So I've been thinking of really going full time with Linux as my primary desktop. I feel I have enough skills (well I hope I do), to be able to pull this off. Right now, I have 3 laptops...2 main ones that I use, and 1 smaller less powerful backup laptop.

These are the 2 main laptops:
Toshiba Satellite
CPU: AMD A4-5000 @ 1.5Ghz
RAM: 6GB
HD: 750GB
OS: Windows 10


Samsung
CPU: AMD A6-3410MX 1.6Ghz
RAM: 4GB
HD: 500GB
OS: Linux Mint

The Samsung is sort of been my Linux desktop testing grounds. Well I'm thinking of wiping Windows 10 from the Toshiba laptop and making it my primary Linux laptop since it does have more RAM and a bigger HD. It seems like CPU power between the 2 is pretty close. The Toshiba has a much larger screen too. I may still keep the Samsung as a secondary Linux laptop.

My application needs can be pretty much fulfilled by Linux with the exception of 2 small minor things...
1) RC flight simulator software...I'm an RC pilot who flies RC planes and right now I do use the Real Flight Simulator on Windows. I know Linux has some RC flight sim programs that I have yet to try out (I have been doing some reading up on them). The thing is, I don't fire this application up that often so it's not a mission critical application. Worst case scenario, I could always piece together a basic Windows workstation to run Real Flight for when I might need to use it. Or I may figure it on Linux in the mean time too.
2) I have some old project files for some old audio recording software I used to use on Windows. In an effort to clean up my data, I was wanting to go through some of these project files get what I need and delete them. Eventually I'm going to start doing audio recording on Linux anyways. Just like the flight simulator...this is not mission critical either.

Aside from those 2 minor things, I feel like I could use Linux full time as it meets all my other needs well.

Thinking I may stick with Linux Mint as it performs well on the Samsung already. Although I am open to other suggestions too. I like the OS to run pretty lean and to save most of my resources for applications.

I usually recommend MX Linux for newbies, (but I personally use AntiX myself), both are based on Debian.

Audio recording, I use Audacity, & I create videos with Openshot.

I've sample antiX...very lightweight. Haven't tried MX. Yeah I have grown to prefer Debian based distros...I have even did a base install of Debian and then added my own GUI. Planning on using Audacity and also been using Openshot as well on my Linux Mint laptop.

There's an old saying...

If you want to try Linux, pick any of the popular distros; but if you want learn Linux, choose Slackware.

Sorry... I'm a bit biased.

Actually, over the last 20 years I've only ever heard that from the people who use it.

I've been down the Slackware road in my early early days...it was pretty neat and it taught me a lot. I have sort of migrated from that, then to Fedora and ran into dependency hell which left a bad taste in my mouth, and then I started venturing into Debian. Been with Debian ever since. I've looked at Slack and it looks like the only desktop environment it provides with the distro is KDE...KDE is pretty, but I want lightweight.

> I've looked at Slack and it looks like the only desktop environment it provides with the distro is KDE

Not true. There's also Xfce4. That's what I run because I've hated KDE since v4.x. Here's an Slackshot w/ Xfce4:

https://i.imgur.com/RX20iBT.png

I'm a minimalist when it comes to desktops, so Xfce is the closest thing I can get to ol' Gnome, which was my fav when I ran Debian and Debian-based distros many years ago.

Hey what a coincidence. I was just planning on writing a RC blog post or starting thread with my successful sims on Linux. I was amazed how many actually run via wine. Maybe not Realflight quality but they do work, and I've got a couple working with my spektrum DXe. Supposedly there are some that run on steam(haven't tried those).

From what I read Realflight doesn't run on Linux.

As far as recording: Aurdor and Audacity are great programs. I'd recommend them any day.

Anyways I'll try the get that rc report written and posted

How cool...nice to come across another RC pilot on here. Seems like RC flight simulator programs are not as common as say an Office Suite or a web browser, BUT it does look like there are some options. I'd be interested to see your post once you get it written up. I will more than likely try Linux based sims before trying out a Windows RC sim in wine. I've got a slightly older DX6 and I know they have like USB dongles to allow a Spektrum to work with the software, BUT for starting out, I may just try to get the Real Flight USB transmitter to work

https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...55#post6080755

Well I just tried a good sample today...most of which were Debian/Ubuntu based...ones like Xubuntu, Linux Lite, and LXLE. In fact, I was very much amazed that the installers were almost identical. Overall I thought they were ok but just didn't excite me that much.

Also sampled MX Linux and I liked it pretty good...however, something I can't explain. In LIVE mode, it has no issues with my wifi...but once installed to the hard disk, the wifi appears to be operational except that I can't browse for wireless networks. It's almost like the wifi, "partially" works.

I have been tempted to do a custom Debian install (which I have done before), and put whatever GUI/WM I prefer. I don't know if this is possible, but I am kinda looking for something simple, but with some complexity. And I have grown to prefer the Debian based distros mainly b/c of the packages/software.

Perhaps, I just know what I want and can't find it, or maybe I don't know just yet. All else fails, I could just settle on an Ubuntu like distro and use it while I continue exploring.

After thinking about it some more, I am looking at ways to customize the installation.

What do you mean by "customize"?

OP, the subject line of your initial post,

resonated with me. When I got serious about using Linux, putting it on my main (at the time, only) laptop was the indicator thereof. The distro was Slackware and the year was 2005.

And I never looked back.

Does Slackware not have MATE? I'd say it's the closest DE to GNOME 2.

Basically what I was referring to for customize was to have an installer allow me to pick and choose which packages I want during the installation...OR at least just a base install of the main system and GUI would be nice. So from there I could add on what software I want...I do like Linux, but like some things, some distros add stuff I never use. I picked a bunch of lightweight distros to try out as my Windows 10 replacement, most of which were Ubuntu/Debian based. Going in, I knew they were based on Ubuntu/Debian, but I was actually a little surprised that even their installers were identical. And most didn't give me an option to customize the install in any way aside from HD partitioning. So I am still distro searching for my main laptop.

I put Linux Mint on my backup Samsung laptop and it's been a good system allowing me to experience Linux as a desktop again. I had Linux as a desktop back in the early 2000's but the only reason I switched back to Windows was that at time I was really big into applying to jobs and finding IT work...and I just had this fear with the Linux equivalent office suite that my resume might not format correctly for folks trying to open my resume in MS Word and thus result in me losing a possible job opportunity. That's the big reason I got out of using Linux as a desktop back then and reverting back to Windows...aside from that, I was fine using it a desktop replacement. But those fears are behind me and Linux has come a long way in the desktop world and it's definitely a little easier than it used to be.

Really I have been using Linux on my fileserver since the early 2000's. Early versions were Fedora, Slackware, and then eventually settling on Debian. I run it all in command line. I install the base system, then download Samba, SSH, and any other utilities/services I wish to install.

I am going to give some more distros a run to see what I think of them. Not sure what I'll end up with, shoot I may even put Mint on this laptop too. I also downloaded a few different versions of Sparky Linux last night. Or I may end up with a custom Debian install like my file server.

Unfortunately though...
Thanks to some distro hopping and antiX (it's the first distro to discover the issue while trying out different distros), I'm going to proceed with caution a little bit on putting Linux on my main laptop. I got an error for "reallocated sectors count" on my hard drive which does have me concerned now about my current hard drive. antiX discovered it first, and I have another HD utility showing it as well. I may still distro sample but not put anything mission critical on it, until I can get a new drive. I can use my Samsung laptop in the mean time as well OR I may just take the Samsung HD out and put it in my Toshiba. This makes kinda glad I discovered this now while in the process of redoing my system.