I wanted to ask if Mint 18 is compatible with Ubuntu and Debian for software and how to install Debian software in Mint?

And why is there a separate 2 Mint Debian?

Can you be specific which software you are talking about?

Generally speaking you would install applications in Mint by going to the Mint Software Manager. This allows you to easily install software that is 100% tested and guaranteed to work with your Mint 18 install.

More info in the "Software Management" chapter of the fine documentation: https://www.linuxmint.com/documentation.php

If there is some specific application that you can't find in the Software Manager, please ask, we are happy to help.

Well snowpine, in Mint I have found two software options. But I have only ever successfully used one. The Mint software center. In the list of icons there is also a package manager.

But what I am asking is, does Mint run any of Debian's 50,000 packages or only Ubuntu's?

Linux Mint 18 gets most of its software from the Ubuntu 16.04 "Xenial Xerus" repositories. Generally speaking, software that is tested to run well in Ubuntu 16.04 will probably also run well in Linux Mint 18. If on the other hand, the software is NOT tested and packaged for Mint 18 or Ubuntu 16.04, install it at your own risk.

Do you have a question about one of the 50,000 packages specifically? What are you trying to install?

i think mint is more or less fully compatible with ubuntu.
but not debian.
but only mint web pages, forums and wikis can give a qualified answer.

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Broadly speaking if it's in Debian then it's in Ubuntu and if it's in Ubuntu it's in Mint*. There may be packages they miss out but, as above, unless you're specifically looking for one and it's not there then don't worry about it. Also, if the package were missing, then asking how to install it here would likely lead to somebody pointing to the most relevant version to install.
The Debian-based Mint is more about what's not in there than what is and is there to remove any dependencies on Ubuntu packages in case people do not want that.


*I am simplifying but that's the best way to think about it.
Also this is not true the other way around -- there will be packages in Mint not in Ubuntu (or Debian) and packages in Ubuntu not in Debian.

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oops, i forgot about that.
my previous post was about the ubuntu-based mint variations.

If I'm interpreting this question correctly, Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu which is in turn based on Debian. However LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) is based directly on Debian. More here: https://linuxmint.com/download_lmde.php