Hi All,

As a very unspohisticated Linux user I try not to post to this list to
often, but here's what I think.

You are building a Linux base distribution that is close to Debian Jessie,
so stay as close to their install packages as possible, of course,
excluding all things systemd.

I find vi, vim, nano confusing, but I do have a small handbook on vi(vim)
that I can use to muddle through until I can add geany as a text editor. I
would say keep the base install light. If you want to create an ISO for
people like me then my favourite is #! (Crunchbang) and I love the
installer, so maybe have a look at what that distro does. It has several
options for installations including getting down and dirty and doing it all
yourself (I avoid that like the plague, but it's nice to have that option).
The only way they could improve it is to automate the adding of apps to the
menu, although it's not that hard many desktop users wouldn't like that you
have to do that bit yourself. I like the apps that are selected with #! so
well I'm using a distro with systemd now, although I'm hoping Devuan will
enable me to drop that once it's ready.

So, having said all that, would it not be wise to use the same programs
that Debian uses so that those coming to Devuan from Debian will know what
to expect? I would think that most of the Devuan userbase will be from
there and unlike me will have the knowledge to make things work. Just like
they did with Debian.

I still think that it would be wise, if you have the manpower, to build a
Live ISO with a light weight GUI/WM so that the curious non-technical user,
like me, can get a look at Devuan. You know I lean toward a #! feel
(Openbox, nicely configured), but most non-technical users would probably
prefer an LXDE, MATE or Cinnamon type GUI.

As to the systemd survey, I'm extremely happy that it's near a 50/50 split.
I would expect that the voters are quite functional Linux users and already
have strong opinions on the subject and that the systemd camp would be getting
out the vote. So, if the non-systemd supports (I'd guess a more loosely
connected group) has that many people against systemd then that already
seems like a win to me. It might also suggest that many Linux aficionados
are on distrowatch looking for non-systemd distros, but that's all guess
work on my part.

John