Products · Product
Debian
Raised as a usability problem by 207 people on Hacker News over 19 years (2008–2026), in 168 threads.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads this year.
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- 3Couldn't find where to download the ISOUnreviewed
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Every issue, all time, most people first
Packaging docs are scarce, so learning it is hardUnreviewed
20082026- Docs funnel users into complex source packaging tooling, making simple packaging hard to figure out2025-07-19
- Scattered, inconsistent docs and tools with unclear names make packaging hard to learn2025-05-28
- Hard to learn packaging; docs are scarce and poor, unclear how to do things2024-02-03
Packaging needs complex helpers and split config directoriesUnreviewed
20082026- Too many interacting tools with inconsistent documentation make building packages confusing2021-04-18
- Building and contributing packages is painful; file structure and magic variables are confusing and over-complicated2021-01-15
- Too many conflicting guides; can't tell which way to build packages is recommended2017-06-19
Couldn't find where to download the ISOUnreviewed
20082026- Couldn't find where to download the ISO on the site2023-06-12
- Hard to tell the project's state; cannot find where to download the ISO2023-06-12
- Couldn't find a way to download the ISO to try it2023-06-12
Installer lacks wifi drivers, leaving no network mid-installUnreviewed
20082026- Installer lacks wifi drivers, leaving user stuck mid-install without a network connection2021-08-14
- Installer skips WiFi driver, leaving no internet to fetch it, with an unhelpful message2020-11-11
- Install requires a second USB stick with a Broadcom driver, since Wi-Fi is not included2017-01-07
Installer uses cryptic terms users don't understandUnreviewed
20082026- Installer GUI is full of cryptic unfamiliar terms, so installation fails2026-11-02
- Installer gives vague desktop choices that mean nothing to new users2023-05-24
- Installer is unpleasant to run and changes each time it is used2022-04-19
Email-based bug changes take minutes, forcing idle waitingUnreviewed
20082026- Following a bug takes multiple email steps with delays and missing confirmations2025-12-22
- Email-based bug changes take minutes to process, forcing idle waiting2022-07-25
- Takes over 15 minutes to subscribe to a bug, since everything runs through email2020-09-11
Can no longer compare languages after the page redesignUnreviewed
20082026- Can no longer compare languages after the page UI was changed2018-09-18
- Page language changes back on every link click, making correct links hard to keep2017-10-09
- Site switched to a language with no visible way to change it back2011-09-11
pip refuses installs, blocking Python packages on DebianUnreviewed
20082026- Python pip refuses installs on Debian as externally managed, a terrible experience2025-08-10
- Debian packages and pip installs conflict, and the user finds it very confusing to diagnose2021-01-13
- Installing newer Python versions on Debian is nearly impossible without official packages2017-07-12
Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.
The newest 50 complaints
- Making proprietary drivers annoying to install or use, per the commenter2026-11-03
- Installer GUI is full of cryptic unfamiliar terms, so installation fails2026-11-02
- Cookie banner not visible at bottom of screen, can't find accept button2026-07-01
- Screens don't wake properly, and finding fixes across hardware and driver combinations is very hard2026-01-11
- Printers, Bluetooth and sleep needed much more manual configuration than Ubuntu2026-01-02
- Hardware features randomly fail, forcing repeated reconnecting and trial-and-error fixes2026-01-02
- Following a bug takes multiple email steps with delays and missing confirmations2025-12-22
- Email-only commands are hard to memorise, and users can't tell how to close their own bugs2025-12-22
- Window freezes in place when dragged until mouse is released2025-12-03
- Confusing packaging steps, unclear install locations, and unhelpful build logs when uploading to PPA2025-11-02
- Contradictory, confusing docs make it hard to work out how to build a Debian package2025-11-01
- Touchpad settings say 'No touchpad found' and device settings can't be separated2025-08-16
- Packaging leaves a messed-up chroot setup and risks environment leaks2025-08-10
- Python pip refuses installs on Debian as externally managed, a terrible experience2025-08-10
- Overlapping packages need research and testing to find which wins2025-07-24
- Hard to set up for desktop use, things constantly break2025-07-23
- Network interface names change on upgrade, breaking bridge config and networking2025-07-23
- Setting up Debian to match ChromeOS simplicity takes too much time and effort2025-07-21
- Everyday users can't figure out how to install Chrome or get Nvidia drivers working2025-07-21
- Commenter could never find dpkg-deb info in online documentation2025-07-19
- Docs funnel users into complex source packaging tooling, making simple packaging hard to figure out2025-07-19
- Scattered, inconsistent docs and tools with unclear names make packaging hard to learn2025-05-28
- Hard to tell what automatic steps happen; documentation is poor, raising barrier to entry2025-05-27
- Needs a HOWTO to file a bug, and reporter can't find their report afterward2025-03-31
- Creates unbootable GRUB setups and only reveals the failure at the very end2024-12-17
- Users must find how to type non-ASCII letters, or switch keyboard layouts before logging in2024-12-06
- Can't find a way to update unzip when the built-in package manager fails2024-10-18
- Installing NVIDIA drivers needs Secure Boot changes and still can loop back to login2024-10-12
- Debian/rules is messy, apt-get update is slow, dpkg-buildpackage is worse than makepkg2024-09-23
- Forces a change without asking, so users must go digging through defaults afterward2024-06-05
- Apt sometimes picks wrong solution during migrations, requiring user vigilance to avoid breaking the system2024-06-02
- Package sites look different each time, so users can't find issue trackers or mailing lists2024-03-31
- Building deb packages needs many tools, steps and files, and documentation is hard to find2024-02-03
- Hard to debug; hooks that seem right sometimes don't work, inexplicably2024-02-03
- Hard to learn packaging; docs are scarce and poor, unclear how to do things2024-02-03
- Hard to figure out how to build deb packages; relies on magic incantations and asking others2024-02-03
- Sparse documentation and opaque debhelper files make packaging hard to learn2024-02-03
- Searching for debputy returns unhelpful results, unlike debhelper's documentation hits2024-01-29
- Installing packages auto-starts services with wrong defaults before configuration is done2023-12-26
- Issue tracker is archaic and annoying to use when needed2023-12-08
- Hard to get latest compilers and dev tools through apt2023-10-11
- No secure way to install third-party software like Sublime Text or VS Code2023-10-08
- Clunky tools with arbitrary details users must memorize to use correctly2023-10-08
- Text-based installer requires more knowledge and reading to get through2023-08-20
- Enter key advances screen instead of toggling checkboxes, with no hint that spacebar is needed2023-08-20
- Hardware such as volume buttons and Bluetooth needs manual config file hacks and searching2023-08-20
- Couldn't rename a file by clicking it; needed an obscure key combination2023-08-17
- User had to search online to learn how to shut down the computer2023-08-08
- Network configuration and administration were difficult, and many tools didn't fully work2023-07-31
- Packages stop mid-install to ask questions during setup2023-07-11