OT Linux Mint.....

[Deleted member 22389]

Ah ok, so it's more a security thing? I always assumed there must be something more to it than that.

Either way, an informative read, thank you!

I think what you have got to do is stick with it. In the end you will like it, even if you come back to it every few months. You will like the performance and your machine will still run as good as it did when you first installed it.

Hope I am not getting all technical, but If there is an application you still use in Windows, you can install Windows in a virtual machine on Linux Mint, and run it this way. You will need to install a package called virtual box. You should find it in your software centre.

 

[jgmcdee]

Have you see this as regards Office alternatives for Linux.

Yep but as they say in the article "compatibility is around 95%", which is not good enough. Not knocking any particular product, it's just that having something 100% compatible with Microsoft Office is a requirement for many businesses.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Yep but as they say in the article "compatibility is around 95%", which is not good enough. Not knocking any particular product, it's just that having something 100% compatible with Microsoft Office is a requirement for many businesses.

I completely understand that. End of the day for a small business on a tight budget they can use Libre Office, it will serve them quite well. It will serve all their word processing needs. But at the end of the day it's free and always will be, so we can't really complain.

Of course if you start sending excel spreadsheets with macros and all that other stuff that is where the problems might begin.

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

I think what you have got to do is stick with it. In the end you will like it, even if you come back to it every few months to it. You will like the performance and your machine will still run as good as it did when you first installed it.

Hope I am not getting all technical, but If there is an application you still use in Windows, you can install Windows in a virtual machine on Linux Mint, and run it this way. You will need to install a package called virtual box. You should find it in your software centre.

I've yet to even try it if I'm honest, I like to at least slightly understand what I'm doing (and why) before I start to mess around.

Unfortunately, a lot of forums etc. aren't overly easy for the Linux layman to understand, usually more through assuming that everyone already has a certain amount of knowledge.

That makes sense, in my head I'm likening it to DOSBox on Windows.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

I've yet to even try it if I'm honest, I like to at least slightly understand what I'm doing (and why) before I start to mess around.

Unfortunately, a lot of forums etc. aren't overly easy for the Linux layman to understand, usually more through assuming that everyone already has a certain amount of knowledge.

That makes sense, in my head I'm likening it to DOSBox on Windows.

When you think about what you already have installed in Mint you probably don't even need to touch the terminal. Everything can be easily installed through the software centre as well. You don't need to visit any websites to download the install programs, it is already there through the repos.

If you foul up and completely trash your system you can easily reinstall it.

It was the same for me right at the beginning, go with the flow. You will never understand all of it.
I don't understand some of the weird and wonderful commands people put in the terminal now. What I like about Linux is the flexibility and freedom aspect of it all.

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

When you think about what you already have installed in Mint you probably don't even need to touch the terminal. Everything can be easily installed through the software centre as well. You don't need to visit any websites to download the install programs, it is already there through the repos.

If you foul up and completely trash your system you can easily reinstall it.

It was the same for me right at the beginning, go with the flow. You will never understand all of it.
I don't understand some of the weird and wonderful commands people put in the terminal.

I meant I've not tried Linux as a whole, everyone seems ('everyone' = forum lunatics via google) to have varying opinions on where/how to even begin...for example, references in this thread lead me to believe that Mint works in Ubuntu which works in Linux. That could be wrong of course!

 

[Deleted member 22389]

I meant I've not tried Linux as a whole, everyone seems ('everyone' = forum lunatics via google) to have varying opinions on where/how to even begin...for example, references in this thread lead me to believe that Mint works in Ubuntu which works in Linux. That could be wrong of course!

I think Linux Mint is a good starting point so forget about Ubuntu for the time being. That is another Linux distribution you could look at another time.
The Graphical user interface is completely different to Mint.

Here is some further information
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=59925
forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=97158

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

I think Linux Mint is a good starting point so forget about Ubuntu for the time being. That is another Linux distribution you could look at another time.
The Graphical user interface is completely different to Mint.

Here is some further information
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=59925
forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=97158

Nice, thanks for the link; I'll give it a peruse after work.

(It's easy to forget Ubuntu, I don't know what it is!)

