Help with more info about DE

[Artim]

So...  questions:

1.  LL uses XFCE, Ubuntu uses GNOME...  where can I find a comparison of the differences between these (in terms a novice can understand), and what are they called exactly?  Something like a flowchart, perhaps?

There are several desktops for Linux!  Gnome, Mate, Cinnamon, Trinity, Budgie, KDE, Xfce, LCDE, RazorQt, Enlightenment, and more!  Xfce is best for beginners, has a very intuitive interface.  That's the reason a lot of distros for Linux newcomers use Xfce, besides the fact that it is frugal with RAM and CPU.  Google "Linux desktop environments compared" and you'll likely be overwhelmed!

2.  When downloading Ubuntu, I read that it was based on a "build" of Debian.  I have some understanding of these terms...  Debian is a server-oriented OS, and "build" means the code was changed a little.  Right?  Is there another flowchart perhaps of the popular distros, showing the versions they are based on, and the differences?  Couldn't hurt to ask.  Something like a family tree.

Debian used to be a "server" distro, but it's a great desktop in it's own right nowadays.  It's aiming to be "the universal operating system," but it isn't there yet.  Mostly because it's own lofty standards tend to slow it's progress (which is actually a good thing in a lot of ways - Debian is ultra-super-mega stable.  Debian is the great grandaddy to dozens of awesome distros including Linux Lite!

3. A lot of the problems I have (i.e. customizing the GUI), when I look up the answers, I originally was looking up LL specific answers, then Ubuntu answers (because they were easy to find).  I got to a point where I was seeing gtk-specific answers, and LL does not have the gtk-specific config files.  I figured they had to make it "Light" somehow, by choosing smaller components, OK.  I guess my question is, what are the different major components of the build (like mate, or cinnamon, etc.), and how should I think of them in somewhat-laymans-terms?

Linux Lite does have gtk-config files, but goodness, why would you edit config files when you can use the supercool graphical tools to make LL's highly modified Xfce desktop just the way you want it? 

Welcome, by the way, both to Linux and to Linux Lite!  Plenty of help and fun to be had!