Trying Again - Questions

[Robin]

Hello!

I've been gone a long time, but I want to try Salix again. I have three reasons for wanting to "hop" again, and a few newbie questions. I'm downloading the LXDE edition while I write this.

I want to try Salix again (no luck installing it last time, about a year ago or more) because: While I currently enjoy Xubuntu and think it's awesome,

[*]I worry about the future of my beloved favorite distro. They've gone and ruined it with PulseAudio (easily removed, but it's a pain), and the configuration of it is troublesome. The newest versions are buggy and I'm sticking with the LTS version for now, worried that the next LTS release will be too much for my old hardware - even though it's supposedly intended for older hardware. Debian turns out to be a major pain. No luck with Debian-based distros other than Ubuntu.

I want to revisit LXDE, which was buggy as all getout on Ubuntu.

The Drama Factor: Ubuntu attracts alot of drama. Ubuntu-hatred seems to be an epidemic now, especially with the recent changesthey've made in the newest versions. I don't need fancy bleeding edge stuff, just simple, stable desktop stuff for school and music editing for dance class. Don't care for all the community drama associated with Ubuntu. I still think the distro is awesome and I may end up back on Xubu (or Lubu), but I think starting with a whole 'nother base will be fun and less "dramatic." I hope.[/*]

But I have some questions:

1 - Do updates break stuff frequently in Salix like they do in the "bleeding edge" distros?

2 - Can I selectively update stuff in Salix and ignore "higher risk" updates?

3 - If I keep my separate /home partition intect when (if) I replace Xubuntu with Salix LXDE, will it mess stuff up?

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful replies,
Robin

[gapan]

1 - Do updates break stuff frequently in Salix like they do in the "bleeding edge" distros?

The answer is never. Salix is not a "bleeding edge" distro.

2 - Can I selectively update stuff in Salix and ignore "higher risk" updates?

You can, but there is no need to. There are no "higher risk" updates.

3 - If I keep my separate /home partition intect when (if) I replace Xubuntu with Salix LXDE, will it mess stuff up?

It won't mess with your files. Some configuration (wallpaper, gtk theme etc) will be changed to the salix defaults if you use the same username. If you do, be careful to not only use the same username, but also the same UID.

[Robin]

Thanks, Gapan, that is very reassuring. I'm doing the whole backup thing anyway of course, just in case.

Is SeaMonkey in the repos? It's kinda-sorta Firefoxy and Thunderbirdy, but much easier on resources and not nearly as cluttered.

Midori gets another shot because of the new OS, but it crashes constantly on Xubuntu. As for Claws Mail, I think I prefer HTML composing (I still put cutesy animated gifs and formatting in my letters). What's a good newbie-friendly external editor for that? And how do I get Claws Mail to send HTML mail? It certainly was lightweight and fast last time I tried it, but for a kid who loved "IncrediMail" back when I was a Windows/Outlook Express user, I think I still want the pretty, cutesy kid-friendly stuff.

Thank you to the Salix team for "taming" Slackware for us technically-challenged ordinary desktop users!

-Robin

[gapan]

Is SeaMonkey in the repos?

Of course it is.

Midori gets another shot because of the new OS, but it crashes constantly on Xubuntu.

You're in luck then. This is not Xubuntu.

As for Claws Mail, I think I prefer HTML composing (I still put cutesy animated gifs and formatting in my letters). What's a good newbie-friendly external editor for that? And how do I get Claws Mail to send HTML mail? It certainly was lightweight and fast last time I tried it, but for a kid who loved "IncrediMail" back when I was a Windows/Outlook Express user, I think I still want the pretty, cutesy kid-friendly stuff.

I don’t personaly have any need to send HTML email, and have a hard
time working out why you would need to, unless you want to write fancy
newsletters that mildly annoy everyone who hates HTML email

I completely agree with that quote. Use another mail client if you don't like it.

[Robin]

Omygosh, awesomeness on steroids! I did some more reading and discovered more of how much I really have not learned in 2 years as a Linux user.

Also I test drove the LXDE LiveCD today. Positively the fastest Live session I've ever experienced! If anyone is interested, I wrote a little review of Salix LXDE (and my rationale for coming here in the first place) here.

[Akuna]

Nice review.