Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

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whorider

Re: Linux Mint 8 64 RC1 released!

Post by whorider »

64 bit RC1 released, check the server. Hint: The one in Ireland
Az4x4
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Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by Az4x4 »

Thought I'd post a followup to my initial comment on page one of this thread. After a few days of running Mint 8 I can truthfully say it's all I thought it would be and then some. Helena is not without a sticky issue or two, one of which is the lack of a currently working Mint4Win installer. But overall Mint 8 is a large step forward for the Mint Team, and well worth the upgrade if you're so inclined. Most things "just work" right out of the box, with very little tweaking needing to be done for a fully operational world class OS.

Introduced another long time DOS and Windows computing friend to Mint 8 yesterday. Until then he'd never stopped long enough to even look at Linux, so Helena was a complete revelation for him. We installed the new OS on a dedicated 60gb partition -- 15gb root, 3gb swap, and the rest for home. The old AMD 2.x ghz processor on that machine, with 1.5 gb ram, leapt back to life with Mint 8 in place and since then he's never looked back! Told me today he finds Mint 8 perfect for all he does with that machine, and is considering removing his old Windows XP installation completely!

Also, an additional note for the graphic minded crowd. I run two Windows graphics programs I use a lot, Adobe Photoshop 7.0.1 and Adobe Illustrator 10.0.3 under Wine (with Wine Doors installed), and they're flawless on Mint 8. I like both of these final pre-Adobe CS versions of these programs a lot -- mainly for their light weight and relative simplicity compared to the newer CS to CS4 versions that Adobe has put out. So if you're comfortable with photo work or vector based illustrations in Photoshop or Illustrator, and can find these two pre-CS Adobe products, you certainly won't be disappointed! Of course there are viable Linux alternatives to these programs, but if you've spent your working life on Photoshop and Illustrator as I have, finding two products that install and run as flawlessly as these do with Wine is quite a relief to say the least!
DavidS

Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by DavidS »

Az4x4 wrote: Also, an additional note for the graphic minded crowd. I run two Windows graphics programs I use a lot, Adobe Photoshop 7.0.1 and Adobe Illustrator 10.0.3 under Wine (with Wine Doors installed), and they're flawless on Mint 8. I like both of these final pre-Adobe CS versions of these programs a lot -- mainly for their light weight and relative simplicity compared to the newer CS to CS4 versions that Adobe has put out. So if you're comfortable with photo work or vector based illustrations in Photoshop or Illustrator, and can find these two pre-CS Adobe products, you certainly won't be disappointed! Of course there are viable Linux alternatives to these programs, but if you've spent your working life on Photoshop and Illustrator as I have, finding two products that install and run as flawlessly as these do with Wine is quite a relief to say the least!
Hi, I actually like CS3 Adobe suite the best and wish I could at least get Dreamweaver running on Mint. If I could, I would leave windows in the dust!! Would you have any idea how to do this??
DavidS

Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by DavidS »


Thanks... but TOO SLOW!! When I try downloading, it starts a 220kb and drops immediately to 34.
No way.
Husse

Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by Husse »

Please do not post about the 64 bit edition in this topic - it will get its own topic when it's time
Az4x4
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Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by Az4x4 »

DavidS wrote:..Hi, I actually like CS3 Adobe suite the best and wish I could at least get Dreamweaver running on Mint. If I could, I would leave windows in the dust!! Would you have any idea how to do this??
Hey David! You can run Adobe CS to CS4 products on Mint 8 by installing VirtualBox then putting a light weight version of Windows XP in place. I run a minimalist version of TinyXP (do a Google search for an active torrent) in VB. Adobe CS to CS4 programs run perfectly in it.
Husse

Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by Husse »

Remember that you need a valid XP license for that
mcurran

Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by mcurran »

I cannot believe that there are still settings set for the .iso live cd image where the update-manager refreshes at startup and also refreshes every 15 minutes. Also, the screen-saver and power options should also be considered, because at default settings: users installing each release must babysit their installation and make sure their computers don't power down. I personally found the update-manager particularly annoying and feel this is a must change. What do you think?
burjans

Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by burjans »

Creí que aqui se hablaba español, creo que me equivoqué. Prové el LiveCD de Linux Mint 8 y funciona muy lento en una vieja computadora que tengo, luego lo probé en mi LAPTOP que no es tan vieja y alli funcionó pero no con la rapidez que tenia Linux Mint 7, definitivamente la nueva versión al parecer heredó los problemas de su madre Ubuntu, espero que Linux Mint 9 de un salto porque de momento fue hacia atrás.

salu2
Atreidhs

Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by Atreidhs »

I wish we had a cd cover (and a case cover as well) for our linux mint collection!!!

