Linux Mint 12 Release Candidate

[michael.conner]

Running off the live DVD right now. Very cool. Excellent work!

[KBD47]

Thanks tdockery97!

[dai1313]

I am actually running arch, but I thought I might drop by and sing praises about your gnome-shell-extension set.

It does not seem like the right place for this, nonetheless here I am.

♪They are awesome.♪

[tdockery97]

I am actually running arch, but I thought I might drop by and sing praises about your gnome-shell-extension set.

It does not seem like the right place for this, nonetheless here I am.

♪They are awesome.♪

Thanks dai1313. It's nice to see that Mint has attracted the attention of users of other distros. After all, we are all using Linux.

[simpleblue]

I am actually running arch, but I thought I might drop by and sing praises about your gnome-shell-extension set.

It does not seem like the right place for this, nonetheless here I am.

♪They are awesome.♪

I'm running Arch as well and have installed LM12, so I figured I'd hop in here too.

You can see so much attention to detail with the icons, window boxes, and even program titles and descriptions in the MGSE. I love that the MGSE lets you look into your folders. Perhaps they'll add searching in home folder as a feature?.. I think one of the first things people are going to want to do is install gnome-shell-extensions. The repo for that is not included, so a person must somehow find out how on the internet. This can lead to frustration. Just include it. Done.

Bugs,

Currently opening Software Center seems to make the screen redraw itself when it requires a password. Sometimes searching through Software Center freezes requiring a reboot. There was an issue with Software Sources not asking for a password and then freezing when you try to make a change... I just checked that again and it's asking for a password now and working fine. Last night I was losing my hair though.

The Software Center says it has 56000 packages, which seems to be far too many.

Anyways, looking forward to the final version.

[KBD47]

This may be useful:
To get app shortcuts on MGSE desktop just log out and log into Gnome Classic, drag and drop the apps you want on your desktop, log out and log back into MGSE and you will have shortcuts on your MGSE desktop. Just double-click and you're ready to go
KBD47

[Kilz]

Thanks for your replies, however I still do not understand the benefits of this change. The improvements in GTK must be very special for the LM team to abandon a product that has taken them past Ubuntu in the Distrowatch chart. But what are these benefits other than Multi Arch. LM 11 was excellent, it had a few issues, but with those fixes and improvements and further usability extras it would have reigned Supremo. The future of input doesn't lie in sliding and poking plastic (mice & keyboards), it lies in voice and gesture control. My mouse, during the two weeks of testing Ubuntu 11:10 & LM 12 RC has cover more mileage than all the rest of the year put together on LM 11. I feel like someone is trying to replace my 6 month old Mercedes with a new Volkeswagon. I agree with KBD47, it's something for the tinkers to pay with so I'll wait for the next LTE version. However, I still would like to know what is so good about the new GTK?

Others have tried to explain it to you. I might as well take a shot.

Gnome 2 as you knew it is no more, it doesnt exist, its gone, its ceased to exist, its shuffled off the mortal coil, its pushing up daisy's, its gone to meet its maker, its a dead parrot (ooopps this isnt monty python). Mint 11 was the last gnome 2 desktop that I am aware of in a linux distro, look around, you can try but I am sure you wont find one.. Wishing it would stick around and be there forever isnt going to happen. The people who build the distro's dont want to take on a project like a desktop. Gnome 2 was forked and the fork is called Mate, but if that is going to receive work and become a desktop in 6 months or a year is unknown. I wish them luck, but no one is paying them to do it and the work might be to much in the end. Its also been announced that the fallback mode will be discontinued because Gnome developers have figured out how to make a less demanding version of the shell for those with older graphics cards.

So you have a few choices.
1. Move to Gnome 3 - You can wait a little as there is still support for a year on Mint 11.
2. Move to another desktop - A lot of people like xfce and kde.
3. Stay in the past with an old distro that doesnt get new versions of applications.

Me, I hate Gnome 3. But I know it can only get better since its at the bottom of usability right now. Mint 12 does try to make it better. So I am trying to make it livable.

[Kilz]

Thanks for your replies, however I still do not understand the benefits of this change. The improvements in GTK must be very special for the LM team to abandon a product that has taken them past Ubuntu in the Distrowatch chart. But what are these benefits other than Multi Arch. LM 11 was excellent, it had a few issues, but with those fixes and improvements and further usability extras it would have reigned Supremo. The future of input doesn't lie in sliding and poking plastic (mice & keyboards), it lies in voice and gesture control. My mouse, during the two weeks of testing Ubuntu 11:10 & LM 12 RC has cover more mileage than all the rest of the year put together on LM 11. I feel like someone is trying to replace my 6 month old Mercedes with a new Volkeswagon. I agree with KBD47, it's something for the tinkers to pay with so I'll wait for the next LTE version. However, I still would like to know what is so good about the new GTK?

