Best *nix (Desktop/Workstation)

My objective when I started experimenting with Desktop linux, was to mimic a WinX station.

I would hazard a guess that this is the most likely scenario for anyone switching away from M$-windows. If they can’t keep doing their work “productively” – they are NOT going to be interested in whether the propellor heads think it’s nice or not. Instead of fighting with them, I prefer to offer a transition that will eventually lead them in a better direction. This means proving a method of implementing the list at the top (of preferred M$ apps).

• Arch Linux (bleeding edge, with a few quirks)
  • I am not yet at the raw-Arch level (though very close now)
  • I highly recommend starting your Arch journey with Arch-Anywhere (now called AnarchyLinux)
    • This – properly managed, will get you up and running on Arch with minimal footprint
      • There ARE alternatives (antergos/manjaro etc), but I think they load up more than you need/want (ie. borderline bloatware)
      • Arch-Anywhere/Anarchy gives you options which give YOU control, so you can learn enough to go the raw-arch route.
    • Arch purists may not agree – but better to get a start on your journey, than to put it off for fear of complexity.
      • this will probably result in you wanting to do the arch-from-scratch approach, and then everyone can be happy.
  • I have successfully loaded arch-lxde on OLD laptops with as little as 512MB RAM
    • Alas – i386 is no longer officially supported, which is annoying.
    • LXDE… this is minimalist (as per the note in the opening doc)
  • Arch runs on PI

• Debian (close 2nd, with a few less quirks in some areas, and a few more in others)
  • I wanted to mimic my Arch setup on an alternative base – to work around one or 2 things I could not get working in Arch.
    • NB: I could not get working… this doesn’t mean they can’t work – just that I can’t get them to work (yet)
  • This one I can manage in “raw” mode
    • Initially I thought it loaded up way to much stuff, (I chose the basic LXDE setting) but I now have it to the point of doing what I want on minimalist level.
    • LXDE/i386 IS still an option
  • Debian runs on PI

• I don’t like Ubuntu! (perhaps I mentioned that before?)
  • I tried a lot of flavours – ubuntu, lubuntu, linux lite, kubuntu, xubuntu etc – all were heavy, bloated, and slow if compared to the others.