just a name. It means that the user gets three years without the need to
upgrade and it is on a generally stable base. Mint should mention this as it
would certainly be an asset for them. I am not a Mint insider, so I did not
know this before. Thanks.
I recommend Mint and my wife uses it on her computer, but am still a little
gun shy of it (between you and me). ;) There are several potential problems
with it now and more that I foresee. The biggest current problem for me is
that if anyone deviates much from standard practise (like me) it can lose
its Minty-ness easily. By using Ubuntu's repos users can inadvertently
replace Mint parts with Ubuntu's. When you factor in PPAs the problem
magnifies. I also do not like the panel on the bottom a la Windows nor do I
like the slab menu, but that is personal preference. Even in KDE I move the
bottom panel to the top and use a dock at the bottom.
Problems that I foresee are moving away from the Ubuntu tree too far. LMDE
raises questions about Mint's commitment. Where does their future and
loyalty lie? Debian is on the decline and is going to fall farther now they
have stripped the kernel of proprietary blobs (IMO). People do not like a
crippled OS where hardware that they have already paid for won't work. When
I asked for advice to fix a Debian problem the advice was to buy a new
computer. :)
If Mint heads in that direction, even with a legit kernel then they are
likely to lose users because the Debian community is not kind to newbies.
They have chosen to use GNOME 3 over Unity, but GNOME 3 has performance
problems with some graphics cards such as my ATI. By staying loyal to GNOME
(admirable on the surface) they may be stifling innovation because Ubuntu is
determined to lead the pack. I don't like Unity any better than GNOME 3, but
would not write off Canonical's determination and innovation in favour of
GNOME's stodgy and slow development (at least in the past). If it sounds
like I am being harsh to GNOME or Mint it is because I want them to succeed
and criticism if constructive can be helpful in pointing to potential
problems.
All of this just confuses me about where Mint is going and why. That does
not keep me away, nor should it trouble people from adopting Mint. There is
so much flux caused by Unity and GNOME 3 and the eventual demise of classic
GNOME that users need to look to the future and ask lots of questions. If
you are expecting same old you aren't going to get it in the long run.
I should have added LMDE to the list because it is worth a look for anyone
wanting a Debian system without the hassle of installing and setting up
Debian which is still problematic for many new users and even some people
who do fear the commandline. Linux Mint Debian Edition is installed on this
computer and it has been good enough to keep around for playing with.
Roy
Using Kubuntu 11.04, 64-bit
Location: Canada
On 15 May 2011 21:16, loyal_barber <loyal_barber@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> --- In LINUX_Newbies@yahoogroups.com, Roy <linuxcanuck@...> wrote:
> >
> > That is a loaded question. It all depends on your interest, needs, and
> what
> > you are using it for
> > <snip>
>
> Gotta say, Roy, you did a good job on this section.
>
> > My general advice to someone these days is to install Ubuntu 10.04 LTS
> > unless you want to be bleeding edge. Then go with 11.04. A good
> alternative
> > is Linux Mint which takes a more cautious approach for 6 month release
> > cycles, but it means more upgrading than following Ubuntu LTS to LTS path
> > (upgrade every 2 - 3 years because LTS overlaps by a year). If you want
> to
> > use "Ubuntu" but avoid GNOME and Unity troubles then consider KDE
> (Kubuntu),
> > XFCE (Xubuntu) or LXDE (Lubuntu).
>
> Just have to mention that Mint follows the same LTS as Ubuntu and
> that is not surprising since the upstream Ubuntu is available that
> long. In other words, your assessment of Mint and Ubuntu is
> wrong. They have the exact same release pattern with Mint being
> about 1 month later.
>
> > On 14 May 2011 19:49, johnmark1966 <johnmarkrobbins@...> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > What Linux distro would you choose from: Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD,
> Knoppix
> > > or SLAX ? I am a newbie and I am trying to find which distro is the
> best. I
> > > am studying electronics and computers in college. Thanks to each and
> all :)
>
> Good luck,
> Loyal
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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