My initial observations of LMDE

[rijnsma]

For me LMDE is fine and stable. I'm experimenting with it for about a month now.
I also had the 'keyboard-issue' and nVidia getting to work was not very smooth.
But I didn't have any real problem so far and LMDE does grow in its role (updates).
The Gnome panels need some updating. They disappear from time to time. I've seen it too in
other distro's and Mint 8. No big deal. One time ^alt-delete and 'cancel' and they are back.

This was a fantastic tip:
viewtopic.php?p=335181#p335181

I have set LMDE to squeeze and did a sync.
http://www.go2linux.org/how-to-upgrade- ... to-squeeze
http://pclinuxos2007.blogspot.com/2010/ ... ition.html

And this is not a third release, not a second, it is the first.
I think Clem and crew have done a great job. Thanks a lot for a fine peace of software,
which will last a little bit longer than 6 months.

[Txnca]

Well, I started out to read all of the posts in this thread, but quickly got tired of the argument over whether this could be considered a true debian experience or not since it had some of the Mint stuff install. Personally, I could care less. Sorry if that offends. I'm still new enough to Linux that I don't care about the base, I care about the way it works. I care if it is going to start up tomorrow or even later after a power outage, something I just went through. Unfortunately, my laptop doesn't have an internal hard drive, just an external, so when the power went off everything went down! But, good thing is, the system survived a power outage. I've seen windows refuse to boot afterward.
Would I call myself a guru in Linux, or even an experienced Linux user. No, I am still pretty much a newbie. I'm learning and breaking and fixing when and what I can. So, when I talk about LMDE, that is where I am coming from. I've tried all of the Mint distros of Isadora. I currently run the KDE and Gnome versions. Mostly the KDE version. I like how responsive they have been and enjoyed the look and feel of the OS since Helena Gnome. So now you know the total extent of my Linux experience!
My first impression of LMDE was speed! I was taken by surprise! KDE is pretty fast on this old laptop, so is Gnome, but NOTHING compared to LMDE. That was with the updates running in the background! All 500+ of them which surprised the hell out of me! But then I seem to remember reading that this was a rolling distro so I guess I should have expected it. Also, I was impressed by the fact that again everything ran right out of the "box". Don't get me wrong, I am sure that I will find some things that I need to tweak. I have in all of the editions I have used. The fact that everything works is amazing. I can tell you that is something that has NEVER happened in any version of Windows I have ever used! (3.0/3.1/3.11/WfW/95/98/98SE/ME/NT/2K/XP/Vista and to some extent 7, although only the RC version) After Vista I decided that MS had gotten enough of my money. I started looking for something new. I found Mint. I have been impressed with the way it works. Always.
When I was reading about the LMDE version I read that it wasn't for the likes of me. Meaning a newbie. That it was geared more for someone who knew their way around a Linux box, knew apt and dpkg, (I had to look to make sure I spelled that last one correctly, I didn't, had to fix it!) Well, I installed it anyway. I may have to do so several times again because I am sure I will mess it up. I always do! But, the fact that it works, that even though this is supposed to be for seasoned Linux users only, and the fact that I, a newbie, could install it and make it work tells you how good this package is.
Again, I come back to the speed of the release. It is much faster at just about everything. When I was installing the 500+ updates, I was able to use the system. Something I haven't been able to do very well with any of the other distros. It uses less memory, somewhere in the range of 500K instead of 700K. That is with several program open at the same time.
Anyway, I guess I've spoke my piece. Time for me to go mess with my install and mess it up! Then I can try and fix it and ask a bunch of questions and drive yall all crazy!

[rijnsma]

[k3lt01]

Well, I started out to read all of the posts in this thread, but quickly got tired of the argument over whether this could be considered a true debian experience or not since it had some of the Mint stuff install.

Are you sure you read that in this thread?

[tdockery97]

Well, I started out to read all of the posts in this thread, but quickly got tired of the argument over whether this could be considered a true debian experience or not since it had some of the Mint stuff install.

