Thursday, August 25, 2016

Linux Mint 18 KDE

I just installed the new Linux Mint 18 KDE with a complete disk wipe and it was fast!

Booted from the thumb drive, ran installer, restarted, got online and posting this post all within 17 minutes! Soooo glad I am away from Microsoft! Windows would have taken hours to reinstall! Then hours more for all the updates!

Mint 4 life!

2 comments:

Doug Simpson said...

Freewill,

I don't know how long you have been running linux, but I have had a linux system of some kind since the mid 90's if I remember right. The first one I set up was Slackware, and it was running on a 386-DX40 with 2 MB of RAM. Yes, TWO MB not GB! and a 40MB, yes fourty megabyte, not gigabyte hard drive. And back then, the system did very little for you. You had to know your hardware and basically build your own kernel from source code to match it for stuff to work. It took that little computer three days to roll that kernel. Then you could reboot and try it again. If something didn't work, you'd roll it again. . . Then I installed X on it. . . That simply was not enough computer to run X. For those that don't know, X is the X Window system that gives you the mouse and graphic displays and all.

Fast forward to today. Linux has evolved and now the kernel is modular, and basically when you do the install, the installer examines the hardware and 'plugs in' the modules needed for the hardware, making it extremely easy for even a novice to get it up and running. With even a basic ability to read and a very limited knowledge, pretty much anyone can do a linux install and have it up and running easily.

I have ran many variations of linux over the years.

Slackware, then RedHat which was early attempts at automatic kernel configuration, but still pretty hands-on to get working, then Fedore Core (RPM) which was more bleeding edge because it was the development distribution for RedHat, Then I tried Debian, and WOW. . .That was where it was at at that time. Then some others and eventually, Ubuntu, and now Linux Mint. That is the OS of choice for desktops, but I still like Debian for servers. Linux Mint is a highly developed Desktop flavor of a Debian-based system. Pointed directly at the end user who is tired of the shenannigans and costs associated with Billy's stuff.

If anyone wants to take the plunge and switch to linux, of whatever flavor, I highly recommend it. I haven't had a M$ system at my house in years, now. Don't need it. There is nothing I do that requires M$. I would be glad to assist anyone with getting their systems up and running with Linux Mint or pretty much any other flavor.

I work at a public school and unfortunately they are still addicted to the M$ drug and we are running W10. A new install of that takes about two hours to get up and running all the way to usable for the end users. Including software needed, settings and all. Then your estimate for hours to do updates? I WISH! A new install will do updates for DAYS!!! I don't have time to sit there and do them all on each one, so I get them up and running and let the user know that it may be a week or two before the updates settle down. When I do a linux installation for myself or someone else, I can get their old data backed up (time depends on amount), do the new install with updates included, put their data back on (time depends on amount) and have their system converted from M$ to linux usually in a single evening and they won't be pestered by updates. And most of them never call me back. I used to think that was because they were mad, but truth is, it just works and they don't need help!

So, congratulations for rehab-ing yourself of the M$ drug and welcome to the new world!

JMHO - YMMV

DS

For reference, those wishing assistance. . . v e e w e e 7 7 @ w i n d s t r e a m dot n e t

Freewill said...

Greetings Doug~
I've used various Linux distros over the last 10 years or so. Red Hat, CentOS, and a few others I dabbled with. Never got serious with Linux until January when M$ started forcing updates on win7 users. I discovered Mint and the rest is history!