Suggestion for installer: Do not preselect "Erase disk and install Linux Mint".

[TL7]

I suggest the installer of Linux Mint not to preselect Erase disk and install Linux Mint.

That could lead to accidental erasures.

This screenshot of installer page 4 of 7 is not embeddable into this post due to the 480 pixel height limitation:



It would be good, if Erase disk and install Linux Mint. was not pre-selected because of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luser .

[Neil Edmond]

Even better...don't select "Erase disk and install Linux Mint" unless that is what one really wants to do.

[TL7]

I suggest the installer of Linux Mint not to preselect Erase disk and install Linux Mint.

That could lead to accidental erasures.

This screenshot of installer page 4 of 7 is not embeddable into this post due to the 480 pixel height limitation:
http://itsfoss.com/wp-content/uploads/2 ... ion-4.jpeg



It would be good, if Erase disk and install Linux Mint. was not pre-selected because of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luser .

This seems to be the case with all Debian Linuxes, because they share a very similar installation wizard, including ubuntu-studio.
I have not tried it with OpenSuSE,Arch,Gentoo,CentOS/Fedora,BSD,ReactOS(is no Unix, I know),etc….

Even better...don't select "Erase disk and install Linux Mint" unless that is what one really wants to do.

I have not tried it out to find out, whether it gives a last warning message (the confirmation button of that last warning message should be marked red and not clickable (greyed out) for at least 10 seconds, or require multiple clicks or an additional checkbox).

[strike]The installer could also offer a disk dump(dd)/Guymager/another backup solution.[/strike] Ah, no, I have forgotten, that the live Linux system probably already has something for that purpose, which can be instantly accessed when quitting OEM installation. The installation can be relaunched by the desktop shortcut or start menu option Install Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia.

[Termy]

Exactly! I completely agree. I've always thought it's insane having that as the default option, especially on a distribution so focused at users new to Linux, and perhaps even new to computing.

[Mark Phelps]

Sorry ... but I disagree --

First, Something Else requires you to manually do partitioning -- and 99+% of folks out there don't even know what partitioning IS, let alone how to do it properly.

Making that the default is going to frustrate LOTS of folks and turn the new ones away from using Linus.

Second, the warning is VERY CLEAR in the choice to erase and install. If they select that anyway, then they clearly are unable to read ... and that is seriously going to hinder their ability to do anything useful in Linux.

And actually, given that the Linux installers have a long history of corrupting Windows installs in attempted dual boot setups, if the person is trying do to that, and they are unfamiliar with the consequences, rather than risk their expensive PC with file corruption, it would be better to put up a warning telling them to COME HERE and ask about how to PROPERLY install the OS, rather than just letting select the "alongside" option that is almost certainly going to trash their Windows PC.

[Tomgin5]

I have only trashed 1 windows in a dual install. In that case the windows was already unusable with an MS update from Win7 to 10. Windows insisted on using 500GB on a 500GB HDD.
Program reset and "Erase and Install"

[Termy]

I disagree with you Mark, but you've helped me to realise that neither option is going to be the best one to have on by default, as in either case something bad can come of it. I guess it's down to the lesser of two evils, which I still feel should always be not to have the risk of saying goodbye to the data on their drive. I think you made a good point about partitioning though.