Very plain distro...

[Cheese]

Hello,

I've been looking for a few weeks now, but I can't seem to find a Linux distro that suits exactly what I looking for. I know for a fact that Linux is very customizable, so I'm not afraid to be picky .

Right now it seems that I'll need a distro to start with and then modify it, but it really seems that most distros aren't too happy when you remove the pre-installed software. Pre-installed software that I don't need really annoys me because it's there but I never use it.

So, what I'm looking for is a system that's small, because the less there is to load, the faster it will run. A lot of software I use is open source, so I could compile that from the source (although I've never compiled from the source, it shouldn't be difficult from what I hear). I'll also need to run some apps under WINE if I want it to be my main desktop.

Performance is my main goal, because that's the main reason why I'm switching. Windows already does everything I need and does it well. I want Linux to do the same for me, except faster and with more agility.

So, is there a very "plain" distro with very little to no pre-installed software (excluding system tools and a browser), in a small, fast package and is not too difficult to get popular applications running? Debian based distros don't seem to be especially fast and none seem to be "plain", like a simple cheeseburger vs. deluxe burger with mayo and mustard and onions and tomato and other stuff I don't want.

So, what distro would you recommend? What distro is very plain yet very usable?

Sorry if I'm not making too much sense, but I'm tired and its late. Thanks in advance!

[elija]

There are many.

You could try a Debian base install which won't even give you a GUI and then pick your desktop and install that and so on. If you do go for this and you decide on the Gnome desktop, do not install the Gnome meta package which is the one offered during installation.

Instead just install the base and then run the command

aptitude install gnome-session gnome-themes gnome-terminal xserver-xorg-core gdm

as root to install the minimal x and Gnome and then you can build up from there.

[Cheese]

Thanks, I'll Google it and post an update by tomorrow. From what I've looked up, base Debian + xfce seems to be what I'm looking for.

Again, thanks a LOT , and thanks in advance to future problems I encounter (because I'm a newbie and I WILL have issues with Linux).

[Charles4809]

Did you have a look at Bodhi Linux ?
It's a basic distro, using the enlihgtenment desktop. It's fast and light and very fashionable if you are willing to experiment a bit.
They have a kind of repository on there own website with a selection of software that most people use, in anvery easy to manner to download and install. If you want something else you have synaptic to go to the debian or the ubuntu repositories where is more software than you would ever want to use.

Happy searching anyway.

[Freston]

I wouldn't worry too much though about installed packages. They eat up disk space, but as long as they aren't loaded wont slow your machine down. Linux, as opposed to some other operating systems, doesn't slow down when the disk fills up.

That said, Debian && Xfce should be fast.

You could also have a look at Vector Linux; that is optimized for speed.

[PrinceSharma]

I must say, Linux Mint + Lxde or Salix OS + lxde is something you may want to try. There's not much bloat, simple, easy and peppy.

I made Mint 9 + lxde run beautifully on my younger sister's old P4 desktop with 256 Mb RAM , and Salix Lxde on my cutting edge laptop, which follows one application per task principle.

[reed9]

There's also Arch, which by default is just a base system.

[MarcosLuna]

I will definitely recommend you to try bodhi Linux, its my main distro since 3 months ago !!! I even updated it to use kernel 2.6.39 with no issues at all, usb modems no problem at all, give it a try.

[MASONTX]

Tiny core just released a new version, you might start with it and add on what you want.