On 2011-04-19, Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> wrote: > Alan Mackenzie <a...@muc.de> writes: > >> I think there's really only two ways to install Linux: you either go the >> Ubuntu route, where everything's done for you and you accept somebody >> else's defaults, or you go with Gentoo, where you do everything >> yourself. I think anything in the middle, like Debian, just leads to >> confusion and uncertainty. I don't know where Fedora and SuSE fit into >> all this. > > Jumping into the asbestos drawers... the sterling things about Debian > are that it is more oldschool than ubuntu and its good for when you > get sick of compiling everything from scratch over and over. > > For some things, I don't care if I'm accepting someone elses' defaults. > > I've stuck with Gentoo for several yrs now for my main desktop and > would be very unwilling to switch for that usage, however, I prefer > Debian for virtual guests on windows. It just installs right off, > when you need a full linux OS in a bit of a hurry. >
I still think Debian installed too many things I don't use. When I need a Linux VM in a hurry, I'd go Arch. Some people worry about its unsigned packages, but as long as I stick to well-known mirrors, I should be okay. The beauty of Arch is that its installation is very granular; I can truly pick components I want to have, and leave out those I won't ever use. But if I *do* have the time, I'll always take the Gentoo-route :) -- Pandu E Poluan - IT Optimizer My website: http://pandu.poluan.info/
