While having used Slack many years ago, no dependency checking is more of a pita than I want to put up with in modern times. I was previously unaware of Salix but all this promotion prompted me to take the Xfce and LXDE live cd's for a test drive and I must say that I'm favorably impressed. Enough so that I think now I'll actually install it.

One of the cool things about these annual polls is that it's impossible to keep up with everything and I usually find some new gem. This year, Salix may just be it.

Ubuntu gets my nod. Lucid was truly a giant leap forward for desktop linux imho. Linux is just about creeping into the public consciousness and it's largely thanks to Ubuntu (and Debian of course ).

Linux-Mint-Debian - (Even if it's not on the ballot), a late entry in a crowded field, but a worthy one. My ballot vote goes to Salix, give it a spin, you'll like what you see.

What? no emacs?

They misplaced it in the "Editors" or something.

That's the thing I never understood about Slackware. I've played around with it but it never really stuck. It felt like I was using Debian without APT, and there's really nothing special about that.

Don't get me wrong, it was interesting to use and I learned a lot. It's perfect for those who want total control over their operating system. It just isn't for me.

I've been itching to try Salix because I've heard nothing but good things about it, but Real Life always gets in the way.

Ubuntu for me.

Yes, Slackware *is* basically a Debian or Ubuntu without APT or the APT Daemon… In my opinion, having to resolve dependencies by hand is *not* something newbies or I would want to do. Unless all dependencies are packed into one package (which I doubt), having to install packages one by one (and in a certain order) is absolutely *sick*. But don't get me wrong, it's just my opinion. Sure, I have to do that on any Linux distro to build software from source, and I assume it's the same pattern of chain reaction builds or installs that the *user* is required to do. But if people want to use Slackware that's also fine; it's still Linux. As long as it's not a proprietary OS, I'm fine with it.

...said Kenny.

Slackware is still linux. Great! I feel relief!!!

Have I gone blind? CentOS, RHEL, etc. all left out?
I guess this is "desktop distribution that lacks package management and
a large user base of the year"?

Finally had the chance to vote for my favorite distribution slackware. It was too late when I opened my email last year and I told myself that I will vote for slackware this year

Yeah, Ubuntu, Linux Mint and openSUSE have tiny userbases don't they. And what a headache it is to install new software on Debian!

I voted for CrunchBang, which is a very responsive, light distro based on Debian with a very active forum. But I could have voted for any of Debian itself, Ubuntu, Mint (especially LMDE) or Peppermint (Ice).

I guess the thinking is that this is the wrong poll for them. Granted they make reasonable desktops (if you accepted dated versions of some applications) but they are targeted more at the server market. Check out Server Distribution of the Year, where you will see from the comments they are both doing quite well.

Extra points for the emphatic style.

Try researching a little about init scripts, for example, and then back your statement with something more solid than the impulse of having to say something.