Linux Mint: Your Best Choice for a Desktop Linux OS
Ubuntu has been heralded by many as the apogee of the user-friendly, consumer driven Linux distribution. But what if there was an even better alternative? An operating system that benefits from the extensive Ubuntu repository, the proven Debian core and an user interface that would make it easy for Windows users to switch? And better yet, how about an operating system with the motto “From Freedom Came Elegance”?
Linux Mint, a distribution based on Ubuntu, has won a significant share of users, and represents a better Linux experience for both advanced and first time users. Simple yet effective tweaks, like the Mint Menu, might not appear very impressive at first glance but they affect your daily routines in a positive manner. It’s the same principle that makes Apple software better: an uncanny attention to details and yes, elegance.
Gloria, or version 7, was launched by the development team in June and is based on Ubuntu 9.04 ‘Jaunty Jackalope’. The release schedule for new versions of Linux Mint is tightly linked to Ubuntu’s, with updated versions releasing within 3 months of the official Ubuntu launch date.
The Mint tools, a set of applets or small applications, pre-installed extras and a customized theme package are basically what set Linux Mint apart. Support for MP3s, AVI video files, Java, and proprietary hardware drivers come standard. It’s like buying a tuned card straight from the factory, except Linux Mint is completely free.
The theme looks sleek and attractive, with shades of minty green and black, unlike the brown bliss of its father. You’re going to notice the similarity with the Windows taskbar immediately – the ‘Start’ button, quick launch and tray icons are right where they are supposed to be. The same goes for the windows switching area, there’s no separate bar. This makes for a quick and painless switch for those who would prefer the advantage of running Linux without having to spend a great deal of time adjusting to the UI (User Interface).
The Linux Mint Menu works pretty much like its Windows Vista and 7 counterparts, providing quick access to system locations, applications or configuration panels. If you have many applications installed and forget how the one you needed was called, you had to scroll down alphabetically in Windows, which is quite tedious if you have the bad habit of trying stuff all the time. The Mint Menu makes this experience much better by organizing the application by their category: Office, Internet, Administration, etc. The ‘Filter’ search box also has a leg up; it provides various actions related to your keyword automatically, be it a Google search, an application or a package you want to install.
Linux Mint Install is another cool applet that replaces the standard Add/Remove Applications feature. Neatly organized in categories, featuring descriptions, ratings and reviews, applications couldn’t be easier to locate and install. It’s considerably simpler than on Windows; select the application, click ‘Install’ and you’re set. Because Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, it’s compatible with the same huge repository of applications.
Mint Update keeps all the software updated with the latest patches for security and performance. Forget about checking Windows Update and then each application individually – Mint Update works with all the applications installed using Mint Install as well as the system packages. It even assigns a number to each update so you can quickly assess its importance and compatibility with your system.
The Control Center, a feature that will look familiar to KDE users, is now available in the default Gnome window manager, aggregating all the available configuration applets – complete with a search bar and categories.
A few more tweaks and applets make Linux Mint great, but they are less important and I’m sure you’ll discover them yourself. Linux Mint comes in both 32bit and 64bit, with KDE, GNOME and XFCE flavors available here. Each version includes the standard array of applications such as Gimp, OpenOffice and Rhythmbox. The Live CD image can be burned to a CD or USB stick and can be booted for testing or performing a permanent installation. A quick start guide can be downloaded for free. You might also want to check out our “Getting Started Guide to Linux”.
(By) Stefan is a computer science student who enjoys coding in C++, playing with 'network security' and supporting FLOSS. He's the guy behind the Tux Geek.
Even better than using GNOME would be daring to use KDE. It’s gone so far lately! That’s the main reason I stopped liking Ubuntu
If you’re only problem with Ubuntu was GNOME, you should have tried Kubuntu, the KDE based version of Ubuntu.
But, seriously, I really think the Mint people are on to something here. I’ve not completely switched yet to Mint, but have been using it a virtual machine and am quite happy with it.
