Why did you decide to install Linux Mint?

[MrGrimm]

if interested the canon mg5700 all in one works straight out of the gate. all i had to do was point the app i was testing the printer with to the right one of two lisyed and worked perfectly without any further setup.

[Moem]

If your printer is multifunction too, I'd really like to know the model you're using

Nope sorry! I use a separate flatbed scanner, it's a Canon Canoscan LIDE 110. Works fine.

[rene]

I'm quite pleased with an HP Envy 7640. Color inkjet, duplex, ethernet and wifi (and USB), flatbed scanner with auto-feeder, fax for those that care, good Linux support. Note it is not economical with ink...

[MarHaj]

When Microsoft introduced Windows 8 in 2012, I sweared to myself not to board this flight. I, Widows 2 - 7 loyal user, made a decision to transfer to Linux, when the right time comes - when my Windows 7 PC shows signs of old age.

As time was passing my decision was not getting weaker. On the contrary. It was getting — due to MS product and business strategy — stronger.

The right time came just three months ago: first SW and HW failures and observable total slow down. I knew what to do.

I did my multivariate research of various Linux distributions. First winner was Debian branch. An there Mint won. Not for that "it is the best Linux distro ever" but for that "it is the best for my needs" and "for me as total Linux greenhorn".

Two month ago I decided to give it a try for three months period and really see if it is the right one or not.

So far I am greatly satisfied. Really. At the current moment I think I will stick to Mint. I cannot say now for how long. Year, ten years, twenty? Ho knows. Life's changing and it's full of surprises.

Any way I would like to express my gratitudes to Mint developers (and all those before them), Mint user support team, etc. for their excellent/awesome job and product. Thank you really all of you!

[BG405]

My answer is simple:

I'd borked the Win8.1 installation on a tablet I'd been given. When looking for tools & ways to fix it, I downloaded Linux Mint 17.3 Cinnamon. After some fiddling with the ISO to get it to boot on the machine (32-bit UEFI & picky about partition types) I liked what I saw.

The rest, like they say, is history.

I still use Cinnamon on one of my machines although the others are KDE (Mint & Manjaro), or Mint Xfce on those with more limited hardware capabilities. My venture into Mint 19 will involve replacement of Xfce with KDE on this machine, when I get round to it ...

[lexon]

I was using Ubuntu and it was missing stuff and did not like the forums.
I found that Mint 6 had just been released and had just about everything I needed. All I needed was a video player.

L

[afineman]

For me

It was when XP support ended, it had been years since I tried Linux so I gave Ubuntu a try. I was in awe at how far Linux had come and how quick a clean install was (~15 Min). I was able to do everything I needed using Linux apps and it was a steep learning curve

After awhile (~4 months) I started to really dislike the desktop of Ubuntu and with the confidence I gained from using Linux for 4 months I went distro hopping.

In the end, I landed here (Mint Mate 17.0) I found it to be intuitive (coming from XP) it did everything I wanted and then some. I once referred to Linux Mint as the lazy mans Linux (install it and forget it), I've tried other distros but I always end up back here (the install and compatibility is so easy). Currently I'm running 19.0 in my ECS lava (bed room flat screen), 18.3 on my HTPC (family room), 18.3 on HTPC (living room) and 17.3 on old laptop (this 10 year old laptop screams with this in it, boots in 20 seconds shuts down in 8 ).

Well, That's how I got here

AFM

[Dot_mdb]

I had run Windows 8.1 on a new machine for about a year. I got to the point where I couldn't stand the annoyances of the operating system. When turning on the machine there was the inevitable wait with the balls going round and round. When the desktop finally appeared the hard drive would continue thrashing for 10 minutes or longer. When shutting down more delays "do not shut off". I started to wonder if it was my machine or Microsoft's. At first I installed Mint on a dual boot with Windows. But I found Mint to be such a great operating system that I eventually removed Windows when I went to 18.1.

Bill

[carum carvi]

I decided to choose to install LinuxMint for 3 reasons:

1 Windows updates
2 Windows updates
3 Windows updates

Thank you Microsoft for your unique update policy. Thanks to Windows updates I dared take the step to completely eliminate every previous Windows partition. I did a full install of LinuxMint18 about 2 years ago. Did a full install for girlfriend of mine a few months later. Smooth sailing ever since...

[DAMIEN1307]

Hi carum carvi...did you mean...?

1 - Windows Updates (patch tuesday and ususally borked)

2- Windows Cumulative Updates (usually towards end of month and usually borked)

3 - Windows Upgrades (twice a year and always borked)

We really do have much to be thankful for from Microsoft...they showed us the way to LINUX...lol...lol...lol...DAMIEN

[MrGrimm]

hi carum carvi...di you mean...

