topic title: Transition strategy
Posts: 6
HandyAndy
Joined: 29 Nov 2010
#1
Hi there

I've recently joined the forums and I'm very likely to become another antiX user before long.

I've been using Linux for about 8 years, Ubuntu for over 5 years and Ubuntu+Fluxbox for over 4 years. I don't need to use a lightweight system, I just prefer the speed and and the minimalist aesthetic. I'm attracted to antiX because it's lighter and should be faster than my current set-up, it doesn't include a load of stuff I don't use, it's a rolling release, it's based on Debian testing and, from what I've read, it mostly 'just works'. So far my experience has been limited to using it as a LiveCD, but what I can try out all seems to work for me.

What I want to do is to take what I've learned from running Ubuntu under a light WM and tweaking it and apply that to antiX. I've made lots of changes and got my own preferred applications, like Chromium and Thunar, some of which I want to replicate. However, I don't want to replicate everything; I've been impressed with the antiX experience and I want to stick fairly closely to it. In summary, although I'm not intending drastic changes, neither do I plan on using antiX exactly 'as is' and it will probably take some time and a fair bit trial and error to get it how I want it. With my Ubuntu system, on the rare occasions I struggled to do something under Fluxbox, I've been able to drop into a Gnome session and use its easy GUI tools to accomplish it. That won't be an option in antiX. I'm aware there will be a learning curve and in lots of ways I'll enjoy that and I'm prepared to put in the effort. But I can't afford the time to spend endless hours on the nursery slopes of that curve.

I've got a working system and, because I use my computer for work, I need to keep that safety net while I switch over to antiX. Because I have to keep Windows as well for the occasional work related thing, I haven't got enough drive space to create another partition to install antiX on while I play with it. When I install antiX it will be in place of my Ubuntu system so it needs to be with a minimum of downtime and I need to be reasonably confident that my tweaks will work, or at least not cause any major breakages.

Am I right in thinking that if I install to a USB stick as a 'LiveCD' and make it persistent, the changes I make (configurations, installed applications, etc) will be carried over when I install to the HD? Is this a sensible plan? Is there anything I should know before giving it a go?

Any advice gratefully received.

Andy
anticapitalista
Posts: 5,955
Site Admin
Joined: 11 Sep 2007
#2
You should be able to run the live usb, make the changes and install it with changes to hard drive. The only thing that you can't change is the kernel. You have to do that (if you wish) after install to hard drive.

If you do a dist-upgrade in live usb, be wary of some changes that have occurred since antiX-M8.5 was released.

See here for known issues.


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Posts: 6
HandyAndy
Joined: 29 Nov 2010
#3
Thank you, anti.

Andy