Why so confusing?

[Maynard]

i have the OS on my SSD, but all my media files are on my HDD drive. Do you guys know how to redirect the Media Folders (Music, Video, Pictures, Downloads etc) to another drive?

i have downloaded a few themes but i cant seem to figure out how to get them installed or placed in the proper folder to change them in the display settings. The files are unzipped and in my downloads folder but idk what to do with them now.

I may go with mint 11. I am not feeling gnome 3. its cool, but it has some quirks that i am having trouble dealing with in the gui. Cinnamon is cool too....but it looks like Windows and i am not interested in the windows look. I want something different. Ubuntu looks kind of cool and different, but idk if i want to switch over because i want to give Mint a real try

[altair4]

i have the OS on my SSD, but all my media files are on my HDD drive. Do you guys know how to redirect the Media Folders (Music, Video, Pictures, Downloads etc) to another drive?

One way is a symbolic link but I prefer to do it this way:

Using Bind to Remount Part of a Partition: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=74321

[Rua]

Everyone has problems when they first try something new. Just imagine driving a car most of your life and then having to drive a truck. Sitting in a truck, you'd be tempted to do things the car way. After all, that's how you always did it, and this is a road vehicle like any other isn't it? I imagine you'd find out quickly that it doesn't work that way when you accidentally run over a traffic sign when turning a corner! In the same way, when you used Windows for a long time, it starts to affect how you think about using a computer. In a sense, 'using a computer' and 'using Windows' have come to mean the same thing for you and for many other people, just like 'driving a road vehicle' may have come to mean the same as 'driving a car'. And of course driving a truck is hard... but why is it hard? Is it because it's genuinely more difficult (and how do you measure that anyway?) or is it because you're used to driving a car, and driving a truck is just difficult because you have to un-learn many of the things you learned driving a car for all those years? In the same way, Linux doesn't have to be difficult, it's just a little different and like with any new thing you need some time to adjust to the way it works, and also learn how to make it work for you.

My own experiences with Linux were very similar to yours. I first tried Linux years ago when a friend in class said to me why don't you try this... and gave me three CDs of Red Hat Linux 7.1. I installed it and got completely lost. I didn't know how to do anything anymore, and eventually I kind of got homesick and went back to Windows. The same thing happened a few years later when I tried Mandriva, and then later again I tried Ubuntu. In a way I was testing the waters bit by bit, trying to understand the differences but each time I ended up missing the familiarity of Windows and went back to it after a while. But then I got a laptop, and I decided to put Linux on it, and only Linux. That way, I could use both on their own merits, without ever having a need to 'go back'. Using the laptop just meant doing things one way and using the desktop meant using things the other way. In hindsight that was the best thing I ever did! It gave me the chance to experiment a little more with Linux and to understand how it works on a more regular basis. Now it's two years later and I've finally made the switch on my desktop as well. I'm completely Windows-free finally and I love it!

And yes, Linux can have its frustrating moments at times, just like any other piece of software. But just think about it... you're already here, talking about your frustrations, and learning as you go! I think you're doing very well, and I hope you keep going so that you can learn and understand it a bit better.

[Maynard]

i have the OS on my SSD, but all my media files are on my HDD drive. Do you guys know how to redirect the Media Folders (Music, Video, Pictures, Downloads etc) to another drive?

One way is a symbolic link but I prefer to do it this way:

Using Bind to Remount Part of a Partition: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=74321

how do u do a symbolic link?

[Lumikki]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolic_link

[Maynard]

i want to try MATE but the only way i see to do this is to download the gnome+mate dvd and burn it to a disc. I had all sorts of confusion going on when i tried to install it from the disc.

So what i have installed is the 64 bit CD no codecs version....that installs with the mint4win file. Anyways, i was wondering how or if its possible to install MATE now that i have Mint 12 installed and fully updated? i went to the software manager and there was no option for this.

I really want to try out mate cause it seems like it has alot of what i am looking for. oh, and isnt there a download for Chrome?

Sidenote. I tried Ubuntu and it was cool...not what i am looking for, but still good. I also tried Fedora...i really liked that one. Still wanting to be a Mint user though

[haemocoel]

I too was frustrated and po`ed when i first walked in.

imagine a bakery, that does not serve one baked item.

imagine a stack of box`s as far as your eyeballs can see left or right up or down containing tools. each box has tools for a different job.
Many Linux distributions are built for specific tasks, jobs, environments.

