PDA

View Full Version : Looking to experiment with a new distro


aheckler
October 8th, 2009, 01:44 AM
I'm looking to experiment with a new distro and I need some input as to which one(s) to try.

I've tried Arch and I like its middle of the road approach: you learn a ton just by installing it, but at the same time your not compiling everything from source. However, I don't like Arch's bleeding edge-ness, where I have to run pacman -Syu with my fingers crossed.

I like Ubuntu a lot, and I'll probably continue using it as my primary OS, but sometimes it feels bloaty and slow, so maybe there's something midway between Arch and Ubuntu that will satisfy me?

Thanks in advance!
wojox
October 8th, 2009, 01:48 AM
Do the mini.iso. It's what I run and it rocks:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/MinimalCD

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1155961&highlight=minimal+gnome
CJ Master
October 8th, 2009, 01:49 AM
I'm looking to experiment with a new distro and I need some input as to which one(s) to try.

I've tried Arch and I like its middle of the road approach: you learn a ton just by installing it, but at the same time your not compiling everything from source. However, I don't like Arch's bleeding edge-ness, where I have to run pacman -Syu with my fingers crossed.

I like Ubuntu a lot, and I'll probably continue using it as my primary OS, but sometimes it feels bloaty and slow, so maybe there's something midway between Arch and Ubuntu that will satisfy me?

Thanks in advance!

If you don't use testing repo and blacklist updating Xorg you should be rather safe.
lukeiamyourfather
October 8th, 2009, 01:51 AM
You'd probably like Ubuntu's mother ship, Debian GNU/Linux. I recently installed Lenny on my primary machine and have been very impressed with the polish and logic. Some of the packages are a little old but it hasn't been an issue for me yet. Cheers!
CJ Master
October 8th, 2009, 01:52 AM
You'd probably like Ubuntu's mother ship, Debian GNU/Linux. I recently installed Lenny on my primary machine and have been very impressed with the polish and logic. Some of the packages are a little old but it hasn't been an issue for me yet. Cheers!

He's looking for something not bloated and slow. ;)
aheckler
October 8th, 2009, 01:54 AM
Wait, I thought the minimal CD installer was just a tinier installer and didn't actually change what was installed? Am I wrong?
RichardLinx
October 8th, 2009, 01:56 AM
He's looking for something not bloated and slow. ;)

Which makes CrunchBang Linux the ideal option.
http://crunchbanglinux.org/
You could also give Slackware a try, just make sure you have documentation at hand.
kk0sse54
October 8th, 2009, 01:56 AM
He's looking for something not bloated and slow. ;)

Since when is Debian bloated and slow?

@OP if you want something source based go with Gentoo. Rolling Release with much better stability than Arch
RichardLinx
October 8th, 2009, 01:57 AM
Since when is Debian bloated and slow?

Since the day the developers chose GNOME as it's default DE.
CJ Master
October 8th, 2009, 01:58 AM
Since when is Debian bloated and slow?

Since I last tried it.


Wait, I thought the minimal CD installer was just a tinier installer and didn't actually change what was installed? Am I wrong?

Do a command line install and install it from there.
aheckler
October 8th, 2009, 02:00 AM
My system is pretty decent, so DE's don't matter much to me. I'm just annoyed that Ubuntu installs so much junk that shouldn't be included by default (IMHO, obviously).
kk0sse54
October 8th, 2009, 02:00 AM
Since the day it chose GNOME as it's default DE.


Since I last tried it.

I guess no one's heard of the Debian netinstall iso. Build from the ground up just like Arch and for me just as fast.
RedSquirrel
October 8th, 2009, 02:19 AM
Wait, I thought the minimal CD installer was just a tinier installer and didn't actually change what was installed? Am I wrong?

The minimal CD is a tiny installer. You use it to install a command-line system and build up from there. If your Ubuntu seems bloated and slow, this is a good option because you can pick exactly what you want installed.

The following tutorial gives you a pretty good idea of how it works:

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/minimal

It can be made lighter than that, of course. You don't need gdm or synaptic if you're comfortable logging in on the console and performing package management using the command line. In place of icewm, you can use gnome-core, xfce4, fluxbox, openbox, etc.

You can use a similar procedure to install a minimal Debian system using Debian's business card CD.

If you're looking for something a bit different, I recommend Slackware. I'm posting this from Slackware 13.0, in fact. :)
guitar player
October 8th, 2009, 02:51 AM
Just so you know can download an XFCE+lXDE install cd for debian here (http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/5.0.3/i386/iso-cd/)

Also according to this acticle (http://reddevil62-techhead.blogspot.com/2009/02/debian-50-with-lxde-its-your-grandad-on.html) it doesn't have much on it, now keep in mind I have not tried this myself although I might soon.
fidelandche
October 8th, 2009, 04:41 AM
I am thinking of trying PCLinuxOS, is that any good??
cmay
October 8th, 2009, 04:47 AM
I guess no one's heard of the Debian netinstall iso. Build from the ground up just like Arch and for me just as fast.
I use the Debian netinstall and the ubuntu minimal for most my linux installations. I never used arch but it sounds very similar to installing Debian. is that correct.
doorknob60
October 8th, 2009, 06:57 AM
Debian sounds like exactly what you're looking for, actually. Whether you go with Stable or testing is up to you, both would suit you well.