New to Linux, any cool stuff I should look for?

[$cott]

Hi all, new to Mint, I tried ubuntu a few times, first time many years ago, but gave up after problems with wireless and generally not noob freindly enough for a total noob like me. So far so good, had little look for apps, enjoying docky, gimp seems pretty cool but unfortunately the main feature I use photoshop for, the heal function to remove things I can't get the similar function to work anyway near as well I have had a play with the themes, enjoying the w2k one for a trip down memory lane.

I was wondering if there is any other cool stuff out there that I should go and look for?

[homerscousin]

Cool stuff? I guess we all have our preferences. I'm into desktop appearance. I want so much more eye candy than Linux can possibly deliver. I want true 3d, I want real time ray tracing, both hardware limited now. In the near future, how about KDE 4.10 and it's ability to create annimated wallpapers? Due out in Jan 2013.

[igor83]

Hi all, new to Mint, I tried ubuntu a few times, first time many years ago, but gave up after problems with wireless and generally not noob freindly enough for a total noob like me. So far so good, had little look for apps, enjoying docky, gimp seems pretty cool but unfortunately the main feature I use photoshop for, the heal function to remove things I can't get the similar function to work anyway near as well I have had a play with the themes, enjoying the w2k one for a trip down memory lane.

I was wondering if there is any other cool stuff out there that I should go and look for?

Coming from Windows, the cd/dvd burning program k3b just blew me away... it is soo nice. I plan to try the KDE desktop one day just because KDE developers made k3b. A complete work of art, that program is, AND it can do ANYTHING I need in the realm of cd/dvd burning, including burn .ISO's, which Windows programs gave me a headache with--seems like I tried a dozen different programs to do that little task, whereas K3b has *.ISO support built-in, no problem at all.

Other than that, VLC is your program for watching videos and playing music.

Xfce is a desktop worth a try...I have found it to be lean on resources and richer in features than, anti-intuitively, the current incarnation of Mate, although I expect Mate to catch up and possibly surpass Xfce in about two years, if development continues. On my new Celeron G540, Linux Mint Nadia Xfce boots in 18 seconds--on a WD "green" 5400 rpm drive. How's that for speed?

[3.14159]

Coming from Windows, the cd/dvd burning program k3b just blew me away... it is soo nice. I plan to try the KDE desktop one day just because KDE developers made k3b. A complete work of art, that program is, AND it can do ANYTHING I need in the realm of cd/dvd burning, including burn .ISO's, which Windows programs gave me a headache with--seems like I tried a dozen different programs to do that little task, whereas K3b has *.ISO support built-in, no problem at all.

Other than that, VLC is your program for watching videos and playing music.

Xfce is a desktop worth a try...I have found it to be lean on resources and richer in features than, anti-intuitively, the current incarnation of Mate, although I expect Mate to catch up and possibly surpass Xfce in about two years, if development continues. On my new Celeron G540, Linux Mint Nadia Xfce boots in 18 seconds--on a WD "green" 5400 rpm drive. How's that for speed?

How long has it been since you used Windows? =P

The only program I'd put against k3b in a feature-for-feature match-up is ImgBurn (Windows).

It does everything. Burns from ISO. Makes ISO. Uses bin/CUE. It's easily my favorite CD/DVD burning software.

But, yes, I agree with you on k3b as far as options/features and a great GUI are concerned. Where I don't like k3b, is that it needs KDE libraries and I am trying to stay away from those for the most part. =/

[igor83]

Coming from Windows, the cd/dvd burning program k3b just blew me away... it is soo nice. I plan to try the KDE desktop one day just because KDE developers made k3b. A complete work of art, that program is, AND it can do ANYTHING I need in the realm of cd/dvd burning, including burn .ISO's, which Windows programs gave me a headache with--seems like I tried a dozen different programs to do that little task, whereas K3b has *.ISO support built-in, no problem at all.

Other than that, VLC is your program for watching videos and playing music.

Xfce is a desktop worth a try...I have found it to be lean on resources and richer in features than, anti-intuitively, the current incarnation of Mate, although I expect Mate to catch up and possibly surpass Xfce in about two years, if development continues. On my new Celeron G540, Linux Mint Nadia Xfce boots in 18 seconds--on a WD "green" 5400 rpm drive. How's that for speed?

