Linux Mint 12 "Lisa" released!

[bimsebasse]

Mint's rising popularity is starting to show in other places than distrowatch - almost every time a new Gnome Shell theme is posted on deviantart, you can see the author uses MGSE (or at least have added MGSE extensions). Wasn't like that before at all.

[Andrew33]

Hello Everyone,

I had installed LM12 on my new machine, and it installed ok, but like what I've read here, my AMD/ATI graphics card goes all screwy when I try to install the proprietary drivers for it....then the OS freezes during customizations...mouse still moved, but couldn't get anything to work, so had to reboot & then finish. Second issue: is that you can't (as admin) take ownership of certain folders....you also don't have the option of adding owner to managed users & groups....the highest rank to put yourself at, is Administrator. I don't like Gnome3, I don't neccessarily like the way everything is laid out......in other words, I'm not to impressed with LM12....it's lacking in so many areas. So, with that, I erased and installed LMDE 32bit...so much for LM12, I'll stick to LMDE.

Cheers

Andrew

P.S. BTW, my machine is perfectly capable of handling anything you throw @ it; Rosewill 600w PS/8GB Crucial Mem/AMD PhenomII 555 Black Edition Callisto Dual Core/Gigabyte Mobo w/core boost/WD 1TB HD/ATI Radeon 6540 Graphics Card 1GB DDR3 Mem

[archiegoodwin]

kmb24vt wrote:

I take it you using the default "Gnome" desktop (with gnome-shell)? When this happens do the top and bottom panels disappear along with the title bar of any application that happens to be running? If so it means that gnome-shell has crashed and not recovered. In this case though, any program that happens to be running should continue to run or at least they do for me but the desktop is basically unusable. This is mostly a problem with Gnome 3 and gnome-shell and not Mint.

I know you said you keyboard locks up but have you tried 'ctrl-alt-F1' when this happens? If it drops you to a command prompt then login with your username and password and then run this command:

Code: Select all

sudo service lightdm restart

Enter your password and it should bring you back to the Mint's login screen. Now you can log back into your desktop which should be working properly again.

Followed your instructions and it worked like a charm. Thanks. However, since other posters have also reported screen-lockup, this seems like a bug, no?

Archie

[viroscope]

I was having a problem where changing my status in the upper right would never show as changed on the bar, I seemed to have fixed it.

I just went to the software manager did a search for online accounts and it turned out the package gir1.2-goa-1.0 was not installed.

I installed it and logged off then back in now its working.

Kinda figured a package that says

This package contains the GNOME Online Accounts service, which provides a centralized place for managing online accounts (Google, etc) for the GNOME desktop.

This package can be used by other packages using the GIRepository format to generate dynamic bindings.

would be necessary as it creates bindings and online accounts is supposed to be bound to other apps.

might have just missed that it is a dependency.

[mikolodz]

Some of u say ati's made great improvement in last 6 months with their drivers. I don't think so. That's true there isn't any rainbow effects, but still there are terrible problems with performance, with stability etc. No way the system could be used! I'm waiting for the new 12th ati drivers. If they're as bad as the last ones, my hd6970 is going to be sold and i will not do the same mistake again buing any stuff from that *@$@!*@#) company. If you people tolerate that crap, they won't even try to make the things better. They don't care about linux community, cos we got used to be ignored. They've had a year to create new, better drivers, but they didn't. If they did such a rubbish for Windows, so people couldn't use the new version for a month (not even saying 6 months), ati wouldn't exist any longer. I have enough of waiting and believing they care, cos they don't. Especially now, in new era of mobile devices, if linux won't become easier to use and the drivers for wifis, ethernets, graphic cards, printers etc will be still so bad, not working or being choosen wrongly by default (by the OS after installation) - linux for the desktops will die! If there had been 10 times more of Linux users, i'm sure ATI would care, but how to invite people to our community, when they see nothing is working as it should? This means only that people who have some serious work to do under Linux need to use old systems, which look like win 3.11 or don't even have GUI at all, but it still means Linux is not moving forward. Older versions are better, newer are slower, full of bugs, unstable and sometimes lack of customisation. Of course it's caused by many reasons, but if it won't change what's going to be in the future?? I'm not saying Mint's bad, cos i just love it, but it works fine only at one of 6 computers in my house. Of course there are some cons especially when talking about customisation, but we can obey them. Unfortunatelly i cannot say it about other typical linux's issues with drivers and software... I wish some day it's gonna change and we will not be made to lose days on searching for the solutions for the problems that don't even exist under Windows or Mac.

