Beginners Guide to Installing and Using Linux Mint 11

[mzsade]

Yeah, found it after a reboot, wasn't there before even though i looked for it by that name, but as a newbie i think ALT+F2, and typing command is a solution with a very wide range. Thanks.

[Redlander]

This URL, when I click it, provides me this a dated User Guide; I have the latest Guide. If there is a special glossary, I would like ti have it.

Regards, and Thank You,

Redlander

[uilenspiegel]

Since this topic is "sticky" at the top of the newbie forum, the first post should really be kept updated with the link to the most recent version of the Official User Guide (http://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/linuxmint.com/ ... nglish.pdf at the moment). Latest version of the doc is already greatly improved, and such a prominent link should really highlight the best you have to offer.

[NineBreaker1986]

Dear Mint Gurus

I have just purchased a laptop from Ebay. And with it comes Mint Gloria 7. I have always been a Windows person but decided on this occassion to spread my wings and try something new. And what a success. I ask myself why I bought into the Microsoft world in the first place. Any hows. I have bought this laptop. And with it I am signed in on USER PETE . After contacting the seller for all relevant passwords he informs me that he has set no passwords . However I cannot install anything as I need admin passwords. How can I create an account for me JAMES not this PETE fella. And set me.... JAMES to administrator with MY passwords. As i said I am new to linux... but will not be converting back to the Windows Theory . Help is needed... or my laptop will forever prompt me for "passwords" that dont exist to this seller. And I will forever be known as PETE to my laptop. I thankyou for your time reading this. And your patience. I admit us Noobs can be irritating. Especially to you Gurus.

I appreciate any help. Many Thanks

James

[emorrp1]

Hello and Welcome to Linux Mint, James, almost everything that applies to Ubuntu applies to Mint too: www.lmgtfy.com/?q=ubuntu+password+recovery

[lenin.dcruz]

If you are new to Mint or Linux in general and want a simple user guide on how to use and install Mint without all the confusing jargon then please consult our User Guide:
http://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/linuxmint.com/ ... /EN-v1.pdf

If you ask a question which is already covered in the guide you will simply be recommended to download the guide, so you are speeding up the process if you just read it in the first place. Although if something in the guide fails to make sense to you or you want more explanation then don't hesitate to ask it here on the forums, we will do our best to help you.

Welcome to the Linux Mint Community.

You know, the irony of this is, if this guide is the same one available on the Mint site, then I couldn't download it in Firefox Ubuntu. the download would simply die out. I had to download it with the trusted Orbit downloader in Windows.. Thanks though.

[gcampton]

Since this topic is "sticky" at the top of the newbie forum, the first post should really be kept updated with the link to the most recent version of the Official User Guide (http://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/linuxmint.com/ ... nglish.pdf at the moment). Latest version of the doc is already greatly improved, and such a prominent link should really highlight the best you have to offer.

I agree I quickly read that guide to see if there was anything I could learn but it was full of outdated info that doesn't apply here...
time to delete the thread or update the first post... !

[liberal]

Hi,

I am newbie for linux mint,
I don't know how to connect the internet (dial-up). I don't know either if the modem driver is defined correctly.
I don't know the ABC .. of making dail up connect in linux mint
so any help?
thanks

[belovedmonster]

I've updated the link in my post. But a mod can feel free to update it whenevers. or jsut start a new sticky with the link. I don't really come here as much as I once did.

[emorrp1]

thanks, belovedmonster, that's useful.

[lexon]

I've updated the link in my post. But a mod can feel free to update it whenevers. or jsut start a new sticky with the link. I don't really come here as much as I once did.

I am not sure I understand the updated PDF. My Mint 7 installation has a window that opens and shows the Manual download option when Mint gets to the desktop. Never any question where the Manual is located. . The Manual version is 1.0.7, the same as your update. My Mint 7 installation was when Mint 7 was released some time ago. I do not see an upgrade of the Manual. Any ideas? Thanks.

lex

[gcampton]

I've updated the link in my post. But a mod can feel free to update it whenevers. or jsut start a new sticky with the link. I don't really come here as much as I once did.

