(X)Ubuntu alternatives?

[Vampyre_2099]

So I've been using Ubuntu for a while now and have downloaded the live cd for every release since 6.04 but I still feel incomplete when using it. It just doesn't feel like it should. Linux is customizable and thus should fit its user like a glove but I don't get that feeling.

I've wanted to try out other distros but with the bandwidth awesomeness that Telkom provides us, I can't afford to go downloading every distro out there.

I've played around with Xubuntu and I feel a little better about it, the Xfce interface is just so much more fluid and usable (for me anyway). So my question comes in, who has used other Xfce distros and what are your thoughts? The other alternative is to download a base system (Debian, Gentoo, Slackware for instance) and then apply Xfce

EDIT: shiv, you are not invited to give your input UNLESS you have actually used a Xfce system for more than a week

EDIT 2: Just to clarify before the responses come POURING in. Looking at this thread, I have to say:
Fedora - Not too keen, never liked the naming scheme and its always just felt wrong
openSUSE - My friend had version 9 (I Think) and I will never touch that distro again, I felt violated... like MJ was in the room at the time

[Ihsahn]

Well you can try Sabayon http://www.sabayonlinux.org/

[Vampyre_2099]

Thanks, although 4GB iso is a bit of a stretch with my 3GB cap

[Ihsahn]

Yeah its a bit big, thats why I downloaded it from work

[M1ke]

It's pretty difficult considering it's difficult to describe the "feel" of a distro, and also as each person prefers a unique "feel".

What a about Debian?
http://www.debian.org/

[Vampyre_2099]

Hey Mike

Yeah, I'm thinking of trying debian, my only problem comes in with the 21GB download of the iso's.

EDIT: But I'm thinking of biting the bullet and paying the R130 for 30GB Local IS cap from Webafrica and then downloading debian and any other iso I feel like... from their ftp servers.

EDIT #2: Just decided to take the plunge, just bought the local cap and waiting to activate it. hopefully after a full night of downloading, I should have a debian distro waiting for me

[WAJeff]

wo0t!!! Another Web Africa client
If you got hosting, dont phone me though Lemme know if you run into troubles though, in all seriousness I can see what I can do

Personally, I dont think there are any decent stand alone, come outta the box distro's with XFCE as a GUI. Cant say Im a fan of the environment either.. but thats just my opinion
See if you can get hold of a rolling distro, something that can do anything you want it to with the right command. I've installed KDE 3.5, 4, KDE-Mod, Gnome and XFCE seperately and all at the same time and I didnt have any issues. I was gonna offer to ship you Debian Lenny since I've got it on DVD, but I see you got yourself some local cap from teh best ISP

Here some links to get you started
32 bit:
ftp://ftp.is.co.za/linux/distributions/ ... 6/iso-dvd/

64 bit:
ftp://ftp.is.co.za/linux/distributions/ ... 4/iso-dvd/

I've been running Debian since Etch went stable, so I didnt need to download all 4 or 5 iso's. I know Etch could install off the first one, and the other where just there as a localhost type repo
I'll reply to your PM in a few secs

[Vampyre_2099]

Thanks g0ldback

Yeah, I started the download last night, let it run through the night and woke up to find one iso complete... awesome, only 4 more to go I had a nice file list of all the iso's but it seemed to not like it, so I started it again, this time specifying all the iso files from the command line, hopefully (by my calculations) after roughly 15 more hours(9 of which are spent at work), I should have the 5 iso's ready to burn.

I've also decided that in future I'll take one for the team and buy more local cap 30GB/R130 isn't much and then download and ship people iso files if they so require... thats the true spirit of linux isn't it?

[shiv]

EDIT: shiv, you are not invited to give your input UNLESS you have actually used a Xfce system for more than a week

Noted

[Vampyre_2099]

So I'm now sitting with DVD's 1 and 4 of the 5. Seems the internet comes to a grinding halt during a business day... who would have thunk it?

[gmccumskey]

You could of course have tried Kubuntu which is pretty much Ubuntu but instead of using Gnome it uses KDE and it uses KDE 4.2 which is absolutely mind-blowing. Had my Mac toting boss take a look and comment about how KDE with all its effects blow away anything that Mac OS does.

If you would like I could post some screenshots. Also, Kubuntu is only a CD sized download