Linux Mint. I want to like it, I really do... (general impressions)

[The Old Timer]

I've been getting along just fine with the open source graphics driver for AMD. My card is an HD 5450 and I've had no problems running games through emulators, Wine, Steam or GOG. I can't play the latest and greatest but the older the game, the less space it takes on the hard drive and the less need there is for advanced graphics.

Personally, I would rather trust open source than rely on half-hearted support from a company than can be, and often is, dropped at a moment's notice.

I think the OP would get much better results from a dedicated graphics card. AMD's APU is an impressive technology but Linux hasn't quite caught up with it yet. An HD 5450 can be bought for in and around £20.

I have an ASUS HD5450 graphics card and the open source driver works fine also.
I agree a dedicated graphics card would give better results than the AMD APU for the same reason you have already stated above.
I see them for sale dirt cheap everywhere think I paid $30.00 for mine from Newegg a year ago and then bought another for $25.00 from Newegg on sale.
Good card for basic computer use and mine runs on my 48" LCD tv for watching DVDs.

[billybag]

In my opinion, Linux Mint has gone very very down hill and not just as a distro, but the community as well.

In the past, when i had troubles with Linux Mint, getting help in the forums was really easy and so i never was ever concerned about whether or not i should stick with Mint or not.

But now, especially with 18, i've been riddled with problems and threads i have started have mostly gone completely unanswered. On the small occasion that a response is made, the person willing to help had only one solution to offer and gave up.

still cannot find a way to permanently rename my bluetooth display name. Still boggles my mind to this day.
still can't connect to my school's wifi (wpa2 enterprise). It was really tricky to do in Mint 17, but i was able to do it through the Hidden Networks workaround
don't get me started on touchscreen implementation or the clunkiness/wonky theme management.

it is just a long list of common problems that have never been resolved since 16 or 17 and it is almost like to community has just lost any desire in helping each other out.

i have been forced to use windows 10 a lot more since i can't use Linux at my school until i figure out a way to use the network, and i've grown far more comfortable with it and even far less frustrated. It has been a long while since i have just used regular Ubuntu (i disliked Unity), but i was planning on installing the latest Ubuntu at some point soon. Their community still rocks. Unfortunately when you post about a Mint problem, it gets moved to the Linux Mint section where it is buried and forgotten.

[majpooper]

I am not exactly a noob but I am far far and away from an expert. My experience has been a little different in that I have really received great support on this forum and on the Ubuntu forum a few years back when I was on Ubuntu - I personally just like Mint and the Mint forum a bit - well not a bit - a lot better.

A couple of observations I have noticed in terms of getting good support that you may want to consider:
1.) The support comes from volunteers - no one is paid to help us so a gracious attitude can go a long way.

2.) A little research can sometimes get you on the right track if not solve your issue out right. I have seen help requested and someone will post a thread that the requester could have easily found with a little effort and the search facility.

3.) Make the subject of your thread short and sweet and descriptive of your exact problem.

4.) If you make your thread a laundry list of complaints then probably folks who could help you will just be turned off and move on (see #1). So keep you thread limited to one issue. There are places on this forum to just express general opinions about almost anything actually but when requesting support on a technical issue that is not the place to vent.

5.) Be as specific as possible and provide relevant screen shots, terminal output etc. that apply. A good generic start is to provide the terminal output from the inxi -Fxz command so the folks who can help have a picture of what your system looks like.

[phd21]

Hi "billybag",

Sounds like you should go back to Linux Mint 17.x where your current issues seemed to be working then, and which has long term support still, instead of using Linux Mint 18 where you are having issues. You might also consider trying the other editions of Linux Mint to see if one works better for your hardware and that you like the most.

In my opinion, Linux Mint has gone very very down hill and not just as a distro, but the community as well. In the past, when i had troubles with Linux Mint, getting help in the forums was really easy and so i never was ever concerned about whether or not i should stick with Mint or not.

But now, especially with 18, i've been riddled with problems and threads i have started have mostly gone completely unanswered. On the small occasion that a response is made, the person willing to help had only one solution to offer and gave up.

I totally disagree with your comment, and I think most other Linux Mint users would as well. I have been using computers and software for many years, and this is the finest operating system software and forum that I have ever used or been a part of. And, its free. The Ubuntu forums are good too. Keep in mind, that this upgrade to Linux Mint 18 is a huge upgrade, and all editions of Linux Mint 18 came out of Beta testing this year. So, there are going to be some issues, just let the people and developers know, and they will do their best to resolve them.