Others have tried to explain it to you. I might as well take a shot.

Gnome 2 as you knew it is no more, it doesnt exist, its gone, its ceased to exist, its shuffled off the mortal coil, its pushing up daisy's, its gone to meet its maker, its a dead parrot (ooopps this isnt monty python). Mint 11 was the last gnome 2 desktop that I am aware of in a linux distro, look around, you can try but I am sure you wont find one.. Wishing it would stick around and be there forever isnt going to happen. The people who build the distro's dont want to take on a project like a desktop. Gnome 2 was forked and the fork is called Mate, but if that is going to receive work and become a desktop in 6 months or a year is unknown. I wish them luck, but no one is paying them to do it and the work might be to much in the end. Its also been announced that the fallback mode will be discontinued because Gnome developers have figured out how to make a less demanding version of the shell for those with older graphics cards.

So you have a few choices.
1. Move to Gnome 3 - You can wait a little as there is still support for a year on Mint 11.
2. Move to another desktop - A lot of people like xfce and kde.
3. Stay in the past with an old distro that doesnt get new versions of applications.
4. You can even try Unity - but its an even bigger disaster.

Me, I hate Gnome 3. But I know it can only get better since its at the bottom of usability right now. Mint 12 does try to make it better. So I am trying to make it livable.

[dai1313]

This may be useful:
To get app shortcuts on MGSE desktop just log out and log into Gnome Classic, drag and drop the apps you want on your desktop, log out and log back into MGSE and you will have shortcuts on your MGSE desktop. Just double-click and you're ready to go
KBD47

You should be able to tell nautilus handle the gnome3 desktop with the very first button in gnome-tweak-tool

Perhaps that is something that should be considered to be enabled by default in in Mint12.

[KBD47]

I think what you are talking about is on by default, but I could find no easy way to add Chromium, for instance, to the MGSE desktop, but when I added the programs I wanted to the Classic desktop they showed up and functioned in MGSE.

Regarding Gnome 3 Fallback Mode, it doesn't surprise me Gnome wants to do away with it: http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/ ... 71617.html
Why should Gnome want to break their new habit of insanity in their desktop? Making a usable Gnome Fallback was probably an accident on their part. For me Mint is the last effort I make with anything relating to gnome 3. I'm already getting used to Xfce and LXDE and can live with either of those lighter desktops. So MGSE is pretty much it, and so far it does make Gnome 3 usable. I think many would prefer the Fallback of Gnome 3, but hey, they're on a roll, why stop screwing things up now?
KBD47

[tdockery97]

Well, Fedora may be an important distro, but they are far from ruling the Linux world. Just because they think they don't need fallback mode anymore doesn't mean users will agree with them. I watch Fedora a little bit, and just like Ubuntu, users have been leaving in droves due to Gnome 3.

[dai1313]

I think what you are talking about is on by default, but I could find no easy way to add Chromium, for instance, to the MGSE desktop, but when I added the programs I wanted to the Classic desktop they showed up and functioned in MGSE.

Regarding Gnome 3 Fallback Mode, it doesn't surprise me Gnome wants to do away with it: http://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/ ... 71617.html
Why should Gnome want to break their new habit of insanity in their desktop? Making a usable Gnome Fallback was probably an accident on their part. For me Mint is the last effort I make with anything relating to gnome 3. I'm already getting used to Xfce and LXDE and can live with either of those lighter desktops. So MGSE is pretty much it, and so far it does make Gnome 3 usable. I think many would prefer the Fallback of Gnome 3, but hey, they're on a roll, why stop screwing things up now?
KBD47

Hrmmm. I can't really relate to the gnome3 haters I guess.

I like gnome3 - otherwise I would not be using it. I even liked it before Mint came along.

You could say I like gnome3 before gnome3 even came along. I would, and still do, spend an inordinate amount of time tweaking my desktop. Back in the gnome 2.x days I sometimes used to have compiz expose up in the top left and the window list up in the left, basically everything else how it is now. Yea, all panels at the top, I was weird like that. Except, now I have application search to launch things. It's rather efficient once you take all the junk you don't need out of it with alacarte.

For a while I would spend most of my time on openbox to conserve resources on my terribad machine, but that is another fun story.

I never really had to learn everything again. Gnome 3 just jives with me. EDIT: That notification area is a little weird though, can't believe I forgot about that.

The only thing that I can think this reminds me is that this rage reminds me of the KDE4 change, and that means everyone will chill out after a while.

[KBD47]

Well, Fedora may be an important distro, but they are far from ruling the Linux world. Just because they think they don't need fallback mode anymore doesn't mean users will agree with them. I watch Fedora a little bit, and just like Ubuntu, users have been leaving in droves due to Gnome 3.

