1 Month into my linux experiment ...sparkylinux is where I landed

[huemanbeeang]

Recently found 2 of my kids old laptops in the closet, 2013/14 intel. Mind you, I haven't booted any device since my retirement/escape from the matrix back in 2008. The lockdown got me addicted to the youtube TV app and wondered if I could make a decent 1080 video with either of these dust collectors. A lifelong windows user, confident I could revive one or both with an upgrade to 10, NOPE ... Then format C:/'s and several fresh windows 10 installs ... my linux experiment began. My learning curve is erratic at best, having quit linux forever at least a dozen times in the last month. Realizing that I don't even know enough to ask the right questions yet, bucking my human nature to be spoonfed linux, and resisting the urge to just pussout and get a new pc. Maybe it's an old dogs can learn new tricks thing? Oddly satisfying so far, depending.

Started out with Mint Cinnamon, then XFCE. Liked both but too heavy. The variety of linux was overwhelming at first. Hopped from Arcolinux to Zorin before I realized a minimal edition's were what I wanted. I got wildly excited at the lightweightedness of sparkylinux 4.13 minimal. My rationale that older software would work better on an older pc is probably wrong? I also believe that a minimal distro would perform better i.e. the fewer packages the better? Seeing a 200 meg idle on a fresh boot sold me on openbox as WM, just not a fan of the tint2 panel and pcmanfm session manager situation (haven't learned how to edit openbox dynamic menu or autostart yet). The various DE's spoiled me with easy access to edit the session.

Ended up with Peppermint 10 minimal on one and sparkylinux 5.15 minimal on the other. Once I realized I could try out all those different DE's on sparky w/o all the install's, realizing how much time i could have saved, UGH. And what a breath of fresh air to not have Firefox, Libreoffice, VLC etc.. forced down my throat, and even on the other so called minimals. NICE! Only a month into this linux experiment but am sure this pavroo guy walk's on water? Presently have the rolling edition on one and stable on the other. Can't get the LXDE working on the rolling yet.

My current problem is both laptops have intel graphics, screen tearing and display "flattening" blurred text for lack of a better description. Fixed the tearing with my custom sparly-compton trial and error edit's. JOY! Still messing with sparky-fontset. Thought running flat icons w/o composition was feasible? Xorg.conf vs intel drivers is ... graphics stacks ... non-free ... I could have started making videos awhile back but learning linux seems to be more satisying than actually making videos, so far. I realize sparky isn't for beginners but I think that is what attracted me, to overcome my urge to get spoonfed. I am continuosly amazed at the satisfation this old dog gets learning new tricks on old hardware. Thank's pavroo and contibutors!

This just in ... haha, discovered distrowatch and sparkylinux is ranked way too low! IMO
and just realized/learned linux isn't plauged by virus's? A true OS, Just like real life I guess.

[Murdock2525]

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