Hi folks!

[TheRealShane]

I'm thinking of changing the user name. There are more Shanes around here in the UK since we got Aussie soaps way back when, but I grew up so used to no-one else having the same name I was quite put out when I joined a forum a few years ago now and when I put my name as my user name was informed it was already in use.

I've been trying to run Linux distros for a long time but always something wasn't right; usually hardware there were no drivers for. Started with Mandrake, which I liked but couldn't get online with! Basically always preferred KDE for the DE and used opensuse for a while. Haven't got a laptop at the moment, but when I built this desktop a couple of years back, opensuse supported the laptop Broadcom adapter, but not the desktop Realtek, while Mint (Mate) supported the Realtek but not the Broadcom, so I ran one on the one and the other on the other. But I never could get the connection 100% with Mate. Kubuntu ran on both, but I didn't like Kubuntu enough (and Canonical were ceasing production of it?).

I tried Mate again last Christmas - hence my join date - wasn't thrilled the Realtek still didn't work properly, then got ill anyway. Pulmonary Embolism! I think you could say I'm better now; I just have to take warfarin for the rest of my life. Kind of used to it now, so, meh!

I've got Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on here, and did have XP. All 64 bit. I was going to remove XP x64 anyway because it doesn't run great on a modern, multi-processor machine, but I wanted to keep it until the end of support on 10th April just to get the last updates for it. Now if anyone I know with XP needs help, I have all the updates to hand. So then I formatted the partition.

Despite the Realtek issue - and the Nvidia trouble (spent a lot of time editing scripts, trying to stop X from loading to stop Nouveau and install the Nvidia driver - which, when I succeeded, worked well) - I really liked Mint. So I thought I'd give the latest release a go and, still the connection would silently drop - but I found a fix that works brilliantly, on this very forum! And one for installing the Nvidia driver without any real effort at all (also on this forum). So now I'm running Petra KDE edition and very happy with it! Pale Moon is working nicely in Petra too.

So. I run Windows 8.1 just to keep up. It has some nice points but on the whole I hate it! But I know enough people running it (none of whom would have had it if they'd known they had a choice). Windows 7 I run because I think it's great! Meanwhile I'm rapidly coming to believe Petra KDE is what I've always wanted Linux to be. Incidentally I found it useful running Ext2fsd from Windows. A while back I disabled Plasma in System Settings and after rebooting, after logging in, there was just a black screen. It didn't even seem like I could hit keys and guess as I didn't see any HDD activity. I edited the relevant file from Windows, rebooted and Plasma was re-enabled. Then I found out how to get a real desktop back. That was probably on this forum too. Soon I'll check who posted the solutions I've mentioned here and come back to properly credit them!

I switched to maintaining/building/restoring computers in the 2000's after damaging my hand and writing off the '74 750 Bonneville I built a decade before. I would rather still be building classic motorcycles - and riding them hard - given the choice.

Bonnie_Dad.jpg

[The-Wizard]

Welcome to the mint family forums

wizard

[Crewp]

Welcome to Linux Mint, and the Mint forum.

[austin.texas]

Hello! And welcome to the forum.

[jahid]

Welcome to the Mint family.............

[killer de bug]

Welcome in the Linux Mint Community!

[vrkalak]

.
Welcome to LinuxMint

Read everything you can -- Forums - Wiki - IRC

Linux: Tricks of the Trade > http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=38355
What works for Ubuntu, usually works for Mint > http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/
Linux Alternative to Windows > http://www.linuxalt.com/
LinuxMint Community Forums - Tutorials > http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/welcome

Remember, all OS-Distro, Apps, DE/WM are Open-Source and have a Help-Forum
.............................

[jesica]

Good day and welcome to the forum