Why did you decide to install Linux Mint?

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Mike-Linux-Mint
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Why did you decide to install Linux Mint?

Post by Mike-Linux-Mint »

I'm just curious to know the reasons why you ended up installing Linux Mint over/along Windows or Mac?

I saw a video from a software engineer saying that Linux wasn't the best option for people working in IT because it lacked some important tools like Adobe premiere and photoshop. I don't work in IT so I don't know if it's true but for those of you who do, do you think that windows is better suited when it comes to software development and other specific tasks?

I'm just a regular user, I mostly use Mint for entertainment and a little for my work too, but not in IT, though, so Mint suits me perfectly but it may not be the case for people with very specific needs. Mint has a sense of familiarity I think, probably because its desktop is quite similar to what I used to know, though I would never ever go back to windows.
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xenopeek
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Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by xenopeek »

Mike-Linux-Mint wrote: Thu Dec 06, 2018 1:07 pmLinux wasn't the best option for people working in IT because it lacked some important tools like Adobe premiere and photoshop
Those are tools for video and photo editing. People in creative industries may feel they can't do without those tools but I have a hard time imagining software developers and system admins would say these are a reason they aren't moving to Linux :) There are alternatives to both that probably suffice for occasional editing needs.
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ajgringo619

Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by ajgringo619 »

xenopeek wrote: Thu Dec 06, 2018 1:11 pm
Mike-Linux-Mint wrote: Thu Dec 06, 2018 1:07 pmLinux wasn't the best option for people working in IT because it lacked some important tools like Adobe premiere and photoshop
Those are tools for video and photo editing. People in creative industries may feel they can't do without those tools but I have a hard time imagining software developers and system admins would say these are a reason they aren't moving to Linux :) There are alternatives to both that probably suffice for occasional editing needs.
+1

Been doing UNIX/Linux support for 20+ years and the only time I've ever needed Photoshop was to render D&D maps! :lol:
kukamuumuka

Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by kukamuumuka »

Mike-Linux-Mint wrote: Thu Dec 06, 2018 1:07 pm I've also heard from a software engineer that Linux wasn't the best option for people working in IT because it lacked some important tools like Adobe premiere and photoshop.
You have misheard. :lol:

Actually I do not see any reason to use Adobe premiere and Photoshop. I have tested Photoshop, but in my opinion is that Photoshop is difficult to use.

GIMP is easy and good. Also I am sorry for windows-users, whose cannot install programs like Kdenlive. :wink:
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Mage of Maple
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Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by Mage of Maple »

I was a huge Microsoft fan since the early 90's and was a Windows software developer. Windows 7 is probably the slickest OS ever made, at least a little more polished than Mint/Cinnamon.

But Microsoft really lost their way ... It has been all down-hill since Windows 7. Microsoft has been aggressively taking away options from their customers. I think Windows 10 is ugly and there is not a damn thing you can do about it. Everything is driven by a theming engine - they could allow you configure it but they go out of their way not to, going so far as to cryptographically signing the theme dll to prevent 3rd parties from being able to supply replacements. They are also forcing updates on users. Unless you are running an expensive enterprise version you have no choice. And one of the updates forced down user's throats totally trashed the installations of a lot of their users. I had Windows 10 in a VM and the update trashed it. Since it was a VM, I was able to roll back, but then Office decided it was no longer licensed. A non-technical user would have been totally screwed. I could have fixed it but just deleted it and bought Crossover. And then there's the spying. They hid the privacy options all over the place and updates would "reset" them. I expect Google to spy on me - their stuff is free. Microsoft's stuff is neither free nor cheap. The Windows 10 update was free - and they rammed it down the throat of many an unsuspecting user who was perfectly happy with Windows 7 - for the purpose of being able to spy on their users (trying to compete with Google, presumably.)

So, anyway, when Windows 8 came out I took a wait-and-see attitude. Microsoft has had the occasional step backwards before (e.g., Vista), but they always came back to the path. When Windows 10 came out it was clear that MS had sold their users in the hope of greater profits with targetted ads or whatever. So that was it. I went to Mint and am not likely to go back even if Microsoft reforms. Incidentally, I have installed and played with Linux off and on since the early 90's before the Kernel was even at 1.0. I preferred the concept of free and open-source, but despite being an IT guy, it just wasn't worth the trouble when Windows was significantly better. But now Linux has come a really long way and is getting better very quickly while Microsoft is running backwards. I was one of the biggest Microsoft fan-boys I knew. If they've lost me it's hard to see how they hold on. It seems Microsoft Office is the primary reason most businesses stick with the huge expense of running Windows, but I just can't see that cash cow lasting forever.
ajgringo619

Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by ajgringo619 »