Why would you suggest Kubuntu to someone? It’s definitely the worst KDE4 implementation out there. It has some weird optimizations/library mismatches that make the desktop crash much more often than it should. It lags behind Ubuntu because the Ubuntu team won’t wait for Kubuntu to implement something before it they launch it. Even in theming, its theme is bland. Seriously, if you want to try KDE, use anything but Kubuntu.
(Comments wont nest below this level)Personally, I think things are already pretty easy in Ubuntu. I mean, the hardest thing a new user will come across is forcing a 32bit app to run on a 64 environment. Ubuntu also looks better, by default, and I’m sure quite a few Windows users will be attracted by the looks. Mint is a bit too XP for my liking.
Hi. Can anyone recommend a distro of Linux that would run great in an Intel Pentium 3 – 933Mhz, 256MB of RAM, 20 GB Hard Drive system? These systems are intended to be donated to first time computer users so we are looking for something that runs quick on these specs yet is also easy to use, and already includes all major popular apps(browser, office suite, mp3 support, avi support, etc. Thanks!
Well, you could use xubuntu – but that would be a bit slow, so I would recommend It will run super fast on your system!
Puppy Linux is a better alternative to DSL if you want to do any real work: http://www.puppylinux.org
Puppy Linux isn’t a good choice for first time computer users.
(Comments wont nest below this level)Far better than DSL, IMAO.
I recommend you try Crunchbang Linux. You can find my review here:
HTH
Sorry, messed up my message:
Hi, give Linux Mint XFCE edition a try. I’ve been very happy with it running on an old PC connected to my LCD TV so I can watch movies, browse the net etc on my TV.
Should be good for 1st time users…
Might still be slightly slow with only 256 meg ram though, but give it a go.
@ John Sousa
Try out Tiny Core Linux – http://tinycorelinux.com/
OR
xPUD – http://www.xpud.org/
See how you go.
Cheers!
*Damn Small linux http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/
By the way, I recently heard that Shockwave is NOT available at all for Linux, true?
True, but there are replacements for it. For example, if it’s just a flash file, you can use your browser, or if you must have shockwave, you can install Wine and run it through there.
Mint is definitely the most beautiful Linux OS out there – true eyecandy. This is a little sample of how much Linux has changed the past decades.
UltimateEdition is one of the prettiest out of the box IMHO
Mint is definitely the one that’s be made to look like Windows.
umm… you mean OTHER than vixta.org?
Hi All,
I was cling to MS Windows XP, till I found this little master. With rock solid set of features features, and an eye candy interface (looks amazing, believe me) this distribution is amazing. Just like most live CDs this distribution is around 700MB. Coming to performance, it rocks. While my WINXP takes 38 seconds to show me the desktop, this hardly takes 25 seconds. I can assure you, if you try this version once (especially people who can’t leave Windows, due to its user-friendliness) you mostly forget about using windows.
You can install this using Mint4Win which enables you to have Windows & Mint on the same machine. It’s like a dualboot but no partitioning needed. Check the CD – run in Windows and choose ‘install in windows’. In the very unlikely event you don’t like Mint, if you use Mint4Win you can remove through Windows Add/Remove options.
Or if you follow the install guide, having made some free space (10gb o so) leave unformatted & Mint will install to there giving you dual boot with a very elegant boot screen choice of Min or Windows at boot.
Excellent tip Richard, thanks!
But be aware that installing with mint4win (which is Mint’s name for Wubi) results in a pretty slow Mint experience.
For maximum performance use the installer to make a dualboot system. Use manual partitioning and make a swap partition double the size of you ram + a root partition formatted in the ext4 format in stead of the default ext3 format. If you want to make future upgrades easier you can create a home partition (ext4) too.
(Comments wont nest below this level)I am envious of the knowledge of the Linux topic. I am very curious of the whole experience, but don’t have the savy of where and how to begin. Can anyone direct me to a starting point of switching to Linux.
First, you have to download a iso file and burn it to disk.
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
Follow the guide, then boot up your computer with the disk in.
Thats the problem with Linux. There are only a few apps available for it. And I suspect not everything runs smoothly on wine. Its about time developers take linux seriously.
