I've been using distros based on Debian Wheezy the last few years (in Linux Mint Debian Edition, antiX Linux, and Snowlinux), and it has really won me over. Wheezy has LibreOffice in its software repository instead of OpenOffice (which Squeeze had), and several apps (like Keepass) seemed much more polished in the Debian Wheezy version than in the Debian Squeeze version. I intend to stick with Debian Wheezy now that it has become Debian Stable. (It's easier to keep Debian Stable up-to-date than Debian Testing up-to-date.) Debian Wheezy as the new Debian Stable must have won over many other people as well, as it has climbed to #2 on Distrowatch over the past several months. As a result, I've been looking for a Linux distro based on the new Debian Stable. I'm trying out CrunchBang Linux in VirtualBox, and it's winning me over. I have Linux Mint Debian Edition currently installed on my laptop, but I plan to switch to CrunchBang shortly. I currently have Snow Linux installed on my desktop, and I intend to switch to CrunchBang here as well. I first tried CrunchBang Linux a few years ago, but the lack of a DE turned me off. I still don't like the default look and feel, but all I had to do was install LXDE to get my desktop. (Given that CrunchBang comes with the OpenBox window manager, LXDE is the most logical DE. ROX pinboard would work as well, but that requires some tweaking.) In my opinion, CrunchBang Linux is the best distro under-the-hood. Here are the advantages I see over its competition: 1. Over LMDE: CrunchBang is lighter than LMDE, which is available only with MATE or Cinnamon. Yet CrunchBang comes with codecs, which provide out-of-the-box DVD-playing capability. CrunchBang's speed and memory-saving advantages would be greatly appreciated by anyone using a 10-year-old computer. Remember also that LMDE is based on Debian Testing, so that means it requires more updates than CrunchBang, which is based on Debian Stable. It also helps that CrunchBang 11 Waldorf is a much more central to CrunchBang than LMDE is to Linux Mint and thus seems to get better support. 2. Over antiX: CrunchBang Linux plays DVDs out-of-the-box, but antiX Linux doesn't. Also, keeping CrunchBang Linux (based on Debian Stable) up-to-date is much easier than keeping antiX Linux (based on Debian Testing and released only once a year) up-to-date. 3. Over Puppy Linux: CrunchBang Linux has a MUCH larger software repository than Puppy Linux. According to Wikipedia, CrunchBang offers up to 23,000 software packages, compared to only 700 for Puppy Linux. Yes, LMDE, antiX, and Puppy offer a more polished and user-friendly default interface. However, it's much quicker and easier to correct CrunchBang's weakness (just install LXDE) than it is to correct the weaknesses of LMDE, antiX Linux, and Puppy Linux. With LXDE added on, CrunchBang Linux can be just as user-friendly and polished as its top competitors while blowing them away when it comes to the under-the-hood aspects. -- Jason Hsu <jhsu802701 at jasonhsu.com>