How long has it been since you used Windows? =P

The only program I'd put against k3b in a feature-for-feature match-up is ImgBurn (Windows).

It does everything. Burns from ISO. Makes ISO. Uses bin/CUE. It's easily my favorite CD/DVD burning software.

But, yes, I agree with you on k3b as far as options/features and a great GUI are concerned. Where I don't like k3b, is that it needs KDE libraries and I am trying to stay away from those for the most part. =/

I'm sorry, there is no comparison between K3b and Imgburn. Imgburn is malicious software. If I ever see it on a user's computer, that is a red flag. Imgburn will replace the user's home page and search engine and add a toolbar to Firefox, all without the user's consent. I can't think of a program that gave me more grief than Imgburn. I uninstalled Imgburn the same day I installed it. I don't know why anyone would use it. There are better alternatives that do not wreak havoc on the Internet browser.

Anyway, K3b is far better designed, can do MD5 hash sums, and of course, is much easier to install, being right there on the Synaptic Package manager. It is most unlikely any repository would ever include Imgburn with all its unauthorized assumptions of privileges.

[homerscousin]

I'll say this for k3b. I have used maybe 2 other burning programs in Linux. k3b is the only burning software that gets the recording speed correct. My dvd-rw drive is 16x. I tend to burn distro ios's at 8x or 6x. k3b maintains that speed throughout. The others might start out at 6x, but always increase to max at the other end of the track. This isn't my concept of 'cool' , but it is my concept of something that works correctly.

[homerscousin]

Oh heck! I forgot Conky. Have you installed that yet and tried to customise it? Conky is one heck of a nice system info utility. It can report individual core speeds and temps, other system temps, hdd use, mem and process use, up and down internet speeds and totals, local weather, or even radio tray station and track info. Conky has to be number one on my list. It can display so much information and it can do so with that 'coolness' factor. It all depends on your ability to learn and your ability to write a configuration file (.conkyrc). I think it is really great practice for some things that are really more important for your Linux system in general.

[3.14159]

Coming from Windows, the cd/dvd burning program k3b just blew me away... it is soo nice. I plan to try the KDE desktop one day just because KDE developers made k3b. A complete work of art, that program is, AND it can do ANYTHING I need in the realm of cd/dvd burning, including burn .ISO's, which Windows programs gave me a headache with--seems like I tried a dozen different programs to do that little task, whereas K3b has *.ISO support built-in, no problem at all.

Other than that, VLC is your program for watching videos and playing music.

Xfce is a desktop worth a try...I have found it to be lean on resources and richer in features than, anti-intuitively, the current incarnation of Mate, although I expect Mate to catch up and possibly surpass Xfce in about two years, if development continues. On my new Celeron G540, Linux Mint Nadia Xfce boots in 18 seconds--on a WD "green" 5400 rpm drive. How's that for speed?

How long has it been since you used Windows? =P

The only program I'd put against k3b in a feature-for-feature match-up is ImgBurn (Windows).

It does everything. Burns from ISO. Makes ISO. Uses bin/CUE. It's easily my favorite CD/DVD burning software.

But, yes, I agree with you on k3b as far as options/features and a great GUI are concerned. Where I don't like k3b, is that it needs KDE libraries and I am trying to stay away from those for the most part. =/

I'm sorry, there is no comparison between K3b and Imgburn. Imgburn is malicious software. If I ever see it on a user's computer, that is a red flag. Imgburn will replace the user's home page and search engine and add a toolbar to Firefox, all without the user's consent. I can't think of a program that gave me more grief than Imgburn. I uninstalled Imgburn the same day I installed it. I don't know why anyone would use it. There are better alternatives that do not wreak havoc on the Internet browser.

Anyway, K3b is far better designed, can do MD5 hash sums, and of course, is much easier to install, being right there on the Synaptic Package manager. It is most unlikely any repository would ever include Imgburn with all its unauthorized assumptions of privileges.

Sorry for my late reply, I've been busy lately.

You couldn't be more wrong about ImgBurn.