Finally going to learn this!

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sh4rkbyt3
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Finally going to learn this!

Post by sh4rkbyt3 »

I've periodically dabbled with Ubuntu starting at distro #1 which I still have on CD lol, played with some iterations of Backtrack (partially) and even tried a few other distros. Definitely not well versed in any Linux use and operations at all but still trying to grasp the concept of it all, once and for all. Commands, terminal, shells, etc.

Unfortunately, I ran into some very snarky responses in the supposed Help Forums of some of the distros when I ran into problems and was completely put off by the responses I got asking questions to the point where it boiled down to their less than helpful attitude forcing me to go back to Windows (XP-10). On finding and using Linux Mint (13 I think), I found a better more user-friendly distro than many of the others and a community that actually seems to be wanting to help people to learn and discover Linux for real.

I started with my Commodore Vic-20 back in 1982 and learned enough about how to use BASIC that I could create my own programs (albeit small spreadsheets) then went to the Commodore 64 and IBM PC XT then a Packard Bell with Intel 50Ghz and so on until today. Upon seeing Ubuntu back in the early 2000's I was intrigued but truly lost in much of the concept (I never really learned to use MS-DOS very well) which Linux to me at least seemed to be like in that it was command line processing. Ubuntu in reality gave it a GUI interface but much of the good stuff still involved command line processing which got very confusing.

Stubborn, I eventually made my way to Mint pretty close to it's release date and found a distro that for me at least, was what I had been looking for, for a long time. Something I could actually use but still learn from enough that I wouldn't have to forever be chained to the Windows OS all of my life. Ran into a few problems and not wanting to deal with another insulting Linux Help Forum I backed out again but played with a few of the Mint Distro updates just to stay informed and hopefully make it back one day. Well here I am now, hoping and wanting to learn Mint. I will likely still play with Windows but I am hoping to a much less degree. I build computers for other people and do some infection repairs still so I'll always have one foot into Windows but eventually not rely on it anymore for myself to be able to get around!

I'm using Mint 19.3-32 on an HP mini 110 and I've upgraded (physically) what I'm able to inside the mini to make it run worthwhile. Actually runs pretty good although a tiny but slow.

That's me in a nutshell.
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JoeFootball
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by JoeFootball »

sh4rkbyt3 wrote: I'm using Mint 19.3-32 on an HP mini 110 and I've upgraded (physically) what I'm able to inside the mini to make it run worthwhile. Actually runs pretty good although a tiny but slow.
Welcome sh4rkbyt3! :)

For hardware from that era, I would try LM 19.2, as it defaults to the 4.15.x kernel series, which seems to work better with older hardware (and if you subsequently upgrade to 19.3, it will stay with that kernel series). Supported until April 2023.

Also, you didn't mention the desktop environment you're on, so know that Xfce should perform better for that, rather than Cinnamon if that's what you're currently using.

https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=3788
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kc1di
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by kc1di »

Hello sh4rkbyt3,
Welcome to Linux Mint Forums, enjoy! :)
Easy tips : https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/ Pjotr's Great Linux projects page.
Linux Mint Installation Guide: http://linuxmint-installation-guide.rea ... en/latest/
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nukeCrayon
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by nukeCrayon »

Hello fellow beginner. Welcome to the forum.
deepakdeshp
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by deepakdeshp »

If I have helped you solve a problem, please add [SOLVED] to your first post title, it helps other users looking for help.
Regards,
Deepak

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Mint 21.1 Cinnamon AMD Ryzen3500U/8gb
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JerryF
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by JerryF »

Welcome and enjoy!
sh4rkbyt3
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by sh4rkbyt3 »

Thanks for the greetings everyone and also the advice Joe Football. Very much appreciated and I will be going back to 19.2 on that machine and then follow the kernal upgrade(s) as you've suggested.

I'm also delving into an HP slimbook (of sorts) that was no longer useful to one of my customers for Windows anymore as it only had an onboard low storage space SSD card lol. Hard to believe they put these out but it was an absolute money grab by HP for cheap laptops. Is anyone surprised? I believe it came with Win 7? No longer useful to the customer due to the size of the OS eating up all but a few Gb of storage space.
Which leads me into the first of what will likely be many 'aha' moments with Linux in general. Any storage source, be it external, SD, Mini SD, etc. can be added as a full single drive, something you have never been able to do with any version of Windows.

Anyhoo, I had forgotten I had put Mint on that one also so now I have 2 to play around with.

Fortunately (no I'm not a masochist), I've run into a good problem concerning storage that I'll be able to use gparted for to solve with forum help of course. So I'm already on my way.

And having just stopped over a friends house, I got to relish in my prediction that Windows 10 was NEVER going to be the last version of their OS lol. Windows 11 rumors abound now. The idea that you can have new and always evolving architecture and stay with a single version OS (even with updates) is ludicrous! Even the Greeks proved that centuries ago. Just comical.
sh4rkbyt3
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by sh4rkbyt3 »

Took your advice Joe Football and installed Mint 19.2 xfce which saved me some space AND actually is a little more responsive. Installing the wifi driver was a small issue but I finally got it installed and connected with the firmware after a few hours lol.

Did all of the updates, Timeshift (manually) since the lower part of my screen isn't accessible. Everything seems to be running fine and smoothly, the aesthetics aren't quite as nice and easy to access but that's nothing.

So one of two machines fully implemented and running now. Time to go make some errors :lol: .

