Linux Mint Forums

Hi
I'm thinking of trying Mint for the first time, and have no experience of using any Linux distros. What are your top tips for me BEFORE my DVD arrives?
Possible topics:
Installation
Connecting to the Internet
Problem Solving
Please note that technical instructions will need to be pretty basic.
Thanks

Deano
Lincolnshire
England

Only 3 tips: Read, read, and read more. On the Mint Forums, of course. Everything you could possibly need to know about Mint and Linux is somewhere on these forums. Read thoroughly the Newbie and Installation and Boot sections. Also the Hardware section for anything to do with the types of Wifi/Ethernet cards and Video cards that you have. You won't remember everything you read, but if you run into a glitch you'll have an idea where to look to find the answer.

Buckle up it's a learning curve !

I bought a thinkpad laptop cheap just to learn how to use linux on, tried ubuntu on a dual boot on my pc, that was enough to convince me to learn how to use it 'properly' - don't dual boot would be my recommendation, put it solely on a machine to learn from if you can.

be prepared to learn and make mistakes, it's not windows (thankfully) bit it'll take some time to 'get' it. first install, wipe the disc clean and do a bog standard install, then if you want to partition, do it all again and read the pdf guide at the top of the forum, it makes sense and it's a good guide for newbies, and after 9 months or so on linux i very much consider myself to be one lol -

i've tried about 6 different distributions and just come back to mint from ubuntu 10.04, which was excellent, but there's just something about mint that brings me back . . . . . if you're pretty good with formatting/installing windows that will help, a bit, but not completely, everything's got different names and terminology which won't make any sense at all at first but that's what the forum's for and there is no shortage of help, just remember it make take a short while for answers as people are in different time zones etc. google is a pretty good engine for answers, use it, you'll be surprised how quickly you'll find your own answers.

if you have the time and patience and want to learn, you'll be fine, and you'll like it, it's a fantastic OS and once i'm confident enough with it I won't ever be buying a windows license again . . . . . . . .

Most of all . . . . . have fun

This is a good picture guide of what you can expect for the installation -> http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-d ... t-10-julia

Hang around the forums, the IRC Linux Mint channel #linuxmint-help is a good place for real-time support (Automatically connects from the program XChat in the main menu for the LiveCD and post-installation).

Research your hardware to see if there are any additional steps to get working with linux. I.e. google search "hardware (make & model) Ubuntu 10.10" (I use Ubuntu since generally there are more results because of their large user base, and any instruction in Ubuntu is compatible with Linux Mint.

tdockery97 wrote:Only 3 tips: Read, read, and read more.

+1 There is plenty of info already out there. Search the forums here and google, the question you want to ask may have already been answered. Also, read the stickie posts at the top of the main page of "Newbie Questions". They usually have answers to most of your basic questions.

After you have read about everything you can lay your hands on go back and read some more (just kidding) I've been using Mint 9 and 10 on my home computers for about7 months now and I honestly think what you've been told here is the real deal. Remember it is not Windows so try to take it easy as it is a bit of a steep learning curve and above all else HAVE FUN with it! Go ahead and don't be afraid to mess up if it gets too bad you can re-install. I went from one distro to another till I found this one and both my wife and I are using Mint only .We do have a lonely almost forgotten Windows unit in the back office but rarely use it.

tdockery97 wrote:Read, read, and read more.

daveinuk wrote:be prepared to learn and make mistakes

proxima_centauri wrote:Hang around the forums

LongRider wrote:There is plenty of info already out there

grey1960envoy wrote:above all else HAVE FUN with it!

... and then try to wipe the silly smile off your face when you realise you understand things that the "experts" at your local computer shop haven't even heard of.

Welcome to Linux Mint.

Tony.B wrote:

tdockery97 wrote:Read, read, and read more.

daveinuk wrote:be prepared to learn and make mistakes

proxima_centauri wrote:Hang around the forums

LongRider wrote:There is plenty of info already out there

grey1960envoy wrote:above all else HAVE FUN with it!

