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Add to SafariVoid Linux vs Slax
When comparing Void Linux vs Slax, the Slant community recommends Void Linux for most people. In the question“What are the best Linux distributions for desktops?” Void Linux is ranked 9th while Slax is ranked 54th. The most important reason people chose Void Linux is:
A single instance of Void will be supported forever without needing to reinstall (you can update the system every day instead of having to install one major update every 6 months or so).
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Rolling release
A single instance of Void will be supported forever without needing to reinstall (you can update the system every day instead of having to install one major update every 6 months or so).
Pro Very minimal
More minimalistic than Arch since it doesn't use systemd.
Pro Runit init system
An init system with the "do one thing and do it right" mentality. Void Linux does not support systemd.
Pro Easy to use installer
Unlike it's closest competitor, Arch, Void includes a very user-friendly and simple installer in the ISO.
Pro Runit is fast and easy to configure
Runit init system is incredibly fast to boot and very simple to use.
Pro Different DE's live ISO's are available
Arch Linux doesn't make ISO's with different DE's. One need to manually install it through CLI version. But Void which is competitor of Arch, provides a wide range of DE's ISOs.
Pro Very lightweight
Base installation can idle at less than 250 megabytes of RAM.
Pro XBPS (X Binary Package System)
A brand new package manager that is fast, full-featured, and tailored specifically for Void Linux.
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.
Pro Musl image available
Musl libc is lighter and faster than bloated glibc. Musl has been argued to be more secure overall than glibc also but is also not supported by all software.
Pro Friendly forum
Unlike the Arch Forum, it is a friendly forum (although small).
Pro Xbps-src
Xbps-src is a source packages collection which is pretty similar to FreeBSD's ports and may replace AUR for Void users.
Pro Many packages
There are some packages in official repos, than may be found only in AUR.
Pro Cool Neofetch logo
Neofetch looks good.
Pro No systemd
Uses runit instead of systemd.
Pro Persistent changes
Changes you make in the configuration persist if you run from USB.
Pro Pretty fast to boot up
It was considerably fast to turn on when booting from cd.
Pro Modules
Standard tar archives plus some simple shell scripting produces modules that you can load dynamically into the OS for added apps and functionality.
Pro Modern desktop
Pro Small footprint
About 200mb, but with a full KDE4 environment and loads of useful apps.
Cons
Con Not suitable for those new to Linux
Documentation is scarce, NTFS partitions aren't automatically mounted, etc.
Con Not popular
Void Linux is not a popular Linux distro. So, if you run into a problem then it's likely you won't find any fix except from the maintainers.
Con Manual unclear about base configuration
Manual does not explain how to fix GRUB and gives no partition hints to the available options.
Con Niche distro
Fewer developers, smaller community, fewer packages than other distros.
Con Nvidia CUDA cumbersome to setup
If your using a Nvidia card with programs that require CUDA for fast rendering (Blender), you can expect some trouble getting it to work as it's not included with the Nvidiadriver of the nonfree repo.
Con No packages
Void developers refuse to package brave.
Con Overly complicated HDD/SSD installation
While it has a nice layout Slax's lack of an installer tool like Tinycore's just can't be justified. It seems strange that it comes built in with programs that some users may not want, yet it doesn't have an easy way to install it. Due to its heavier use of RAM, built in software, and lack of an installer its hard to choose it over TC.
Con Works slowly on old computers
Con Infrequent releases
Since Slax is maintained by only one person, releases are not that frequent. So it may take a while to get bug fixes or new features once you start using it.