[rfd]

as i posted elsewhere ...

after a few solid weeks of mint12 i'm packing it in and going back to mint11 on my three main machines. m12 is just too cumbersome to navigate, whilst m11 has everything i need within 1 click and does it better and faster. i'll still keep a machine running m12, to keep on top of the changes ... i'm sure it'll get better over time, it absolutely has to in order to survive.

[brad1138]

as i posted elsewhere ...

after a few solid weeks of mint12 i'm packing it in and going back to mint11 on my three main machines. m12 is just too cumbersome to navigate, whilst m11 has everything i need within 1 click and does it better and faster. i'll still keep a machine running m12, to keep on top of the changes ... i'm sure it'll get better over time, it absolutely has to in order to survive.

I did the same thing, GNOME 2 is just plain better than GNOME 3. I am going to wait for MATE to mature and/or GNOME 3 to become more like GNOME 2.

I have had this discussion a lot, I don't get why there is this need to "fix" something that isn't broken (GNOME 2). That being said, I switched from Ubuntu to Mint because of Mints support of GNOME 2 through MATE and GNOME 3 extensions. Hopefully by the time 11 support ends MATE will be like I never left G2.

Brad

[ferri]

I did the same thing, GNOME 2 is just plain better than GNOME 3. I am going to wait for MATE to mature and/or GNOME 3 to become more like GNOME 2.

I am still on LM 11, too. But for me prepared LM 12 KDE will resolve this. I am looking forward to it.

[arjot]

Hey guys
I have installed Lisa on my new laptop & it works great.
I have been using linux mint since version 8 & I have to say LM12 is the best version so far in my opinion.
Looking forward to the KDE version.
Thanks clem and rest of the developer team for such a wonderful release.

[sagarchandratrey]

Thanks for all the help..I was able to set up a DSL connection...however in the tray it does not show up..I am able to connect to the Internet(I have chosen Connect automatically while doing the setup).When I click on the Network Manager Icon in the tray it shows only the Wired and not the name of the Connection I created...so when that DSL connection disconnects I cant find it and click it to connect it back again..I was able to do this easily in Mint 11.

[gothicpreston]

As per my earlier note under the RC release, I have to report that I've reverted back to LM11 for now.
Whilst I firmly believe that Gnome 3 will become a very special desktop in the near future, it is at present unstable under LM12 with some key applications and integration with existing hardware.
I applade the hard work and effort of the LM project team, who must be incredibly frustrated at this time, as Gnome 3 goes through these early life cycle issues.
Keep up the good work guys.
I'll be back for another look at the next release.

[rfd]

i've reverted back to m10 on all my machines save one. i think m10 is the most tweakable, functional, featured, user friendly and stable release of mint to date, even better than m11 which has its limitations.

i've still got a machine running m12, to see and test any new updates and hoping it will come of age sooner than later.

i love mint - it's the best overall os available for the average user - but m12 is a mistake in that it should never have been released 'til it was at least on functional par with m10 or m11. newbies to linux who now load m12 are not gonna be happy campers much sooner than later. this is not a good thing for mint or linux.

that's just the way i see it and ymmv.

[Simeo]

Just wanted to chime in here. My computer was EXTREMELY glitchy with Windows Vista, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Ultimate, Ubuntu 11.04 and 11.10 so I made the switch to Mint 11 about two months ago. Functionally was on par with Ubuntu 11.04 and better than 11.10. Then I switched to Mint 12 yesterday.

Just to say..... THIS IS THE ONLY OS THAT HAS WORKED PERFECTLY ON MY COMPUTER.

Everything with it is functionally beautiful. The benefits of gnome3 with the traditional layout of gnome2 (if I so choose) and NO UNITY. I love life now because of Mint 12 and anybody who has an issue with it must have more issues than just an OS change. IMO and thank you Mint for finally fixing my computer.