I am not sure I understand the updated PDF. My Mint 7 installation has a window that opens and shows the Manual download option when Mint gets to the desktop. Never any question where the Manual is located. . The Manual version is 1.0.7, the same as your update. My Mint 7 installation was when Mint 7 was released some time ago. I do not see an upgrade of the Manual. Any ideas? Thanks.

lex

The old link was a pdf of 1.0.5 I think or even earlier.

[DonnaFontenot]

I just recently moved from Ubuntu to Linux Mint (like last week), and now I'm anticipating the new version that will be out soon. The Installation Guide doesn't mention anything about upgrades but I seem to remember reading something "somewhere" that Mint doesn't recommend upgrading. True? Not? Advice on upgrading? (I don't have a separate /home partition, however, I am a backup freak, so I've got it as well as /usr, /etc, /opt, and /var always backed up).

[hotmaxone]

i just change to this new system but my computer dosent make any sound, how can i fix t do i need any driver my computer is a vaio a litte old

thank you

[rich_roast]

I just recently moved from Ubuntu to Linux Mint (like last week), and now I'm anticipating the new version that will be out soon. The Installation Guide doesn't mention anything about upgrades but I seem to remember reading something "somewhere" that Mint doesn't recommend upgrading. True? Not? Advice on upgrading? (I don't have a separate /home partition, however, I am a backup freak, so I've got it as well as /usr, /etc, /opt, and /var always backed up).

The blog has a guide to upgrading from Felicia to Gloria, with the caveat that it's for advanced users only and whatnot. Similar distupgrade instructions seem likely to appear around the release of Helena. Given your backup tendencies I'd say try the upgrade since you have nothing to lose; that said, while it's somewhat good practice to backup system directories too, you wouldn't want to actually replace those having completed the upgrade, if you see what I mean.

i just change to this new system but my computer dosent make any sound, how can i fix t do i need any driver my computer is a vaio a litte old

The first thing to do is to check that nothing's muted in volume control. If you're certain that all the mixer levels are at an appropriate setting and there's still no sound, things might be a bit more involved, in which case the best thing would be to start a new thread on the appropriate hardware board, explaining the problem, what's been tried, and the output of

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inxi -A

[DonnaFontenot]

Thanks for the upgrade link, rich_roast. Yes, I understand about not restoring system folders. I just have them around, in case I need to grab one or two settings files from them.

[robrus]

where can I find it? plese tell me

[emorrp1]

where can I find it? plese tell me

If you mean the beginners guide, it's linked in the first post of this topic. It's also known as the user guide, for which there is a link on both the default homepage as well as the download page.

[farna]

So the recommended "upgrade" procedure is to backup all user data and install from scratch? That's not as troublesome as it would be with Windows, but then I would have to reinstall and reconfigure all software. I know the software is mostly free and not hard to install, but all the time and effort that could take!! There really needs to be a better upgrade path than that! Couldn't a script be written to change just the affected files? I know that would be a lot of work, but it would be a great benefit to thousands of users. If everything has to be reinstalled I'll probably just stick with Gloria for quite a while unless I see some compelling reason to change, like support drops off. I doubt that will happen anytime soon -- I still see lots of questions about Felicia (Mint 6) and even as far back as Mint 4.

[emorrp1]

Indeed, it is recommended to fresh re-install to avoid upgrade complications. The problems with reinstalling are only related to the GUI methods. The CLI is scriptable, so it's trivial to create a file that re-does all your common changes after each upgrade:

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#!/usr/bin/sh
#save this file as update.sh
#make it executable with "sudo chmod u+x update.sh"
#copy it to the new system
#run it with "sudo ./update.sh"

#install useful stuff e.g. amarok, skype
apt install amarok skype

#remove unused stuff e.g. tomboy
apt remove tomboy

#restore backed-up firefox settings (do not use between Gloria and Helena - incompatible firefox versions)
#where /media/disk is the drive where you backed it up to
cp -r /media/disk/.mozilla .


Additionally, you are correct there's no particular reason to upgrade if everything works fine for you, Felicia is still supported until Easter, Gloria for another year and Helena for 18 mths.