Zimbra Ubuntu Vs. Debian
Choice is a good thing when it comes to your tie or shoe collection, but having to choose from the hundreds of Linux operating system distributions can be confusing and frustrating. The design choices that distribution developers make can have serious implications for end users. Applications that work fine on one Linux distribution often don't install or run on other distributions. Debian and Ubuntu are operating systems that are related digitally like parent and child, yet the differences between make them seem like feuding cousins two or three times removed.
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Zimbra Overview
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Zimbra is a suite of applications that provide email, calendar and collaboration services. Zimbra's products provide many of the same features found in Microsoft Exchange server and the Outlook email client. Zimbra runs on Linux, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows operating systems. Currently versions of Zimbra support Ubuntu, Fedora, SUSE and Debian 5.0 "Lenny." Zimbra versions 7.0 and 7.1 and 7.12 don't support stable Debian 6 "Squeeze."
Debian Linux
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Debian is an operating system built around the Linux kernel, the Gnu utility ecosystem and free, open-source software developed by volunteers worldwide. Debian calls itself the Universal Operating System. Complete versions of Debian run on Alpha, ARM, m68k, MIPS, Powerpc, s390 and SPARC microprocessors. There are even versions of Debian built around non-Linux kernels like BSD Unix. Debian releases a stable operating system about every two years. In addition, there are experimental, unstable and testing versions that serve as testing grounds for the upcoming stable release. The current version of Debian stable is Debian 6.0, or Squeeze, as of 2011.
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Debian Ubuntu Relationship
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Every six months, a new version of Ubuntu is created using the source code of the current unstable version of Debian as its foundation. Unstable Debian has more current versions of applications, utilities and the Linux kernel. Canonical -- the corporation behind Ubuntu -- transforms unstable Debian into a usable operating system and adds its own installers, branding, bug fixes, desktop modifications and a mix of free and closed-source libraries and applications. Canonical's goal is to make Ubuntu an up-to-date, visually appealing operating system that's easy to install, use and maintain for x86 and ARM microprocessors.
Zimbra on Ubuntu and Debian
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Canonical's goal is to increase Ubuntu's adoption by businesses and individuals. Canonical may decide to include a specific version of a library or utility necessary to support the kind of applications it believes its customers will demand. For instance, Ubuntu includes by default all the utilities and libraries required to install the latest version of Zimbra. By default, Debian Squeeze installation lacks "sudo" for authorization, a specific version of the "dpkg" installer and the libraries "libidn" and "gmp" that Zimbra needs to run. Fortunately, the website Linode Library and Zimbra's own forums provide ways to work around the Debian's deficiencies so that you can set up and enjoy the latest version of Zimbra.
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