[Techtalk] Best substitute for Scientific Linux?

[mgmonza at iceland.freeshell.org]

Hi, all,

My mental home for the last six or so years was declared moribund in 2020 
and dead by November.  They pulled the plug on him November 30th, 2020. 
(hey, if the "Siri" I created is a breathy "Rouel", the "she" men use for 
objects can be a "he" in my book)

That was the Fermilabs Scientific Linux system 6x.  I loved everything 
about it, but especially the way it catered to old keyboardists like me. 
Vim-like, my fingers rarely had to reach for the mouse with SciLin 6x.

All of the recent downloads of the 64x (also moribund) versions of 
Scientific Linux have a ghastly desktop that requires this muriform 
intervention.

Can anyone recommend a desktop environment that will let me select objects 
on a 'desktop' by typing in 'first to however many letters they need to 
make them unique'?  The latest Gnome for that 64x version of Scilinux 
ignores keyboard letters and an altogether different install of Mint does 
as well.  They won't even let me do an "alt/spacebar/m" to maximize!

My flitting fingers and I thank you for considering this and for any 
suggestions you might have to solve it.

MG