Netrunner 17.01 vs Maui 2.1

I am currently running Netrunner 14.2. I have used Netrunner since Enigma, and have been more impressed with it than any other distro. I have been using Netrunner in 2 different environments. I use it at work as a workstation that is joined to an active directory windows domain via winbind, and use it to access and work with files etc just as I would a windows machine. I also use it on my personal PCs at home, and have many customers and friends that are home users that I have set up with Netrunner 14.2. I am ready to upgrade my OS on my personal laptop, and on my desktop at work. I am trying to decide whether to install the new Netrunner 17.01, or Maui 2.1. The software and features on both seem to be almost identical. The main difference that I see is that Maui is based on Ubuntu, like previous versions of Netrunner, and Netrunner is now based on Debian. I want to choose the best on for my needs and concerns. So here are some questions that I have.

Knowing that Ubuntu is based on Debian, what was your reasons for basing the new Netrunner on Debian instead of Ubuntu? Were there things that Ubuntu was doing that were problematic, or things that you think could be done better?

Are the length of support on the LTS versions the same on Netrunner and Maui?

Stability is a top concern for me. Which one would be more stable and less likely to get broken by updates that get released, Netrunner, or Maui?

I had read a comment that gave the impression that Netrunner is geared toward more experience users, noting that some of the things that are done for the user, or pre-installed on Maui, are left up to the user to do on Netrunner. I installed Netrunner Core on a machine at work that I am going to use as a server, and one thing that I encountered is that I had to install the 32 bit compatibility packages in order to get TeamViewer to install. Is there anything else major that I might be missing if I chose to install Netrunner instead of Maui? Do both support the same amount of hardware and/or have drivers available for as many devices, etc.

I am assuming that if I chose Maui, that it would be pretty much what I am used to with the versions of Netrunner that I have used. What would I be gaining if I chose Netrunner?

I have just bought a new Samsung solid state 1 TB drive for my laptop and am excited to get it installed, but I have been waiting to decide what new operating system I am going to use, So I would really appreciate any input from you regarding my questions.

Thanking you in advance.

Regards,
Tony

Hi Tony,

  1. Supposedly Licensing

  2. There is no LTS of Netrunner, thats only Maui.
    Netrunner is Debian Testing aka Rolling of all the base, while Maui only rolls via KDE Neon where the base is LTS.

For all other questions since Netrunner is now based on Debian everything general Debian vs. Ubuntu applies to Netrunner vs. Maui.

Since both versions can be frozen, it is hard to tell which one would potentially break more likely over long periods without reinstall.