Deepin


Deepin is a Linux distribution based on Debian's stable branch. It features DDE, the Deepin Desktop Environment, built on Qt and available for various distributions like Arch Linux, Fedora, Manjaro and Ubuntu. As of version 15.10 it also uses dde-kwin, a set of patches for KDE Plasma's window manager. In 2019, Huawei started to ship Linux laptops pre-installed with deepin.

Overview

Deepin ships a mix of open-source and proprietary programs such as Google Chrome, Spotify and Steam. It also includes a software suite of applications developed by Deepin Technology, as well as WPS Office and CodeWeavers' CrossOver.
The development of Deepin is led by China-based Wuhan Deepin Technology Co., Ltd. The company generates revenue through the sale of technical support and other services related to it.
The distribution is widely praised for its aesthetics in various reviews, while also has been criticized for having used a statistical tracking service in its App Store, which was removed in July 2018.

Deepin Desktop Environment

Deepin features its own desktop environment called Deepin DE or DDE for short. It is written in Qt. The distribution also maintains their own Window Manager dde-kwin. The desktop environment was described as "the single most beautiful desktop on the market" by Jack Wallen writing for TechRepublic.
Other Linux distributions such as Arch Linux have started to include the Deepin Desktop Environment in their package repositories. The DDE is also available in the software repositories of Fedora 30.
UbuntuDDE and Manjaro Deepin are community-supported distributions, that feature the Deepin Desktop Environment and some of the deepin applications.

Deepin applications

Deepin comes with a number of applications built via the DTK, which is based on C++ and Qt. The following is a list of Deepin Applications created by the Deepin development team:
Deepin comes with an installer named “Deepin Installer” that was created by Deepin Technology. The Installer was praised by Swapnil Bhartiya writing for linux.com as having "the simplest installation procedure" that was also "quite pleasant." Writing for Forbes, Jason Evangelho complained about the installer requiring the user to select their location from a world map, though concluded by saying, "Aside from my little time zone selection pet peeve, the installer is beautiful, brisk and very intuitive."

Releases

The release cycle has followed various schedules but currently aims at four releases per year. Releases are delayed if the work of development and testing has not been completed.
VersionRelease dateDesktop environmentUnderlying system
Hiwix 0.1February 28, 2004IceWMMorphix
Hiweed Linux 0.2March 3, 2004IceWMMorphix
Hiweed Linux 0.3July 22, 2004XfceDebian
Hiweed Linux 0.55September 25, 2004XfceDebian
Hiweed Linux 0.6February 24, 2005XfceDebian
Hiweed Linux 1.0September 25, 2006XfceUbuntu
Hiweed Linux 2.0November 17, 2008LXDEUbuntu
Linux Deepin 9.12December 30, 2009GNOME 2Ubuntu
Linux Deepin 10.06July 20, 2010GNOME 2Ubuntu
Linux Deepin 10.12December 31, 2010GNOME 2Ubuntu
Linux Deepin 11.06July 4, 2011GNOME 2Ubuntu
Linux Deepin 11.12December 30, 2011GNOME 3Ubuntu
Linux Deepin 11.12.1February 29, 2012GNOME 3Ubuntu
Linux Deepin 12.06July 17, 2012GNOME 3Ubuntu
Linux Deepin 12.12June 19, 2013Deepin Desktop Environment 1.0Ubuntu
Linux Deepin 12.12.1August 7, 2013Deepin Desktop Environment 1.0Ubuntu
Linux Deepin 2013November 28, 2013Deepin Desktop Environment 1.0Ubuntu
Deepin 2014July 6, 2014Deepin Desktop Environment 2.0Ubuntu
Deepin 2014.1August 28, 2014Deepin Desktop Environment 2.0Ubuntu
Deepin 2014.2December 31, 2014Deepin Desktop Environment 2.0Ubuntu
Deepin 2014.3April 28, 2015Deepin Desktop Environment 2.0Ubuntu
Deepin 15December 31, 2015Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian
Deepin 15.1January 29, 2016Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian
Deepin 15.1.1March 9, 2016Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian
Deepin 15.2June 1, 2016Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian
Deepin 15.4July 19, 2017Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian
Deepin 15.4.1July 21, 2017Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian
Deepin 15.5November 30, 2017Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian
Deepin 15.6June 15, 2018Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian
Deepin 15.7August 20, 2018Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian
Deepin 15.8November 20, 2018Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian
Deepin 15.9January 16, 2019Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian
Deepin 15.10April 28, 2019Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian 9
Deepin 15.10.1May 17, 2019Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian 9
Deepin 15.10.2July 1, 2019Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian 9
Deepin 15.11July 19, 2019Deepin Desktop Environment 3.0
Debian 9
Deepin 20 April 15, 2020Deepin Desktop Environment 4.0
Debian 10

History

The distribution began in 2004 as Hiweed Linux.
In 2011, the development team behind Deepin established a company named Wuhan Deepin Technology to support commercial development of the operating system. The company received business investments the same year it was founded.
Wuhan Deepin Technology joined the Linux Foundation in 2015.

Reception

General Reception
The distribution is generally praised for its aesthetics by users and reviewers alike, such as linux.com, Fossbytes and Techrepublic.
Deepin Store gathered statistics in the past
When Deepin was accused in 2018 of containing spyware through the use of statistics software within their App Store, the company made an official statement clarifying that it did not and would not collect private user information. According to Deepin, CNZZ is a website similar to Google Analytics that collects anonymous usage information such as the screen size, browser and other user agent information to "analyze how the Deepin store was being used, in order to improve it."
On July 20 2018, Deepin removed CNZZ statistics as part from the Deepin App Store website due to the backlash.
Performance
Deepin's reputation was that it had relatively high CPU and memory demands while being based on GTK and HTML technologies, even when the system was idle. After switching to the Qt-based DE performance has improved, as Linux.com noted in its review of Deepin 15.7.