The absolute newbie!

[eritromycin]

dear (future) friends!

after being a windows user for almost 20 years i finally decided to take the step towards Linux (at least as a dual boot system), something i was thinking of doing for some time now. The problem was and still is: i know nothing of Linux (except what i read here and there in the process of gaining information over the past few months).

I want to 1) "learn" linux "thoroughly" and 2) in time, once learned it good enough, make my contribution(s) to the linux community. But in order to do so, i must first learn it!

And that's where i need your help! Before i jump to my questions, a short info on my PC: (a 9 year old system)

intel core 2 duo 2,40 GHz E4600 (64-bit), 3GB SDRAM, 1 TB hard drive (NEW), 2GB ASUS nVidia GeForce GT630 Graphics Card.

Running Windows 10 Pro 64-bit. Partitions on hard drive: 3 partitions for windows (200 GB each) and 350 GB unused for my future linux system (my plan is: 50 or 60 GB /root, 5 GB /swap and the other 300GB for /user).

Q1. What is your recommendation for an absolute newbie: openSUSE, Ubuntu, or Linux Mint? Regarding ease of use, available software/packages and whether thay can be installed easily.

Q2. in connection with question 1: is my system sufficient for a 64-bit version of the above mentioned distributions? From the system requirements pages of the distributions i get the idea that Linux Mint (Cinnamon) or Ubuntu (Unity) would run faster on an older pc like mine? probably due to KDE? (seems it's using lots of RAM?)

Q3. As i will use my first linux for daily work until i get to at least intermediate level, which distribution comes with more hardware drivers, multimedia codecs (audio and video) and pre-installed software (like office suite, pdf readers)?

and...

Q4. i am a physicist and learned fortran. but i started learning c++ and might learn other programming languages along the way. which distribution has the most compilers and/or IDE for those programming languages? (if that question makes sense!?)

Note: from what i read in other forum entries; i would prefer a stable distribution, one i can use for a long time. maybe one i can update easily or - if updating can cause crashes/malfunctioning - one i can use without updating.

i thank you all in advance for your help and advice and for taking your time to answering those questions.

[Pjotr]

We from Linux Mint advise.... Linux Mint.
Lots of software available, enterprise quality (built on Ubuntu LTS), long term supported until May, 2021.

Select the lightweight Xfce edition. The best choice for your old computer:
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... /mint-xfce

64-bit versus 32-bit: first try the 64-bit DVD. If it won't boot, pick the 32-bit.

[kc1di]

Hello eritromycin and Welcome to Linux Mint,

Of course this being a Linux Mint Forum we would naturally recommend Mint
You may want to take advantage of the Linux foundation's free intro to Linux Course found here
https://www.edx.org/school/linuxfoundationx you can take it online should give you a good start.

I'm with Pjotr and recomend XFCE desktop.
But there is a ton of good software for Distros like Mint.
Good Luck in your pursuit and most of all enjoy

[sikejsudjek]

Coming from windows I found mint easier than Ubuntu simply because the desktop is similar, and I think it looks better than Ubuntu. Its possible to change themes to make it look a lot like windows if you want. OpenSUSE just confused the hell out of me...

Mint is based on Ubuntu and has access to the same software via the software manager. The drivers are in the kernel - so they should be the same. Only the proprietary drivers (often nvidia and intel microcode) need to be installed from the driver manager. Mint comes with multimedia codecs - you have to click a box during installation to install. Its a lot less hassle than setting up windows most of the time.

You could try out mint versions first by burning the iso(s) to a dvd and booting up a 'live system. That way you can try out both before you install anything - which will help you find out if there are any hardware incompatibilities. You should go for the 64bit version.

[Fred Barclay]

Linux Mint Xfce or MATE sounds like a great fit for you. Depending on the release you select you'll be supported from 2017-2021: Mint 13 is supported until 2017, Mint 17.x until 2019, and Mint 18 until 2021. Installing software is usually a breeze in Mint too!
Mint also comes with a great Update Manager to help you with updating and keep potentially harmful updates away.