Are you sure you read that in this thread?

More like the perception of LMDE on the Debian Forums. IMO that point of view would mean that the only true Debian is an installation with NO desktop at all. Gnome, KDE, LXDE, XFCE, E17 versions of Debian are NOT true Debian by that point of view. I have the Testing KDE version, so I must not be running true Debian. It's a bunch of elitist crap. As far as I'm concerned, whatever distro I like to run is the best one out there. LMDE is real Debian with a modified desktop experience.

Sorry for the rant, but it ticks me off when a group decides that they are the only "true" Linux users.

[Txnca]

Well, I started out to read all of the posts in this thread, but quickly got tired of the argument over whether this could be considered a true debian experience or not since it had some of the Mint stuff install.

Are you sure you read that in this thread?

Actually yes, although I guess it really wasn't an argument, more of a disagreement over this being a pure debian experience, and the learning curve of this distro compared to "true debian" etc. As a matter of fact, you were in that discussion as the post where I stopped reading had quoted you about something or other. Not that I really care. Just as I said I am pretty much a newbie at Linux, and was just giving my "initial impressions of LMDE" just as the heading of this thread says. Anyway, I removed what he quoted you about but I didn't read much past this point. Maybe I should have but hey, kids screaming in the background, the wife yelling at me to stop the kids from screaming....I just couldn't take the pressure! So, I bailed, sue me!

In that case won't you be just installing Debian? I don't think a Debian install with a few packages from Mint repos can be considered as installing LMDE. That's as erroneous as saying an LMDE install is Debian. Several people have discovered that view at the Debian forums when looking for support.

Anyway, after this point, it became quote this and quote that and this and that and...yada yada yada...It became noise in my poor newbie brain, and what I remember was the "pure debian experience" and the "learning curve" etc ad nauseum. Clearly it was just too much for me to handle! <----Deer in the headlights look!

Pardon my newbie misunderstanding of the conversation. Pardon me for getting off topic.

[k3lt01]

Well, I started out to read all of the posts in this thread, but quickly got tired of the argument over whether this could be considered a true debian experience or not since it had some of the Mint stuff install.

Are you sure you read that in this thread?

Actually yes, although I guess it really wasn't an argument, more of a disagreement over this being a pure debian experience, and the learning curve of this distro compared to "true debian" etc.

I'll cut you some slack, considering the "family" situation and all. I would, however, recommend that you take the time to understand what is written instead of not bothering with what is written and mistaking that for what you think is being said.

My point of a learning curve was comparing LMDE to an "off the shelf distribution", if you don't understand what an off the shelf distribution is then I suggest you read the thread. At no point, that I can remember, has anyone said anything about "pure debian" in the way you are saying.

[Txnca]

I'll cut you some slack, considering the "family" situation and all. I would, however, recommend that you take the time to understand what is written instead of not bothering with what is written and mistaking that for what you think is being said.

My point of a learning curve was comparing LMDE to an "off the shelf distribution", if you don't understand what an off the shelf distribution is then I suggest you read the thread. At no point, that I can remember, has anyone said anything about "pure debian" in the way you are saying.

Hmmm, how to explain this. I think you misunderstand. I got as far as I did and my eyes kind of glazed over due to lack of understanding. I guess that is one way to explain it. When I said I am a newbie, I meant I am a newbie. Don't take the fact that I have posted lots of times mean that I might know what I am talking about. True, on some things I know exactly what I am about. Mainly because I have had to fix the issue myself and I have taken the time to understand what is going on and how to fix it by searching for the answer here and elsewhere. True I have an extensive PC background. But my experience with Linux is Mint Helena until my hard drive gave out on this laptop, and then my fan/heatsink went out on my desktop. Then a couple of days after I get the desktop working the wife was online one day and "POOF", went my partitions on my main drive. So, the only thing I have done for a long time was use the liveCD on my laptop. I finally got around to installing XP on my desktop so I could do something with it, other than stare at it. Since then I have been using it to get work done and just recently got back to Linux. I stopped in to see what was up and found that a new Mint was out, which is Isadora. That was about two-three weeks ago. I d/led it and ran the liveCD until I realized that I have a MicroSD card which I could install it on. So I did. I then played with all of the different editions of Mint until I finally settled on KDE and Gnome as the two that I would be using. I used it for a couple of days, and realized that I had two or three HD that I could use externally. So I pulled a 500GB external off my desktop pulled it out of it's case and put an 80GB that I had just gathering dust into it and reinstalled KDE onto it. That is where I also installed the LMDE.

