Anonymous
What is the difference between using Debian and antiX?
If you want preconfigured Fluxbox/Herbstluft/IceWM/JWM environment, then the difference is obvious — you don’t have to install and configure it yourself.
The same goes for LIVE this and that.
If you want OpenBox, then there is no advantage.
What motivates you to use antiX instead of Debian?
This question only you can answer to yourself. Only you know what you need/expect and you see what you get if you play with antiX for a while. See above.
Is it just the old now classic bone to pick with systemd, or is there more to it?
Answered in those two answers above.
I love Debian and I even love that they don’t release new global OS versions often.
But I hate that Debian leaves way too many packages frozen for too long, with bugs that were fixed upstream years ago
I really love my 60’s old timer cabrio but, I really hate that the modern air-conditioning doesn’t work and I can’t enjoy my HiFi sound. Did you notice something?
Did you try Windows 10 already? Absolutely stable, probably best Start Menu up to day, 20-year old ‘packages’ mostly still working. Current programs all working. Future apps probably also working … One or the other niggle from time to time is usually a peanut compared to Linux niggles ‘n’ glitches …
Incidentally, if the official Debian repositories are compatible with antiX, why does antiX have its own repository?
Why does it need one? What separates the two endeavors anyway?
antiX is 98 % Debian. Most packages a from Debian. Basic problems, advantages/disadvantages are same like in Debian, except … see the answers above.
antiX has its own repository for a small number of packages that are not available in Debian at all or, for some packages that are newer or fixed versions.
Example: http://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/icewm-start-menu-icons/page/2/#post-18231
P.S.
Just thinking loud … I actually don’t really understand myself and why I’m answering the obvious.
If you would just simply pick up antiX and Debian Live, play around with each of them for a couple of days, you would easily see the difference yourself and be able to see if it’s suitable/worth for you. Nobody here can answer what are your intentions with some O/S, your expectations on it, your knowledge about the O/S you use …
If you can’t see the difference yourself, after trying both distributions live for a couple of days, than it anyway doesn’t matter answering you what’s the difference (since you’re obviously unable to see any). For that matter, you can simply pick up just about any/every O/S or Linux distribution out there — it would make no difference for you.