-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Michael M. wrote: [snip] >> Why don't we reframe this as: What is the best OS/Distro for Michael? >> >> Perhaps you have some conflicting needs that requires a non-standard >> answer? I _think_ that what I hear that you want is: >> >> More recent software than what is in stable or testing (when its >> frozen). >> >> Less dynamic than Sid > > That pretty much sums it up, the important qualification being testing > *when it's frozen.* Prior to the freeze, and for at least a while after > it began, I was happy with testing. That's the only reason I am > frustrated with Debian's reluctance/refusal to commit to a schedule. If > I knew, for example, that for up to six months out of every two years, > testing will be frozen, I could live with that. If that were the case, > testing would be the optimal distro for me more than 75% of the time, > which would be good enough. But as past and recent history (Dunc-Tank > tanking, etc.) has indicated, Debian has no inclination to do that, and > many Debian users appreciate its reluctance to do so, for reasons I can > understand. I just don't happen to be one of them.
[snip] > The "perfect" OS for me would be Debian testing in a non-frozen > state ... it has everything: the power of apt (with a truly awesome > management tool in aptitude, which I love); That is a reason not to use Sidux. The devs of Sidux specifically say that aptitude and Sid don't get along well because aptitude has trouble keeping up with fast moving dependencies. > recent-if-not-necessarily-bleeding-edge software versions, a huge > software repository; plenty stable, with very infrequent breakage > anywhere; manageable, rolling updates (I like, in general, to update > about once-a-week) with no real need for upgrading; flexibility -- no > preferred windowing environment; no binary blobs installed by default, > but still available if you need them (I do use Flash, lame, w32codecs, > Sun's Java, and non-free unrar; I don't use nVidia's proprietary driver, > nor MS fonts, Adobe Acrobat, nor any other non-free software I can think > of). I like Gnome and would be reluctant to abandon it, but I could > probably survive with XFCE or even just Openbox; I don't care for KDE. > > Of those I've tried, my favorite non-Debian-based distro is Arch Linux, > the caveat being that Arch is very bleeding edge and more prone to > breakage here & there than Debian testing. It's more like Sid, in that > respect. Arch was inspired by CRUX, which is probably too advanced and > D-I-Y for me, and CRUX was developed along *BSD lines, like Gentoo. In > many ways, a *BSD might really be my best bet. Is there anything else > that compares favorably to Debian testing out there? I would suggest you just wait a few weeks and use Lenny when it comes out. That should meet all your needs. I take back my recommendation of Sidux for you. Sid is too much of a moving target from what you describe you are looking for. Joe - -- Registerd Linux user #443289 at http://counter.li.org/ -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFGDszNiXBCVWpc5J4RAqtHAJ9XLijz4BNlT8jmewhIehAIloi/xACgl2Us e1HxSEXL+Enmi06F4YCzrpM= =xovG -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