The journey in Linux is one where the neophyte is bound by its own internal ambition to overcome the limitations of the unknown by exploring in the unknown with out freaking out. And sharing the chocolate raspberry cheese cake found hidden behind the five gallon mustard container.

[claudecat]

i want to try MATE but the only way i see to do this is to download the gnome+mate dvd and burn it to a disc. I had all sorts of confusion going on when i tried to install it from the disc.

So what i have installed is the 64 bit CD no codecs version....that installs with the mint4win file. Anyways, i was wondering how or if its possible to install MATE now that i have Mint 12 installed and fully updated? i went to the software manager and there was no option for this.

I really want to try out mate cause it seems like it has alot of what i am looking for. oh, and isnt there a download for Chrome?

Sidenote. I tried Ubuntu and it was cool...not what i am looking for, but still good. I also tried Fedora...i really liked that one. Still wanting to be a Mint user though

Rather than try MATE (which should be installable if need be by searching for it in Synaptic or Software Manager), you may be better off with Mint 11 or earlier, with the much more stable but now defunct gnome 2, of which MATE is a still-in-progress, not-yet-complete-or-stable "fork". I think Mint 11 is far better than 12 (because of the gnome/mate crap - 12 KDE is great). Oh, and Chrome IS installable - as Chromium... same thing, just the open source version.

[dwasifar]

i was wondering how or if its possible to install MATE now that i have Mint 12 installed and fully updated? i went to the software manager and there was no option for this.

I really want to try out mate cause it seems like it has alot of what i am looking for. oh, and isnt there a download for Chrome?

I thought MATE was already installed as part of the default Mint 12, but if not, you can install it from the command line easily enough:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install mate-desktop

But you'll probably be disappointed with it. It's a little rough around the edges yet.

If you want Chrome, install Chromium-Browser from the Software Manager, or you can install that from the command line too if you want:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install chromium-browser

[Maynard]

thanks. mate is part of the 12 DVD, but not included on the CD No Codec version. I found it in the software manager and i tried it...didnt really care for it. again, its very much like windows. i like the gnome 3 setup and im starting to get a feel for things. the draw to the gnome 3 shell is that its different than windows. i am really starting to enjoy it though

i have got to find a media server that i can use to stream video and music to my ps3 and 360....WMP streamed to both but linux doesnt seem to have anything.

plus i cant figure out the symbolic link thing. I need Mints Video, Music, Documents, Downloads to direct to my HDD drive where my files are stored

[conslie]

Good job, Maynard!

Regarding symlinks, what I do is right click on the Downloads Folders and choose "Make Link" from that list of options. This will create a symbolic link called "Shortcut to Downlads." Repeat for the others, Documents, Videos and such.

I then copy these to my Home folder, delete the Downloads, Documents, Videos and so on Folders there. Make sure they are empty first, of course. Then Right-clich and choose "Rename" for each of them, and erqase the "Shortcut to " parts of the name, leaving them named identically to the Downloads, etc. Folders that were originally there.

Linux is case sensitive, so "downloads" is different than "Downloads." There are easier ways to accomplish the same thing, but I find this easier to understand. A variation is that, if for example you have your Music in a folder called "My CD Collection," you can crate a shortcut as before, and once copied over, Rename the shortcut to "Music." No need to delete the Shortcuts from the target drive or rename anything there. No harm in deleting the Shortcuts either, but f you rename or move the directories the shortcuts point to you will need the create new symlinks.

[altair4]

The only problem with a symlink is that Samba ( and NFS - I think ) do not allow the client to follow symlinks which is why I suggested Bind which does not have that problem. If you don't plan on sharing these folders with others on your lan then this is not an issue.

There are ways to circumvent Samba's default behavior concerning symlinks ( there are ways to circumvent almost everything in Linux ) but that opens you up to a known vulnerability which is why Samba disabled it in the first place.

[dwasifar]

i have got to find a media server that i can use to stream video and music to my ps3 and 360....WMP streamed to both but linux doesnt seem to have anything.

