Screwing with Debian
Since my Debian Etch Xfce install has a short life, I decided to screw with it a bit. I wondered what it would be like to add GNOME.
I opened the terminal, became the super user and did this:
# apt-get install gnome
Now it's installing the some 200 packages that will constitute the GNOME desktop ... if I don't run out of disk space in the / partition first.
After the GNOME install, my Debian / partition has 2.5 GB in it. Still nice and relatively small. One funny thing: I have Mousepad and Gedit as GUI text editors. But under Applications -- Accessories, the regular terminal program is GNOME Terminal, but the root terminal is the Xfce Terminal. Both terminals are available in non-root mode under Applications -- Debian -- XShells. The Xfce Terminal makes another appearance under Applications -- System Tools.
One thing you get with a default Debian install vs. a default Ubuntu install is, in Debian, more software. You could probably make Ubuntu look just like Debian, but it's easier to just start with Debian in the first place.
I didn't do the normal fix for the Iceweasel/Epiphany fonts on CRT monitors because I like the default Debian fonts on LCD monitors and now don't mind them even on CRTs, but if you don't like your browser fonts in Debian, here's how to fix the problem.
Another curious thing: Adding GNOME gave me, among other things, Abiword and Gnumeric. I don't remember those being in the default Debian install. I don't mind at all -- I use Abiword a lot -- but it's just kind of curious.
If you came here via the gOS review: Debian has all the things gOS lacks. Ubuntu does, too.
Also curious: I have Synaptic, but not the Update Manager. Also, I did apt-get clean and now the Debian install fills a mere 1.8 GB on /.