One month with Linux Mint Cinnamon

[royphotog]

It's been just about a month since I decided to give Mint a try and thought I would put down some observations. First off, I am coming from years of using Windows. I first got a computer in March of 1993, an old Packard Bell running Windows 3.1.

Over the years, I have upgraded, sometimes grudgingly, to new versions. I liked XP and would have stayed with it except for the issue of not updates and online vulnerability. Windows 7 was OK, yet MS felt the need to change too many for my liking, seemingly for no reason at all other than to make a change. I then upgraded a laptop to Windows 10. I didn' like it and by the time I realized it was too late to migrate back to 7. That made me take another look at Linux. That and the annoying pop-up urging me to upgrade to 10.

I had put Ubuntu on an old Netbook last year but didn't warm to the interface. Then I discovered Linux Mint, and the Cinnamon Interface was much more to my liking. I installed it on a laptop, dual booting with the last version of XP, and liked it. I find I like the file system. Seems to be more to my way of thinking then windows. I like the Open Source idea, though there are a couple of windows programs that I am using under Wine, with more and more familiarity with some of the Linux programs, and I can see moving more and more of my computers to it. Now I have one computer that is only Mint, and two more that are dual booting. (I have seven total) Two are still windows only, and those are work computers and one using Photoshop and Lightroom will most likely never move to Linux.

I am impressed with Mint. I like the OS, like the community, like not seeing that damn pop up asking me to upgrade to Windows 10.

I have been listening to Linux Podcasts, trying to learn the details of the OS and the open source world. It's all new to me, and it's been fun.

Thanks to those of you who have answered my questions, and hope that someday I can return the favor.

[Chiefahol]

Glad to hear you like it. I'm into the 2nd year of using Mint myself and i find it just keeps getting better as i learn more about it.

Be sure to checkout the 'HexChat' app. You can lurk around the many Linux IRC channels.

[rcentros]

I find I like the file system. Seems to be more to my way of thinking then windows.

Same here. Linux's file system is much more logical than Windows -- and you don't have that miserable Registry file to contend with. I no longer let my wife's computer update itself and I have to go through the files it wants to update (one by one), deleting the same Windows 10 attempted updates just about every time. Irritating. But I found GWX Panel from ultimateoutsidercomputer.com to be a good way to guard against and remove the Windows 10 nag and downloaded files. I could probably trust it, but my wife's computers (desktop and laptop) are for her business and I don't want to take the chance of Windows 10 installing itself.

[kc1di]

Hello royphotog and Welcome to Mint,
Glad you discovered this fine distro. Learn as much as you can and it will serve you well.
Enjoy.

[happydog500]

The reason why you keep getting update requests is because it's a better operating system. Windows 10 is a security update.

People call up teach support, radio shows, podcasts, letters to the editors, message boards and tell us they got a virus. Windows sucks. Ask them if they update there system, they say no. "I have my update disabled." Or, (like you) I don't want to apply the security update (Win 10). Which OS do you have? They answer X (A very old outdated one, people would say). You can only do this with so many thousands and thousands of people, before you have to take some kind of action.

This is what Microsoft did with Windows 10. The made a more secure OS. As with everything else, there is a learning curve. I didn’t like 10 when it first came out. Took a while to get used to it.

If a security problem is found, Windows 10 patches it autocratically. It's more secure out of the box. You don't have to do anything. These "nags" are trying to do you a favor. Imagine a person is walking down rail road tracks. A train is approaching fast. A Microsoft guy is yelling at you to get off the tracks. You just keep walking, complaining how the Microsoft guy keeps yelling at you. He's trying to do you a favor. A favor about something people have been complaining about for years.

People would complain Windows costs to much. They GAVE AWAY the latest OS!!!

I started using Linux in 1995 (RH9). Ended up not having enough time for it. What would take 30 seconds in Windows, took a week of compiling drivers, only to have them not work.

I really like Linux Mint 17.3. I wanted to get to the point where I didn't need a Windows machine. Started out this time pretty good, but the more time I spent on it, the more I realize I have to have a Windows box. I've had to reinstall Mint twice in two weeks. I found the less you do on it, the better it is.

I wish so much I could not have to have a Windows OS. With Linux Mint, it's getting a lot closer, but still pretty far off for me.

After all the problems in Linux, now I find out how vulnerable the ppa's are. Thousands of who knows what people all over the world writing software updates for the system. All over the message boards telling people to "add this (unsecured) source." "Add this (other non secure) one here." Unbelievable.

Chris.

[happydog500]

Sorry about the last post. I forgot how sensitive people are on the forums. They can take things out of context real easy. Not to mention my disability of not being able to write what I'm trying to say, is very good.
Sometimes it goes not the way I intended it to be.

Sorry,
Chris.

[sikejsudjek]

You could try the systemback utility - it creates restore points and a complete system backup. That way you won't have to reinstall mint if something goes wrong. It also allows the creation of a live usb pendrive or dvd of your system which can either be used to reinstall the backup or boot a live system for access to fix a corrupted system that won't boot.

