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deepin 20 is one of the most visually polished Debian-based Linux releases of its era, but “prettier than Windows 10 and macOS” is a matter of taste, not a measured fact. Its redesigned Deepin Desktop Environment (DDE), rounded windows, colorful icons, animation and extensive appearance controls make visual design a primary feature. The release also offers dual-kernel installation, manual or automatic partitioning, full-disk encryption and a growing set of integrated desktop tools.

What deepin 20 is based on

deepin 20 (1002) is a 64-bit Linux distribution built on Debian. Its underlying software repository was upgraded to Debian 10.5, and the installer offered a choice between Linux kernel 5.4 LTS and kernel 5.7 Stable. deepin presents itself as a beautiful, easy-to-use, safe and reliable operating system for general users.

Do not treat every “deepin 20” feature as belonging to the first 20.0 release. The later deepin 20.2.1 update moved the base to Debian 10.9, included patches for 54 CVE vulnerabilities, added support adaptations for 11th-generation Intel CPUs and introduced btrfs support in the installer.

Why deepin 20 looks distinctive

A redesigned desktop

The Deepin Desktop Environment received a complete visual refresh. Rounded-corner windows, colorful icons, smooth animation and a dedicated multitask view give it a more curated appearance than the utilitarian layouts common in many Linux distributions.

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The deepin team described the 2020 interface as a “fully refreshed and trendy graphical interface” with “rounded corners,” “natural and smooth animation,” an “exquisite multi-tasking view” and colorful icons. Those are the project’s promotional descriptions, not results from a controlled comparison with Windows or macOS.

Appearance controls

DDE supports both light and dark themes, transparency adjustment, color-temperature settings and power and battery controls. These options let you change the desktop’s tone without replacing the entire desktop environment or assembling separate extensions.

How it compares visually

Visual question deepin 20 Windows 10 macOS
Default visual style Colorful icons, rounded windows, animation and a polished launcher Familiar Windows layout with Start menu and taskbar Apple’s consistent desktop and window-management language
Theme and transparency controls Light/dark themes, transparency and color-temperature controls documented Not established by the cited deepin documentation Not established by the cited deepin documentation
Objective “prettier” winner No controlled test or independent scoring establishes one

Choose deepin if you value visible customization and animation. Users who prefer minimal motion, strict platform consistency or a familiar Windows workflow may prefer another desktop regardless of the screenshots.

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What is included for everyday work

deepin 20 expanded its built-in toolkit instead of leaving common tasks entirely to third-party downloads. The release added or upgraded the launcher, Device Manager, Font Manager, Draw, Log Viewer, Voice Notes, Screen Capture, Cheese/Camera, Document Viewer and Archive Manager, among other utilities.

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Software installation and updates

The App Store added one-click updates and category filtering. That gives new users a graphical route for finding and maintaining applications, while advanced users can continue using Debian-compatible package tools.

Windows application compatibility

Some Wine applications were supported to provide compatibility with selected Windows programs. This is not the same as native Windows software support: compatibility varies by application, version, graphics stack and configuration.

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Installing deepin 20

What you need

  • A 64-bit deepin ISO from the official download channel.
  • A USB flash drive to write and boot the installer. The deepin material cited here does not specify a required capacity, speed or brand.
  • A computer that can boot from USB and has enough unallocated storage for the installation you choose.
  • A backup of important files before changing partitions or installing an operating system.

Installation choices

The installer supports automatic full-disk installation, manual partitioning and full-disk encryption. It also presents the kernel choices available in the release: 5.4 LTS or 5.7 Stable. On supported hardware, it can detect NVIDIA graphics cards and offer the proprietary driver.

  1. Download the 64-bit deepin ISO and follow the current deepin instructions for writing it to a USB flash drive.
  2. Boot the target computer from that USB drive.
  3. Choose the 5.4 LTS or 5.7 Stable kernel option offered by the installer.
  4. Select automatic full-disk installation for a clean replacement, or choose manual partitioning when preserving another operating system.
  5. Enable full-disk encryption if you need protection for data stored on the machine and can safely manage the resulting passphrase.
  6. Review the disk and partition summary carefully, then start the installation.
  7. After the first boot, install available system and application updates before moving your daily work to the new system.

Installing alongside Windows

Yes, deepin can be installed alongside Windows when you use manual partitioning and leave Windows partitions intact. Shrink the Windows volume from Windows first, keep a verified backup, and select only the unallocated space for deepin. The exact boot-menu behavior depends on the computer’s firmware and existing Windows configuration, so record how to restore the original boot entry before changing the disk.

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Automatic full-disk installation is not a dual-boot option: it is intended to use the drive for deepin and can remove existing partitions.

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Hardware and driver considerations

NVIDIA graphics

The installer can detect NVIDIA cards and offer closed-source drivers. That can simplify setup, although the best choice still depends on the specific card and the driver packages available for the installed deepin release.

Fingerprint readers

Where a compatible reader is present, deepin 20 added fingerprint functions for unlocking the session, logging in, identity verification and authorizing root-level permissions. “Supported” is hardware-dependent; the feature is not a guarantee that every USB or laptop reader will work.

Newer processors and filesystems

Support adaptations for 11th-generation CPUs and btrfs installer support arrived with deepin 20.2.1, not the original deepin 20 base. If you have newer hardware, use a maintained 20-series image rather than assuming the first 20.0 installer contains those changes.

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Security and maintenance

Fingerprint authorization can reduce reliance on typing a password for supported actions, but it does not replace a strong account password or good recovery practices. Full-disk encryption protects data when the computer is powered off; it does not protect an already-unlocked session.

The 20-series maintenance record matters when evaluating the release. deepin reported three version upgrades and seven system updates during 2020, along with more than 1,000 fixes and optimizations for that cycle. deepin 20.2.1 included 54 CVE patches by default. These figures describe specific releases and update cycles, not a permanent security guarantee; keep the installed system on its supported update path.

deepin 20 versus Windows 10 and macOS

Decision factor deepin 20 Windows 10 macOS
Visual customization Strong built-in theme, transparency and color controls Familiar, comparatively fixed Microsoft desktop model Highly consistent Apple-controlled design
Installation flexibility USB installer, dual kernels, manual partitioning and encryption Established Windows installer and recovery ecosystem Tied to Apple hardware and its recovery workflow
Hardware coverage Depends on Linux drivers; NVIDIA detection is provided Broad PC vendor support Apple controls the supported hardware set
Bundled desktop tools Launcher, device and font tools, drawing, capture, camera, document and archive utilities Microsoft’s standard Windows applications Apple’s integrated first-party applications
Windows software Some applications through Wine compatibility Native Windows compatibility Depends on native, virtualized or compatibility solutions
Security evidence in this release line Encryption, fingerprint functions and documented CVE fixes in 20.2.1 Not evaluated by the deepin release documentation Not evaluated by the deepin release documentation

The practical choice is therefore broader than appearance. deepin is compelling for users who want a Linux system with a highly designed interface and a graphical app workflow. Windows remains the safer choice for software that requires native Windows support, while macOS is the natural fit for users committed to Apple hardware and its integrated ecosystem.

Should you install it?

  • Try deepin 20 if polished visuals, built-in customization and a guided Linux desktop are your priorities.
  • Use manual partitioning if Windows must remain on the machine; never select full-disk installation in that case.
  • Choose a maintained 20-series image when newer CPU support, btrfs installation or the later security fixes matter.
  • Test hardware from the live or installer environment, especially fingerprint readers, NVIDIA graphics, Wi-Fi and suspend/resume.
  • Keep a backup and recovery plan before modifying partitions or enabling encryption.

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