Mage of Maple wrote: Thu Dec 06, 2018 1:34 pm I was a huge Microsoft fan since the early 90's and was a Windows software developer. Windows 7 is probably the slickest OS ever made, at least a little more polished than Mint/Cinnamon.
I thought XP was a little better, but 7 isn't far behind.
The Windows 10 update was free - and they rammed it down the throat of many an unsuspecting user who was perfectly happy with Windows 7 - for the purpose of being able to spy on their users (trying to compete with Google, presumably.)
It's still free. I was having troubles with my Win7 VM, so I tried to upgrade to 10 - activation worked! I ended up reinstalling 7; the video in 10 was absolutely horrible.
It seems Microsoft Office is the primary reason most businesses stick with the huge expense of running Windows, but I just can't see that cash cow lasting forever.
Until there's a real alternative to Access and Excel, Office will continue to thrive. Is Office365 (via the web) a viable alternative to having Office actually installed?
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Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by phd21 »

Hi Mike-Linux-Mint,

I just read your post and the good replies to it. Here are my thoughts on this as well.

+1 for xenopeek's comments.

Adobe Premier or Photoshop software has nothing to do with IT people or business's ability to use Linux Mint? You can even develop MS Windows and or "cross-platform" software from a Linux environment.

If need be, you could install Virtualbox with a version of MS Windows, or even multiple versions of MS Windows, in Virtualbox and install any MS Windows software including various MS Windows development software in that and run it while still in Linux Mint assuming your computer has enough system memory (ram) and drive space to do so, or just "dual-boot".

Like a lot of people, I switched to Linux Mint for various reasons but the main reason is that they quit supporting MS Windows XP pro at that time.

There are many posts on this topic already in this forum.

There are Linux and cross-platform options for all MS Office applications and many posts on this topic as well.
MS Access and Excel available right now including:
MS Access -> LibreOffice Base, Calligra's Kexi, and various other databases.
MS Excel -> LibreOffice Calc, Calligra's Sheets, gnumeric, etc...

There are Linux and cross-platform options for all Adobe Premier and Photoshop applications and many posts on this topic as well.

Hope this helps ...
Last edited by phd21 on Thu Dec 06, 2018 2:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Phd21: Mint 20 Cinnamon & xKDE (Mint Xfce + Kubuntu KDE) & KDE Neon 64-bit (new based on Ubuntu 20.04) Awesome OS's, Dell Inspiron I5 7000 (7573) 2 in 1 touch screen, Dell OptiPlex 780 Core2Duo E8400 3GHz,4gb Ram, Intel 4 Graphics.
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Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by mediclaser »

Mike-Linux-Mint wrote: Thu Dec 06, 2018 1:07 pm I'm just curious to know the reasons why you think that Linux Mint is better/worse than Windows or Mac?
...
I don't think you would get any answer from those who think Mint is worse, because they would not be using it anymore, and not come back here. :wink:
If you're looking for a greener Linux pasture, you won't find any that is greener than Linux Mint. ;)
phd21
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Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by phd21 »

HI ajgringo619,
ajgringo619 wrote:Been doing UNIX/Linux support for 20+ years and the only time I've ever needed Photoshop was to render D&D maps! :lol:
Using open source tools to play Dungeons and Dragons | Opensource.com
https://opensource.com/article/17/6/open-source-gaming

* Wonderdraft
https://www.wonderdraft.net/

Search the "Synaptic Package Manager (SPM)" for landscaping, maps, cartography, etc...

The 17 Best Tabletop RPG Companion Apps, Tools, and Software - look for Linux, Java, or online options
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/must-have ... -software/

Online- The Best Online RPG Toolset | Beyond Tabletop
https://www.beyondtabletop.com/


d&d hex map maker - Google Search
https://www.google.com/search?q=d%26d+h ... 19&bih=683

* Welcome to Hextml
http://hextml.playest.net/

Bringing Gamers Together | RPTools - Java based so should run on Linux
http://www.rptools.net/

Mapmaking Software – Universe Factory – Medium
https://medium.com/universe-factory/map ... c0318fd3a6

* Inkarnate Alternatives and Similar Websites and Apps - AlternativeTo.net
https://alternativeto.net/software/inkarnate/

Other World Mapper
https://www.otherworldmapper.com/

Online - Concept Map Maker | Lucidchart
https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/examples/concept-maps

linux cartography software - Google Search
https://www.google.com/search?ei=2G8JXJ ... Z3lozzIef4

PCGen – A d20 RPG Character Generator Java based works on Linux
http://pcgen.org/


"PhotoPrint" in the Software Manager or Synaptic Package Manager (SPM) may be useful as well.

