurations or on how it gets along with other software in Debian. Quite often breakage occurs, whether the program itself, some other software it effects, or even the system as a whole.
There are those who use apt-pinning with an /etc/apt/preferences file in order to install certain wanted software from unstable onto their testing machines. Most often this is okay, as long as they research what they want from unstable and see that it does not require wholesale changes to testing in order for it to be installable and usable.
Testing keeps the home user up to date with the latest innovations in software for Linux, while ensuring that said software had undergone a period of initial testing in unstable and so isn't thrust upon a user to make he or she a bug tester for experiments. That's a problem with many popular Linux distributions such as Fedora and Ubuntu.
With Debian, running testing, you get continuous tested innovations when they are ready to be used. It is similar in that way to OpenSUSE and its Build Service. OpenSUSE oss and non-oss get security and critical bug fixes, but a user is welcome to the latest new software versions using the Build Service. YaST will use its dependency checking and resolver and the user can see for him or herself whether a package is installable or not. If not, they can hold off on that Sid-like set of packages until they are installable. If it's a whole set like in GNOME:/STABLE, they can temporarily disable that repo so the rest can be easily updated. In this fashion, they maintain a system similar to Lenny, but a bit newer as OpenSUSE serves less architectures and does not hold off packages in an unstable repository. It's up to the user to determine how to proceed at his or her own risk, but if YaST determines it's installable the packages are usually okay to install and in fact likely fix things over the older version.
So, if one likes nearly complete stability and isn't all that interested in checking out the latest and greatest, Stable is fine. Most likely desire more current software than is in Debian Stable though. For example, the Compiz Fusion CCSM manager is uninstallable in Debian Etch. So a user will only have the trial and error method of using the gconf editor to control all the plugins. Newer Nvidia and ATI drivers have problems being used in Etch, and that will get worse in the near future. Many other examples exist, but I for one would not be happy using Etch full time on my home desktop. In a business yes, since 3D gaming and fancy effects are not a priority or even an interest for an office.
It's just nice there are so many choices. That's what freedom is all about.
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