I’ve been using Alpine Linux. I’ve always leaned towards minimalism in my personal life so Alpine seems like an appropriate fit for me.

Since what is installed is intentional, I am able to keep track of changes more accurately. I keep a document for complete setup by hand, then reduce that to an install script so I can get back to the same state in a minimal amount of time if needed.

Since I only have a Laptop and two Raspberry Pi’s with no intention of expanding or upgrading, this works for me as a personal hobby.

I’ve even gone as far as to use Alpine Sway as a desktop to keep everything similar as well.

I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who doesn’t have the time to learn. It doesn’t use systemd and packages are often split meaning you will have to figure out what additional packages you may need beyond the core package.

I appreciate the approach Alpine takes because from a security point of view, less moving parts means less surface area to exploit. In today’s social climate, who knows how or when I’ll become a target.