Looking to switch to debian...

[ZephyrQ <ZephyrQ@att.net>]

	...and I need some feedback, if you please.

	I'm coming from SuSE 8.0 and have been increasingly frustrated with the
direction SuSE is going (first installed SuSE 5 years ago) and several
have suggested that Debian was the way for me to go.  I am looking for
the following:

	--ability to recover when occasional problems happen (without having to
reinstall to recover my X desktop)

	--gnome friendly (SuSE is increasingly marginalizing gnome in favor of
KDE)

	--decent community to help out with problems (which is why many
suggested you guys, and why I subscribed to the list...)
	
	--ability to install software easily (I don't mind the
configure/make/make install dance except that SuSE sometimes puts stuff
in weird places--difficult for me to find)

	--more control over boot process and graphical logins (I hate it)

	--and the ability to *easily* control many of my tweaks.  When SuSE
went exclusively to yast2, I lost the ability to change many things
(like the graphical login...) and changes I *did* make get changed back
after the next re-boot.

	--documentation for me to read to help me figure stuff out.

	I originally went to linux from OS/2 (after IBM practically killed it)
and don't mind getting my hands dirty; I actually prefer it to the slick
installs. I guess there is a slim line I am walking here as I have never
re-compiled a kernel and I'm not sure I want to (don't have time) but I
still like to control my system when I need to.

	Thank you.