I've tried out antiX Linux, and I think it's AWESOME! (Provided that I boot up and install using a CD-R instead of a CD-RW on certain old desktop computers)

I like Puppy Linux, because it's user-friendly and lightweight. I've been so spoiled from using Puppy Linux that I was conditioned to expect every distro to be as quick and as easy to use. The weakness of Puppy Linux is its software repository - only a few hundred programs available. It's great for the average person on the street, but if you have specialized needs (like engineering applications), this distro doesn't cut it. That said, compatibility with the Debian repositories (which antiX Linux already has) is in the works.

I tried Debian (most extensive repository), but I had difficulty configuring things. Installed applications wouldn't always make it into the menus, and I even had to install a package just to shut down properly. I also didn't like the long installation time and the need for an Internet connection during installation.

I tried Ubuntu because I heard it was more user-friendly. I think it's too bloated. (If I had 1+ GB of RAM, my opinion would be different.) The minimal installation runs faster than the normal installation, but that made Ubuntu less user-friendly. I also didn't like the long installation time and the need for an Internet connection during installation. Another problem is that Ubuntu has a history of becoming more power-hungry while terminating the repository (and other support) for the older versions. Thus, a group of users (the ones using the low-end computers) gets cut off each year. I'm not knocking Ubuntu - I just don't recommend it for those with under 512 MB of RAM.

antiX is the best of both worlds. Like Puppy Linux, it's user-friendly, It only takes a few minutes to install antiX, so it's competitive with Puppy in that respect. The antiX installation process is actually easier. (Puppy Linux requires you to manually add commands to the menu.lst file while antiX does it automatically.) The right keyboard, mouse, monitor settings, etc. are automatically detected when booting up from live CD. (Puppy Linux requires manual input.) With 256 MB of RAM, antiX runs as quickly as Puppy Linux.

The software repository is where antiX Linux really blows Puppy Linux away. antiX Linux uses the same repository as Debian. That feature is in the works for Puppy Linux but not ready for prime-time.

What surprises me is that antiX Linux isn't heavily promoting itself. This is the ULTIMATE DISTRO - light and user-friendly like Puppy Linux but with the software repository of Debian. In my opinion, antiX Linux is far superior to Ubuntu. Think about it: antiX and Ubuntu are roughly even when it comes to the strength of the software repository. But for speed, utility on old computers, and future-proofing, antiX blows Ubuntu away. Until the Debian compatibility of Puppy Linux is ready for prime time, antiX is the lightest and most user-friendly distro with the strength of the Debian repository.

jhsu, Howdy.

I preach the virtues of AntiX when I can. Problem is, Most people THAT DON"T RUN IT FULL TIME, Make comments in Blogs and Forums and IRC that AntiX is for very advanced users only. So I try to dispel that Myth. There are more of them though then there are of me. So it is a up hill battle, I have broad shoulders though. So I can take it __{{emoticon}}__

This may be because we are based on mepis and as such, don't have our own distrowatch listing. Should that happen...

john

OU812, maybe soon __{{emoticon}}__

jhsu, thanks for the positive comments.
I'll just say that the next version of antiX- (M8.5) includes some more 'Puppy' features missing from antiX-M8.2.
eg Persistent live, frugal install, better menu layout, and others to be discovered ... __{{emoticon}}__