Mint Newcomers!--what fries you the most?

[AndyMH]

I have spent considerable time trying to load a bit of software where the only option is to use the terminal. Could someone please suggest where to start a new topic so I might be able to get help.

The software is Arduiino IDE.

Start a new topic and tell us how you installed it

[Lady Fitzgerald]

...To me the install instructions are incomplete and not being a terminal user I don't know what's missing or being assumed by the instruction writer.
Thanks again.

I wish I had a dollar for every time I encountered instructions like that.

[motoryzen]

Why not combine Xfce, Mate and Cinnamon editions into a single ISO, and give the user the option to choose which DE they want during install?

I definitely second this option. Although it may seem...VERY minor. I think this would help increase the chances of a Linux Noob ..WANTING just straight out...to choose Mint over other distros.

[AZgl1800]

Why not combine Xfce, Mate and Cinnamon editions into a single ISO, and give the user the option to choose which DE they want during install?

I definitely second this option. Although it may seem...VERY minor. I think this would help increase the chances of a Linux Noob ..WANTING just straight out...to choose Mint over other distros.

the ISO would be pretty big to do that.
Not as big as 3 times more than a single desktop, but at least twice or more.

[majpooper]

Could someone please suggest where to start a new topic so I might be able to get help.

It sounds like this would be a good fit: viewforum.php?f=47

Thanks Moem. I came to that conclusion after I posted.
majpooper; The software is Arduiino IDE.
Before I request help here I am going to see what kind of response I get from the Arduino forum. To me the install instructions are incomplete and not being a terminal user I don't know what's missing or being assumed by the instruction writer.
Thanks again.

OK in the mean time I will see what I come up with by trying to install it in a VM.

[majpooper]

Rusty you do not have to download and install a .tar.xz Arduino IDE package
Arduino is available in the Mint software repository.
Go to the software manager or synaptic and install from the GUI.

[Rusty Relic]

Thanks a whole bunch majpooper! I followed your detailed instructions and succeeded and then I came back to this thread and it appears that you edited your original post that I used to get the IDE program working. There must have been enough demand for Arduino IDE that the Mint team included it in the repository. Never thought of looking there.
I retired from servicing older electrical and electronics equipment in industry more than 20 years ago but have always been curious about PLC's and micro controllers so I am going to give it a try just for fun.
You guys are great! Thanks again.

[majpooper]

HOOOAH!
You are welcome - I did edit my post - the light bulb came on and I went and checked the repository and sure enough there it was.
I edited it because If someone else comes on the forum with the same question I would not want them to think they had to install a .tar.xz package when the software is available from Mint in the software manager or synaptic.
But two good things came out of this:
1.) Always check the repositories for software - it is always best to get software from the the repositories - it safe and will work
2.) You now have the tools to install .tar packages

Go back and edit the subject with a [SOLVED] so everyone knows you found the answer to your question.

EDIT:

Could someone please suggest where to start a new topic so I might be able to get help.

It sounds like this would be a good fit: viewforum.php?f=47

MOD - Rusty's question how to install Arduino IDE software package should be split off as a separate thread.

[AwesomeOpossum74]

Why not combine Xfce, Mate and Cinnamon editions into a single ISO, and give the user the option to choose which DE they want during install?

I definitely second this option. Although it may seem...VERY minor. I think this would help increase the chances of a Linux Noob ..WANTING just straight out...to choose Mint over other distros.

the ISO would be pretty big to do that.
Not as big as 3 times more than a single desktop, but at least twice or more.

Yes, the single ISO would be larger. But 50%? Anyway, for a new user wanting to find a "favorite" DE, it would be easy. The way it is currently, if they apt install the other DEs, they will be eating the bandwidth and space anyway.

[old_noob]

Not new to Mint, but from my perspective...

Not much. I distro hop because I get bored with the ease and stability of Mint.

[inductee]

I am using Linux Mint 20.2. Updates take way too long to download. Speedtest reports my speed at 15 to 18 Mbps and the downloader reports my update speed at 20 to 40 kBps.

[Larry78723]

Have you changed mirrors to those closer to you in Software Sources? How many hops it takes to reach the repository and network latency both affect download speed.

[allstarr]

As a "newcomer," it's frustrating that most problems I look to find solutions for, requiring going into the terminal. Even when there are GUI options, they tend to be buried all the way at the end of articles.

I'm "semi-tech," as I can understand maybe 1/2 (ish) of what I come across. The other half, not so much.