... and then try to wipe the silly smile off your face when you realise you understand things that the "experts" at your local computer shop haven't even heard of.

Welcome to Linux Mint.

All I can say is YUP YUP YUP I love messing with some of these guys in the computer shops here (although in Staples they do have people that use Linux)

i am thinking of trying mint first time but i have no any experience ever...please can anyone provides me some tips.

believe me learning Linux is actually easy if you have fun and are open to a bit of learning . The number one thing to remember is do a lot of reading and actually FORGET what using Windows is like as you will find Linux DOES NOT work like Windows .Never has Never will! I myself am a recent escapee from M$ and neither my wife nor I miss the old days of defragging , AV scans etc. etc.etc.A very good idea is to read the forums and get hold of online Ebooks like "Complete Linux Tutorial" and go to the library ,borrow a book called "Linux For Dummies"or even better purchase it.BTW Mint is very user friendly .

annie89 wrote:i am thinking of trying mint first time but i have no any experience ever...please can anyone provides me some tips.

Hi Annie.
On the assumption that the "89" in your user-name isn't your age, you don't need any tips.

• (a) You've discovered that there are different (and MUCH cheaper and safer) alternatives when using a computer.
  (b) You've now discovered Linux Mint, which makes things easier.
  (c) You've discovered this forum, which is the lifeline you wished you had when you were with a different operating system.

Welcome to Linux Mint.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PS I'm over 60 and am not from any sort of computer-using background. I can assure you that my grey hair was NOT from coming to grips with Linux Mint.

deanom wrote:Hi
I'm thinking of trying Mint for the first time, and have no experience of using any Linux distros. What are your top tips for me BEFORE my DVD arrives?
Possible topics:
Installation
Connecting to the Internet
Problem SolvingNothing strange happened
Please note that technical instructions will need to be pretty basic.

Hi Deano,

The biggest problem I had was that I stuck the DVD in my computer .... and nothing happened. I didn't know that I had to ask my computer (during the starting-up procedure) to please go and read the DVD.

Once I'd sorted that out, the installation process was very straightforward. The system discovered my wireless internet automatically and, once I'd entered the password, I was connected.

Dead easy, even for a complete idiot like me.

You're not an " idiot" you are here and you have Linux installed THAT is quite a step in the right direction the rest will seem like a cake-walk ! http://www.linuxnewbieguide.org is another site worth checking out.

and remember to have fun with it

and remember to have fun with it

+1

Linux is fun, and learning how to properly use it is amazing.

and remember to have fun with it

actually, don't be afraid of breaking it - you won't learn, if you haven't broken, something.
that said, don't do anything that's rash, either.

My biggest tip has been said

DO NOT BE AFRAID OF TERMINAL it will be come your best friend if you learn how to use it. And don't be afraid to break something or somethingS LOL that's how you learn. The best way to learn is to download and start trying to do things you want it too do.

Welcome to Mint.

James

This is as good a place as any to start your reading -> http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=38355

Read everything, get used to doing Google searches, learn your way around manpages. Get used to the terminal -- you might not end up using it much, but it really helps if you can become a little bit comfortable with it.

And, the forums, of course.

And try to get away from thinking in Windows terms, start thinking "Linux." That part doesn't happen overnight, but it comes.

Nothing that hasn't been mentioned already, I think, except I'd also say do a few Google searches on the Linux file system. Have a look at how things are set up. Use the terminal and practice moving around the file system, then go back and use the file manager to do the same thing, and then you'll get a feel for things.

While I myself am no longer a complete newbie to Mint, the thing that I don't think anyone here has said is this,

DO NOT GIVE UP

If you don't give up, and you do what the rest of the posts here say, you will do fine with Mint and Linux in general. You will learn a lot and you will be frustrated at times. But if you don't give up, you will find an answer to any question you might have, and most of them will be answered right here in this forum...somewhere!