https://www.devuan.org/os/devuan-distros

It seems a Mod has now also moved this thread inappropriately from the "Devuan Derivatives" to the "Intergalactic Communities" subforum, as if Spaced Linux isn't a Devuan derivative.

What's the point, really except some kind of bragging rights?

Oh come on, you know perfectly well that Debian and therefore also Devuan is like a rough diamond, i.e. not polished, it's only well suited for experienced Linux users, but there is a reason why distros like Ubuntu and Mint are so successful, because they are far more polished and therefore more appealing to newbies and to people who don't want to spend hours "polishing" the initial installation.
A polished derivative of Devuan is therefore a good thing, this has nothing to do with "bragging rights".

And the reason for that is (at least in my case, but most likely for others too) the archaic deb packaging format, if Devuan was using RPM for packages I for example would be looking into how I could help out.

I really tried to get handle on the Debian (and therefore Devuan) packaging method (there are threads on this forum documenting it), but it's all very badly documented (and every documentation says something different) and needlessly convoluted. A session at the dentist is more pleasant than trying to create a deb package that conforms to Debian rules.

You are assuming that everybody who creates a derivative also has the very specific skills needed to "deal with and repair the chaos being sent to us from Debian" but this is simply not the case.

N0! I am definitely not assuming that! I know that in 2026 few have the intelligence or skills to do what needs to be done to keep Devuan or any other distribution alive. Sad but true. The devolution of our species will possibly be the final nail in the "free software" coffin .

What's the point, really except some kind of bragging rights? 0 + 0 = 0

He is trying to build a Linux Mint alternative (as in a slick, beginner friendly distro for new Linux users) but based on Devuan, rather than Ubuntu or Debian.

Here is the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVftMkIorSY

I wish him good luck and hope he keeps this up long-term as I think Devuan could certainly benefit from a slick, beginner-friendly derivative to make it more accessible to Linux newbies.

It's not the kind of distro I would use (as an experienced Linux user since more than 30 years I prefer to customize Devuan according to my own preferences), but it's certainly one that I might recommend to newbies.

You are assuming that everybody who creates a derivative also has the very specific skills needed to "deal with and repair the chaos being sent to us from Debian" but this is simply not the case.
I could create a derivative, but I certainly could not "deal with and repair the chaos being sent to us from Debian" and I guess this applies to lots of derivative-creators too.

Fast forward to 2026 and we have the "Me Generation" on steroids. It is no longer "what can WE do as a team" for the greater good but "what can I do" that will get me attention and perhaps put me into digital history.

That attitude is not one that will sustain Devuan or free software for that matter.

What we don't need are more derivatives or fancy color wheels etc.. In fact, that misdirected energy will be the nail in the coffin of "free software".

I'd tend to agree, but with one caveat: by no means that can be a blanket to be cast over all of them.
There are a lot of very capable/valuable people out there doing excellent/useful work.

And even then, I will support their absolute right of anyone to do as they please, vanity or not.
That is not the point.

What gets me is the time and (mostly capable) manpower invested by thousands individually instead of harnessing it all towards a common goal. ie: a brick/set of bricks, part of a huge building within the metropolis that is the Linux ecosystem.
Instead of a small / temporary tent for two or three set up in a shanty town.

But with your name on the door, of course. 8^°

Right.
I think we have unwittingly veered way off-topic.
So I will end my participation now.

Thanks for the input.

Best,

A.

@klein, do you have a source for that? Doesn't sound very positive if that's the case. Obviously it should be bootable in single user mode, set the root password, done. This was the whole problem with the Ubuntu sudo approach, "use it as designed / as we tell you to use it, our way, not yours". This is the kind of controlling behaviour inherent in corporate software or free software developed under corporate influence/funding - i.e. the user is an idiot. All problems start with the user, the user has to be guided, railroaded to doing things our way, controlled, restricted, provided the least possible configuration options, to ensure the "defaults" are mostly preserved.

I'm particularly averse to anything which embraces "flat packs" or similar. Those types of packaging tools come from the mindest that *nix is broken by design and needs Windows style installers. In reality these type of installers are favoured by companies who don't want to deal with multiple packaging formats.

p.s. my thoughts go to, he is a long time IT professional building an os for clients and using www as his test subjects.

Yes, I have observed that happens quite a bit.
@golinux: interesting name/definition 8^)

Matches perfectly with the "Look Ma!, I rolled my own [whatever]" I have posted about a few times about the same thing.

Exactly my thoughts but by no means depreciative of the efforts made by those engaged in them.

Have a look* at the map of all the Debian based distributions that, for whatever reason, ended up by the wayside.
More than one deserved a much better fate eg: the original [CrunchBang]** and [DamnSmallLinux].

Makes you wonder about the time and manpower lost instead of being harnessed towards a common goal.***
Would MS-Windows exist today in its present form today?

*     within the larger map of generic Linux distributions timeline.
**   all time favourite till it went under.
*** for a distribution or applications/packages in need of maintenance.

TL;DR:

Best,

A.

This one in particular seems marketing heavy and a lot of effort seems to have been expended on the website. It appears to have it's own support channel also, so perhaps ask there? (they also accept donations)

Ubuntu started out similarly - someone decided that Debian was boring, "vanilla", needed manual configuration and some willingness on the part of the user to use the command line, plus releases were too far apart, so they set out to make something more appealing to ex Windows users, and of course, they sought to monetise that somehow.

At the time Ubuntu wasn't really much more than a brown theme, a fancy logo, some wallpapers and some other preconfigured defaults. The real difference was in the marketing.

You find the same thing with many of the derivatives these days: Essentially, name it, stick a badge on it and a wallpaper - plus "I'm a nice guy, so I'm going to provide my own preconfigured Linux distro for you, so that you don't have to do it yourself".