can't make up my mind

[Proglearner]

I can't make up my mind between Debian Wheezy and Mint 14. The former is better for learning to live on the command line, the latter for just using out of the box until I'm comfortable with the command line. Switching back and forth between them doesn't appeal to me because I simply don't like shutting my tower down or restarting it. Does anyone have any input on whether I should stick to Wheezy and purchase a Stress Eliminator or stick to Mint and live with the crippled command line and overautomation?

[cereal]

Get Mint and then use debootstrap to chroot debian, so you can have both without rebooting: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DebootstrapChroot

[BigPaw]

Consider how you are describing your dilemma. With Wheezy the complication is you, and with Mint the complication is Mint. Which one do you have control over? Which one will improve over time to harmonise with what you need or want?

[Garrett85]

Why do you say that Mint cripples the command line?

[Nutster]

The command line is available in Mint by opening a terminal. There are several packages that provide a terminal to the text interface in a graphical window. I like Terminator, as it allows you to open multiple windows on one screen.

[CimmerianX]

I use mint daily for both graphical applications and CLI terminal access to my hosts.

[metalized]

to that respect, I have not yet seen a Linux distribution command line unfriendly. If you are totally new to Linux, I would recommend Mint, as it seems to be working quite good for new users.

[Assembly GUy]

Perhaps if neither Debian Wheezy nor Mint please you, it's time to search for another distro. I use Arch, but it's all down to personal preference, really.

[bsimms86]

I would suggest that you stick with Wheezy. I think you'll find that you'll learn quicker than you think.