Linux Mint Debian Edition (liberated from SystemD)

Summary

Using a simple algorithm, you can add the LMDE repos to a Devuan base installation, install the necessary keyring and files for LMDE and boot into Linux Mint (either cinnamon, mate or xfce). BEAR IN MIND that the installation is incomplete and some GUI elements do not work because of their systemd dependencies.

Justification

LMDE uses SystemD, which is inherently NOT an init system, but a program suffering from software control creep (like Microsoft). Many Like Linux Mint, but hate SystemD. This guide will explain how to liberate Linux Mint for the anti-SysD users.

Steps to create

1. Install Devuan Chimaera as a base installation. You may want to include tools for networking. If you cannot, prepare a Linux Live image and chroot just like you would installing Gentoo.
2. Obtain network access if you have not already done so (For non-chroot method, skip the mounting and move on to step 4). If you cannot, mount the filesystem, proc, sys, dev and run:

sudo su
mount /dev/sdX /mnt
mount --types proc /proc /mnt/proc
mount --rbind /sys /mnt/sys
mount --make-slave /mnt/sys
mount --rbind /dev /mnt/dev
mount --make-rslave /mnt/dev
mount --bind /run /mnt/run
mount --make-slave /mnt/run

3. Temporarily change the Root Filesystem using the chroot command:

chroot /mnt or chroot /dev/sdX

4. Update APT under root privileges. Install vim, sudo and mc (optional package to find things).
su (do not type if chrooted, because you should already be in root. It's a waste of energy but it still works)
apt update
apt install -y vim mc sudo

5. Navigate to /etc/apt under mc or using cd
mc
OR
cd /etc/apt

6. Use either vim or prefered text editor to edit the sources.list file
vim sources.list
nano -w sources.list
emacs sources.list
echo [add text here] >> sources.list etc...

7. Add the repo for LMDE
deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ elsie main upstream import backport

8. Update APT again using the allow insecure repos command. Install the Linux Mint Keyring for GPG using the bypass unauthenticated flag
apt update --allow-insecure-repositories
apt install --allow-unauthenticated linuxmint-keyring

9. Find the dependencies for mint-meta-core (listed to save you the effort). Install all dependencies except for mintupdate (systemd dependent program)
sudo apt install -y linuxmint-keyring mint-info mint-artwork debian-system-adjustments mint-translations mintbackup, mintinstall mintsystem mint-mirrors mintreport mintsources mintwelcome command-not-found inxi grub2-theme-mint

10. Install one of 3 GTK Desktops for Linux Mint (more choices than LMDE)
apt install mate-desktop mate-tweak tilda plank
apt install xfce4
apt install cinnamon

11. Exit chroot if using that method and reboot
exit
sudo reboot