Linux Mint 16 Petra Review

I withheld writing about Linux Mint because it is the distribution that I currently use and I wanted to get a feel for some of the other distributions before writing about the one I use.  So far I will not be changing my distribution.  I cannot say enough good things about Linux Mint, I also do not have anything bad to say about it.  It has everything that I need in an operating system.

Linux Mint started in 2006 with it's first release, each release being based on Ubuntu which allows for easy compatibility with their package libraries.  Generally they follow a similar release schedule to Ubuntu.  They only release when the project is ready, usually about two months after the latest Ubuntu release. Their support schedule also follows Ubuntu patterns, nine months for their short term releases and two years for their long term releases.

Much like Debian, Mint is created by people who volunteer their time.  They rely on donations and bug reports from users.  Anyone from the individual to companies can help in the building of Mint as they use the feedback of their users to help in the development process.

Mint offers classifications for their software packages for ease in finding stable software for this distribution.  Main is software that is developed by Mint. Upstream is the software that is available in Ubuntu but modified by Mint.  Import is software that is not available in Ubuntu; Flash, Picasa, Opera, ect.  Finally there is Romeo, this is the testing software and is unstable.

Cinnamon is one of the desktop environments you can get with this distribution, there are others you can get as well.  Cinnamon is created by Mint developers and works very well with Linux Mint because of that.  The ease to personalize your desktop, the organization of the programs, and the overall look of Cinnamon provided for a clean and stable desktop.

If you are a Windows user looking for a similar option for easy transition; this is it.  Mint offers all the comforts and options you could possibly need.  Similarly I would offer this distribution as a starter for any person who doesn't have a lot of computer experience.  It is stable, clean, and fun to play with.  It just works which is a must have for any newbie.

As a final thought, I have searched for reliable information of software requirements for each of the distributions. Mint has been the only one that I could easily find that was reliable information.  You can see the system requirements here.  For more information on Mint or to download please visit their website.

Linux Mint 16: Cinnamon

Welcome to Linux Mint 16 install and overview.  This one is an easy one for me because I have been using Linux Mint 16 for the past month and a half.  The only difference is I've been using XFCE instead of Cinnamon.  This is a continuing series and due to the certain similarities I have omitted some install steps.  If you need to reference these you can look at a few of my previous posts.

Kubuntu Review

After testing and reviewing Ubuntu it was a refreshing and pleasant experience getting into Kubuntu.  It was nicely laid out for easy access to pretty much anything I needed.  Kubuntu was indeed user friendly and was a good representation of their slogan; Kubuntu - the GNU/Linux distribution for everyone.

While Kubuntu is still sponsored by Canonical Ltd, they are made up of developers, programmers, and a community who volunteer their time.  Much like Debian these are people that work hard to bring open-source software to the world.  On the flip-side they work very closely with the Ubuntu team to release their products on the same day.  While I saw instability in Ubuntu, I did not see those same instability issues in Kubuntu.  There were no freezing or slow to start issues that I saw.

The desktop environment in Kubuntu is KDE, which is extremely easy to use.  The ability to personalize your desktop with the ease of finding programs quickly is a breath of fresh air compared to Unity and Gnome.  While I personally am not a widget fan I do like that they offer them as a way to easily glance at information you need.

As I mentioned in previous reviews; having a software center installed with the distribution makes it easy to locate and install programs that a user would need to go about their daily lives.  Like most distribution, Kubuntu offers many of the programs that an average user would need.  Mixed with the ease of categories offered by KDE the average user would easily be able to log in and use the computer with little to no issues.

With Kubuntu being a derivative of Ubuntu, it would be a likely assumption that it came with Zeitgeist installed.  Good news, Zeitgeist is not installed in Kubuntu.  As previously mentioned in my Ubuntu 14.04 review, Zeitgeist is a program that logs your keystrokes and sends them back to whatever company requested them.  Ubuntu comes with this program installed, but thankfully Kubuntu does not. Which means you are free to search anything you would like without having the eyes of big brother looking over your shoulder.

