Deepin

Deepin (stylized as deepin; formerly known as Linux Deepin and Hiweed Linux) is an open source operating system for computers. It is a Linux distribution based on Debian's unstable branch. It runs on personal computers and network servers. Deepin runs on x86-64 architectures.

Deepin

File:About logo.png
Developer	Wuhan Deepin Technology Co., Ltd,
OS family	Unix-like
Working state	Current
Source model	Open source
Initial release	28 February 2004 (2004-02-28)
Latest release	deepin 15.6 / 15 June 2018 (2018-06-15)
Marketing target	Personal computing
Available in	Multi-lingual (more than 23)
Update method	Deepin Software Center
Package manager	APT, dpkg
Platforms	amd64
Kernel type	Monolithic (Linux kernel)
Default user interface	Deepin Desktop Environment (Qt-based)
License	Free software licenses (mainly GPL)
Official website	www.deepin.org/en/

Development of Deepin is led by China-based Wuhan Deepin Technology Co., Ltd., that generates revenue through the sale of technical support and other services related to Deepin. As of 2017, Deepin is the most popular Linux distribution originating from China, according to DistroWatch.

Overview

Deepin features its own desktop environment called Deepin Desktop Environment (DDE), which is written in Qt.

Besides Deepin, other Linux distributions such as Arch Linux have started to include it in their package repositories, and Manjaro Linux has a community-supported version that comes with Deepin.

Deepin inherits all packages from its Debian base and provides its own repository with popular software such as Vivaldi.

Deepin is a strategic partner of CodeWeavers. A version of CodeWeavers CrossOver is bundled with Deepin.

History

The distribution was started in 2004 as Hiweed Linux. It was originally a Chinese-based community-driven Linux distribution.

In 2011, Deepin was incorporated as Wuhan Deepin Technology to better support its development. It received investment that same year. Since 2014, a portion of the company's revenue has been derived from software contracts with the Chinese government.

Deepin joined the Linux Foundation in 2015.

Features

Installation

Deepin comes with an easy-to-use installer named “Deepin Installer” that was created by Deepin Technology. The installer has clear instructions, so users new to Linux can also install the OS without any problems. Deepin also comes with a drive partition manager, which allows the user to partition and manage where to install OS.

Pre-installed Applications

Deepin comes pre-installed with many open-source programs. However, Deepin also comes with other proprietary programs like Google Chrome, Spotify, and Steam. And unlike the majority of Linux distros, Deepin does not come with LibreOffice. Instead, it uses the WPS Office suite (which is known for its excellent compatibility with Microsoft Office,) a Chinese alternative.

Deepin also comes with their own, "original applications", like the Deepin Terminal, Deepin Store, Deepin File Manager, Deepin Music, and many more.

Criticisms

Spyware

In April 2018, Deepin 15.5 was criticized for containing spyware by QuidsUp (a British YouTuber who reviews Linux distros, and had also reviewed previous releases of Deepin). QuidsUp claimed that while looking into the operating system for suspicious requests, he noticed that when requests to the Deepin Store were sent, a follow-up request by CNZZ would also show up. When analyzed, these requests from CNZZ seemed to collect the browser agents and a few other information of the user. This caused many of the users, and the Linux community to suspect that Deepin was providing backdoors for the Chinese government. The company has made official statements on the matter, clarifying that it has not collected user private information in the past and will not collect user private information in the future. According to Deepin CNZZ is a website similar to Google Analytics, and collects user anonymous usage information like the screen size, browser and, other "harmless" browser user agents.

On Jul 20 2018, Deepin removed CNZZ statistics in the Deepin App Store with a new update.

Performance

Deepin is known for its exceptionally slow download speeds from the default repositories. Downloading packages from the default Deepin repositories takes significantly longer than of other distros, making the experience very sluggish. Additionally, Deepin's reputation is that it has relatively high CPU and memory demands, even while the system is idle. This stands out starkly because of Linux's legacy of supporting old, less capable hardware to run just as well as other consumer-grade desktop operating systems.

Releases

The release cycle has followed various schedules but currently aims for four releases per year. Releases are delayed if the work of development and testing has not been completed.

Version	Release Date	Desktop Environment	Underlying System
Hiwix 0.1	February 28, 2004	IceWM	Morphix
Hiweed Linux 0.2	March 3, 2004
Hiweed Linux 0.3	July 22, 2004	Xfce	Debian
Hiweed Linux 0.55	September 25, 2004
Hiweed Linux 0.6	February 24, 2005
Hiweed Linux 1.0	September 25, 2006		Ubuntu
Hiweed Linux 2.0	November 17, 2008	LXDE
Linux Deepin 9.12	December 30, 2009	GNOME 2
Linux Deepin 10.06	July 20, 2010
Linux Deepin 10.12	December 31, 2010
Linux Deepin 11.06	July 4, 2011
Linux Deepin 11.12	December 30, 2011	GNOME 3
Linux Deepin 11.12.1	February 29, 2012
Linux Deepin 12.06	July 17, 2012
Linux Deepin 12.12	June 19, 2013	Deepin Desktop Environment 1.0
Linux Deepin 12.12.1	August 7, 2013
Linux Deepin 2013	November 28, 2013
Deepin 2014	July 6, 2014	Deepin Desktop Environment 2.0
Deepin 2014.1	August 28, 2014
Deepin 2014.2	December 31, 2014
deepin 2014.3	April 28, 2015
deepin 15	December 31, 2015	Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0	Debian (unstable)
deepin 15.1	January 29, 2016
deepin 15.1.1	March 9, 2016
deepin 15.2	June 1, 2016
deepin 15.4	July 19, 2017
deepin 15.4.1	July 21, 2017
deepin 15.5	November 30, 2017
deepin 15.6	June 15, 2018