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FAQ

Why Debian?

Here are my requirements for a base OS:

  • can run on bare metal and virtualized
  • can be virtualized via Proxmox, Parallels, and other hypervisors
  • must be supported by Parallels Tools
  • must support x86 and ARM architectures

Debian satisfies these requirements and is well known for stability, simplicity, and versatility.

Why Cinnamon desktop?

Here are my requirements for a desktop environment:

  • must be available on my preferred base OS (Debian)
  • able to support a traditional program menu
  • able to support a traditional taskbar with the ability to re-arrange the order in which running programs are listed
  • support hotkeys
  • stable and reliable
  • relatively light on resources
  • must be responsive and not slow me down

Cinnamon satisfies these requirements and has some nice eye candy!

Why Debian Cinnamon instead of Linux Mint?

Linux Mint is great, but there are a few reasons why the project defaults to vanilla Debian 13 Cinnamon instead:

  • Linux Mint is only available for x86 architecture. If you're on ARM, you need a distro compiled for ARM that can run Cinnamon (like Debian).
  • Raspberry Pi OS is based on Debian 13. You can use this repo to turn it into OhMyDebn!
  • For fun and for science!

This doesn't apply to Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE), though - it's already Debian-based and already ships Cinnamon, so it's just as valid a starting point as vanilla Debian. Our installer supports installing directly onto LMDE 7 if you'd rather start there and keep Mint's extras.

What is the relationship between OhMyDebn and Security Onion?

OhMyDebn is not directly related to the Security Onion project. OhMyDebn is sponsored by Security Onion Solutions (SOS); however, SOS does not provide any technical support for it. OhMyDebn is intended to provide a general purpose desktop environment so, of course, you could use the included Chromium web browser to connect to your Security Onion Console!