I think we already talked about this earlier in the thread, and I directed you to Wikipedia's big list of UPNP and DLNA servers and clients.

You might try MediaTomb; it's in the Software Manager. If that doesn't work out for you, try 360 Media Server: http://sourceforge.net/projects/x360mediaserve/ I don't know if there's a package for that though, so we might have to walk you through a little geekery to install it.

[A Future Pilot]

If you like Gnome 3 then by all means continue to use mint 12...mint 11 (or cinnamon or mate in mint 12) is much more "Windows-like" in appearance. (Which I personally prefer, but to each his own )

[dwasifar]

If you like Gnome 3 then by all means continue to use mint 12...mint 11 (or cinnamon or mate in mint 12) is much more "Windows-like" in appearance. (Which I personally prefer, but to each his own )

I would call it more Mac-like than Windows-like, but I agree with both your preferences and your assessment for the OP. If he doesn't like MATE, he won't like Mint 11 either.

Personally I can't stand Gnome 3 (well, to be technically accurate, Gnome Shell). Cinnamon makes it tolerable but still not nearly as customizable as Gnome 2.32 was.

[sagirfahmid3]

Maynard, you can't use Linux for 2 days and expect to learn everything in the world about Linux (same as with Windows: how long did it take for you to get used to Vista when it came after Windows XP? Different approach right?). Same analogy, but with Linux. If you feel like you need Windows more, sure that is absolutely no problem. As a matter of fact, I MYSELF did give up on Mint and Linux in general the first time I tried it (back in the days of Ubuntu 8.04), but I once more gave it a shot (after a year LOL) and have stuck with it ever since (EXCEPT for Arch Linux, which I absolutely have no idea what is wrong with it. I correctly partitioned and all that...but it just wants to be a doosh for no reason Maybe I'm still not advanced enough yet to install Arch on my own ).

Anyways, you get the point: start with some easy Linux distro then gradually move along to some other ones. Ubuntu and Mint are the most user friendly Linux OSes in my opinion though. Installing softwares in Linux Min, Ubuntu, and Debian are pretty much the same thing as they are all Debian based (Debian is the mother of Ubuntu, Mint, and all other Debian distros)--you just double-click on some .deb files to install them. If there aren't any, you can look it up in the Software Center or Synaptic Package Manager. (Some packages you GOT to compile, no way out, but it can be done...with patience.)

I don't mean to be offensive or anything, but you sound like a young adolescent person. Are you a high-school student? College student? (really? So am I!)

[claudecat]

Maynard, you can't use Linux for 2 days and expect to learn everything in the world about Linux (same as with Windows: how long did it take for you to get used to Vista when it came after Windows XP? Different approach right?). Same analogy, but with Linux. If you feel like you need Windows more, sure that is absolutely no problem. As a matter of fact, I MYSELF did give up on Mint and Linux in general the first time I tried it (back in the days of Ubuntu 8.04), but I once more gave it a shot (after a year LOL) and have stuck with it ever since (EXCEPT for Arch Linux, which I absolutely have no idea what is wrong with it. I correctly partitioned and all that...but it just wants to be a doosh for no reason Maybe I'm still not advanced enough yet to install Arch on my own ).

Anyways, you get the point: start with some easy Linux distro then gradually move along to some other ones. Ubuntu and Mint are the most user friendly Linux OSes in my opinion though. Installing softwares in Linux Min, Ubuntu, and Debian are pretty much the same thing as they are all Debian based (Debian is the mother of Ubuntu, Mint, and all other Debian distros)--you just double-click on some .deb files to install them. If there aren't any, you can look it up in the Software Center or Synaptic Package Manager. (Some packages you GOT to compile, no way out, but it can be done...with patience.)

I don't mean to be offensive or anything, but you sound like a young adolescent person. Are you a high-school student? College student? (really? So am I!)

Well said, sagirfahmid! I agree with almost everything you say, but generally avoid installing .deb files that aren't in the repos. BTW, if you need help with Arch, let me know... I love it and find it actually easier to use (once set up) than the Debian distros. It allows much better control of the things "under the hood".

[Maynard]

Good job, Maynard!

Regarding symlinks, what I do is right click on the Downloads Folders and choose "Make Link" from that list of options. This will create a symbolic link called "Shortcut to Downlads." Repeat for the others, Documents, Videos and such.