Only a few apps???? Are you crazy. Everything you have on Windows, you can find a alternative, or make the same work on linux.
There are thousands of apps all free and installed with a couple of clicks – dead easy. All from safe sources so no .exe files to worry about. All code is publicly available on apps so no malware etc can sneak through.
Link to get more apps in Mint are in ‘Package Manager’ – screenshots, search by name etc etc.
There are over 28,000 programs available in the current Ubuntu repository and Linux Mint is compatible with them. You should try it out. You’ll never buy another app again.
Nice overview Stefan. Does Linux Mint include installation/configuration of Compiz?
Yes.
We all have our opinions, and my opinion is that Linux Mint fixes Ubuntu. The UI is so much better and the artwork so much more classy and inspiring.
I love KDE, but Ubuntu/Kubuntu’s implementation of it is a disaster. For good KDE, see Mandriva. I haven’t tried Mint’s implementation of it, but if it’s as much better compared to Kubuntu as their Gnome is to Ubuntu, I’m sure it’s a home run.
BTW, there is no perfect choice for a desktop Linux distro. We all have different needs and different opinions. As long as it’s Linux…
Ubuntu has only now started touching GNOME, the first bits being the new notification system. They’ve till now only concentrated on making the installation and setup easier for newbies. I always felt that they could do a lot better with the UI but well, I guess mint is beating them to it and they need to pick up their game too.
Wait, so this is Kubuntu with a different theme?
@Ultimatebuster If you mean Mint is Kubuntu with a diff theme… then… No its not.
Even Mint has a KDE version which goes beyond Kubuntu (The KDE version of Ubuntu) in easse of use and overall slickness.
No, it’s more Ubuntu with a different theme and menu layout (because it uses Gnome, not KDE), as well as some extra tools.
Where ubuntu fails is the top and bottom menu’s for one. our group is nearing over 1,000 users switched over to linux. this is home users in past 2 years. not one has switched back or even uses windows as a 2nd operating system. with ubuntu this was not the case. also linux mint is nothing like xp. and no its not kubuntu. its gnome but all on bottom with alot of intuitive work to make it simple for beginners.
our team has utilized many distros, and out of all them linuxmint has been only issue to not cause us many questions to new users.
Best Regards
Linux Mint User
I complete agree. The powerful implementation of the Mint Menu is just awesome. Its something that I use every day.
I have been preaching about Mint for a long time. In fact since I switched from Ubuntu to Mint after the mint 6 release.
Its cleaner than Ubuntu and a breeze to use. And the best part is that there is no BROWN.
Mint makes Ubuntu what Ubuntu should have been to start off with. I dont try the latest ubuntu any more. Just wait for the next mint release.
What I meant was that I cannot get all the apps that I currently use to work in Linux (and I am not talking about big names, like Firefox, I am talking about small tiny apps that I have grown fond of). Or maybe its just that I have been using XP for such a long time that I dont wanna leave it.
Anywho, great post, and I will definitely try Linux Mint.
Sorry, but I have to disagree about Mint Linux. I tried the new KDE version and had several problems (on my AMD64 system):
1). There was a problem with Pulse Audio which needed a work-around. (This is an Ubuntu problem – not specific to Mint – but still really annoying.)
2). Trying to use Compiz just repeatedly crashed my system (yet on Kanotix, I get all the effects, flying cubes etc without a problem).
3). The system was stuck on a single desktop and refused to expand to the “normal” four, however many times I tried to alter it.
After the above, I just figured that Mint was not for me. Apart from that, I agree that the eye-candy is great and it looks a very polished O.S. Shame it suffers from the faults bequeathed to it by Ubuntu.
@Scodge did you use the 64bit version on mint? If so then I wouldn’t want to comment. If you have the 32bit version then I dont see why you had these problems unless your hardware was very new. I have an AMD Athlon 64 laptop myself and Mint has always been a breeze.