1 - Windows Updates (patch tuesday and usually borked)

2- Windows Cumulative Updates (usually towards end of month and usually borked)

3 - Windows Upgrades (twice a year and always borked)

we really do have much to be thankful for from Microsoft...they showed us the way to LINUX...lol...lol...lol...DAMIEN

it's funny the average user NEVER has those problems as long as they turn off let windows install drivers. regardless of claims otherwise win 7, 8.1, and 10 are easy to use, the issue with any of them is there speed and performance compared to linux. windows explorer just like internet explorer and edge have need a major revamping of their underlying engines. microsoft would never admit it but the engines for internet explorer and windows explorer go back to windows 95a, that's akin to building the most modern car ever and dropping a engine in from the 1910's.

[DAMIEN1307]

True...i always turned off windows drivers updating and doing so myself manually when needed and thats because im just a total control freak on my own machines...lol...DAMIEN

ps...as far as i remember, M$ Windows machines have three speeds...Park, Neutral, and Reverse...lol...DAMIEN

[lsemmens]

Reverse!!!! You gotta be kidding, Windows , more like Park, neutral, and won't go ANYWHERE!

[jeffk969]

Research. My issues with windows and all that goes along with virus's, spyware, cost, etc... Spent a few months reading, watching videos.
It came down to 4 OS's. Mint, Feren, Zorin & Chalet. Loved Chalet and Mint. Chalet had a couple features that to me personally just by a hair
edged Mint. But Chalet is now a discontinued OS. Which, I'm fortunate enough to not have placed all my eggs in that basket. And the more I
learned, used Mint, the more comfortable I have become and happy in my research in leaving windows. Linux Mint imho is simply the best,
for Me. There is not one thing I can't do with Mint that I could do with windows, outside of a few pc games which I haven't figured how to
do with wine/play on linux. I'd rather donate to Mint, Thunderbird, Libreoffice and other packages than be held hostage and spied upon by MS.

Most importantly, with all the 'support' mint has, I have no problems putting all my eggs in this basket. It's a no brainer. Happiness does that.

[dhaans]

I got a November update surprise on my Win 10 laptop (wouldn't boot properly) and decided I'd finally move over to Linux. I'd tried Knoppix in 2001/2002, then Ubuntu in about 2008, but didn't have a stable system. I'd been playing with Mint on non-critical machines and it just seemed to work.

I've been running Mint, with Virtualbox supplying a Windows 7 desktop when I need it, for over 2 years now. It's a fun experience, figuring out what you can do with it. I'm loving the Mint 19.1 update. Being excited again and again about an OS, without fail, is a new experience for this former Windows user. I'm currently trying Cinnamon and it looks great, but I always seem to miss my best MATE.

I do IT and other work, and there's rarely a time I can't find a program in the Software Manager for a simple task.

As for Windows, I read the Win 10 forums for the frustration lols.

Both Mint and Windows 10 (sorta) are free, but guess who I give via Patreon to every month?

[dhaans]

I decided to choose to install LinuxMint for 3 reasons:

1 Windows updates
2 Windows updates
3 Windows updates

Thank you Microsoft for your unique update policy. Thanks to Windows updates I dared take the step to completely eliminate every previous Windows partition. I did a full install of LinuxMint18 about 2 years ago. Did a full install for girlfriend of mine a few months later. Smooth sailing ever since...

I don't realistically know how much of my life has been spent with Windows Updates. In Mint (or any distro), updates are supremely easy, and your software gets updated too.

Windows is still stuck in the 90s when it comes to updates. I don't understand why it takes so long to check for and install patches in Windows, or in many Windows programs (download patch, double click, click OK OK OK OK and wait and wait and pray pray pray).

Mint is way easier. It stays out of your way and it just works. No reboots required! I mean, it's update heaven.

[Ranthe]

Why did I decide to install Linux Mint four years ago?

Primarily because Windows Vista was approaching end of life, a simple upgrade to 64-bit Windows 8 at the time wasn't possible (because I have wound up with 32-bit Vista on a 64-bit machine for what seemed like good reasons at the time), and I figured that if I had to pave my HD and rebuild my system anyway, I might as well explore the option of installing an OS like Linux that I didn't have to shell out $$$ for. I was already using FOSS apps like OpenOffice, GIMP, Krita et al in Windows that had native Linux versions, and I figured it wouldn't be that much of a change. And the reason I chose Mint in particular was... everything just worked, out of the box. No playing "hunt the codec" and wondering why Linux couldn't do basic stuff like play audio and video without engaging heavy geekery(1).

I've been a happy Penguinista ever since, and last year I took the final step and blew Vista away with making my eleven year old desktop a Linux-only machine. And I haven't looked back!

(1) "When I hear the word 'compile', I reach for my revolver" because I passed the stage of "build it before I use it" back in my Apple II days at school.