I have windows 10 and I hate it - but have to use it for stereoscopic gaming. I'm not sure it can be classed as a security update. Depends if the telemetry data ever gets hacked. There is so much data going back to ms and the cloud that it has the potential to be a disaster. Linux is far more secure by default. This is pretty obvious by the relative lack of viruses on linux. Windows 10 won't be free for long - and it does mine your data for who knows what. The user agreement is scary IMO.

PPA's are a risk in Linux - but you don't have to use them for the vast majority of programs. The fact that most software goes through software repositories is more secure than windows where all programs are potentially the equivalent of ppa's. Having open source code is also a major security advantage - anyone can see what's been put in there.

[killer de bug]

The reason why you keep getting update requests is because it's a better operating system. Windows 10 is a security update.

It's not a security update. It's a brand new OS.
With a lot of security holes and features attacking user privacy.

[killer de bug]

People would complain Windows costs to much. They GAVE AWAY the latest OS!!!

Sure it's free...

If You're Not Paying for It; You're the Product

[Crewp]

royphotog, welcome to Linux Mint.

[reddot]

royphotog was the same here too, after windows xp i just could not go any further with windows. the redhat seed was planted in the 90', used here and there debian in early 2000 and then made the full switch around may 2010 to Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, after that i said no more windows, and denied to help friends and family with there Windows problems... hahaha. One thing that really appealed to me is that ubuntu, and many other distros, like linux mint, have everything you need from installing it to your disk, torrent, good browser, IRC, libreoffice. theres little to do when installing linux mint, just tweak the theme

btw take a look at Aptik, its the fastest way to reinstall all your apps and make backups of software, ppa, and some settings. if you decide to make a clean install again. i can make a clean install and have all my apps i need in less than 30 mins, legendary if you ask me... when in windows i needed atleast 3/4 of the day to do the above.

http://www.teejeetech.in/

[Chiefahol]

People would complain Windows costs to much. They GAVE AWAY the latest OS!!!

Sure it's free...

If You're Not Paying for It; You're the Product

+1

[amethyst_igor]

One thing, since you have "photog" in your username, check out image editor Krita in Software Sources. It's the best I've found in Linux, and beats a lot of Windows programs, too.

[Portreve]

Welcome aboard!

I've always liked Cinnamon because its lineage is Gnome 2.x, which essentially is a lot like Mac OS and Mac OS X's "Finder" (that is, its desktop environment). It also renders fonts as well as Mac OS X, which is a damn sight better than how Windows has ever done it.

[InkKnife]

The reason why you keep getting update requests is because it's a better operating system. Windows 10 is a security update.

People call up teach support, radio shows, podcasts, letters to the editors, message boards and tell us they got a virus. Windows sucks. Ask them if they update there system, they say no. "I have my update disabled." Or, (like you) I don't want to apply the security update (Win 10). Which OS do you have? They answer X (A very old outdated one, people would say). You can only do this with so many thousands and thousands of people, before you have to take some kind of action.

This is what Microsoft did with Windows 10. The made a more secure OS. As with everything else, there is a learning curve. I didn’t like 10 when it first came out. Took a while to get used to it.

If a security problem is found, Windows 10 patches it autocratically. It's more secure out of the box. You don't have to do anything. These "nags" are trying to do you a favor. Imagine a person is walking down rail road tracks. A train is approaching fast. A Microsoft guy is yelling at you to get off the tracks. You just keep walking, complaining how the Microsoft guy keeps yelling at you. He's trying to do you a favor. A favor about something people have been complaining about for years.

People would complain Windows costs to much. They GAVE AWAY the latest OS!!!

I started using Linux in 1995 (RH9). Ended up not having enough time for it. What would take 30 seconds in Windows, took a week of compiling drivers, only to have them not work.

I really like Linux Mint 17.3. I wanted to get to the point where I didn't need a Windows machine. Started out this time pretty good, but the more time I spent on it, the more I realize I have to have a Windows box. I've had to reinstall Mint twice in two weeks. I found the less you do on it, the better it is.

I wish so much I could not have to have a Windows OS. With Linux Mint, it's getting a lot closer, but still pretty far off for me.

After all the problems in Linux, now I find out how vulnerable the ppa's are. Thousands of who knows what people all over the world writing software updates for the system. All over the message boards telling people to "add this (unsecured) source." "Add this (other non secure) one here." Unbelievable.

Chris.

I have to take strenuous exception to a lot of this.
Win10 is somewhat more secure than previous versions but it is by no means a new OS. It is a continuation of the same kernel and userland as XP>Vista>7 with a radically different Desktop environment. Someone who properly maintains win7 is not going to see any security gains from 10.
The slam on PPAs is ironic as heck coming from a Windows user because while there is certainly the potential for problems with PPA this is trivial compared to the way practically all Windows softwares are distributed which is through hundreds of often shady download sites like cnet and download dot com which typically will alter installers to sneak in ad-wares, spy-wares and nuisence-wares.
The big change in win10 is the revocation of end user rights and control over their local system. With win10 MS has massively increased their rights to intervene on a users machine and they have reserved for themselves the right to an unprecedented amount of snooping and tracking of the user. The EULA of win10 is ominously open ended and is clearly crafted to allow MS greater control and power over end users going forward.
I come from a mixed platform background, Windows, OSX and Linux and in my experience Linux is the easiest to admin, OSX is second and Windows is a distant third. Windows is an OS that no one should use unless they are an expert and absolutely have to because it is just so much more work and hassle than the alternatives.