:)
Pariah

Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by Pariah »

Things I would like to see...

a small thing really and if I knew how to change this I would: I miss the 'tunnel' screensaver..it was the only one i used

not so small thing: login screen is so fugly!

Mandriva's interactive firewall, it's awesome
rich_roast

Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by rich_roast »

mcurran wrote:I cannot believe that there are still settings set for the .iso live cd image where the update-manager refreshes at startup and also refreshes every 15 minutes. Also, the screen-saver and power options should also be considered, because at default settings: users installing each release must babysit their installation and make sure their computers don't power down. I personally found the update-manager particularly annoying and feel this is a must change. What do you think?
I agree, although somehow these issues didn't bug me as much as they did when I was installing Mint 7 - maybe that's because I fiddled around more with Gloria before installation whereas this time I pretty much just checked that it kind of worked and went for the install aqap.
Pariah wrote:Mandriva's interactive firewall, it's awesome
Just for the record: Firwall GUIs - but the Mandriva client looks sweet for sure. Wonder if it can be ported?
Pariah wrote:I miss the 'tunnel' screensaver..it was the only one i used
I didn't read this epic through but it seems that that's a feature rather than a bug, or so it's considered - the bug was "ship fewer screensavers by default" (to be more in line with the relatively sane number of wallpapers and other artwork provided by default, and also to save space, natch). Can't please everyone, huh? Look in synaptic for xscreensaver-gl-extra, hopefully that's the package that contains tunnel.
ers1121

Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by ers1121 »

As a resonably new Linux user there is one thing I have not been able to figure out, maybe someone can explain it. I began using Mint 7 about a week after it's release, I was amazed that everything, and I do mean everything worked. It recognized my Windows network, printers, wireless connections, just everything! When I tried Ubuntu it was hit & miss, some stuff worked most not. Since my understanding is that Mint is built on the Ubuntu base how does Clem and his team get a system that is so-so and turn it into something that works as well as it does?
Last night I did the upgrade from Mint 7 to Mint 8 (I have been running Mint 8 in VMware since it's RC was out). I read all of the warnings about doing the upgrade rather then a clean install, but since Mint 8 does't come with Mint4Win this was the easier way to go. The install went good, although very time consuming. The average clean install including downloading &burning the .iso was about an hour. The inplace upgrade took almost 3 hours. This time, like the others, everything worked. The only thing that didn't were some of the Compiz Settings needed to be reset, other than that it was Mint working as usual.
thanks to Clem and all of the Mint team for an outstanding job.
Ed
SharkyPL

Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by SharkyPL »

Any updates on the XFCE CE?
red-e-made
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Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by red-e-made »

ers1121 wrote:As a resonably new Linux user there is one thing I have not been able to figure out, maybe someone can explain it. I began using Mint 7 about a week after it's release, I was amazed that everything, and I do mean everything worked. It recognized my Windows network, printers, wireless connections, just everything! When I tried Ubuntu it was hit & miss, some stuff worked most not. Since my understanding is that Mint is built on the Ubuntu base how does Clem and his team get a system that is so-so and turn it into something that works as well as it does?
Last night I did the upgrade from Mint 7 to Mint 8 (I have been running Mint 8 in VMware since it's RC was out). I read all of the warnings about doing the upgrade rather then a clean install, but since Mint 8 does't come with Mint4Win this was the easier way to go. The install went good, although very time consuming. The average clean install including downloading &burning the .iso was about an hour. The inplace upgrade took almost 3 hours. This time, like the others, everything worked. The only thing that didn't were some of the Compiz Settings needed to be reset, other than that it was Mint working as usual.
thanks to Clem and all of the Mint team for an outstanding job.
Ed
Personally, I always do a download and burn to CD-R. I've never tried "upgrading" Mint through terminal commands (except when we went from Cassandra to Celena, IIRC). This is also helpful if it turns out that there are way too many bugs in Ubuntu upstream, for my machine, to be running the newest version. I just get out the old disc, re-install the previous version, and wait for all those bugs to get sorted. This may actually be the case for Helena with me - I get some weird Compiz behavior, sometimes themes misload, the latest Cairo Dock will not load at all, and the machine burns a lot of CPU during the first few minutes of start-up. This is a shame, because I absolutely love the changes the Mint team made to Mint apps, especially to mintUpdate. Gloria is still a masterpiece, though, and I'm running that now. Once things get ironed out upstream, I'm sure Helena will outshine.
ers1121

Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by ers1121 »

I too usually burn a disc and do a fresh install, but this was a bit different. Mint 8 didn't include Mint4Win, since I am still new to Linux thats how I install it. I did a full install a while ago, allowing Mint to set up the partitions & allowing me to dual boot with Windows, well that worked for a day or two, something screwed up & I lost everything. so this is the easiest way to do it for now. I have been running Mint 8 (full install in VMWare) for a while and had no problems. The only problems occur when I try to install the KDE package, within hours everything stops working. Using Virtual if something goes wrong I can hit delete & reinstall, haveing a fresh installatiion in about 20 minutes. I am soon to replace the HDD in my laptop, the will be separate partitons for Windows 7,Windows Applications, Mint, Ubuntu & Data. If an O/S screws up or I want to upgrade to a newer version I won't lose everything.
Ed
solar1951
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Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by solar1951 »

Just my thoughts.
Didn't like the startup screen when the cursor changes from two chasing dots to the standard gnome - looks amateurish.
Start up wallpaper too busy - once again could be more subdued and professional.
On Sony vaio laptop - not high spec only 512 ram - the machine would freeze with no keyboard or mouse available if compiz was selected. This does not happen with Ubuntu 9.10
Also another minor point the link and activity lamps on my pcmcia card stop functioning after a short while - no big deal, same on Ubuntu 9.10
I will try it on my Desktop in a while to replace Gloria, but maybe wait for Mint 8.1 updates.
Overall 7/10
Supamarioana

Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by Supamarioana »

I'm (still) new to Linux and like Mint 7 Gloria a lot beacause it works and looks really professional. That's why I tried out Mint 8 Helena as it came out and I honestly wasn't pleased. Why the "hard to configure" GRub 2? And why are the grub menu and the login screen so ugly? As I understand it, Linux Mint is supposed to be an "elegant" OS so what happened to this premise? :cry:
To draw people from Windows to Linux, you need appropriate eyecandy from the first second you start your PC. And Mint 8 completely failes in that, I'm really sorry to say that because I know that there is big team standing behind this release and all of them have worked a lot for that task. But the new login screen really makes my head ache. That's why I went back from Helena to Gloria: Because Gloria works just as well, but is a lot prettier.
Az4x4
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Re: Linux Mint 8 "Helena" released!

Post by Az4x4 »

burjans wrote:Creí que aqui se hablaba español, creo que me equivoqué. Prové el LiveCD de Linux Mint 8 y funciona muy lento en una vieja computadora que tengo, luego lo probé en mi LAPTOP que no es tan vieja y alli funcionó pero no con la rapidez que tenia Linux Mint 7, definitivamente la nueva versión al parecer heredó los problemas de su madre Ubuntu, espero que Linux Mint 9 de un salto porque de momento fue hacia atrás.

salu2
Mi español es pobre, así que por favor tengan paciencia conmigo.

Su experiencia es común con los que tratan de la nueva versión de Linux Mint. Mint 7 de veces funciona mejor que la Mint 8 en un equipo determinado. Pero más a menudo que no Mint 8 resulta ser una mejora útil. Seis meses a partir de ahora Mint 9 pasa a ser. Si usted siente que Mint 7 funciona mejor para usted ahora que siempre puede pegarse con él y esperar a que Mint 9!
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