[Goden]

Followed in the footsteps of countless other users and downgraded my Mint's back to older versions. I cannot find words to express how terrible I think Gnome-3 is. It's just monumentally awful in almost every way and just goes against everything the Linux community strives for.

[Crabbit]

I have just put Mint12 on my machine, which has two hard drives. On the first,SDA, I have Windows Vista and LinuxMint11. On the second hard drive SDB I now have Mint12, which installed perfectly.
The second hard drive is what I usually use to have a look at different distros. Previous to Mint12 it had Ubuntu's latest. This looked like a cross between a gipsy's caravan and a primary school's infant's art work. Absolutely horrendous! But fair do to Ubuntu and of course Mint they know how to load the distros. I recently tried Suse 12.1 and it could only boot into Suse 12.1 or Windows Vista - it didn't recognise Mint 11. I also tried to put Fedora16 on the second drive, but it kept defaulting to try to put the boot system on the SDB drive when I want to keep it on the SDA drive, so naturally neither of these distros are of any use to me as I don't want to wrestle with Grub.
Mint still looks reasonably elegant without too many "in your face" icons and I am sure as we have to advance Clem will keep the elegant look!

[Miami592]

Downloaded Lisa on to my Vbox. Mate is very 11 like.

One thing I noticed though. When installed, the Update Manager will not load on startup. I have to manually open it as superuser.

Is this a problem anyone else is experiencing? If so how can this be rectified?

So far I'm impressed with Lisa.

Thanks,

Miami592

[Hugo Notte]

I have been using Mint since edition 7. So far, every new release has been a step forward at least in looks or in functionality, if not both. Most releases were right away more stable, than the underlying Ubuntu. However, Mint 12 is different. I want to say up front, that I appreciate the efforts of the Mint team, to try and make Gnome 3 more usable and easier to digest, than what the pure Gnome 3 is. But Mint 12 seems to me more like a milestone, a showcase what can be done to Gnome, not really a ready to use release. I have tried to use it for a while and have to say, that it doesn't work for me at all.
We as users will have to go with time and accept that Gnome 2 times are coming to an end. So we have to get used to a new desktop. Maybe over time Gnome 3 will become more usable, than what it is right now. Maybe it is time for some of us, to have a closer look at other desktops, KDE4, XFCe, LXDE or even Unity.
What bugs me most about Mint 12 is, that neither the top nor the bottom panel can be set to auto-hide. You either have the bottom panel switched on, in order to make the desktop look a bit more like what we were used to from previous releases, or one has to switch it off and deal with the stock Gnome 3 look and feel. On my 10.1 inch notebook both panels take up a quite a bit of screen and application windows look very much "sandwiched" in between. MATE might be the retro answer, but it is not yet there, were Gnome 2 has been in the previous release.
I have then tried Ubuntu 11.10 with it's Unity desktop, in order to see, what the fuzz is all about. I have to say, it works more stable and is a lot more usable in my opinion, than the current state of Mint 12. The launcher hides away nicely and there is enough space for application windows.

For my desktop, I am still trying to decide whether to go back to Mint 11 or try and get used to KDE 4, which apparently is a lot more flexible (and stable) than Gnome 3.
For now, I will give Mint12 a skip. I will certainly keep my eyes on Mint and will at least try out future releases. Once usability is back, I will happily join the community again.

However, at this stage, I have to question, whether it is the right decision for Mint to stick with what is now called Gnome. Since users have to get used to something new anyway, why not work on a different desktop environment? Why not try and enhance Unity for example? Or switch the main edition over to KDE?

I am sure, there are good reasons for that.

And I want to say thanks to Clement and his team for years of trouble free computing. Great job well done and I am sure, you guys will overcome the current hurdles.

[rfd]

i, too, applaud clem and the entire mint team. my work demands that i'm online at least 14 hours a day, 7 days a week and i've been a firm mint user since m6 felicia arrived. every new mint version has been a keeper in terms of everything - ease of use, functionality, productivity, and user aesthetic tweakability. however, where those four qualities are concerned, to a slight degree m11 is not on par with m10, and m12 is simply a non-functional joke. i've never had a need to try any other linux os, but after slight issues with m11 and massive gnome3 m12 issues, i'm concerned about the future of mint. m10 does it all for me, and then some, but since there is an evolution of sorts for all os apps, it too will require replacement eventually as gnome2 gets grandfathered. i need to look elsewhere, perhaps kde.