At that link I was less interested in Fedora's future than if Gnome will be making a decision as to whether or not to drop the Fallback mode now that they have a way to run shell on older hardware. My hope is that Fallback is going to last until Mint LTS next Spring, because I think it is a good option for those who dislike Gnome Shell. But I also think MGSE is a good option.
KBD47

[bimsebasse]

Spent a day with the RC and it's more stable and faster than Oneiric Ocelot final release was on my machine, thumbs up, turned me into a minter quick!

Hrmmm. I can't really relate to the gnome3 haters I guess.

Nope, and certainly not how the mint crew has tweaked the shell, there's a bottom panel with minimized window tabs, there's an application menu, a show desktop icon, workspace switchers, icons on the desktop. Seems to me not all that different from the look, feel and workflow of gnome-panel.

Anyway, loved the old gnome, love the new gnome, not everyone is quick to adapt and that's cool, but the vitriol probably isn't necessary or healthy

[KBD47]

Spent a day with the RC and it's more stable and faster than Oneiric Ocelot final release was on my machine, thumbs up, turned me into a minter quick!

Yes, Mint 12 feels much more stable than Ubuntu 11.10 did for me as well.

Hrmmm. I can't really relate to the gnome3 haters I guess.

Nope, and certainly not how the mint crew has tweaked the shell, there's a bottom panel with minimized window tabs, there's an application menu, a show desktop icon, workspace switchers, icons on the desktop. Seems to me not all that different from the look, feel and workflow of gnome-panel.

Anyway, loved the old gnome, love the new gnome, not everyone is quick to adapt and that's cool, but the vitriol probably isn't necessary or healthy

You are right, the vitriol doesn't do much good, but the frustration with Unity and Gnome 3 is justified considering their move toward tablet interfaces. Plain Gnome 3 shell is rather horrible and unusable in my view, but Clem and the other developers of Mint have done an amazing job making Gnome 3 usable via MGSE, restoring some of those things that Gnome 2 users missed.
KBD47

[tdockery97]

Don't get me wrong. I don't hate Gnome 3 or the shell. Pretty much any Linux desktop can be made configurable by those who know how to write code, and they then pass it on to us via extenstions/tweaks. What I do absolutely dislike is the "powers that be" trying to decide that we should bring the smartphone/tablet interface to the desktop computer. To me that is a totally ridiculous endeavor.

[ernestj]

I have been a Linux user since I started using Ubuntu 11.04 a little less than a year ago. I have become a big fan of Ubuntu and have been happy with Unity. I have, however, disliked Gnome 3. I would choose Unity over Gnome 3 any-day. I have always followed Mint and ran a live CD of 11 from time to time, just for the fun of it. I could not wait to download Mint 12 to give it a try. I have to admit, the Mint team has done wonders for Gnome 3. The theme that Mint uses, covers the shiny, cheap looking Gnome 3 that I have seen from the other Distos. I am thinking about making the switch to Mint, that is how much I like it. The first thing I will do is disable the bottom menu bar, the second is to install Cairo-dock. The only thing that I would like to know how to change would be to have the infinity button on the top directly open the applications. To me it is just one other button to push. Click Infinity button --- click Applications. Why not go directly to to the icons on the applications screen? If I can figure that one out, then I would be ready to switch now. Oh, also, if they could fix the Kernel 3.0, it is a know bug that is not compatible with my wifi. I installed Ubuntu 11.10 and had to downgrade the kernal to 2.6 to be able to surf wireless.

[podagee]

okay i dual booted my ubuntu11.10 with mint12.decided to give it another go.so far,after the new updates,its running perfectly.only problem is i cant install the autohide topbar extension.i did in my buntu and wondering why it doesnt work?i found out what caused the purple flashing also...it was that i installed ubuntu software center and i guess it was conflicting with something.gonna test drive mint12 and see what it can do.if anyone knows how to install the autohide top bar please let me know and if you send me the link for the webupd8 page...already got it and doesnt work.thanks

[podagee]

The first thing I will do is disable the bottom menu bar, the second is to install Cairo-dock. The only thing that I would like to know how to change would be to have the infinity button on the top directly open the applications. To me it is just one other button to push. Click Infinity button --- click Applications. Why not go directly to to the icons on the applications screen? If I can figure that one out, then I would be ready to switch now. Oh, also, if they could fix the Kernel 3.0, it is a know bug that is not compatible with my wifi. I installed Ubuntu 11.10 and had to downgrade the kernal to 2.6 to be able to surf wireless.

why not just use the mate or the gnome classic to do those changes?

[podagee]

issues again.no ubuntutweak no autohide install fails says cant locate packages after install the ppa's.