By "loaded with spyware", do you mean the web search in the Dash that is disabled by default? Or that it keeps a local history of your recent applications? Or that it has a built in tool to report system crashes (apport)? This forum probably collects more data about you personally (and sends some to advertisers) than Ubuntu ever could.

Ubuntu, as far as I know, does comply with GNU's Four Freedoms:

• The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose (freedom 0).

I can't think of an exception to this. That would kind of be a perquisite for an IoT OS, wouldn't it?

• The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

There are many Linux books out there, all of which apply to some extent or another to Ubuntu (and often use it as an example). The source code is freely available. In fact, Ubuntu is even easier to "change it so it does your computing as you wish" with Snappy shipping with 16.04.

• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).

Canonical encourages you to download (or buy a USB stick of) Ubuntu and spread it around.
https://shop.canonical.com/product_i...oducts_id=1206

• The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

Just go to distrowatch and look at how many distros are based on Ubuntu.

If you really want to go in depth with it...
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/ubuntu-spyware.html
http://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/articl...s-spyware/2125
http://www.zdnet.com/article/free-so...ntain-spyware/

Switching OS will ultimately not stop all spyware.

I don't want to start a fight, I just want to avoid prejudice.

@kyoten, read about it. If you're skeptical, read Ubuntu's privacy policies. I would also encourage you to try it for yourself.
http://www.ubuntu.com/legal
http://www.ubuntu.com/privacy-policy
http://www.ubuntu.com/privacy-policy/third-parties

Disabling spyware by default doesn't make ubuntu free of spyware, isn't it?
Spyware still there, in hope that someone may enable it...

It may be like a Windows update, that isn't enabled by default, but you have to disable updates few times because it magically becomes enabled.

That's just my point. You don't know because you don't use it. Just like I don't know how good (or not) Slackware is because I don't use it.
I can say that it does not "magically become enabled" at all because I use Ubuntu every day.
I don't consider the web search "spyware" at all. I consider it a tool (see the screenshot). Just like a search engine (in a way, that's exactly what this is).
Funny, I don't see people attacking Apple's Spotlight or Google Now for doing essentially the same thing.
And I'm no expert, but people like to bring this up. Wouldn't bundling a Google search into the dash be just asking for a lawsuit?

EDIT: Just a few examples of how powerful this actually is on a desktop:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/3877...-are-available

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No need to use it to know that disabled spyware is still spyware.

Web search isn't spyware, spyware is the code that sends your search results to Canonical servers.


Don't see any powerful things there.

I tried slackware. You have to be "root" to create packages for slackware. (from unknown sources). I find debian more to my liking since I "don't" have to be root (technically / fakeroot) to create packages for it. And I can create (from unknown sources) packages for debian without giving root perms until I use the package management system. Which lets the package management system clean up the mess if things went south. And the level of trust given to be a single, and delete-able user.

I also tend to be a minimalist. The fewer things running, the less the potential for exposure to flaws. Plus more RAM and more CPU for the things that "YOU" want to use your computer for. Systemd and other modern things are sooo anti- that point of view.

Agreed-

kyoten:

Here's another link to install Microsoft fonts.
This is for installing them on Linux Mint-

https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/29

And I don't need to use Slackware or Gentoo to know that it should NOT be recommended to someone new to Linux. Plopping them down in front of a command line is not the ideal way to get a former Windows user acquainted with Linux.
It would be like taking you from Gentoo and dropping you in front of an AS/400 terminal and telling you to upgrade the OS from i 5.4 to i 7.1, and set up group profiles for the IT staff. You wouldn't know where to start!
What about the code in this very webpage that sends your activity to Google by (attempting to) place tracking cookies in your browser? You can "disable" that by using Privacy Badger and Adblock Plus. But obviously you think it's worth while because you're here now, regardless of whether or not you care to block them.
And if you have actually read Ubuntu's privacy policy with regard to the Dash (under "Searching in the dash"), you'll find that it sounds a lot more transparent than this typical ambiguity.
Your loss, cause a lot of people including myself think it's very handy to say the least.

It means nothing for me how much people including you think that it's very handy.
I have my own head, I can decide it myself - is it handy or useless

If you children will stop bickering in the back seat, the important thing is NOT what we use, like, or think. The issue is what will answer the needs of the OP. He needs something a bit windows like, stable, easy to maintain, and that satisfies his need for security. Something he has to build is NOT a good answer. (Well, ok, a great answer for SOME of us but not for the OP!) Our purpose here is not to recommend what we think the best distribution is, or to sell everyone on our personal favorite. The purpose here is to help the OP find HIS best answer. Reset and find focus.

Many have given excellent suggestions. I recommended he hit Distrowatch, search for himself, and try more than one. The question I have for you now is: have we any other or better recommendations for the OP?

I would also like to know what thoughts the OP has, and if any of this appears to help in his search for the best solution.

Since Linux Mint and Elementary freezes maybe give Apricity OS <or> Centos a try.

If you continue to have freezing with another distro that you install I'd lean more or thinking this may be a hardware issue.

List your computer specifications and I'll look up your machine and do a little research.
What's the output of:
Is your computer a desktop or laptop and is it a Sony? HP? or a Dell?
-::-Exact make and model will help me to do research.-::-

Sorry for the long time between replies, Yes you are correct, it appears that my video card is failing and that is whats causing the freezing. Started having issues even in windows, seems anytime I try to use the 3d aspect of the card it freezes up. Since windows doesnt use 3d for well windows it didnt have any issues, also why as long as the drivers were not installed and Linux was using fallback mode it didnt have issues, turn on composting after the drivers are installed and bam, freeze up. Unfortunately it was a laptop, Latitude 6400, cant complain though its quite a few years old.

I have another machine, Latitude 6420 with an I5 2520m 2.5ghz, 8gb ddr3 ram, 128gb intel ssd, I think I have settled on Linux Mint Debian Edition, it works like the *buntus I am used to and I have my apt-get command but seems to be a bit more tried and true. Let me know what you all think of this distro, pros, cons and anything else I should know, its my first time Debian.

I only ran Linux Mint Debian for a few days live off the CD/DVD.
Aside from that I can't say much more.

The new Debian 8 "Jessie" is exceptionally nice.
Ran great on my laptop and I didn't have any issue.
Wifi worked right out of the box.

Same here everything was detected OOTB and just worked from the start, so far im liking it a lot.

kyoten,

Is it too early to mark this thread as SOLVED?

This review of Debian 8 Jessie seems pretty positive:

http://www.everydaylinuxuser.com/201...of-debian.html