Sorry if I cover old ground as being on-the-go here in the Far East. I could nor read all that came before, however: 1)Why are not Newby options listed?(I remember trying Red Hat in the Japanese version [X years ago] and did not find it so user friendly). What are they now?.

Item #6 answers its own rhetorical question: "knowing the command line is not essential anymore..." BUT "I cannot...figure out why people completely avoid... the most complex tool there is." Uh,duh!

#s 7&9: (about avoiding upgrades)It is really annoying to try to use your mike (on Skype)after an upgrade disabled it;(I certainly detest MICROS**T's countless shells clogging things up, but I expect Unix type kernels to fit better than those on a blighted ear of sweet corn!)