I started doing Exe Gnu/Linux even before there were TDE repos other than for Ubuntu because I did not like the kde3 desktop deprecated, from a Debian user's point of view. It was at first quite scrappy but has improved considerably. I don't know much of other distros and don't really have time to investigate.
I use also Debian with XFCE which is actually really good but still, I find TDE the desktop environment i am most comfortable with. I learned a lot from Refracta which i still use and support in any way I can. Much of the "extra" stuff in Exe is thanks to Refracta
https://github.com/fsmithred/refracta http://refracta.freeforums.org/
Exe GNU will continue at least through to Wheezy even though there has been so far only one person who offered help. Any Debian users out there who want to help in any way (testing, coding or just some feedback to say what could be improved) would be great. So far, there has been little response from anyone in the TDE "community"
I want to do an Exe update with Slavek's patches, they work really well on my installed systems. I would like if Slavek and Timothy approve of that.
Exe is intended to be GNU-compliant, deviate from pure Debian no more than absolutely necessary and to be CD image size.
Exe does quite well in startup speed and functionality as a "live" system
Or if anyone else wants to do a Debian-Live image differently, (re-)mastering scripts already exist.
I would like to help more with mainstream TDE development, For me, bash is not so difficult but I have yet to learn C programming to a usable level; for now I can't contribute much more than bug reports and producing a working Debian live image.
David