So, I decided to try Debian 10. The install was uneventful.

Fun started when I wanted to "remove" systemd, using the recipe given here 
before: install install sysv-rc and sysvinit-core. It worked but... it 
removed network-manager and lightdm (and others I did not have time to write 
down). AT the next reboot there is a looooong wait at: starting system 
message : dbus, then all I get is a command line login. I log and there is 
another delay before getting a prompt. Network in unreachable and I can 
hardly install without it :((

I had installed with xfce, I can try with some other DE. Or install TDE and 
hope removing systemd won't wreck everything beyond repair...

Anyone got Buster running without systemd? Otherwise I'll wait for Devuan to 
release its Buster equivalent.

Thierry