I know lots of people who get frustrated with Billy Goat and Windows, but they are less techish than me, and if there isn't a GUI method to solve their problem, or easy software to resolve it, they won't switch.

I really like Linux, which is why it's my main OS. But it just doesn't seem usable to anyone who isn't at least semi-techish.

[Moem]

As a "newcomer," it's frustrating that most problems I look to find solutions for, requiring going into the terminal.

That's because terminal solutions are pretty much universal, while GUIs are a lot more varied, and also change more often.

[all41]

As a "newcomer," it's frustrating that most problems I look to find solutions for, requiring going into the terminal.

That's because terminal solutions are pretty much universal, while GUIs are a lot more varied, and also change more often.

Yes on this. A topic which provides sufficient system information in the first post is much more likely to see a gui solution

[TuxSymphony]

Being a new forum member finding my way about and an avid Mate fan,
I've read that LMDE (sans ubuntu) can be conjoured to work as a Mate DE.
I'd really like to see that as an option in LMDE.

If Ubuntu were to go south, the user has the option of two DE's in one ISO.

Possibly an 'expansion pack' post LMDE5 release at a later date via repos?

Who knows even eventually baked into the LMDE6 iso?

Wouldn't there be less restrictions than ubuntu flavours that make this easier to accomplish?
Thanks
(apologies mods: wasn't sure whether to post here or in suggestions)

[majpooper]

Being a new forum member finding my way about and an avid Mate fan,
I've read that LMDE (sans ubuntu) can be conjoured to work as a Mate DE.
I'd really like to see that as an option in LMDE.

In a manner of speaking MATE DE is an option in LMDE if you consider the synaptic package manager GUI.
Install MATE - Mark for complete Removal cinnamon
However IMHO the best way to convert LMDE from Cinnamon to MATE is from the terminal using apt
Ctrl_Alt+T
cut and paste:

Code: Select all

sudo apt update

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sudo apt purge cinnamon -y

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sudo apt autoremove -y 

Code: Select all

sudo apt install mate -y

Code: Select all

sudo apt update

Code: Select all

sudo systemctl reboot

[BadAtLinuxBTW]

Fries me? You want a complaint only thread? Why?

What stands out most as a plus for Linux Mint is being able to Right Click a file for a Pull Down Menu, Sha256Sum AND make a bootable USB. This takes the best of both worlds of Arch Linux's "Do Not Repeat Yourself" principle, while remaining Newb User Friendly. It doesn't need much in the way of supporting documentation.

This is not only User Friendly as befits a distro targeted at inexperienced users, it's has what you need out of the box to rescue your system. In all my Distro Hopping & experimentation without a alternative and established working PC - this combination of default features massively uncomplicates the process of download & verification of ISO files.

Linux Mint is special among distros, regardless on your position on Ubuntu & downstream Ubuntu distros due to it's relative ease of use.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Fries me? You want a complaint only thread? Why?

What stands out most as a plus for Linux Mint is being able to Right Click a file for a Pull Down Menu, Sha256Sum AND make a bootable USB. This takes the best of both worlds of Arch Linux's "Do Not Repeat Yourself" principle, while remaining Newb User Friendly. It doesn't need much in the way of supporting documentation.

This is not only User Friendly as befits a distro targeted at inexperienced users, it's has what you need out of the box to rescue your system. In all my Distro Hopping & experimentation without a alternative and established working PC - this combination of default features massively uncomplicates the process of download & verification of ISO files.

Linux Mint is special among distros, regardless on your position on Ubuntu & downstream Ubuntu distros due to it's relative ease of use.

I'm not seeing this thread so much as a place to carp about Linux as much as an opportunity to identify weaknesses that can frustrate a newbie and enable us to better help newbies through those weaknesses.

[BadAtLinuxBTW]

I'm not seeing this thread so much as a place to carp about Linux as much as an opportunity to identify weaknesses that can frustrate a newbie and enable us to better help newbies through those weaknesses.

Ah - I half saw it as a complaint invitation, half reacted to it from a Science Methodology perspective RE: Only seeking negatives gives a false impression. If you only ask for negative feedback rather than both negative and positive, you exclude positive responses for the same features.

I'm a data nerd & that's where I lean rather than Self Selection Bias. I support Opt In data collection in principle. This is however a community distro & data collection needs to be as low maintenance as possible. I have no qualifications or relevant experience to help here, the best I can do is pull my finger out & donate.