• Registered: 2011-12-16
  • Posts: 10

Topic: Thoughts after 6 months of use

I started experimenting with Linux about 10 years ago, and I finally switched to using Linux exclusively (Debian) about 2 years ago.  Ive tried many distros, and have decided I like Debian based distros the best.  I have been using CrunchBang now for maybe 6 months, and it is my favorite distro not counting Debian itself.

Pros:
1 - Light weight.  In my experience, it is more light weight than Lubuntu, which is often praised for being extremely light.  I have an AptoSid install with XFCE removed and OpenBox that is a little bit lighter, but that install isnt useful for much more than learning.

2 - Multimedia support.  It is very nice that everything works by default.

3 - Well thought out configuration.  The root menu is beautiful, the cb-welcome script is great, and the choice of included apps is nice.  The login screen is also pleasant.  Switching back to a verbose startup screen was also a great move (I hate "quiet" startups).  Oh, and the Tint2 setup is awesome as well.

Suggestions:
1 - I really only have one suggestion that I really think would make CrunchBang just about perfect;  an option to enable a root account right from the beginning.  Creating one afterwards just isnt the same.

2 - Although I personally dont mind adding applications manually to the root menu, I imagine this would seem too difficult for anyone new to Linux.  I am not sure if CrunchBang is geared towards "Linux noobs", but I do think that it has great potential for such people.

In conclusion, I think CrunchBang is a fantastic distro and a very important distro.  Its both noob friendly and technically elegant.  The CrunchBang look and feel is timeless.  As far as distros that "work out of the box", I think CrunchBang is the most light weight in the Debian world.  Well, thanks Corenominal!  And thanks for reading my post.

-Chris Placzek

  • Registered: 2011-03-09
  • Posts: 3,224

Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

nice review. completely agree on your suggestions.

on the other hand, it might also be good to keep it a 'learning distro'. in other words: do not make it too noob-friendly, or the noobs will stay noobs.

bash :: @script :: system :: fclean
  • Registered: 2008-11-24
  • Posts: 2,086

Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

Welcome to the forums and thanks for the review!

When I first started with CrunchBang it was the noob-friendly alternative to a monstrosity called Fluxbuntu that I was using at the time. So I've never thought of #! as particularly difficult, I guess I've grown and evolved along with it. smile

  • dubois
  • The Old Codger
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  • From: Austin, Texas
  • Registered: 2010-09-03
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Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

Nice first post.  wink

My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can.
Cary Grant
  • From: inside Ed
  • Registered: 2011-07-25
  • Posts: 2,866

Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

Cobalt60 wrote:

I
2 - Although I personally dont mind adding applications manually to the root menu, I imagine this would seem too difficult for anyone new to Linux.  I am not sure if CrunchBang is geared towards "Linux noobs", but I do think that it has great potential for such people.

There's obmenu. other options are nor possible in Openbox, it has nothing to do with #! as such.

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  • dkeg
  • #! CrunchBanger
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  • Registered: 2011-12-05
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Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

rhowaldt wrote:

nice review. completely agree on your suggestions.

on the other hand, it might also be good to keep it a 'learning distro'. in other words: do not make it too noob-friendly, or the noobs will stay noobs.

+1 on this.  I come from Ubuntu land.  I would exactly call myself a noob, but at the same time not much past it.  Using #! has really excelerated my learning.  While it is not a super difficult distro to manage, it is more difficult than Ubuntu and pushes one to touch and work in areas that may not normally work in.  For example, making changes in the openbox or tint2 config.  Sure its right there in the menu, just click and go, but that is just the start people need.  Now they know where it is, how it looks, and gain the confidence in making edits to these files and seeing the result.  Next they'll access it through the terminal with nano or vi and make the edits that way.  And especially the forums here.  Such a wealth of knowledge. 

Very happy here....

the rocky path may just be the best path.
  • dubois
  • The Old Codger
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  • Registered: 2010-09-03
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Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

dkeg wrote:

....Now they know where it is, how it looks, and gain the confidence in making edits to these files and seeing the result.  Next they'll access it through the terminal with nano or vi and make the edits that way....

Methinks you've hit upon something here.  wink

My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can.
Cary Grant
  • Registered: 2011-11-22
  • Posts: 1,316

Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

I agree. I started with Gnome, then moved to an openbox distro with LXDE layered on top of it, but wasn't satisfied with someone else's idea of how my desktop should look. I wanted to learn more, and to configure the openbox menu myself. I ditched lxpanel and added tint2, fbpanel, and conky, until my desktop looked a lot like #! (partly because I found a page called adding crunchbang features in another distro) and learned how easy it was to mold Linux to my will smile

Now the first thing I do is make sure I can start a terminal -- if I have a prompt I can do anything... I don't use obmenu or the tint2 config tool -- they never get it right.

Now fbpanel is history, I hardly ever look at tint2, and I mainly use scrotwm.

