If that's not your jam, but you still want to explore the distro, try out Salix, which -- on top of having automatic dependency tracking with the Apt-Get-like package manager Slapt-Get-- has the largest official repository of all the Slackware-based distros (most of them compiled straight from the SlackBuilds).

15.0 (for both Slackware and Salix) is the current stable release, and is comparable to Debian Bullseye (which Devuan Chimaera is based on). You can add specific third-party repositories for newer or otherwise missing packages, but that's not needed when you can just rely on using SlackBuilds.

Yes, I'm aware of Slackware although I have never used it, and the modern Slackware logo is an "S" on a blue roundel. Searching for other info now, it seems that the Slackware logo back then was Tux with Bob's image on his chest.

smoking a pipe

Yeah, that'll be Slackware. Prior to the more modern "S" logo it was either Bob Dobbs or Tux smoking a pipe, both are still considered "mascots".

Slackware is still alive and well, making it the oldest surviving major distro. It also hasn't changed very much since I first installed it some 25+ years ago, which is either its biggest strength or its biggest weakness, depending on who you ask.

TBH I'm kinda surprised a Devuan user isn't at least passingly familiar with Slackware, it's the OG old-school init holdout (BSD init) and one of the only two "big" distros (the other being the somewhat younger Gentoo) that didn't go all-in on systemd.

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ftsa&q=Dr+Dob … nux&ia=web