Crunchbang "Statler" (Debian-based) OS

[Robin]

Great news for minimalist distro lovers!

Crunchbang Linux, a powerful, Ubuntu-based ultralight distro using the Openbox window manager, has a new release under development.

The newest Crunchbang will be built on Debian Testing instead of Ubuntu (rolling release!) and will feature a choice of either Openbox or Xfce-4 desktops. I have been a Crunchbang user (and fan) since about May of last year. I was still a newbie when I discovered it and fell in love with it's stark, minimalist beauty, hiding impressive power and versatility.

Read the announcement here.

Robin

[vrkalak]

I saw this, as I visit the Crunchbang Forums regularly.

I know that Cruchbang is known for bringing Openbox WM into the public eye, with their light-weight and snappy distro.

I'm excited to see this, because: I love the ease and crispness of having and using a Rolling Release and, as everyone, knows I am an Xfce fanatic.
I also, know that a pure Xfce desktop with as little Gnome or KDE 'bloat' or dependencies, is much faster.

I have used Crunchbangi and I love the minimalist simplicity of Openbox and tint2. Openbox has the best 'right-click' Menu on the Linux market.

I look forward to this new release of Crunchbang with enthusiasm. The Crunchbang Devs said, that the Alpha release should be ready, by as early as, next week.

[exploder]

Based on Debian Squeeze and a rolling release, awesome! I will be checking it out!

[vrkalak]

The next version of CrunchBang, version 10, will be codenamed "Statler". Contrary to the rumour mill, it will not be powered by cheetahs, hamsters or chickens, it will be powered Debian Squeeze sources. There will be an Openbox and an Xfce4 version. It will be available for both 32 and 64 bit architectures, with the 32 bit offering in both 486 and 686 flavours. It will be available as a hybrid LiveCD and text installer, using the classic d-i system.

Several test images have already been built and it is now approaching alpha status. Hopefully, some alpha images will be made available some time next week, but before this can happen, I will be investing in a trio of file servers to help make the release go smoothly. The new file servers will also make possible the option of producing weekly builds.

These are exciting times and in a way, the move from Ubuntu to Debian marks a new beginning for the project. I have created a new forum for anyone wanting to discuss the Statler's development, so please go there and join in the conversation: http://crunchbanglinux.org/forums/forum … 0-statler/

For any Identi.ca users, I have set-up a new group, again for anyone wishing to comment or discuss Statler. It can be found at: http://identi.ca/group/statler smile

---- from corenominal (primary developer of Crunchbang)

[Oscar799]

I already have Crunchbang on an old machine - this new development sounds like fun

[viking777]

Like Oscar799 I run Crunchbang Lite on an old laptop and it is one of only two distros that will actually run on that machine (the other is Slax). I recently got hold of a magazine disc that had a collection of lightweight distros on it, there were 11 boot choices on the live dvd. Of those 11 only one got as far as an X session (Slitaz) but that was only in a 640x480 window! The other 10 just failed to boot at all or froze the machine up. In one case I had to unplug it from the mains and pull out the battery to reset it, even the power button was frozen out (Unity Linux) . Given that experience I have an immense respect for Crunchbang which installs and runs without the slightest glitch and I will certainly be trying out the new release on my old laptop. In my opinion the people at crunchbang should be giving lessons in producing live cd's to the rest of the industry as about 99% of them don't work on my old Sony (including every major distro you can name - Mint as well). In some cases this is due to the machines lack of ram, but most cases it isn't because it never ever gets as far as actually running the live distro, it can't even start it.

I am not looking for any answers to this btw, it is just an old machine that I use for testing and to see how well Linux works with old hardware. Hardly at all is the answer I get.

[exploder]

I have tried Crunchbang and really liked some of the things they are doing. I knew the developers were talking about going with a Debian base, I am glad they are. I am interested in seeing the installer they use. Adding an Xfce edition is a real interesting development and I am kind of anxious to see what they do with Xfce. I see more and more distributions going to Debian and ditching the Ubuntu base. I will check out the Debian based Crunchbang editions when they are released, I am really interested in how they handle different things using Debian, especially the installer and graphics drivers.

