Deepin 23 brings AI to the Linux desktop – and it’s complicated

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Deepin 23 is now available to download and install for free.
• It’s beautiful, easy to use, and offers extra features not found in many Linux distributions.
• Getting AI to work can be problematic in Deepin Linux.

Before I dive into this latest release from Deepin, I’ll want to say two things. 

First, AI has its place. For me, however, AI will never be used for writing or anything creative. I do (on occasion) use AI for research but that’s it. When I do use AI, I always go for Opera’s Aria because my OpenAI account has failed to function for the past few months. The second is that covering Deepin Linux is rather tricky, because of the security and privacy issues surrounding the distribution. Because of that second issue, I always treat Deepin reviews carefully.

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Deepin Linux is almost always associated with user-friendliness. Since its inception, it’s been a Linux distribution that caters to those who are new to Linux and those who want a beautiful desktop. Now, it’s aiming at another market… those who use AI. 

Because of Deepin’s history of being so user-friendly, you’d think working with AI on this latest release would be as simple as using the rest of the desktop. Unfortunately, that’s not quite the case. Why? It all boils down to your OpenAI account (if you have one). If you’re not tech-savvy, the AI component of Deepin might be a bit too frustrating to use. 

Is Deepin spyware?

I’ll explain that in a bit, but first let’s talk about the desktop itself, starting with the elephant in the room: the issue of privacy. Deepin Linux is developed in China and there was a reasonable fear at one point that the entire distribution was spyware. FOSSLinux has a good explainer for this issue which I recommend you check out for a deep dive on the subject.

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You can also read Deepin’s official statement in response, which denies that it’s spyware. 

How Deepin does AI 

Okay, back to Deepin 23. Back in February, I wrote about the Deepin 23 preview, where I mentioned the new Linlong package format, atomic updates, and other new features. What wasn’t present in that piece was any mention of AI. Well, the official release is here and there’s plenty of AI to be had…along with a very beautiful desktop that is, as expected, quite user-friendly. In fact, I would say this version of Deepin could be used by anyone, regardless of skill level. It’s not until you get knee-deep into the AI aspect that Deepin drifts slightly away from user-friendliness. 

How is that? Isn’t AI supposed to be simple to use by nature?

The first hurdle you’ll run into is that, in order to use AI in Deepin, you must first set up AI in Deepin. The next issue is the ol’ OpenAI account. Does your account still work? Are you willing to pay for an OpenAI account? If not, you can always select the Deepin System Assistant or the Personal Knowledge Assistant from the Assistant List.

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But wait, even selecting those options requires you to add an AI model, of which there are 7 options:

• CPT 3.5
• GPT4
• Three Chinese models
• ChatGLM-turbo
• Custom

Because my OpenAI account seems to be non-functional at the moment, I opted to go with Custom, which is where things get a bit tricky. To solve this issue, I installed Ollama, an AI model that runs locally. 

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Here’s how you can do that.

1. Open a terminal window and issue the command curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
2. After the installation completes, run the model with the command ollama run qwen2:7b (you can select from different models on https://ollama/com/library).
3. Open the UOSAI pop-up from the system tray and click the account drop-down.
4. Agree to the EULA.
5. In the resulting window, name the model, select Custom from the LLM drop-down, type the name of the model you’re using in the Model Name field, and add the following to the Domain field: http://127.0.0.1:11434/v1.

At this point, you should have a functioning AI in Deepin which runs locally. One thing to keep in mind is that local AI runs considerably slower than using a cloud-based option. But for those who really enjoy their privacy, the local model is a great option.

Beyond AI

Outside of AI, what is Deepin 23 like? It’s actually very nice. You get a great balance between performance, usability, and aesthetics. The desktop also ships with LibreOffice, Deepin Browser, Deepin Mail, and a handful of other applications. 

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Of course, you can also install other applications from the app store or the command line, and even though Deepin does lean into the new Lingong package format, you can still use apt as your package manager of choice. If necessary, you can also install Snap or Flatpack for universal packaging.

Who is Deepin best suited for?

This is a tough question because of the privacy issues. 

Setting that aside, Deepin is a great option for anyone looking for a Linux distribution with built-in AI (who doesn’t mind a bit of extra work). And that is an important point. Users shouldn’t have to take extra steps just to get AI to work on a desktop. The developers need to revisit how the UOSAI is enabled out of the box. 

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The feature should automatically be configured to function with either the Deepin System Assistant or the Personal Knowledge Assistant without any work on the user’s end. If the user wants to switch to a cloud-based or local LLM for AI, then configuration could be necessary. Unfortunately, the out-of-the-box experience isn’t quite that effortless.

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If you’re just looking for a beautiful desktop Linux distribution, Deepin could be it. If you’re looking to really integrate AI into your workflow and you have a functioning OpenAI account (or don’t mind taking the extra steps to install Ollama), this is a fine option.

If, however, you don’t need AI on your desktop or have serious concerns about privacy, this Linux distribution is not for you.

Because I have decades of experience with Linux, I didn’t mind setting up Ollama and using local AI on Deepin Desktop. And although you can install Ollama on just about any Linux distribution, other distributions don’t give you such seamless access to it, as Deepin does.

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Deepin is a distribution that is perfectly suited for users of all types. If you’re brand new to Linux, ignore the AI aspect until you develop a bit more skill. If you’re a skilled Linux user, install Ollama and see how a local LLM can work with a beautiful desktop interface.