Linux Mint Forums

Warning: Mint NooB posting. I installed Mint once, but made some mistake in the process (sadly described here). I'd now like to restart from scratch, and it's this that makes me think of combining Debian with Fluxbox.

This month-old thread says that the next MInt Fluxbox will anyway be Debian-based in the unspecified future. This makes me happy, but right now I have have a netbook (with one measly GB of RAM) in need of a usable OS. What sounds pleasant and simple is (1) installing Mint Debian with some thought to your suggestions for partitioning, (2) following these instructions to hold it at Squeeze rather than Testing (I value reliability over features), and (3) using Fluxbox as the window manager. However, I've a hunch that I'm overlooking some big snags.

Comments on the snags, please; or of course better, the happy news that "Mint Fluxbox 10 Debian" (or whatever it will be called) is only days away from release.

I have an old Gateway laptop ( about 6 years old) with a measly 192 Mb of RAM . . . I have tried most every "light-weight" distro out.

Most of the light-weights won't even install, as the system requirements for RAM are too high . . . and the really small distros, don't do what I need.

The only reliable light-weight distro that has always worked is Mepis' Anti-X . . . also, based on Debian 'testing' with Fluxbox.

I have been talking with the Mint Devs on IRC-chat about the new Mint-Debian-Fluxbox.
They say that the new LMD-Flux will be lighter and easier than Anti-X ... as they are re-working several of the packages and the basic Fluxbox set-up, as well.

According to the LinuxMint.Community website the testing phase for LMD-Flux is nearing completion.
I am excited about "finally" getting a good working LinuxMint-Debian OS on my old laptop.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

If you need a good light-weight OS distro ... NOW!!
My recommendations would be either or both: Anti-X or Crunchbang/Linux
Both are light in wight and resources and super fast in response. Both, also, have fairly new releases out.

Anti-X (Debian with Fluxbox) > http://antix.mepis.org/index.php?title=Main_Page
Crunchbang/Linux (Debian with Openbox or Xfce) > http://crunchbanglinux.org/blog/2011/02 ... r20110207/

Getting the default configuration together for a Mint Fluxbox release is quite a chore. So far I average three times as many Fluxbox test builds when compared to LXDE for each release. Also the entire menu system is being rewritten (again) for the Debian base (using sysvinit rather than upstart), but this time it'll be in Python rather than in Bash (which should make it quite a bit faster as well). It'll be slow going trying to get it together, but she'll get there soon.

Great news guys, looking forward to see a Minty debian fluxbox

vrkalak wrote:I have an old Gateway laptop ( about 6 years old) with a measly 192 Mb of RAM [...] The only reliable light-weight distro that has always worked is Mepis' Anti-X . . . also, based on Debian 'testing' with Fluxbox.

You're an inspiration, Sir. After getting this little HP into a usable state (one way or another), and if I still have enough energy, I'll tackle a ten-year-old Toshiba whose design and keyboard put the months-old Dell I'm typing on now to shame. (Well, considering inflation, etc, the Toshiba did cost about four times as much, its battery is shot, and its hard drive is less capacious than some USB pen drives.)

Both AntiX and CrunchBang look good run off live CDs on other computers. I'll reconsider.

In the meantime I wish all the best for development of Mint Fluxbox Debian.

Did I miss something, or perhaps it's because I'm not a moderator that I can't see it? I looked at the Community site and under ISOs I see that Debian XFCE testing is nearing completion, but I don't see Debian Fluxbox. Am I not looking in the right place?

mikhou

mikhou wrote:Did I miss something, or perhaps it's because I'm not a moderator that I can't see it? I looked at the Community site and under ISOs I see that Debian XFCE testing is nearing completion, but I don't see Debian Fluxbox. Am I not looking in the right place?

mikhou

yes you are when it is in the testing process it will be there

Yes, we need a Mint Debian Fluxbox!!!!

Hello there,

It has been almost a year since this thread started. However, we have no news regarding a mint-debian-fluxbox rocking combo! Does anyone have an update?

I look forward to testing it!

Cheers,
Nikos