@Abhilash. No, I used the 32 bit version. Actually, thinking about it, I believe the single desktop problem is also an Ubuntu fault – about 2 years ago I tried Kubuntu and had exactly the same problem! Obviously there is something about my PC that does not play nice with Ubuntu. But I hope my experience does not put others off. As I said, Mint is a very polished distro and most people should have no problems.
Well I hope Mint 8 holds more promise for your PC. Personally I really don’t like KDE. Not because it is more Windows like but simply because its just not a classy environment. Too much stuff for my liking.
(Comments wont nest below this level)Mint is really something special, and I’m glad that Clem let my artwork be the center piece.
For a super fast slick minimalistic Ubuntu derivate try: #! Crunchbang – my guess is that this is going to be the next big thing for the minimalists and it’s PERFECT for netbooks!
I thought I would throw out a shameless plug for the official Linux Mint podcast: http://www.mintcast.org
We try to answer any questions and explain Linux Mint specific tools. We also talk about Linux news and gadgets.
Not True. Shockwave IS available for Linux.
Where? I’ve only ever found Flash players, not Shockwave players. If I could find a Linux-compatible Shockwave plugin for Firefox that would let my four year old play games like http://www.abc.net.au/children/mixy/dressup/game.htm then I could uninstall IE from our home Ubuntu box, and that would be a Good Thing.
That is probably the single most ignorant comment I’ve read in my entire life. Linux actually has MORE applications available than Windows has. They’re free (unlike Windows) and they do the job better and more reliably.
Please do some research before you make ignorant comments like that.
Sounds pretty reasonable to me dude!
RT
http://www.online-anonymity.net.tc
I Personally find Ubuntu more easier.Mint isn’t as stable as ubuntu.MintUpdate and MintInstall are outdated and have many problems when adding extra repositories.
Running Ubuntu 9.04 here.
I’ve tried Mint several times but never felt it offered much I didn’t already have in Ubuntu. Actually I don’t really get why it’s even considered a seperate distro – it’s just Ubuntu with a different theme and a somewhat different set of default applications.
Perhaps it’s time to try the new Mint to see if there’s any real innovation this time.
will linux run cs3 adobe internet suite (dreamweaver, illustrator, video editing etc.?)
Can i find a driver to run my old hp printer?
Yes, using a app called Wine. They all run fine, I use them.
Yes you can. http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/index.html
My Hp printers all worked without me ever needing a driver and way better and faster in mint then they ever worked in Xp
Hard to believe i know cause I hate printers but they work better in Mint than windows
I was a long-time Ubuntu user until I tried Linux Mint. Now there’s no going back. It is the most polished and user-friendly Linux I’ve ever used… and I’ve used quite a few.
I don’t think anyone’s mentioned there is an excellent support forum for Mint. I’ve taken advantage of it a number of times.
Wow! Thanks for the quick answers!
As a long time windows user and linux beginner, I tried 4 distros including Ubuntu. Linux Mint won pretty easily.
I’m surprised that no one mention SimplyMEPIS 8.0.6
Wow! Thanks for the quick answers!!
I recently moved to mint from ubuntu, good decision.
Just installed Mint 7 on a 8 gig sd card and popped it in my Asus Eee 900 netbook and I was off to the races. Love this “distro.” Some of you are right though. It’s just a tweaked form of Ubuntu. I still use Ubuntu on another PC and go back and forth without noticing usuaully.
Just a question… Can I run Corel PSP X2 or Adobe CS4 on Linux mint?
Yes, using Wine. I use CS4 all the time. Wine is free and open source, it lets you run Windows apps on Linux and Mac
Linux Mint is like a themed version of Windows. It’s shit. It does nothing better than Ubuntu, and does loads of stuff way worse.
linux mint is very well suited for internet cafes, and could also come in useful for refurbished computer companies (i.e. sell 2nd hand/refurbished gear with a working, free os)
(Regarding Florian) Troll Alert.
actually, the default does look like windows. But it’s linux…a few clicks and you have 2 panels, and different colors, then customize them, and grab a custom theme, and wallpaper, looks 200% different. may i suggest to not use defaults, make it your own.