Thank you for the responses and advice!
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JoeFootball
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by JoeFootball »

sh4rkbyt3 wrote: Took your advice Joe Football and installed Mint 19.2 xfce ...
Good work, glad to hear that you got it up and running.

If interested, if you now upgrade to 19.3, you'll stay with the 4.15.x kernel series, which I feel typically performs better with older hardware. This would be different if you installed 19.3 straight away where you'd get the 5.4.x kernel (but that can just be "downgraded" to the 4.15.x kernel just the same).

Anyway, this is certainly nothing that you have to do, as all the 19.x versions are supported until April 2023, but if interested ...

https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=3838
sh4rkbyt3 wrote: ... the aesthetics aren't quite as nice and easy to access but that's nothing.
It's a personal preference, so only you can say what works best for you. I find Xfce to be a well-featured desktop (developed since the 90s), and is my go-to for older hardware.
sh4rkbyt3 wrote:Time to go make some errors
I can honestly say that making errors over the years, and totally borking my system from time to time, has taught me the most about Linux. :) Make backups and have fun.

Good luck!
sh4rkbyt3
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by sh4rkbyt3 »

I'm seeing why you like xfce for older laptops. After another restart it was much faster than my initial installation of the previous version.

The 19.3 upgrade showed up after I had everything settled in, I was afraid to do anything thinking it would re-do the kernel etc.

I'm going to owe you at least a beer for all your help and advice.
sh4rkbyt3
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by sh4rkbyt3 »

Which brings up another issue lol. The taskbar at the bottom my screen blocks out all of the on- screen command boxes I need to reach? I've tried resizing from the display menu but that doesn't help? Also tried resizing the screen on the display, doesn't do anything at all.
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by Macdhai »

I started with my Commodore Vic-20 back in 1982 and learned enough about how to use BASIC that I could create my own programs (albeit small spreadsheets) then went to the Commodore 64 and IBM PC XT then a Packard Bell with Intel 50Ghz and so on until today.
Welcome!

I can't believe how similar our backgrounds are - I'm just a couple of years behind. I got my Vic-20 in 1984 and the C64 the next year when a friend upgraded to the Amiga and sold me his C64 cheap. My boss bought an IBM PC in '85 and let me use it at night to teach myself BASIC.

I also got one of the first Ubuntu disks when they came out (tossed out several moves ago, I'm afraid), and like you I found it interesting but it seemed like too much effort to learn and use when I had a perfectly good (HAH!) Windows machine, so I never did give Linux a proper try until now.
sh4rkbyt3
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by sh4rkbyt3 »

Thanks Macdhai!

It took me a few months of saving every single penny so I could to buy that Vic-20, at $3.05 per hour it seemed like, well it actually was, forever. Fortunately one of the managers where I worked at the time was also a part time salesman at a local computer store that sold mostly Commodore products but also the freshly released Apple II, Tandy something or other and a few Sinclairs also. Sadly the evolution was all over the place and then I would see Sears selling Commodores and then eventually all of the leftover stock eventually went to Toys R Us just before it all died. I still have my working C64, 2 floppy drives also working, 1702 (?) monitor and quite a few (all) still working 5 1/4 floppies. A very few game cartridges, cassette drive, and the voice module. Also managed to pick up Compute's Gazette Issue #1 and about 4-5 years (nearly complete) with a few gaps in my Compute's Gazette collection.

Today in Mint I figured out how to create a few documents, run a few system specific scans and post the results to the forum. Probably nothing to the regulars but I managed to do it all on my own. Small steps but I'm getting there. I also upgraded my 19.2 Xfce Mint to 19.3 Xfce today on one laptop, keeping the same kernel. I'm already further ahead than I've ever been with Linux previously. Still a long ways to go of course but making headway :wink: .

Joe Football, Whether he realizes it or not, was a tremendous help too.

Yes, programming in BASIC was fun too! It's been interesting to watch the evolution of it all, somethings came and changed quickly and others took a lot more time than I thought they would but it's been a heck of a journey. Best wishes and good luck to you!
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by Macdhai »

I don't remember just how much I paid for my Vic-20, but I bought it used from a bookstore near the University of Arizona. It came with a cassette tape to save your programs on. The C64 was also used, of course, and again I don't recall just how much I paid for it, but I do remember having to save every penny for a few weeks before I could get it.

I was a printer back in those days, and worked for a print shop in Tucson that got a contract to print forms for Arizona Mail Order (a big outfit back then). The owner bought an IBM PC with dual 5-1/4" floppy drives and got his buddy (the guy who sold me the C64) to write a program so we could track their orders on it. Jim (the owner) was afraid to touch the computer, so I learned to use it. I lived in an apartment right across the road from the shop, so after work I'd go home and have some dinner, then came back and let myself into the shop to play with the computer for a few hours. I'd take out books from the U of A library about programming in BASIC and painstakingly type the sample programs in, occasionally changing things to see what would happen. (I still tend to do that. lol)

It's cool that you still have all of your Commodore stuff. I wish I still had mine, if just for the nostalgia, but that was many, many moves ago, and at some point I sold them off. :(

Congrats on the progress in Linux. It's always especially satifisying to figure out things on your own, isn't it? :)
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Re: Finally going to learn this!

Post by deepakdeshp »

Welcome to Linux Mint forums
If I have helped you solve a problem, please add [SOLVED] to your first post title, it helps other users looking for help.
Regards,
Deepak

Mint 21.1 Cinnamon 64 bit with AMD A6 / 8GB
Mint 21.1 Cinnamon AMD Ryzen3500U/8gb
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