Linux Mint

[ahndoruuu]

Have any of you tried it?

The people on its forums swear that it's better than Ubuntu, but besides changing the desktop (which I might say does look a LOT better) and the menus, and a few additional programs specifically for Mint, it is not incredibly different. I'm currently posting this from the Mint live CD. I was considering switching over from Ubuntu to Mint as my main distro but with Mint I feel somewhat...less secure? I know its almost identical to Ubuntu so most of the support given here will apply to Mint as well, however I would like to hear other opinions on the matter.

[Muffinabus]

Meh, it's just Ubuntu with multimedia codecs installed.

[Tibuda]

Meh, it's just Ubuntu with multimedia codecs installed.

No, it is ubuntu with multimedia codecs, a custom theme and useless system tools.

[ahndoruuu]

Well I think I'm getting the point.
I can install multimedia codecs myself
As for the theme; I know nothing about themes for Ubuntu but a better looking one would be nice

[Simian Man]

Well I think I'm getting the point.
I can install multimedia codecs myself
As for the theme; I know nothing about themes for Ubuntu but a better looking one would be nice

Head to gnome-look (http://www.gnome-look.org/); there are thousands :).

[bryonak]

I've explained my view of Mint in this thread (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7407814#post7407814).

[Wiebelhaus]

No, it is ubuntu with multimedia codecs, a custom theme and useless system tools.

Clem is a amazing programmer , he's heavily modified the system and it's very good , seems to handle old software better but at it's core once you slice and dissect , it's still very much Ubutu as Ubuntu is still very much Debian.

Now there's a real treat! A fresh install of Debian still makes me weep a little bit. lol

[Wiebelhaus]

Head to gnome-look (http://www.gnome-look.org/); there are thousands :).

These are the best and easiest period. (http://francois.vogelweith.com/index.php?Itemid=26)

[Sublime Porte]

Meh, it's just Ubuntu with multimedia codecs installed.

And Ubuntu is just debian that's been tweaked a little, and the point to this useless comment is?

Most modern distros are based on a 'parent distro' of some sort, that doesn't in any way detract from their usefulness or merits. Attitudes like this DONT belong in the Free Software community.

[sliketymo]

:guitar:
Have any of you tried it?

The people on its forums swear that it's better than Ubuntu, but besides changing the desktop (which I might say does look a LOT better) and the menus, and a few additional programs specifically for Mint, it is not incredibly different. I'm currently posting this from the Mint live CD. I was considering switching over from Ubuntu to Mint as my main distro but with Mint I feel somewhat...less secure? I know its almost identical to Ubuntu so most of the support given here will apply to Mint as well, however I would like to hear other opinions on the matter.
I have tried it,don't quite get the appeal.I am not very expeirienced with linux systems to be sure,but I could not get my settings to "take".Each time I would re-start it,my panels would be in different placesLOL.Ditched it for "Hardy".

[qamelian]

These are the best and easiest period. (http://francois.vogelweith.com/index.php?Itemid=26)
Well, that's coming on a bit strong! :)

I like all of his themes, except the newest one (showtime, I think it's called?), but none of them make my "Top 10" list for best or favourite themes. I've tried them all but each of them has some little fault that grates and makes them unpleasant for me to use. It usually amounts to one element that I find ugly compared to the rest of an otherwise nice theme.

Of course, I'm one of the odd-balls that actually likes the default Ubuntu theme, so maybe that invalidates my opinion! :D

[jimv]

Clem is a amazing programmer , he's heavily modified the system and it's very good , seems to handle old software better but at it's core once you slice and dissect , it's still very much Ubutu as Ubuntu is still very much Debian.

Now there's a real treat! A fresh install of Debian still makes me weep a little bit. lol

Figuring out which version and CD/DVD image of Debian to download makes me weep a little bit.

[Wiebelhaus]

Figuring out which version and CD/DVD image of Debian to download makes me weep a little bit.

lol , I understand.

Fyi for someone reading the thread:

32bit net_installation: (http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/5.0.1/i386/iso-cd/debian-501-i386-netinst.iso)

64bit net_installation: (http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/5.0.1/amd64/iso-cd/debian-501-amd64-netinst.iso)

Net install means you need a nigh speed connection because it downloads just what packages you need during the installation rather then including a bunch of stuff you may not need on a huge image.iso.