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Nice, thanks for the link; I'll give it a peruse after work.

(It's easy to forget Ubuntu, I don't know what it is!)

You will learn lol. This is what Ubuntu looks like. A quick tour of how that OS works.
http://www.ubuntu.com/tour/en/

 

[dougdeep]

I used to have a Linux laptop, it worked very well. Most things you can need are available for free and not having to use anti-virus was great.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

I used to have a Linux laptop, it worked very well. Most things you can need are available for free and not having to use anti-virus was great.

Linux has got so much better over the last few years.

 

[kano]

Linux is great (I run Fedora on my ultrabook) but you should still use anti virus

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Linux is great (I run Fedora on my ultrabook) but you should still use anti virus

Great to have a choice like this. Can you get steam to install on Fedora?
I know they only released .deb for Ubuntu. Things change so fast on Linux.

 

[beorhthelm]

The major downside for using Linux is still office applications.

imo, the major downside for Linux is no DirectX and every bloody game using it. otherwise it would gain alot more traction in the home user base and seep into the small/home office. movement is being made here with Steam leading, so hopefully we'll see a change, but i dont expect to be quick. outside of financal industry and few other areas, Office functionality is vastly underused and the Open/LibreOffice or other apps cover peoples needs.

 

[beorhthelm]

I meant I've not tried Linux as a whole, everyone seems ('everyone' = forum lunatics via google) to have varying opinions on where/how to even begin...for example, references in this thread lead me to believe that Mint works in Ubuntu which works in Linux. That could be wrong of course!

this is one of the problems of Linux. its far too techie for the masses. Linux is the name of the kernel, the core engine that does the nuts and bolts work with your hardware. above that you have all the usfull tools and apps, which make up a distribution. due to the open nature, every Tom and Richard can create their own package of software, and realease it as a distribution. so you end up with families of slightly different flavors - Debian begets Mint, but they are both different to Redhat which begets Fedora. its a pain in the arse frankly.

 

[Husty]

i've tried and yet to find what i need....

Really? Because I managed to find out how to do it in about 10 seconds.

 

[tedlit]

Great to have a choice like this. Can you get steam to install on Fedora?
I know they only released .deb for Ubuntu. Things change so fast on Linux.

Have a dig here:

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Steam_under_Linux

...and yes, it works. I don't use it daily.. but it *does* work.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

this is one of the problems of Linux. its far too techie for the masses. Linux is the name of the kernel, the core engine that does the nuts and bolts work with your hardware. above that you have all the usfull tools and apps, which make up a distribution. due to the open nature, every Tom and Richard can create their own package of software, and realease it as a distribution. so you end up with families of slightly different flavors - Debian begets Mint, but they are both different to Redhat which begets Fedora. its a pain in the arse frankly.

My dads friend who I keep in touch with uses Linux Mint, he is 72 years old and knew nothing about computers. I gave him Windows to begin with and it became a pain in the arse to keep having to go around his house sorting stuff out, i.e viruses, updates and other rubbish. In the end I put Mint on his machine and not had any issues in about 2 years, apart from his internet going down.

Same goes for my brother, he has learning difficulties. I installed Windows and again I was sorting stuff out all the time. So I installed Mint on his machine, and I have not had to sort anything out.

In the case of my brother and dads friend they can use the internet, read email, for simple use it is perfect.

Linux can be made as hard as you want it to be. There are enough packages installed by default for the average user to be getting on with their business and not need to touch the terminal.

For myself I use Ubuntu. I have photoshop and dreamweaver installed through Wine. They are older versions and work perfectly now.
It covers everything I need it to do. And now with Steam we are getting a choice of games too.

 

[beorhthelm]

Linux can be made as hard as you want it to be.

yep, and *you* made it simple for them. theres the rub. i didnt say it was difficult, but it appears too esoteric for most.

 

[kano]

Great to have a choice like this. Can you get steam to install on Fedora?
I know they only released .deb for Ubuntu. Things change so fast on Linux.

Yea I installed steam when it first came out....it wasnt too bad but I did it more to support the project than to use it...I have a windows7 machine for gaming