[Superewza]

Like Oscar799 I run Crunchbang Lite on an old laptop and it is one of only two distros that will actually run on that machine (the other is Slax). I recently got hold of a magazine disc that had a collection of lightweight distros on it, there were 11 boot choices on the live dvd. Of those 11 only one got as far as an X session (Slitaz) but that was only in a 640x480 window! The other 10 just failed to boot at all or froze the machine up. In one case I had to unplug it from the mains and pull out the battery to reset it, even the power button was frozen out (Unity Linux) . Given that experience I have an immense respect for Crunchbang which installs and runs without the slightest glitch and I will certainly be trying out the new release on my old laptop. In my opinion the people at crunchbang should be giving lessons in producing live cd's to the rest of the industry as about 99% of them don't work on my old Sony (including every major distro you can name - Mint as well). In some cases this is due to the machines lack of ram, but most cases it isn't because it never ever gets as far as actually running the live distro, it can't even start it.

I am not looking for any answers to this btw, it is just an old machine that I use for testing and to see how well Linux works with old hardware. Hardly at all is the answer I get.

Then you clearly haven't tried enough

[viking777]

Then you clearly haven't tried enough

You jest

After 5 years of trying?

I must admit I don't try much with it these days, in most major distros the required specs are too high to even make it worth while. There is also the fact that I now have something that works on it (Crunchbang Lite) together with the fact that I hardly ever use it. It is just too small and too underpowered - hell, what am I saying - I have got a Netbook and I didn't realise it

[Robin]

... I am really interested in how they handle different things using Debian, especially the installer and graphics drivers.

I can't tell you how they'll handle graphics drivers, but the new Debian-based Crunchbang uses the new Debian installer that will be released with Squeeze when it goes to Debian Stable. And, it will offer the option of an Xfce desktop as well as the Openbox.

It seems like a number of distros that were Ubuntu-based have moved to a Debian base (Mepis for one, years ago, some others I've read but can't recall the names of, and now Crunchbang). With the strange direction that Ubuntu has been taking, I'm glad to see this. In my opinion, the inclusion of Beta software by default, for one example, in any distro that claims to be "novice friendly" is unconscionable.

[msuggs]

I guess I'm a little biased but there are exciting times ahead for CrunchBang

[Superewza]

Then you clearly haven't tried enough

You jest

After 5 years of trying?

I must admit I don't try much with it these days, in most major distros the required specs are too high to even make it worth while. There is also the fact that I now have something that works on it (Crunchbang Lite) together with the fact that I hardly ever use it. It is just too small and too underpowered - hell, what am I saying - I have got a Netbook and I didn't realise it

http://www.slitaz.org/en/

http://www.puppylinux.com/

http://www.vectorlinux.com/

http://www.delilinux.de/

http://antix.mepis.org/index.php/Main_Page

I could go on...

[viking777]

Four out of those five don't work.

I must admit I have never tried (or even heard) of delilinux.

[Superewza]

Hmm, if Crunchbang works but Slitaz doesn't then speed definitely isn't the issue.

[vrkalak]

The Alpha 1 release of #!Crunchbang 10 Statler is out!!

http://crunchbanglinux.org/downloads/statler/alpha-01/

All versions of the new #!Crunchbang 10 >> Openbox and Xfce versions and in both 32 and 64-bit. All based on Debian and no longer off Ubuntu.

[exploder]

You can bet I will be looking at Crunchbang tomorrow! These guys did a lot with a Ubuntu base but I think the move to Debian is brilliant!

[Zwopper]

Both the xfce & OpenBox versions are great, far better then any Ubuntu Alpha has ever been!

[exploder]

Both the xfce & OpenBox versions are great, far better then any Ubuntu Alpha has ever been!

I couldn't agree more! Crunchbang, PCLinuxOS and Mepis are all small distributions with only a handful of people yet they are building far better releases than Ubutu.

[vrkalak]

And I thought that Crunchbangs Openbox distro was awesome enough, already . . . boy. was I wrong.

Crunchbang-10 Statler is dynamite!! I already love using the Openbox WM and with the new Debian Squeeze as it's base, even better.

The Crunchbang Devs certainly, know what they're doing.

[Katzedecimal]

I have Statler XFCE installed on my old laptop and I am impressed. This is an alpha? After watching Ubuntu Lucid crumble from a decent alpha 2 to a beta that won't even boot, to load an alpha that feels as smooth, steady and fast as Statler is amazing. My laptop has 512 MB RAM and Statler is making it feel as snappy as my 4 GB desktop machine. I've had streaming video, streaming radio, Pidgin, Pino, Youtube *and* four other Firefox (excuse me, Iceweasel) windows open onto resource-heavy sites (Yahoo, Livejournal), all at the same time, and Statler only *just* started dipping into the swap. Hasn't crashed, hasn't seized. Definitely looking forward to more.