[dspari1]

Some people on this thread need to see what Debian users think about Ubuntu. ):P

[tgalati4]

Unless you try it, you'll never really know. It's Ubuntu with several tweaks already performed. Many things work out of the box. It's a real time saver.

I posted a comment on the mint forums about releasing a 64-bit version 2 years ago. Clem said it would never happen. Somehow he changed his mind and now we have 64-bit versions!

Clem has a clear vision and he has added several useful Mint features.

[swoll1980]

Lunux Mint wuh? Never heard of it.

[richg]

I switched to Mint 6 when it first came out. I now use Mint 7. I could not get the "easy" fixes to work in Ubuntu. Ubuntu is nice with very good forum support but I am very much in the minority. I want to run Applications, not Operating Systems. Left Windows about five years ago.
I do not partiton or dual boot.

Rich

[Therion]

Ubuntu feels like Debian with training wheels to me while Mint feels like Ubuntu with training wheels... And rounded corners... And spongy-soft foam.

Not that it's a bad or poor performing distro. It's just not what I'm looking for.

[XubuRoxMySox]

I hate what Mint has done to Firefox! The "Mint search" is, according to the developer, by far the biggest financial support for Mint, up to 40 times more than ads and donations (read it in his own words here (http://www.linuxmint.com/blog/?p=142)). He does offer a way to remove that feature, but it is not a permanent fix. It is undone every time Firefox updates.

In spite of Clem's retraction of that "politicalization of Mint," I couldn't in good conscience even use Mint now, knowing that the mere ordinary use of the browser raises money for him (and it just goes to Clem, according to his blog here (http://eclelef.blogspot.com/2009/05/middle-east-what-matters-most.html)). Excerpt:


Having said that, Linux Mint is not a company, financially speaking it's just me.

Putting two and two together, using Mint sends money to Clem, and Clem - just as any other person with a conscience should - puts money behind things and causes he believes in. If that cause is something that I abhor, I cannot even make ordinary use of Linux Mint without being nagged by the possibility that doing so in any small way, even indirectly, lends support to that cause.

[jimv]

I hate what Mint has done to Firefox! The "Mint search" is, according to the developer, by far the biggest financial support for Mint, up to 40 times more than ads and donations (read it in his own words here (http://www.linuxmint.com/blog/?p=142)). He does offer a way to remove that feature, but it is not a permanent fix. It is undone every time Firefox updates.

In spite of Clem's retraction of that "politicalization of Mint," I couldn't in good conscience even use Mint now, knowing that the mere ordinary use of the browser raises money for him (and it just goes to Clem, according to his blog here (http://eclelef.blogspot.com/2009/05/middle-east-what-matters-most.html)). Excerpt:

Putting two and two together, using Mint sends money to Clem, and Clem - just as any other person with a conscience should - puts money behind things and causes he believes in. If that cause is something that I abhor, I cannot even make ordinary use of Linux Mint without being nagged by the possibility that doing so in any small way, even indirectly, lends support to that cause.

Overreact much? He seems like a decent guy who is fairly objective on issues (like the Israel issue, even though he caught some heat over it). And he is the man behind Mint, so I see no problem with him configuring Firefox to bring him money instead of Mozilla. He's providing a product that people like, and there's nothing nefarious or wrong about him getting something out of it.

Plus, according to the Linux Mint blog, a lot of that money goes back into Mint.

[kamitsukai]

The money raised has also enabled him to take a paid 6 month break from his primary job to work on Linux Mint more =]

[Wiebelhaus]

Ubuntu feels like Debian with training wheels to me while Mint feels like Ubuntu with training wheels... And rounded corners... And spongy-soft foam.

Not that it's a bad or poor performing distro. It's just not what I'm looking for.

Good way to put it mate.

[monsterstack]

I like what they've done to the Gnome menu for the latest edition, but it isn't the distro of choice for me. I would most certainly invite newly expatriated Windows-users to try it as their very first Linux distro, though. It tries to do so many things out of the box (mostly succeeding) that I can imagine being a big help for a complete Linux noob.

[ice60]

He seems like a decent guy who is fairly objective on issues (like the Israel issue, even though he caught some heat over it).
lol are you serious.

[jimv]

lol are you serious.

Yes, I'm serious. Are you? Tell me what your beef with him is.

[K.Y.A]

No, it is ubuntu with multimedia codecs, a custom theme and useless system tools.
The useless system tools make a Windows user feel at home. :KS

[XubuRoxMySox]

... there's nothing nefarious or wrong about him getting something out of it.

