CrunchBang Linux 9.04.01
Sometimes great minds think alike, there’s just no doubt about it. When I heard of the release of CrunchBang Linux I knew I had to do a review of it here on DLR. And when I got up this morning I noticed that there was a post by Brian Masinick in Request A Review asking for…you guessed it…a review of CrunchBang Linux.
Hey, just the cool name alone warrants a look at this distribution. Good idea, Brian!
CrunchBang Linux is based on Ubuntu but it doesn’t use Gnome or KDE for its desktop environment. Instead it used a lightweight window manager called Openbox. Openbox doesn’t have the eye-candy of Gnome or Ubuntu but it’s faster and much better suited to older computers and for those who prefer functionality over looks. It’s a minimalistic desktop environment that doesn’t seek to overwhelm you with feature-itis or the latest 3D special effects. It’s rooted in simplicity but is also quite customizable if you wish to change it to suit your own preferences.
What’s New In This Release
The last official release of CrunchBang Linux was 8.10.02 and there have been a number of changes since then:
Much improved boot performance with faster start-up times.
Improved support for wireless cards.
Ext4 filesystem support.
Other changes over the previous release have been kept to a minimum, with the exception of:
The lightweight tint2 panel/taskbar replaces lxpanel.
Transmission BitTorrent client replaces Deluge.
A full Vim installation included by default.
Pyroom fullscreen editor included by default.
Many other minor tweaks and fixes including:
Improved documentation added to default configuration files.
Openbox menu items added for commonly used configuration files.
New and improved default Openbox and GTK themes.
Additional Openbox and GTK+ themes installed, including the popular Dyne themes.
(9 votes, average: 4.44 out of 5)
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Hey Jim! I guess “great minds do think alike after all”! Wow, the first thing I read this morning is about a fresh review of Crunchbang (#!) Linux, only hours after I suggested it! Terrific!
Only one minor comment: I found a typo, mentioning Linux Minut” (a new, cutting edge French distribution, perhaps) instead of Linux Mint? :-) Morning humor, perhaps, oh ho! :-)
Glad to hear that 9.04.01 does indeed benefit from the recent Ubuntu speed improvements; I suspected that may be the case. Now I have to go out and grab a copy and try it out myself.
Thanks for the quick review! Based on what you’ve said, and based on my tests of the previous release, this release justifies another fresh look at this distro – maybe in my Virtualbox setup.
Glad you liked the review, Brian. I’d definitely stick it in VirtualBox and have fun with it.
Hmmm…I see no typo. I believe you are mistaken there. Look again.
I never do typos. Noooooo, not me.
Here in Virtualbox on Debian Lenny, running TWO Virtualbox instances, one with antiX in one window, another (this one) with Crunchbang Linux, and a Seamonkey nightly instance running on another desktop in Lenny.
It took less than ten minutes to download Crunchbang, and less than that to start it up. I cleaned out my cup, poured a cup of green tea, then Crunchbang was up and running, and in the meantime, Lynch even decided that he had not scooped the world with Linux Minut – it really WAS Mint after all!
Nice fast distro here, worth running and giving it a look!
Thank you for a great review!
Welcome to DLR, Phillip. Nice job on CrunchBang.
I dont believe OpenOffice should be installed by default on any distro. It takes 10 seconds to install it from synaptic if its needed. Use the space on the CD for something more important that more people actually use.
Minimalistic distros like CrunchBang are where its at. If I wasn’t so happy with my Debian with Fluxbox, I’d switch to CrunchBang. Overall they are very similar. CrunchBang would be an easier way to go.
Don’t obsess over how you desktop looks just get to work! Go with a minimalistic desktop!
You guys might want to check out this thread in the forum:
http://desktoplinuxreviews.com/forum/index.php?webtag=DLRFORUM&msg=77.1
It’s about the issue of minimalism versus bloat on the desktop.
CrunchBang deserves the praises you sang. The review, however, could have been more balanced if you had discussed the downside. Not least is that CrunchBang’s minimalist approach, achieved mainly through the use of Openbox, sacrifices functionality and ease of use for simplicity and speed. To cite two examples, one cannot display programmes or launchers on the desktop and configuring the menu isn’t exactly a cinch. Let’s face it. There are other distros (e.g.,Puppy Linux and Antix) that are leaner and faster than CrunchBang but offer the eye-candy that many are not ready to give up.
Thanks for the comment, windmonger. I’ll add Puppy and Antix to my list for later review.