Ubuntu's multisearch surprise

I think you are paying far too little attention to systems integration. Anyone can package individual packages, but a bunch of independently packaged software does not a good distribution make.

By far the most impressive bit of Debian is the Technical policy manual, and how the packages create a more integrated whole by following the dictum of policy (which, BTW, is not a statid dead set of rules, but a vibrant, breathing, changing document). Very few upstream packaged software pays much attention to it, as can be seen by running lintian -vi on the packages produced.

manoj