[Wylug-discuss] [WYLUG-DISCUSS] Stuck with Ubuntu?

[Mike Goodman]

On 28 March 2012 20:40, james riley <jimr1603 at gmail.com> wrote:
> After familiarity with ubuntu, debian seemed a safe bet for me. Happy
> enough with that on my desktop.
>
> Due to extreme luck over various bits of hardware, the laptop plays
> nicely with trisquel. You know, for when IceWeasel is too mainstream.
>
> You're about to get tonnes of suggestions. I'll give a
> meta-suggestion. Try all of them. Or at least have a nosy at the
> website, see what the people are like, see what the feel of it is.
> Installs don't take that long, really. Sometimes an out-the-box
> problem with one system will stay with you, and you alone, for ever
> with that system.
>
> Certainly for me, I learn a lot more about my system by pressing
> buttons until it breaks, then fixing it.
>
> James R

I retired for an easier life, not to press buttons for the sake of it!
;-) The distro questions for me remain those of longevity and staying
up to date with its default applications - without additional
button-pressing. I like the look of Debian's LTR regime on the face of
it, but does it keep the apps up to date? No real info on the site. I
am a fan due to happy years spent on Debian server software. I
wouldn't be happy though if I switch from Ubuntu only to find Debian,
too, leaves me two full releases behind on my preferred browser or
image manipulation app. Nor do I want a geek-only distro whereby I
have to spend many hours configuring a standard app, available by
default in most of the better known distros, when I may only use it
once or twice. How does the Debian desktop stand up to those
questions?

As you can see, I am more likely to dismiss most suggestions rather
than to try all. I'm looking for genuine recommendations rather than
off-the-cuff ideas to throw into the brainstorming pot.