I tried to live in this world. I still have the puppet modules I used for it up on Github [0]. Start from the base system, disable installing recommended packages, and set up exactly what you want. Marvel at how you can run `pstree` without the output scrolling and that you know what each process does and how to configure it.
I'd switched to this setup after getting fed up with bugs that I couldn't get a handle on troubleshooting. Things like NetworkManager forgetting I had a wireless network interface until I restarted my GNOME session. After a while though, constantly tweaking my setup to cope with new needs became tedious. A "stock" linux distribution and desktop environment may have felt opaque, but it offered a lot of integrations and polish that I struggled to replicate.
So now I'm running Ubuntu GNOME and sticking with the LTS. Thankfully I haven't had any serious issues. If I do, I'll roll up my sleeves and try to learn more about modern linux plumbing instead of running away from it.
I'd switched to this setup after getting fed up with bugs that I couldn't get a handle on troubleshooting. Things like NetworkManager forgetting I had a wireless network interface until I restarted my GNOME session. After a while though, constantly tweaking my setup to cope with new needs became tedious. A "stock" linux distribution and desktop environment may have felt opaque, but it offered a lot of integrations and polish that I struggled to replicate.
So now I'm running Ubuntu GNOME and sticking with the LTS. Thankfully I haven't had any serious issues. If I do, I'll roll up my sleeves and try to learn more about modern linux plumbing instead of running away from it.
[0] https://github.com/sciurus/personal-puppet/tree/master/modul...