Overall, Kubuntu was a very nice Linux distribution. It was easy to use, easy to understand, and stable enough for the needs of an average user.  I would recommend it as a good choice in a distribution.  If you would like to try Kubuntu or learn even more about the distribution or the community please visit their website.

Kubuntu 14.04

Good Afternoon everyone! I took a couple of days to enjoy the beautiful weather that has finally returned.  Now after a short break I am ready to dive into the next distribution.  Without further ado, here is Kubuntu 14.04. This is a continuing series and due to the certain similarities I have omitted some install steps.  If you need to reference these you can look at a few of my previous posts.

Ubuntu 14.04

 

Ubuntu is one of the more popular distributions, with it's first release in 2004 and funding by Canonical LTD. in 2005.  Offering systems for cloud, server, desktop, phone, tablets and even your tv, they have their hands in pretty much every electronic device we use on a daily basis.  Unfortunately they still haven't figured out a way to do laundry, dishes and the dusting.  Who wouldn't want to learn one system for all of their electronics?

Ubuntu with Unity

 The next distribution that I am looking at is Ubuntu.  Right off the bat I can tell you it's not much different from Debian and Gnome.  The major differences come in with philosophy and focus.  I will get into those a little later.  This one will be a quick run through due to most of the similarities between the last distribution and this one. This is a continuing series and due to the certain similarities I have omitted some install steps.  If you need to reference these you can look at a few of my previous posts.

Debian Review

Over the last couple of posts I played with Debian, ran through the install, showed the desktop environment; which is Gnome 3, and went through some of the programs.  I learned a lot about Debian during the past week; their philosophy, how they manage their releases, and who creates the new releases.  Debian has a lot to offer in an operating system for Linux, but what I liked the most is the way it is put together.

Debian is not some fancy company sitting in an office building collecting money.  Debian is everyday users who donate their free time to programming, testing, documenting and fixing bugs.  You read that right. People all over the world help in the process of creating Debian.  Debian also doesn't shove out new releases before they're ready thus leaving you to install update after update in hopes that the bugs that you face are fixed during these updates.  When a new version of Debian is released you can be sure that it has gone through a very long process of testing and that you are getting a very stable version of the operating system.

Debian Wheezy Programs

And the final section of my exploration through Debian Wheezy is the programs.  By the end of this section you will see what is available upon install and how to get other programs based on your needs.

Go ahead and click on Activities and then Applications.

Debian Wheezy: Gnome 3

Debian Wheezy comes with a default of Gnome 3 as their desktop interface.  If you find you don't like Gnome 3, Debian allows you to change your desktop interface in the very beginning of the install under the advanced settings you can change your desktop interface to one you may like better.  For purposes of this blog you will be seeing the default desktop interfaces that come with the basic installs.  For most new Linux users the desktop interface is what will be the deciding factor.  So without further ado lets get into the Gnome 3 desktop interface and personalization.

Go into your system settings, which you can find this by clicking on the username in the top right corner of the desktop.

Debian Part 2

As you know I am currently doing a run through of distributions for Linux.  The first one is Debian.  In my last post I showed you how the install went.  In this post I will show you the default set up for the desktop.

 Obviously you'll enter the password that you entered during the install.

Debian Install

Hello everyone! In my previous post I explained that I would be going through each of the Linux distributions to give everyone a taste of what they offer.  The first Linux distribution that I am diving into is Debian Wheezy.  First I will show who what happens during the install and how to install it.  I am using Virtual Box to play with each distribution.  Visit them here https://www.virtualbox.org/ if you would like to try it out.  I will go into an in depth blog about the Virtual Box program at a later date.

This is the beginning of the install, fairly simple.  As a beginner I recommend going with Install and pressing enter.

Hurdles

When I initially set out to write this post I thought the best thing I could do was show my readers how to boot Linux from a thumb drive or CD.  As I started the process of collecting information, screen shots, and whatever else I would need for the post it dawned on me.  How can I inform my readers when they may not know yet which distribution they should go with.  It was an easy choice for me, I saw and tried Mint XFCE and fell in love.  It may not be as easy for you.

