Hi,
> My interest is to explore Debian Edu/Skolelinux before committing to > installation, mainly because if I understand the distribution correctly it is > populated with a number of programs which may make it easier for a > beginner-intermediate user to use and manage (as a standalone machine not > utilising network admin) than a bare Debian stable install (Xfce). No, not at all. There are sets of educational programs which can be installed as a collection on any regular Debian installation, and there is the networked client management. There is nothing in Debian Edu making a standalone installation "easier to use and manage". If you just want a standalone Debian desktop that is easy to use and manage, simply install Debian with GNOME or KDE. Both have nice, simple app stores these days, and take care of software installation and updates all by themselves. If you want a tablet-like user interface and good touch support, choose GNOME; if you want a customisable, yet somewhat windows-like desktop with all features anyone can imagine, use KDE. KDE also makes installing software as easy as typing "image", and it will recommend installing GIMP and do that with one click. If you want to manage a classroom of computers, choose Debian Edu. Cheers, Nik