Since Mint 13 has only about a year of support left, I would not recommend starting with it.

Any of the Mint releases come with an office suite (LibreOffice), a pdf reader (which of the many available Linux pdf readers depends on which desktop environment and version you choose), and most common hardware drivers. Any of the Mint 17.x series also comes with multimedia codecs, though starting with Mint 18 you have to manually install them. Don't worry, it's not a big deal: https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... ia-support

64-bit machines do eat a bit more RAM but with 3GB I don't know that you would notice the difference. Besides, a lot of software distributors are moving away from 32-bit builds - Chrome, for example, is no longer available for 32-bit Linux - so I would personally lean towards 64-bit if at all possible.

As far as compilers go, Mint (and most distros) have gcc, which can compile C and C++ just fine.
After looking at https://stackoverflow.com/questions/172 ... gcc#172592 you might want to install g++ to compile your C++ files, but that's simple to do: sudo apt-get install g++. I've never written C++, only C, so I don't have personal experience as to the advantages/disadvantages of the gcc vs the g++ commands.

Other than that, Mint comes with Python 2 and 3 and Perl plus the openjre environment. Geany is a widely recommended IDE for multiple pro gramming languages (including the ones I've mentioned - I think it has Fortran support as well), and I used to use Spyder for my Python hacking. There are plenty of other IDEs as well - just open the software manager and look under the "Programming" section.

Personally, I use Atom for nearly all of my coding. It's not available in the Mint repos but it's an easy download and install.

In my work (I'm a physics student and currently working alongside physicists) I've used Matlab a bit too. There is a Matlab for Linux, which runs pretty well... okay, Matlab is a bit of a resource hog. The open-source clone of Matlab, Octave, is available in the Mint repos too.

Cheers and welcome to Linux!
Fred

[jimallyn]

I would think that Mint XFCE (or MATE) would be fine on that computer. I have installed Mint XFCE even on single core machines. I use Cinnamon on my own desktop computer, but it has a powerful processor and lots of memory. On my older laptop, I use Mint XFCE and it works well. On an older computer I would avoid Cinnamon and KDE, too resource heavy. Mint is a good choice because it is designed for ease of use. For most people, all they have to do is click the Menu button, click on the application they want to run, and away they go. Yes, there is a lot more that you can learn about Linux, but that's about all you have to learn. And there is good support here on the Mint forums for all versions. We have some extremely knowledgeable people here and they are always willing to help out others.

Your partitioning plan is probably fine. I usually don't bother to make a separate /home partition, but that's mostly a matter of personal preference. Making separate / and home partitions does have the advantage that you can reinstall the OS, or update it to a newer version without losing anything in your home partition.

There are many software packages available for Mint. Besides the Mint repositories, Mint also uses the Ubuntu repositories, so there's a lot of stuff available. As far as drivers, codecs, and pre-installed software, Mint is probably as good as any. The office suite and PDF reader come by default with the OS installation. And there's plenty of other stuff available in the repositories.

Installing and updating software is easy. I use Synaptic for installing new software, but there's also Software Manager, which a lot of people say is easier for newcomers. Updating is also easy. Mint has it's own Update Manager. It normally displays a green checkmark in the panel, but when there are updates available, it turns blue. Click on it, and it will pop up with list of available updates. Click Install Updates, enter your password, and Update Manager does the rest.

For software development, Mint has several IDEs available, and the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) has available C, C++, Fortran, Java, and more. If you're interested in programming for microcontrollers, there is also support for Atmel AVR series, ARM, Motorola 68HC, 8051, PIC, Arduino, and probably a lot more support for other microcontrollers.

Mint is intended to be a Stable distribution, not a bleeding-edge distro. That means you are often a bit behind the latest versions of some software, but the software you are using will have been fully tested and stable. Mint 17 has over two years of support left, and 18 has almost 5 years of support remaining. I have Mint 17 on my computer and haven't bothered to upgrade to 18 yet, but when I install Mint for others, I usually install 18.