After getting into a conversation about the different Linux distributions with my very patient boyfriend, who is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to anything computer related it suddenly dawned on me. The issue that Windows or Mac OS users face when making decisions about Linux distributions or Linux in general is "How do I choose?"  

It became apparent that when you are on an operating system like Windows or Mac OS you are confined to your apartment, you can go into the kitchen, the living room, the bedroom, or the bathroom. When switching to Linux you realize that every apartment in the building is now accessible and each apartment has it's own pros, cons, and special amenities.  How do you choose which apartment you now want to live in?

So I am skipping the thumb drive post for at least a little while, instead I will be entering into the great wide world of distributions.  I will be testing out, comparing and writing about each of the major distributions.  Mint, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Suse to name a few.  I'll even go into their respective derivatives.  At the end of each one I will give my own personal opinion, because this is my blog and I can share my opinion.  

My reasoning behind approaching it this way instead of just putting you on my personal favorite is because I do not want anyone who reads this blog to feel like they are trapped in yet another operating system.  While I don't personally believe any distribution could really limit you nearly as much as Windows or Mac OS has, I do want you to make your own choice on what may or may not work for you.  I want you to leave your apartment, become my roomie in other apartments before you make your decision on what would be best for you.  Sorry only virtual bacon can be shared, is there anyone working on being able to get food through the computer screen yet?

The Linux Leap

"I don't want to switch to Linux because I use Microsoft Office and I can't use it on Linux."
"I don't want to switch to Linux because I wouldn't know how to get on the internet with it."
"I don't want to switch to Linux because I use Photoshop."
"I don't want to switch to Linux because I would have to use the command line all the time."
"I don't want to switch to Linux because software is harder to find."
"I don't want to switch to Linux because I fear change."

Yep, all the normal excuses for not switching to Linux.  I'm not coming down on anyone for not making the switch because of these excuses.  I had the same excuses at one point. So I will tell you the little story about how it was that I finally made the switch from Windows 7 to Linux.

I had used Windows my entire life, tried Mac a handful of times, decided that Windows was the operating system that I liked.  After about five crashes with Windows I started just uploading and storing everything on cloud storage.  Stopped using Microsoft products except for the occasional quick letter that was being printed or emailed.  My laptop became just a place to access the internet so I could get to my files.

When my boyfriend started telling me about some of the things Linux allowed you to do and all the great perks to changing I got really interested.  Anti-virus becomes a thing of the past, programs that are capable of being compatible with proprietary programs (i.e. Microsoft Office) and the many many many people within the Linux community.  Of all the communities I have interacted with the Linux community is truly amazing.  Fixes, open-source, education, and the general attitude of other Linux users is unrivaled by any other community.

So upon deciding to try out Linux my boyfriend loaded Linux Mint 16 XFCE 64 bit onto a thumb drive so I could test it out. Within minutes of loading I felt a rush of excitement.  Within one hour of playing I proclaimed with much excitement "Why would anyone NOT use Linux?" I made the switch, that night.  I backed up what little I had to back up from the Windows 7 operating system and did a full on switch; wiping out Windows and fully loading Linux onto my laptop.

Since the switch, I have spent some time diving into the world of Linux.  Learning about the command line, different programs, different distributions and much more.  There is a never ending wealth of knowledge that comes with the switch to Linux, which for me is fantastic!  Plus the noticeable difference in how my laptop runs is awesome.  Running updates alone is incredibly easy, I'll dive into how to do this in a later post but essentially it's type a command in the command line, run the updates get out of your command line and continue working while the work is handled in the background. Sitting for up to 30 minutes waiting to use your computer again is now a thing of the past.

If you have thought about making the switch I would highly recommend at least trying it.  Boot off of a thumb drive or CD and just play for a little while. While I have immediate help at my fingertips (le boyfriend) you may not, so take your time and get to know Linux.  You will fall in love with all the things that are available with it.  Trust me, I'm on the internet.  They wouldn't let me post this if it weren't true.