So, I'm guessing here, but my experience level with Linux is about 3-4 months. Some stuff I read and I can understand it OK. Not too different than what I have dealt with on the PC side. Some of it...I am totally lost, and my eyes glaze over and I get that glassy eyed look and I move on. So believe me when I tell you, I meant no disrespect, nor did I mean to make you feel the need to dress me down. When I did the deer in the headlights thingy earlier, that is how I felt reading what yall were talking about. Maybe at some point my understanding will be on a par with yours. Until then.....

[tdockery97]

Sorry if I got carried away. As an avid Mint user I grow weary of some Linux users viewing us as using a "toy" distro. And I guess I mis-read what you were talking about.

[k3lt01]

I guess people just don't understand that Australians are blunt and to the point.

So believe me when I tell you, I meant no disrespect, nor did I mean to make you feel the need to dress me
down. When I did the deer in the headlights thingy earlier, that is how I felt reading what yall were talking about. Maybe at some point my understanding will be on a par with yours. Until then.....

I didn't dress you down, I corrected a perception and even found the thread that mentions "pure debian" which you said was this one.

[msuggs]

Thanks for the compliment. I'm a school teacher by profession

That's a coincidence, so am I. No wonder we think we know everything

I guess people just don't understand that Australians are blunt and to the point.

A school teacher and Australian? The similarities here are starting to scare me. If it it turns out I've worked with you somewhere it will completely freak me out

[k3lt01]

Thanks for the compliment. I'm a school teacher by profession

That's a coincidence, so am I. No wonder we think we know everything

I guess people just don't understand that Australians are blunt and to the point.

A school teacher and Australian? The similarities here are starting to scare me. If it it turns out I've worked with you somewhere it will completely freak me out

hmmm, for some reason I thought you were somewhere in Europe, on some little group of islands. off the north west coast of France that we have been debating turning into a penal colony.

If you had already worked with me you will have picked it by now

Sorry Txnca, I realise this little side conversation with Omns will be a total racket for you

[rijnsma]

In the meantime from time to time I do experiment a litte with LMDE.
And it is really beautifull and stable.

I learned how to use Clonezilla in this multiboot of 6 partitions. So I can work safe enough now with LMDE.
(I like all kinds of remastering and imaging to be safe. There is no 'Remastersys' for ext4 Grub2. I noticed that
LMDE is my only ext4 distro - by accident I think? I like to do things ext3/Grub - ; but it's bootable in the system.
I have pointed Grub2 to its own partition like with the former Grub legacy and it works.
PCLOS (ext3/Grub) has the MBR, so that is kind of a switch to all partitions. And goes something wrong
in experiments with the MBR or 'menu.lst' this distro has 'redo-MBR' and then we can work on again. Very nice!
A livecd with the distro does the job too.)

What was the problem with Clonezilla?
Initially Clonezilla wrote (at the end of restore) Grub(2) in my MBR and then I could not boot, but this can be
overcome in expertmode-mode. I have for booting partitions at crisistime (without MBR) a Grub hybrid CD;
then redo-MBR and go.
Clonezilla is rather good, better then 'G4L' or 'Live Magic'. 'Partimage' does not do ext4.. 'Partclone' did in an occasion
something strange here. Maybe the wrong version; it is the heart of Clonezilla. 'dd' does the whole partition
and not only the OS, like Mindi/Mondo and G4L.

I'm very happy now. And when all becomes ext4/Grub2 I do chainloading. I'm done.