I think Linux Lite is a "sleeper" distro. I.e., it's been targeted toward older, lighterweight hardware (people being left behind by Microsoft). It doesn't appeal to the larger Linux community. For example, the official iso download doesn't support UEFI. So, most people who aren't coming from the targeted demographic (old XP and 7 machines) will see the download link, encounter what appears to be a buggy installer (doesn't work), and move on to something else. There is a way to install Linux Light on modern machines. But, you have to dig a little deeper, do some things that seem "not ready for primetime." I doubt most people (who aren't coming from the targeted demographic) would dig deeper.
I think if/when Linux Lite (5.0, I hope) supports UEFI (as part of the official distro), I bet the userbase explodes. The quality of the distro is up there with Peppermint, MX, Mint, etc. I mean, it's a solid, polished distro in a way that you wouldn't expect when you come from outside the targeted demographic and hit those seeming install problems. To put it another way: I think there's *a lot* of people who would be using it, and the word of mouth would compound that adoption rate. But, I think people with newer machines hit that initial install failure and think "I don't need this trouble." (If they look further to understand how to make their newer machine work, they'd probably think the same thing, like it's not a complete distro -- when it *is*).
One of these days we're going to be able to say "I used Linux Lite before it was cool to use Linux Lite." I think it's going to have a lot of buzz when it's more [not sure the word I'm looking for. I don't want to disparage LL. But, "mainstream?" Or, "targeted more seamlessly at the larger enthusiast community?" "Like other distros?" Not a "special distro for people squeezed out of Windows with old hardware?"] It's much more polished and well done than you'd think when you hit the "install problems" using new hardware, or realize that it is a speciality/niche? distro in that way. I think it's relatively unknown for its quality.
I think if/when Linux Lite (5.0, I hope) supports UEFI (as part of the official distro), I bet the userbase explodes. The quality of the distro is up there with Peppermint, MX, Mint, etc. I mean, it's a solid, polished distro in a way that you wouldn't expect when you come from outside the targeted demographic and hit those seeming install problems. To put it another way: I think there's *a lot* of people who would be using it, and the word of mouth would compound that adoption rate. But, I think people with newer machines hit that initial install failure and think "I don't need this trouble." (If they look further to understand how to make their newer machine work, they'd probably think the same thing, like it's not a complete distro -- when it *is*).
One of these days we're going to be able to say "I used Linux Lite before it was cool to use Linux Lite." I think it's going to have a lot of buzz when it's more [not sure the word I'm looking for. I don't want to disparage LL. But, "mainstream?" Or, "targeted more seamlessly at the larger enthusiast community?" "Like other distros?" Not a "special distro for people squeezed out of Windows with old hardware?"] It's much more polished and well done than you'd think when you hit the "install problems" using new hardware, or realize that it is a speciality/niche? distro in that way. I think it's relatively unknown for its quality.