[[rua]]

Great thread, very interesting to see others' perspectives. I haven't used Windows seriously in a very long time. In my limited experience XP and 7 seemed to be good releases. I think 10 might be safest used offline! I've never liked Windows updates, and the whole Windows system lacks elegance and a certain coherence to my mind. I have no experience of and little interest in Apple except for my older iPhone with iOS 12 which I find adequate.

My needs are basic. I use my computer for primarily for storing and listening to music, for editing pictures, email, shopping, a little bit of writing. Simple end user stuff that doesn't require commercial software. I like my system to be beautiful, elegant, easy to use, and trustworthy. I like to make it mine.

I started using Linux in the early 2000s. I'd bought a second hand computer with no OS. Someone told me about Linux. I fooled around with Mandrake and Red Hat. Compared to Windows 98, Mandrake in particular was a breath of fresh air. Logical and transparent and beautiful. A wealth of free and very useful software was available at a mouse click, more or less. Knoppix came out. I believe it was the first live distro. It was my introduction to Debian and a real showcase for software. I loved it. The seed of a curiosity for Debian was planted in my head.

I did a short stretch on XP for hardware reasons before trying out Ubuntu. It was touted as a friendly version of Debian. The package management system was superb. I started with Edgy and gave up after Gutsy. Too many changes were made from release to release. Not all were good and it felt like change was made for change's sake. I never felt entirely safe with it.

I took a deep breath and plunged into Debian proper. It had a fearsome reputation for the newcomer. Etch, stable, didn't like my hardware. Lenny, testing, did. The learning curve was steep but in it I found a great OS! Elegant and fast with no frills unless you wanted to add them. I used Gnome 2 and Xfce and found a taste for refinement.

I discovered Mint Ellyssa. Far out! I'd laboured for months to make Debian the way I liked it - and here was Mint ready configured almost perfectly from the start! Wow! It was Ubuntu done properly. I made a dual boot. I still used Debian more. Something about it.

Then the best of both worlds arrived. LMDE! Debian Squeeze with a wonderful Mint overlay. It drove my big laptop. Meanwhile I enjoyed Helena on a netbook. Something about hardware compatibility as I remember. LMDE Ada had occasional issues and secretly I preferred Helena for her stability.

All would be forgiven. LMDE 2 Mate became my favourite Linux release ever. Fast, light, and stable almost to boringness. Just superb. I wish it could have continued forever. We were made for each other. I did swerve past a notorious upgrade to Mate that broke many other systems.

Late last year I left my beloved, elderly Betsy, god rest her beautiful soul, for Tara. Two reasons.

1. Mate and Xfce editions were discontinued for the upcoming LMDE 3 and I'm not a fan of Cinnamon. Sure you can install these DEs, but they'll be without the polish of official editions, and I like polish - hence Mint . I chose Xfce for a change. Although I've rearranged the furniture, the Mint team has done a great job of building the house.
2. The five year support period.

I'm on Tessa now after a faultless upgrade. As with Tara it's nice and very useable and it's good to have all the Mint tools at hand. No serious breakage or showstoppers so far. But as good as this regular Mint is, it's a compromise. I was spoiled by Betsy. There's something about a true Debian base I love and prefer and for some reason trust just that bit more. Is it its more reserved nature? That elegance thing, hard to explain. I see it, feel it somehow, in LMDE - and also in MX, which in some ways is the next best thing to Betsy, or even better, in my limited experience of recent distro dancing. MX is solid and super fast with excellent tools. It remains in my mind (and I've just learned of its latest release, ahhh!). But, last I saw, it didn't have quite the beauty and polish and the long term support I want - so right now, Mint it is. I've also invested a lot of time in it!

P.S. Desktop Linux has a very very low public profile. Amazing, the number of people I encounter who have no idea of alternatives to MS and Apple. It's almost everyone. I always recommend Mint to users exasperated by Windows and who don't need specialized commercial software. Those who follow through are always happy.

[Arch_Enemy]

P.S. Desktop Linux has a very very low public profile. Amazing, the number of people I encounter who have no idea of alternatives to MS and Apple. It's almost everyone. I always recommend Mint to users exasperated by Windows and who don't need specialized commercial software. Those who follow through are always happy.

Those people never had to figure out the / to make a DOS prompt work correctly. Most started on XP or newer. I find a lot of Linux users are older folks like me who aren't afraid of a C:\ or a $. Others are developers. It's amazing how many people develop the cores for their Windows programs on Linux!

[scoson]

I could go on (and on) but short and sweet..

My current computer, a Dell Inspiron 3558 Laptop, came with Windows 10 on it. I used Win10 for a while (ugh) and put up with all the weirdness, but I guess about a year ago, the creator of Classic Shell (start menu replacement) decided he was stopping development. It may have been picked up by someone else after that, but it was the LAST STRAW for me at the time..

Along the way in the last year, I looked at a few other distros, but Mint Cinnamon is PERFECT for me! The End..