I then copy these to my Home folder, delete the Downloads, Documents, Videos and so on Folders there. Make sure they are empty first, of course. Then Right-clich and choose "Rename" for each of them, and erqase the "Shortcut to " parts of the name, leaving them named identically to the Downloads, etc. Folders that were originally there.

Linux is case sensitive, so "downloads" is different than "Downloads." There are easier ways to accomplish the same thing, but I find this easier to understand. A variation is that, if for example you have your Music in a folder called "My CD Collection," you can crate a shortcut as before, and once copied over, Rename the shortcut to "Music." No need to delete the Shortcuts from the target drive or rename anything there. No harm in deleting the Shortcuts either, but f you rename or move the directories the shortcuts point to you will need the create new symlinks.

this works but is only creating a shortcut to the files on my HDD. This wont redirect the original doc, music, video, downloads folders to these same folders on my HDD where the files are stored. When i goto home and in the left margin i click on any of these folders, it directs me to the original linux made folder. I want to be able to click those links in the left margin and have it direct me to the folder that is on my HDD where they are stored

Do you guys know of a plugin package for chrome that allows me to playback video. simple streaming video sites wont work in linux because it tells me there is no plug in available

@sagirfahmid3 i am actually 39 and i been using windows since that 3.1 version way back in 1993. I agree that a person wont learn what they need in 2 days...thats not my point. My original point was that there is no documentation to support people having issues. With windows, everything u need to know to make the OS function is right there or easy to find. With Linux there are a massive number of options you have to learn just to decide which OS you want....then you have to learn the subtleties of that OS once its installed. thats a huge difference. but even that isnt the real point.....it again goes back to the lack of info on all those choices....once you gain an understanding its pretty straight forward. getting that understanding is the hard part. I could just imagine what its like for the average PC user

[sagirfahmid3]

With windows, everything u need to know to make the OS function is right there or easy to find.

True..true..I can't lie about that. Windows DOES have a functioning "Help" application (eg: pressing the F1 key on the desktop) that explains many things in detail. Mint also has a "Help" application (I forgot what it's called), but it has limited functions. This is certainly one place that Linux could improve on.

With Linux there are a massive number of options you have to learn just to decide which OS you want...

THAT, my friend, IS THE WHOLE POINT OF LINUX! What if Apple suddenly bought Microsoft? You would be forced to use the Mac OS (yuck!). On top of that, they would push the prices to $2000 for a lame 2GHz dual-core computer, which would totally suck. Linux is about freedom; if you have an old computer, you can give it a new lease on life with a small distro of Linux (say SliTaz or Puppy) instead of sending it off to the landfill; if you have an "okay" computer, you can put something like LXDE or XFCE on it; if you have a good/excellent computer, you can put much heavier distros on it like Gnome or KDE; if you like the way Windows looks, you can make Linux look and feel like Windows; if you like the way Mac looks, you can make Linux look and feel like Mac; if you feel a certain way about something (say "installing software is too damn hard"), you can act on it and go ahead and make your own Linux distro if you wanted (assuming you know how to do coding and whatnot)...blah blah...the list could go on for like 50 pages, but you get the point?

It's a wonderful thing to have diversity (how would you feel if you were stranded on an island in the middle of the ocean where all the people use Mac and have never even heard of Windows? You would have to use Mac, whether you like it or not. That's why Linux is so unique, you feel me? ). Just keep at Linux and you'll get it soon. (Install Mint inside Windows with a VM software like VirtualBox...Really easy. Look it up on YouTube).

[conslie]

this works but is only creating a shortcut to the files on my HDD. This wont redirect the original doc, music, video, downloads folders to these same folders on my HDD where the files are stored. When i goto home and in the left margin i click on any of these folders, it directs me to the original linux made folder. I want to be able to click those links in the left margin and have it direct me to the folder that is on my HDD where they are stored

If I understand correctly, you have created links from your Linux Downloads, etc, folders back to them. You want to create links in and to the non-Linux partition or drive that contains your previosly used, Downloads , etc., folders, and then copy them over and rename as described. Keep playing around and it'll begin to make more sense, and keep having fun exploring!