There are plenty of other "noob friendly" distros -- #! should stay simple and elegant -- it will attract those who are looking for what it can offer.

Last edited by 2ManyDogs (2011-12-17 02:53:13)

  • From: In Front of The Black Gates
  • Registered: 2011-04-26
  • Posts: 5,134

Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

Welcome to #! Cobalt60, enjoy the ride!

Nice review...

I agree with your suggestions..

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  • From: the Netherlands
  • Registered: 2010-03-07
  • Posts: 971

Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

Cobalt60 wrote:

I
2 - Although I personally dont mind adding applications manually to the root menu, I imagine this would seem too difficult for anyone new to Linux.  I am not sure if CrunchBang is geared towards "Linux noobs", but I do think that it has great potential for such people.

I use marchobmenu (v2.2) from ju1ius, so I don't have to take care of adding applications to the menu myself.

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  • Awebb
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  • Registered: 2009-07-23
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Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

Cobalt60 wrote:

1 - I really only have one suggestion that I really think would make CrunchBang just about perfect;  an option to enable a root account right from the beginning.  Creating one afterwards just isnt the same.

Uhm... how often do you install crunchbang, that this post-install question would have any impact on your daily routine? While I agree that every Linux box should have a root account (because sudoers is so easy to break), I don't see the difference between setting it up on install time (one more stupid question to answer until my system is finally up) or or in the post-install customization phase (one more stupid thing to do until my box does what I want).

Cobalt60 wrote:

2 - Although I personally dont mind adding applications manually to the root menu, I imagine this would seem too difficult for anyone new to Linux. I am not sure if CrunchBang is geared towards "Linux noobs", but I do think that it has great potential for such people.

Keywords are "imagine" and "difficult". When using a new operating system, a certain learning curve is to be expected. Crunchbang isn't exactly the Windows convert's wonderland. Have you tried setting up a program to start on login? Configure conky? Configure tint2 (with the half-time broken GUI)? Using the debian pipe menu collides with the openbox paradigma. The first thing a Windows convert should learn, is that the community is open to his questions and that everything obvious is documented twice.

I'm so meta, even this acronym
  • Registered: 2011-12-16
  • Posts: 10

Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

I don't see the difference between setting it up on install time... or or in the post-install customization phase...

Ive only tried enabling a root account afterwards once or twice.  System administration tasks still asked for the user password, and not the root password.  I prefer for the root password to be used, and so far I do not know how to do this.

When using a new operating system, a certain learning curve is to be expected. Crunchbang isn't exactly the Windows convert's wonderland.

Thats exactly what I was getting at.  With an automatically generated menu, I think a Windows convert could handle CrunchBang just fine after getting over the styling differences.

I had a lady at work come to me for help with her netbook.  Well, Windows was shot, so I offered to install Linux.  I put on for her Linux Mint Debian Edition XFCE.  Shes been using it for many months now and absolutely loves it.  But she has little desire to learn anything about Linux further than how to go to websites, check email, go to YouTube, etc.  I think if Crunchbang had an automatically generated (sub) menu, I would feel ok giving someone similar a CrunchBang install.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

-Chris P

  • From: In Front of The Black Gates
  • Registered: 2011-04-26
  • Posts: 5,134

Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

^ I have the same/similar issues.  I convert several hundred people a year to Linux and until this point release using #! was easy as Xfce was an option right out of the box.  Getting new Windows converts adjusted to Xfce is relatively easy, compared to the OB setup and menus. 

I realize Xfce is an easy install after the fact, but it is one more step that can break down.  User calls me now with a major issue,  I cannot just tell them to pop the live boot cd in and 'do as I say' .. there are just too many additional things that now needs to be done

As learning curves go, there is a whole pandoras box regarding a Linux convert and what is 'easy' or 'should be done'

it is like saying everyone should like liquorice candy, just do it

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  • pvsage
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  • From: Section Six
  • Registered: 2009-10-18
  • Posts: 6,003

Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

Cobalt60 wrote:

Ive only tried enabling a root account afterwards once or twice.  System administration tasks still asked for the user password, and not the root password.  I prefer for the root password to be used, and so far I do not know how to do this.

`sudo passwd`
enter your user password
enter password for root account
re-enter password for root account

After you do this, just use `su` to switch to the root account like you would in a regular Debian install.

EDIT:  It occurs to me that you may be referring to GUI admin tools like Gparted and Synaptic.  I'm not sure if there's a GUI equivalent to su that could replace gksudo...

Last edited by pvsage (2011-12-17 21:49:16)

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  • From: In Front of The Black Gates
  • Registered: 2011-04-26
  • Posts: 5,134

Re: Thoughts after 6 months of use

^ Learned my lesson on enabling root when I had sudo crap out on me during a apt-get dist-upgrade in a move o Sid on a couple of occasions.. roll

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