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Linux Mint 16!

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PAUL161

PAUL161

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I love this OP System! It is faster than Windows, runs everything Windows does and doesn't lag when jumping from one page to another! No skipping or pauses with movment of the mouse. Plus it's very customizable to your liking. So simple to install and customize. After running Windows for years, it's amusing just how fast this system is! It's a perminate fixture on my desktop now and with the 22 inch screen, it's like watching TV. :highly_amused: If you don't have it, you've got to try it. PJ
 
ahem.... :devilgrin:
 
i have to agree. I've ditched Ubuntu proper for Linux Mint Mate. While Linux Mint is generally based on Ubuntu, it changes the desktop environment to be more ... "familiar" to those of us that have been using computers for the better part of 2 decades (if not more!) now. I particularly like the Linux Mint MATE varient because the desktop environment is a fork of GNOME 2.x and therefore does not require 3d acceleration. So, its highly responsive on even the most rudimentary of hardware. By default, Mint uses the Cinammon desktop environment, which is built on GNOME 3.x. While it's nice, it just doesn't hold up to the performance i expect on the hardware i want to run it on. So, I run Linux Mint w/ MATE on my HTPC and in a VM on the MacBook Pro my work provides me. I gotta say, GNOME should have stuck with the 2.x style environment. I'd still be a fan if they had.
 
I really like the sound of this.

I have Ubuntu in one of my mini-laptops and it's actually pretty nice.

I have a laptop running Win 8.1 (which, in theory, cannot be fully formatted to a new OS). Anyone have any thoughts on what my options are for overwriting my Win 8 with Linux Mint? (other than buying a blank hard drive)
 
Hi Nial - I've been running Fedora Linux for several years. No great problems yet.

Why not try the Live DVD for Linux Mint?

https://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

You boot from the disk and try it. If you like it, just click the "install to HD" icon. It'll verify you want to over write the current partition, choose a different partition, or over change the partitioning as you like it.

Tom
 
aeronca65t said:
Anyone have any thoughts on what my options are for overwriting my Win 8 with Linux Mint? (other than buying a blank hard drive)
Click to expand...

A complete overwrite should be pretty straight forward provided you can access the BIOS, change the boot order, and remove the battery. (I've not actually done this with win 8 or 8.1) If you can get to the BOIS why not repartition and do a dual boot with WIN and Mint? Switching between the 2 is apparently a pain but is alleged to be possible. I'll be trying to do a dual boot with my Win 8.1 box soon - if I don't go back to 7.

A dual boot on XP thru 7 is pretty easy. I just did an old XP box this afternoon. Both OS work just fine - so far.
 
Yeah, getting to the BIOS on a Win 8 isn't apparently possible. Cannot overwrite a Win 8 hard drive.

But I'll give it a shot, although everything I read says the computer must stay dual-boot and you have to retain the Win 8 due to UEFI .

Right now the Win 8 laptop is with my mother-in-law (we leave it there and when we visit, we can show her pictures of other family members on Facebook).

When I get a chance I'll see if I can create the appropriate partition and make a dual boot setup.....that sounds like the only choice.
 
Sounds like a good start. Remember you can boot from the Live DVD regardless of whether you decide to install Linux. Run it from the DVD, try it out - see how it works for you.
Tom
 
It was easy to install on my desk top, as it has two hard drives. I have W-7 on one and Linux Mint Cinnamon on the other. First boot is set for the Linux drive.
Is a duel HD laptop available? I've never heard of one. I have a Toshiba Mini I bought last year with W-7 starter in it and it's slower than any computer I've ever seen. I going to install Mint in it to see how much faster it will be. Might actually make it usable. PJ
 
Nial said:
Yeah, getting to the BIOS on a Win 8 isn't apparently possible. Cannot overwrite a Win 8 hard drive.
Click to expand...

That sounds odd. The BIOS is well ahead of the HD in the boot sequence. I've never met a machine with a non-accessable BIOS. What/who is the manufacturer of this thing? Make & model?
 
