20260822-devuan.txt

A while ago I installed Devuan on one of my laptops. It took a few
tries, probably due to user error, but I got it working. That machine
(which I'm currently using) is not my primary, but I semi-regularly
switch between stretches on certain laptops. It's actually my newest
laptop, but there's some really, really weird issue with the mobo
getting tucked into a weird space or something to where I have to flex
the thing to pop it out. I only noticed because some of my keys
(QWERTY K especially) weren't responding. But I figured it was a good
candidate to experiment on. And I started using it today because my
primary Thinkpad is having real issues with the battery: it either
doesn't charge at all or charges extremely slowly. I'm guessing
there's some physical issue or the internal battery is toast.

Anyway, one reason I quickly went back to my Thinkpad was because I
got an error directly installing Vivldi, my preferred browser. I was
able to fix it by looking at a StakOverflo post that basically said
the PATH variable wasn't set for root/sudo. Anyway, I got it set up
and thanks to saving my config, my copy of Vivldi is working as if I
never left. Really good stuff. I just need to copy/link/edit some
config files for Lynx and Links (I seriously wish NOPAUSE was default
on Lynx, but I get why it isn't).

One of the reasons I wanted to try Devuan was its maintainers reaction
to -privacy invasion- I mean "age verification" laws. They basically
told Cali, Colonrado, and Brazil to go fuck themselves, which is good
with me. Also, systemd was building a module to comply with that 1984
horseshit, or unicorn shit. So no systemd is great. I'm used to
Debian-based distros, so that's another checkmark. And even though I
criticized one of Devuan's April Fools' Day pranks basically
"vandalizing" their homepage to tout Gopher, it did get my attention.

It feels like I'm running a slimmer version of Debian. I definitely
approve of Xfce as the default DE, but I prefer to use suckless's dwm.
It works just fine for that, though I am currently using the distro
package of dwm which has some definite drawbacks. And of course some
of my aliases don't work since they're built with systemd in mind. But
I will adapt. I'm not comfortable enough with it to migrate my main
two PCs just yet (plus my workhorse has specific software that has
stopped me from upgrading to the next major version of Debian for
years anyway), but I'm sure I will once I figure some things out.

TL;DR: Devuan is working for me and I think it's worth trying out if
you aren't afraid to search some error codes and have at least some
prior experience installing and managing GNU/Linux OSes.