[Portreve]

Well, happydog500, I do have to take some issue with what you've said, though I will also come right out and tell you straight up that likely most instances of people's computers being jacked up is due to their own incompetence, for which I haven't the slightest sympathy. A friend of mine holds the opinion that most people shouldn't even have computers, and I tend to agree with him.

Where the two of us disagree is that I think there's darned good reason for calling out Microsoft on both their OS as well as their own actions as a business over the course of the last 35+ years. Microsoft has a history of just ripping everyone else off, and once they became sufficiently remunerated, buying others off. As early development partners with Apple, they ripped off many aspects of Mac OS, and the only reason (really) that Apple never won their own lawsuit against Microsoft is that Steve Jobs, sadly, didn't have the foresight to sign an exclusive licensing deal with Xerox for the PARC Interface.

User stupidity notwithstanding, saying Windows isn't crap is either ignorance or fanboyism. Look at it another way: If Microsoft was such a fantastic company and DOS / Windows / NT were such fantastic ranges of OS, then Richard Stallman's issues with proprietary software and therefore the GNU Project aside, everyone would be running Windows and doing so without objection or reason to try anything else.

Other than what I said in the previous two paragraphs which you might or might not actually disagree with me about, I think we're likely otherwise in agreement.

[flygrounder]

Where the two of us disagree is that I think there's darned good reason for calling out Microsoft on both their OS as well as their own actions as a business over the course of the last 35+ years. Microsoft has a history of just ripping everyone else off, and once they became sufficiently remunerated, buying others off.

In some aspects I would agree with you - yes, it's a fact that MS is buying others off. Another thing is their purpose. I believe(you can disagree with me) that they really try to make OS better. But they are doing it to formally and their "Free update" is not the right thing because these pop-ups are really annoying, but they understood their main mistake with 8 - all their solutions were based only on their own opinions and most of them were useless. Now they try to make 10 USEFUL. But the problem is - they forgot about how to achieve usability and some things are seem to be funny(new settings menu) but I believe they would achieve good OS.

[Portreve]

In some aspects I would agree with you - yes, it's a fact that MS is buying others off. Another thing is their purpose. I believe(you can disagree with me) that they really try to make OS better. But they are doing it to formally and their "Free update" is not the right thing because these pop-ups are really annoying, but they understood their main mistake with 8 - all their solutions were based only on their own opinions and most of them were useless. Now they try to make 10 USEFUL. But the problem is - they forgot about how to achieve usability and some things are seem to be funny(new settings menu) but I believe they would achieve good OS.

Yes, I would disagree with you (but in a friendly sort of way ) about Microsoft and either their intentions or mentality. Just as Walmart is today vis a vis customer service, etc., Microsoft has been for a very, very long time. When you're in the so-called "catbird seat" you basically don't have to care. Most of the big focuses they've given over the past let's say decade or so to security issues has more to do with being day-and-night dragged through the press and the ringer of the court of public opinion, than it has with taking real pride in what they produce and wanting to make the best-possible OS product.

Clearly, Microsoft has been taking it in the shorts between Apple's "Think Different" and "Switcher" (and other, more recent) campaigns, and Google buying up Android and making it the basis for what has now turned into the next generation of computer technology. Microsoft has seen their relative overall marketshare shrivel up and nothing they've done so far has — fortunately, in my view — reversed that trend. And so now they're desperate. Evidence of this abounds in their efforts with Surface, with the ghastly Win8 interface, with instituting a lease license to their Office suite, and perhaps maybe with the release of Win10. However, if you look at each of these things, they have been little more than gambits on their part to try and stem the loss of actual and potential revenue.

The GNU+Linux world has been an absolute, unmitigated embarrassment for Microsoft. A community of people have put together an OS platform which is tighter, more efficient, more stable, more secure, more deployable, and in just about every way technically superior to their own, despite the millions (or more) they've poured into development over the last couple decades. How it must gaul them that, despite their best efforts, there are far more GNU+Linux-running pieces of hardware out there than Microsoft OS-running ones. Big Iron and backbones and servers of all descriptions in the super-majority DO NOT RUN THEIR OS.

There's reasons BillG and SteveB left Microsoft when they did. They surely both saw the same handwriting on the wall: they "beat" everyone else, there were no more records to set, they're all richer than God, and the only direction for Microsoft to go, apart from maintenance and therefore stagnation, was down.

None of this is to suggest the GNU+Linux community should in any sense become complacent, but I am certainly glad they've helped achieve what's thus far been achieved.

[Habitual]

Pretty damn good work in only a month.

[royphotog]

People would complain Windows costs to much. They GAVE AWAY the latest OS!!!

Sure it's free...

If You're Not Paying for It; You're the Product

great thought.