DrEntropy said:
That sounds odd. The BIOS is well ahead of the HD in the boot sequence. I've never met a machine with a non-accessable BIOS. What/who is the manufacturer of this thing? Make & model?
Click to expand...

Also, Nial could you give us a reference on that " Cannot overwrite a Win 8 hard drive." issue? I'd like to follow up on that. I'm wondering if you're referring to some reported problems in re-installing Win8/8.1. Can't see why/how Win8 could prevent a low level HD format, etc.

Thanks.
Tom
 
DrEntropy said:
That sounds odd.
Click to expand...

It is and is the reason I generally don't use laptops unless the situation requires one. Some lap top manufacturers use proprietary BIOS that for all practical purposes makes changing the OS nearly impossible. Even if you pull the hard drive out, format it, and return it if the BIOS doesn't find what it wants on the HD the machine just sits there burning electricity. Sometimes you can flash the BIOS with a generic version.

Like Paul161 I've got a Vista laptop that is so slow it's unusable. Drivers to go back to XP don't exist. Don't know why I didn't think of Linux for it before his post.
 
It wasn't long ago that it was believed you could not take a W-8 machine back to W-7! Not true, it can be done, just takes a little finesse and you'd never know the difference. But with installing Classic Shell in W-8, you have W-7s menu & start button that is customizable and when you boot up, the desk top looks exactly like W-7, but you can still jump to the right of the screen and pop the W-8 start screen back up. PJ
 
There is literally dozens of internet pages about the issues and problems of transforming a Win 8 laptop to Linux Mint.

~Here's one~

~Another~

~Here's some related info~

All of it looks like a huge effort for:

"Maybe it will work, but plan on endless hours of trail and error and in the end your laptop might become a paperweight".

I currently have the Classic Shell in W-8 in my laptop. Some stuff is better but it's not the solution I'm looking for. I would prefer to be able to run Linux or a real version of Windows 7.
 
aeronca65t said:
By-the-by, MS says they will have a new, mouse-friendly version of Windows 8.1 out next week (around April 10).

Considering the current 8.1, I'm not confident but one can always hope:

https://money.cnn.com/2014/04/02/technology/windows-8-update/
Click to expand...

I keep looking at that eye-catching "tiled" Win8 screen and ask myself - how is it used in businesses and offices? My ancient brain can't figure out how things like spreadsheets, word processing, databases, etc. run without a mouse. Or do you tap the tile for Word (for example), then go back to mouse mode?

I realize if you're in a "graphics" environment (engineering, artwork, design, etc.) the mouse may be unnecessary. But when crunching numbers or composing texts or sorting records ... how the heck do you do that without a pointer? Unless the screen is very large and touch sensitive. Are today's accounting departments all using large touch screen displays?

Or are the Win8 mouse-less devices just for 'net browsing, games, and photo sharing?

Just my two drachmae.

Tom
 
NutmegCT said:
..........I realize if you're in a "graphics" environment (engineering, artwork, design, etc.) the mouse may be unnecessary.

Tom
Click to expand...

I'm in a engineering environment. A mouse is absolutely mandatory. I think my friends in graphic design would agree.

The touch screen works you're on a smart-phone browsing Twitter or Facebook.
For those of us who use a computer for actual work, a touch screen doesn't seem very useful (I have a new tablet at work with wireless keyboard and mouse.....I just requested that our IT guys disable the touch-screen part. It's too annoying to use).
 
The graphics side of the house here (Mitsy) uses a trackball and a Wacom for the tech stuff. Touch screens are useless to her. Finger painting as opposed to draftsmanship.
 
aeronca65t said:
I'm in a engineering environment. A mouse is absolutely mandatory. I think my friends in graphic design would agree.
Click to expand...

Just one mouse!? I use 2* and am seriously considering adding voice to my CAD. Interfacing CAD with a Kinect might prove useful?

BTW: Computers run programs, not apps :friendly_wink:. Apps are for hand held toys and point of use devices!

*edit: 3 if you count the traditional mouse setting next to the trackball.
 
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