[craig10x]

note to Hugo....you most certainly can have the top panel "autohide" very simple in fact....you just go to the gnome 3 extensions site (it now has 1 click install)....and turn on the "auto hide the top panel" extension...it will activate instantly and adds it to your list in the "gnome tweaks"...it works fantastically and regains your upper space...but just by pointing your mouse arrow at any time, you can access anything you need up there...


(Special note: if you use that site, you need to do it with firefox...at present there is a "bug" that will prevent you from installing from there if you use Chrome...)

Also...to all those who have said that mint 12 is totally unusable...a big regression from gnome 2, etc...i really don't see what you are talking about...it's just as easy to use and as functional as prior mint versions...so unless it's hardware issue on your own computer, i really don't get all your complaining...

Gnome 3 is here to stay...accept it and move on...if you can't..then you will need to go to a different de like kde, xfce, etc....

Some people just can't stand any change...quite unfortunate really....

Sure there is some bugs...but no doubt they will get ironed out with updates in time...

Also, Mint 13 will be returning to just 1 panel on bottom and improved gnome 3 mint menu as well...

Mate might be ok, but i tend to doubt it's longevity, quite frankly...

[rfd]

lemme preface the below outpouring of my mint12 frustrations by saying that there IS much good within the mint devs and i heartily applaud the years of work that's gone into creating what i think is the best linux platform. mint10 is THE BEST linux distro around, bar none. it has everything most any type of user needs, does it fast, very stable, very user friendly and nicely tweakable for personal work aesthetics we all love in an os. a sincere "thank you, clem & company'. now with that disclaimer aside, let's get down to brass tacks ...

Also...to all those who have said that mint 12 is totally unusable...a big regression from gnome 2, etc...i really don't see what you are talking about...it's just as easy to use and as functional as prior mint versions...so unless it's hardware issue on your own computer, i really don't get all your complaining...

you'd hafta be on drugs to think that mint12/gnome3 is some sort of "improvement" over mint10/gnome2 - the two are leagues apart in every respect imaginable for both newbie and seasoned linux user. so i say to you - it was a mistake, go fix it, put up a warning about it b4 downloading, offer the m10 alternative for amd/ati users, or just take the damn thing offline until it works with most everyone's hardware and is as user friendly, and is as functionally compatible and productive as m10. else mint will lose out on newbies who will ditch this m12 krap and move to other linux platforms, perhaps without understanding m10 is what they really NEED, at least for now.

Gnome 3 is here to stay...accept it and move on...if you can't..then you will need to go to a different de like kde, xfce, etc....

no way sport, i don't need to accept junk - YOU can if you like, but not me and probably a lot of other folks needing to use a pc more than 8 hours a day, 7 dayze a week. m10 will suffice me for a long time and by the time it's dead and buried SOMEONE will have created a proper gnome3 (or who knows, maybe gnome4). hope it'll be minty.

Some people just can't stand any change...quite unfortunate really....

not at all. you and others need to get this straight - m12 SHOULD have NOTHING to do with "change" for change's sake - it's the developers who need to hear from the peeps in the trenches that they screwed up this time and released a new product that is less quality than their older products.

Sure there is some bugs...

i won't even reply to that silly statement.

... but no doubt they will get ironed out with updates in time...

i can wait, m10 is still cooking with gas.

Also, Mint 13 will be returning to just 1 panel on bottom and improved gnome 3 mint menu as well...

like that really matters most? there is a freakin' LOT more that m13 will need to provide for my thumbs up.

Mate might be ok, but i tend to doubt it's longevity, quite frankly...

if gnome3 is where it's GOING to be, screw mate. let's get the new little guy to work and play well with others - *particularly* newbies, who are the folks that will herald mint or dis it and move on. "patch up" thinking makes no sense and only corroborates a bad product from the get-to. m12 needed a slew more testing before it was unleashed as the latest mint flagship, that's sinking fast .....

as always, ymmv.

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