Hope this helps ...
Last edited by phd21 on Thu Dec 06, 2018 3:22 pm, edited 10 times in total.
Phd21: Mint 20 Cinnamon & xKDE (Mint Xfce + Kubuntu KDE) & KDE Neon 64-bit (new based on Ubuntu 20.04) Awesome OS's, Dell Inspiron I5 7000 (7573) 2 in 1 touch screen, Dell OptiPlex 780 Core2Duo E8400 3GHz,4gb Ram, Intel 4 Graphics.
ajgringo619

Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by ajgringo619 »

Wonderdraft looks really cool; thanks for the links.
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Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by phd21 »

Hi ajgringo619,

You are welcome...

I just updated my last reply with more links...
Phd21: Mint 20 Cinnamon & xKDE (Mint Xfce + Kubuntu KDE) & KDE Neon 64-bit (new based on Ubuntu 20.04) Awesome OS's, Dell Inspiron I5 7000 (7573) 2 in 1 touch screen, Dell OptiPlex 780 Core2Duo E8400 3GHz,4gb Ram, Intel 4 Graphics.
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Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by Moem »

Short answer: W10
Slightly longer answer: Wwwwwwinnnndowwwws 10
Longest answer: I've been a happy Windows user from Win95 until and including Win7. It generally did what I wanted it to do and I never got into serious trouble. But then the nagging started, and the stories about telemetry. And my emotional response was basically
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This is not for me, I'm not doing this, get me outta here.

So I started searching. And searching 'linux for beginners' found a LOT of articles about Mint. More than about Ubuntu. So I thought, why not? And I found a tutorial that sounded... doable. And here we are.
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MrGrimm

Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by MrGrimm »

quick list:

even with having everything i want less services running than windows
more stable than windows
cpu under heavy load rarely hits 50% versus similar app on windows pegging to cpu at 80% to 100%
memory under heavy load hits maybe 1.7 gigs versus windows eating almost 6 gigs
if i screw up something and can't boot far easier to gop into the live media and fix it than using windows recovery options
nemo far more stable and responsive than windows explorer
lastly this setup on windows would be 60 gigs whereas in mint it's about 35 gigs
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Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by jimallyn »

I decided to install Linux Mint because Xandros went out of business. I decided to install Mandrake in 2002 because that is when I first became aware of Linux, and that was the disk that a friend gave me. I had been wishing for an alternative to Microsoft's junk since the DOS days, and when my friend gave a Mandrake disk, I was elated! A few months later he told me there was a better distro that had just come out, Xandros, and I should switch to that. I did, and it was great. I used that up until 2014, I think, when I installed Mint 17.0.
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Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by 151tom »

.
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Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by MrGrimm »

151tom wrote: Thu Dec 06, 2018 6:26 pm To many issues with Ubuntu 16.04 so I decided to use Linux Mint 18.0 which works well on my old computers. :)

I've recently installed LMDE 3 and using it and I'm very impressed with it as it works well on my old computers and I've no complaints. :)
yea agree never been a fan of ubuntu myself.
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Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by Schultz »

I installed Linux Mint to avoid Windows 10.
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Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by Mage of Maple »

MrGrimm wrote: Thu Dec 06, 2018 5:46 pm nemo far more stable and responsive than windows explorer
Really? I certainly haven't found this to be true, although I happily note that the release notes for 19.1 say that Nemo has been heavily optimized.
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Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by Inundated »

After thinking about installing Linux for ages, I finally decided to resurrect my aging Dell, which I put to sleep when the Windows XP non-support deadline came to be.

I had an old monitor in my closet, and I gave it to a friend in need...it still worked fine, but I just didn't need it since I was exclusively using a laptop at that point. So, my idea to resurrect the old XP computer died until I found a used Dell widescreen monitor on Craigslist for $30.

I bought it, and the plan came alive again.

As I was contemplating it, the Windows 10 update problems started getting more publicity, more specifically the one where it deletes files in the upgrade to 1809. At that point, I started using a live USB install of LM 19 Tara/Cinnamon on the laptop...the screen died briefly after I installed Linux Mint on the old Dell, but it revived later.

I moved to Xfce due to occasional slowdowns on Cinnamon on the old Dell, and finally installed LM 19 Cinnamon directly on the laptop - dual boot with Windows 10 for now, but I do intend to eventually reclaim the disk space for Linux at some point.

And...I'm happy.

I can't remember how I decided to go with Linux Mint...it was either a Google search or a YouTube video.
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DESKTOP: Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 SFF- Linux Mint 19.3 Cinnamon (on hold for now)
MrGrimm

Re: Why did you decide to install Linux Mint??

Post by MrGrimm »

as one member posted above vmware in 10 is now hit and miss. i mean even on a fresh install a lot of the time it just won't wrok, never use to be that way. mint i got the installer, did the appropriate terminal commands, ran the installer when it popped up, and installed windows and not one issue.
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