Of course, it also depends upon the problems you or anyone else is having, but generally speaking, you can post a question, and get very good answers pretty quickly. But for instance, if you have a piece of hardware that is not working, or where there are no Linux Drivers, then there may be nothing anyone here can do to resolve that, you would have to get another piece of hardware that is Linux Mint compatible.

As for your Bluetooth display name, does it work? If it does, then what's the "mind boggling" big problem with not being able to rename your Bluetooth connection? do you have another post on this, if so what is the link to it?

As for connecting to your school's WPA2 Enterprise network, you would have to be more explicit, do you have another post on this, if so what is the link to it?

As for "Touchscreen" implementation, I cannot really comment on that because I do not have one. I know you can use them, and I know the certain applications are more aware than other regarding touchscreens like the excellent multi-media "SMplayer".

As for theme management there are various levels of themes, like desktop themes, icon themes, etc... I don't see anything "clunkiness/wonky" about choosing desktop themes. I know in Linux Mint KDE it is extremely easy to change them.

Anyone reading this forum should get the impression that the people here do care, and they do respond, maybe not to all posts as fast as some of the people posting would like, but it is very rare that a post goes unanswered, unless you are being rude, or it is not a post asking for help, just complaining.

[AntonyMan]

Ok, I don't read all the posts. My English don't help me too much.
I like to have a machine that even just works. I can't say that I have done it with linux.

I was first meet linux at ubuntu 9.04(LTS) and I make my first experiments as I already had do with WinXp using command prompt, Regedit ect and make a lot of hacks. Till now I return back to Linux from time to time (usually return when I forget my last bad experience with Linux ) to see if the things become better. Indeed, I think the things goes better but... Most of the times it just don't work for me!

Every time I spend many hours to read and try to solve a lot of problems to make the Linux just work! At last I'm running back every time scared to death to f*ckin Windows hug. Here, I want to say that every time I coming back, I realize that all this hours that I spend to learn to fix or solve errors from time to time is waste of time because every time the things is totally different (I mean the commands and everything).

My last change is (not was) with the LMDE2. (because some guys from forum said that Mint is for me)
For now I didn't succeed yet to make it Just work. When I have time to loose I fighting for this

Truly I want to finally detox from F*ckin Windows (because all bad politics of this...) but I'm not seeing to happen soon.

I want to dedicate a song: ♫ We don't need, no more troubles ♪

[millpond]

I am writing this on a $10 ancient AMD Athlon boat anchor with 1.5G ram, that dual boots to XP and (currently) jessie. With LMDE2 boot disk I get perfect graphics (3d) on an even more ancient AMD9550. With Debian I am stuck with straight VGA.

It is not a multimedia machine. I use it to download media for my 7 and 10 Win machines which *are* multimedia consumption devices. However I use it for website and software development, creating scripts, and numerous other things that do not require bleeding edge graphics like games. If I take out the PIM junk it runs KDE just fine.

I am not a believer in updates. If it works, dont fix it. I'm building a newer 64 bit linux/7 box and dont ever intend to update anything that is clearly not needed. If I want bleeding edge, I compile it, and dump it into /opt.

The OP has many valid points, but it needs to be realized that Lin and Win are the chidren of two totally different gods.
Lord RMS, even more than st. Linus developed Linux to be a means to an end, in a productive environment and economy. The software was trivial, and rightly shared to improve efficiency by not reinventing wheels, or functions.

The Gates of Hell spawned Win to be an end in itself. It was designed to define productivity rather than assist it, and subjugate productive enterprises into cogs of a service economy, which has become the laughing stock of the world .
Imagine an empire where missiles cannot launch until their service contracts are renewed, by someone in India, or perhaps Iran itself. Thats Win 'philosophy'. Dont reinvent the wheel, patent all round objects.

-I'm voting for Guy Fawkes.

[Pat D]

If you've ever been into cars, then you'll understand Linux.
No cars have ever been perfect, neither has Linux. Sorry, Bill and the 2 Steves, and Paul and....
But Linux is like old cars - you can lift the hood and pull them apart and put them back together, sometimes even better.
And when you've done that a few times, you start to understand what they're about IN THEMSELVES.
They are FUN.
Get passed (past??? Holy sh..!) their supposed purpose and enjoy the thrill of putting the pedal to the metal.

Ar Ar Grr Grr