Linux distributions like Debian fulfill an important function in the FOSS ecosystem – they are system integrators that take existing free and open source software projects and adapt them where necessary to work well together. They also make it possible for users to install more software in an easy and consistent way and with some degree of quality control and review.
One of the consequences of this model is that the distribution package often lags behind upstream releases. This is especially true for distributions that have tighter integration and standardization (such as Debian), and often new upstream code is only imported irregularly because it is a manual process – both updating the package, but also making sure that it still works together well with the rest of the system.
[…]However, there have been developments over the last decade that make it easier to import new upstream releases into Debian packages.
An interesting look at what the Debian project is doing to make it easier for upstream code to be packaged as proper .deb packages.
This is great news. One of the things that drove me to use Arch was the simplicity of writing PKGBUILD files for non-packaged software. While I’m still happy with Arch for many reasons, I used Debian for years to great satisfaction. Arch isn’t great for everything, nor is Debian. Both are good.