Recs.
Updated
Void is a general purpose operating system, based on the monolithic Linux® kernel. Its package system allows you to quickly install, update and remove software; software is provided in binary packages or can be built directly from sources with the help of the XBPS source packages collection.
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro BSD-like improvements with Linux
Full support for LibreSSL, an OpenSSL fork focused on maximizing security. The xbps-src package builder works in a similar manner to BSD's ports collection.
Cons
Con Not about fanboyism
If you want to use a distro because you want to have membership in a community and defend whatever garbage the devs push out, stay on Arch or move to Artix. Void Linux is for people who try it, discover it is the best tool for the job they are doing and then use it. Some people may make it wallpapers, but really the thing about void is that is minimal as possible and is for those of us who would rather make the decisions as to what software we include in our systems and not for those who want those choices made easy for them with minimal work while bragging about their use of the system due to an onerous installation process.
Con 'xbps' is not as powerful as 'apt with *(asterix)'
Example: apt purge python* " God bless America ! : apt autoremove ... xbps-install/-remove instead of simply 'xbps' ... <-- great if you want to break the system by removing the wrong packages even advanced users with this will fry a good install on accident.
Con Too much drama behind the doors and disorder with the packages
Too much drama behind the doors and disorder with the packages, some packages are broken, and the documentation is horrible, the manual needs additional contributors (they are seeking actively), wiki was deprecated and the community is almost nonexistent.
Con Truly minimal
This is a bad thing for most people, who expect the system to just work. Which is why Arch has dove head first into making stupid decisions left and right that make it somewhat more bloated and feature systemd (an excellent tool in some contexts, in mine absolutely trash). Like a BSD variant, which it takes a lot from, this requires you to do the leg work yourself (I write scripts to streamline this part, search Github for void post-install scripts for examples). While not as painful as Gentoo, being that you don't need to build everything locally, and not as opinionated as NixOS' whole thing, there is a dash of both in what is included in the XFCE image if you choose to install it, but even so uninstalling that meta-package will not break the whole system like other distros, so you aren't married to anything with it either (again both good and bad at various times) .
Recommendations
Comments
Flagged Pros + Cons
Pro Easy to use installer
Unlike it's closest competitor, Arch, Void includes a very user-friendly and simple installer in the ISO.
Pro Rolling release
A single instance of Void will be supported forever without needing to reinstall.
Pro XBPS (X Binary Package System)
A brand new package manager that is fast, full-featured, and tailored specifically for Void Linux.