[MintBean]

I would recommend Mint 18 Mate 64 bit to try first. Mate is lightweight but a bit nicer than XFCE, to my tastes, anyway. A duo will run 64 bit happily and 64 bit is really the way forward these days, and version 18 being the latest version will give you the longest support and best feature set.

As for software, Ubuntu probably has the largest selection due to it's popularity, but as Mint is based on Ubuntu, fortunately it can run the same software.

When you first boot Mint, read the documentation that is available from the Mint welcome screen. It's a good, concise introduction. I wouldn't worry too much about the section on Synaptic package manager- stick with the software manager to install software to begin with. I've used Mint a couple years and still prefer it over synaptic.

Welcome to the gang!

[yaye]

Hello and Welcome to the Linux Mint Forums.

For most of the questions you asked, I would agree with others that Linux Mint MATE 64-bit would be better than Cinnamon and KDE on your current system. My main system is a 2004 AMD Athlon 64 X2 powered desktop and runs Mint 17.3 MATE 64-bit. I'll eventually upgrade it to Mint 18. You could just install Mint 18 and get the longer support period. I don't know anything about programming except the names of the languages. A Linux distribution that might offer more in terms of programming/IDE is CentOS, but it isn't anywhere as newbie friendly as Mint since it is used more on servers.

[pdhunter1987]

Hello "eritromycin"!

Everyone has pretty much answered your questions so i am a bit late to the party.

Your PC is fine for Linux Mint 64bit versions, Cinnamon, XFCE, and MATE would all work well i would assume.

KDE desktop may struggle and play up but not too sure.

Definitely recommend Linux Mint.
Programming is great under Linux, plenty of software in the "Software Centre" on your Linux Mint system.

Media Codecs can be enabled when installing Linux Mint, just check the box that appears.

Like I said I'm a bit late to the party!
Enjoy using Linux Mint and welcome aboard!

[eritromycin]

All i i can say is a big WOW!!

So many replies in such a short time, thank you all guys (Pjotr, kc1di, sikejsudjek, Fred Barclay, jimallyn, MintBean, yaye and pdhunter1987) !!

Thank you all for your answers. To be honest; regarding the system requirements, i am inclined to choose Linux Mint (the Cinnamon desktop). Going to use it for programming and wanting multimedia features may seem controversial but every now and then i would like to watch a movie without having to switch to windows. i'm not going to turn it into a multimedia studio... at least not yet..

i think i will give 64-bit Linux Mint "Cinnamon" a try and if it turns out well (i.e. i can get to the desktop of Mint) i'll tell you immediately how it went.

[Pjotr]

You can also watch a movie with lightweight Xfce.... its multimedia support is identical to that of Cinnamon. And your old hardware will work a lot better (smoother, more performance) with Xfce.

In this case, it might just make the difference between a pleasurable start with Linux and a disappointment.

[Citizen229]

Going to have to say go with Mint XFCE on this one. With 3 gigs of ram you have the ability to fill it up pretty quick. I have a netbook with 1 gig ram. I put XFCE on it and did some newbie tweaks and it runs 144 megs at idle. so basically full desktop ability and low ram usage.

[pdhunter1987]

Your very welcome!
I know i mentioned using cinnamon, it will work i put it on my sister in laws old PC, however i would also recommend the "XFCE" desktop to use.
I would advise avoiding Cinnamon.

It will be a much smoother and stable experience for you.

Sorry for the confusion.


You said:
" Going to use it for programming and wanting multimedia features may seem controversial but every now and then i would like to watch a movie without having to switch to windows. i'm not going to turn it into a multimedia studio... at least not yet.. "

Nothing controversial, at home we watch netflix, youtube, dvd's and play mp3's!
Click to enable codecs, definitely recommend it! Its the most practical thing to do.