Plus, according to the Linux Mint blog, a lot of that money goes back into Mint.

I'm not suggesting that there is anything wrong with it at all. I think it's a smart thing for any developer to do, and so much the better if it frees him or her up to work on the distro.

But at the least it forces me to change the way I use Firefox (I prefer Google, and I prefer to use it from the little search bar at the top of the page), and at worst it gnaws at my conscience to use it as is.

Understand, please: I do not begrudge Clem his right to his opinion, nor his right to raise money that way. I would do the same thing in his position (except that I would give credit where it is due, with abundant acknowledgement and thanks to the Ubuntu and Debian developers). My issue with Mint is a matter of my own conscience, not with the distro, nor even with it's funding methods.

Except for PCLinuxOS, Mint has been the most newbie-friendly, ready-out-of-the-box, fully featured, and aesthetically gorgeous distro I have tested.

-Robin

[ice60]

Yes, I'm serious. Are you? Tell me what your beef with him is.
are you asking if i'm serious about asking you if you're serious?

i'm not getting in to why he's foolish and wrong to say things, they're mostly political anyway. i don't think much of him though.

[Therion]

... PCLinuxOS ... aesthetically gorgeous distro...
+5

For some reason the last few releases of PCLOS have refused to boot on my system and I've not the patience to figure out why/fix it.




/softly sobbing...

[Roving Sign]

Im a recent convert to Mint as well...

Based on its reputation for user-friendliness, I picked Mint7 as the OS for my 70 year old mother's laptop - Windows kept getting broken/horked up. That machine (PresarioR3000) has been perfect with Mint7. No complaints or problems...she even configured Thunderbird all by herself.

I liked it so much, I scraped my Ubuntu 8.10 install and moved to mint7. It worked "out of the box" on my machine also. (and Im running an old Duron 1300 w/2GB) My Ubuntu installs (on this machine) always had little quirks that made them feel or seem "less than perfect" - Mint hasn't done that to me yet.

[5nak3]

I was actually looking at getting and trying out Mint today because since my upgrade to 9.04 while most things work better, I have noticed my graphics card does not perform as well as it did in Hardy or Intrepid.

My question however which I could not answer through reading information on the Mint website is:

Does Mint use a rolling release or is it a 6 monthly one like Ubuntu?

[ahndoruuu]

I was actually looking at getting and trying out Mint today because since my upgrade to 9.04 while most things work better, I have noticed my graphics card does not perform as well as it did in Hardy or Intrepid.

My question however which I could not answer through reading information on the Mint website is:

Does Mint use a rolling release or is it a 6 monthly one like Ubuntu?


Mint is released "whenever the next version is ready" according to the Wiki
Usually about a month after Ubuntu is released.

As for myself I think I'm just gonna stick with Ubuntu for now. An "Ubuntu with Training Wheels" doesn't sound like a particularly interesting prospect for me.

[5nak3]

Right ok, so no rolling release. Many thanks for that.

[XubuRoxMySox]

Right ok, so no rolling release. Many thanks for that.

The closest thing to "rolling release Mint" is PCLinuxOS. I'm having a look at that one myself and so far it looks awesome. The default is KDE (but it runs much faster and lighter than Kubuntu for some reason) and there's a Gnome version available too. Comes with Synaptic and all the familiar software, gorgeous like Mint, but rolling release!

-Robin

[~sHyLoCk~]

I tried mint once, din't like the design. However, I have recommended it to a few friends of mine and they dumped Vista and are now using mint, some have crossed over to Ubuntu! That's how you should start using linux,imo. Start with an user-friendly distro and then move on for bigger and better. Thus spreading the love for Linux :D

[ajgreeny]

Mint 6 was great, though I still used Ubuntu, but when Mint 7 appeared and everyone suggested it was "sooo good" I gave that a try. It's still on my machine in a testing partition, but it just does not rock my boat, I'm afraid. The mint-menu, (that I quite like), will not close after using it, which is a real pain in the a***, and there are other little annoyances which have put me off.

In any case I am so used to Ubuntu now, having used it since 5.04, and though heavily customised, it only takes a short while to add everything I want over and above the default install, and other than the codecs which are very quick to add to Ubuntu, I would have to add everything else to Mint anyway. There is so little saving that Mint is not my choice. I stick with the original Ubuntu.