Deepin OS represents a significant evolution in Linux distributions. Let me clarify—I might have exaggerated slightly with "revolutionary," but honestly, it's been a while since I've encountered a Linux distro that truly impressed me.

Specifically, Deepin 20 is outstanding. Its installation process is so intuitive that even someone with no technical background, like my grandmother, could handle it.

This is the third Linux distro I’ve reviewed recently, and by far the smoothest to set up and use right from the start. You can check out my previous reviews here:

• Linux Mint 20.1 Installation, Review, and Customization
• ReactOS as a Windows Alternative – Review and Installation

I first tried Deepin OS about two years ago, but back then I ran into installation hiccups and performance instability. Perhaps that was due to the fact that it had just transitioned to a relatively new Ubuntu base at the time? Although the version I used was labeled as stable, it wasn't a great experience.

Over its 17-year history, Deepin has changed its name and underlying system multiple times. It started in February 2004 as Hiwix 0.1, based on Morphix with the IceWM window manager. Then it became Hiweed Linux, switching to the Xfce desktop and a Debian foundation.

By version 2.0, Hiweed Linux had adopted the LXDE desktop environment and an Ubuntu core in 2008. They continued using Ubuntu until Deepin 2014.3, experimenting with different desktop environments along the way.

In 2013, Deepin introduced its own desktop environment—DDE, or Deepin Desktop Environment—which debuted in version 4.0. That was also the year I first tried Linux, though I wasn’t fully convinced at the time.

The strengths of Deepin lie in its rich set of features centered around DDE. The highlight of Deepin 20 is definitely the refined DDE, paired with its switch from Ubuntu to a Debian Buster base. The distro also now supports over 30 languages during installation, making it more globally accessible.

Deepin tailors the desktop experience based on your system specs. Additional sound and animation effects enhance the user experience. Deepin also partnered with Intel to integrate the Crosswalk Project, allowing web apps to run natively. Other enhancements include the Linux 5.11 kernel, migration from HTML5/WebKit to Qt, and the adoption of dde-kwin as the new window manager.

System changes include Bash replacing Zsh as the default shell, Systemd taking over from Upstart (similar to Ubuntu 20.04), and GCC 8.3.0 as the default compiler.

Key features of the Deepin Desktop Environment include a customizable panel with two modes—Efficient and Normal—a centralized Control Center, and a suite of native applications such as Deepin Music Player.

Also included are Deepin Media Player, a modern Deepin Software Center, Deepin Terminal, Deepin Screenshot, Deepin Cloud for printing, and a new Deepin User app for submitting bug reports or feature requests.

Additional features of Deepin 20/DDE include pre-configured hot corners, a redesigned multitasking view, a dynamic app menu (sorted by category, install date, or usage frequency), WPS Office, Gdebi Package Installer, beautiful wallpapers, Steam, Crossover (for Win32 apps), and Chrome as the default browser.

The screenshots speak for themselves—installation is so straightforward that no step-by-step guide is necessary. Still, after downloading the Deepin ISO, you’ll need a tool to write it to a USB drive. Options include Unetbootin or the built-in Deepin Boot tool (found inside the ISO). You can extract it using WinRAR, 7-Zip, or Gzip on Linux.

For dual-boot setups, create a dedicated partition for Deepin before starting the installation.

Installing Deepin Linux

Assuming your installation went smoothly, you should be all set. But if you ran into any issues during or after installation, feel free to leave a comment below, and I’ll be happy to assist.

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