Agree, that is a wrong direction.
If I were building a distro and wanted to allow something like PPA’s, I would want it independent of the package system… something like BSD keeps all added software in /usr/local and sandboxed as well.
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I started in Linux with Debian.
For years I used nothing else. It did everything I wanted.
Then I had philosophical issues with systemd, so I moved to Devuan, plus I went multi-boot, and used Void and MX as well. Both Devuan and MX are essentially Debian, and they both work for me. Void is radically different.
I have never tried Ubuntu, so I can not comment.
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I just saw this on Reddit in the Ubuntu subreddit and it struck me funny.
I use Ubuntu btw
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Arch acquired that epithet when people realised it was unnecessarily difficult.
I wonder if Ubuntu is nearing that stage?
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I do like the Ubuntu installer. It makes it easy for Noobs to Linux to try Ubuntu before they install.
The other thing I really like about Ubuntu (not sure is other distros have it) is the “Minimal” installation option. This allows me to install the Ubuntu Desktop version with the bare minimum apps (no unnecessary bloatware installed).
Does anyone know of other Linux distros that offer a “Minimal” variant during the initial install?
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I know that Void Linux and Antix and Chimera offer minimal variants.
In Debian , if you want a minimal install you can choose the Network Install Image, then when you get to the software selection step, just dont select anything.
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Hello all on this subject, I use Ubuntu 20.04 solely. I used 2204 and 2404 but they were above my understanding. Many times I have crashed Ubuntu, not due to the system itself, but due to my own thoughtless actions. for instance, if I had downloaded something that didn’t stand up for what I thought, I would go to the directory and rm -rf . This of course left we with nothing on the SSD but the makers name. I thought give Mint a try, I did, then I couldn’t get it to A) stop typing 5 letters at every keystroke, B) with many many settings tried, had to type a single letter every second or so, otherwise it would miss a letter. Could not get it correct so here I am back on Ubuntu 20.04. No Idea what silly settings I missed in Mint, but at my age, what the heck.
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Linux mint offers a OEM install,not really minimal, just ready to go to install when you switch it on the first time. I tried it a few times with clients who wanted to do it themselves but it took just as long for me to do as a normal install then working with a client to them finish the install and update… not very cost effective.
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It can be but only if you install the AI version.
That will obviously need updating afterward. 
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One of the BEST things about Ubuntu - is server installs! 100% headless!
Try doing that with RHEL or f–king OEL (Orrible Enterprise Linux)! You need to install via a GUI - sure - there’s a way to bypass and get a text console / installer - but it’s awful and barely useable and I haven’t tried it for 10 years or so anyway - it’s a nasty kludge anyway… FFS! This is going to be a HEADLESS UNIX SERVER - I don’t need no STEENKING GUI installer!
Admittedly - Debian is also fairly easy to install in a TTY only - but Ubuntu / Canonical’s “subiquity” headless server install is one of the best!
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Hi Rodney,
You are a long way ahead of those who will not admit that the problems are their own mistakes.
Hang in there, every muckup is a step in learning
Regards
Neville
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What about to do it once: set up the OEM, then right after that clone the disk/partition. To an image file maybe. Then when you need to “install” it for the client, just restore the image to the clients actual disk in minutes, and finish the installation as usual.
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I thought about the same thing, but not sure how much different hardware would affect things. Intel vs AMD. Nvidia vs Radeon vs Intel. Mediatek vs Intel.
I haven’t tried restoring a Linux image to a different hardware setup. When using Windows, it usually discovers the hardware and installs a usable driver. Maybe it’d do the same for Linux.
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As long as the kernel can load, there’s no problem, it will adapt, and load the necessary kernel modules required for that particular hardware.
Like a live USB boots virtually everywhere.
Exactly that surprised a pal here, when he disassembled an old laptop, on which I installed Linux Mint XFCE before, and he has put that SSD into his desktop:
He expected to have to reinstall from scratch, but the thing just booted fine 
Problem begins only if something very hardware specific setting is applied to that installed instance. For example, some kernel parameter tweaked, some module blacklisted (may be needed on the other HW), or for example nVidia proprietary driver installed (and the new HW doesn’t have nvidia: GUI won’t start, only tty will be there).
But this is barely the case with a “half” installed OEM
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I did think about doing that at one stage, as before when i worked we bought computers by the mass quantity minimum 10 but usually 100 ! So worth it.
But now I do about 1 oer month so just as easy to do a clean install each time, that way I know I get the latest version and all the updates, without thinking.
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Thanks for the responses @nevj and @callpaul.eu , there were some nice “minimal” distros you both mentioned.
During my hunt for other “minimal” distro I came across SparkyLinux and they too have a “minimal GUI” ISO.
I must admit, I’m very impressed with SparkyLinux as it’s based on Debian.
Anyone else a fan of SparkyLinux?
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I played with it for some time as a rescue tool but found it unsuitable for every day use, but its a couple of years back. In the end my rescue tool became puppy, but perhaps time to revisit that decision
But on tye site they do say
In general, Sparky is not targeted to Linux beginners, rather to users with some amount of Linux knowledge
So worth thinking about, thik the issue was repositories and getting software or tools to work without cmd line.
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So Win users should be more ‘vocal’. That may be true
Stick with it. It is in your genes.
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I don’t hate Ubuntu, my views on Snaps I have shared many times on this website. The original Peppermint OS when Mark Greaves was at the helm, we were inundated with people complaining about Snaps, missing dependencies, not launching properly, or not at all. Then in 2018 malware was found inside a Snap Package. It is the security around Snap Packages that put me off, plus being forced to use Snaps instead of the more stable, lighter Deb files. Why call Ubuntu Debian based, when at it’s heart it is slowly transitioning over to being fully Snaps?? I give it till 2030 and the advert for Ubuntu will be Snap based, they will do away with Deb files altogether, leaving Linux Mint to pay for Deb files, to be included in their repos.
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Hi Mark, 
Plus: the fact that snap-ified processes cannot run in a firejail sandbox, due to technical reasons.
I know snaps are supposed to provide some kind of sandbox mechanism of their own. But this one cannot hold a candle to firejail. 
Just a thought…
Cheers from Rosika 
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