Reviews and interviews related to Linux Mint are now tracked on the website: http://www.linuxmint.com/reviews.php
A list of download mirrors was published and we’re also starting to mirror the repositories. There was a period of downtime a few days ago and while our server was down we were unable to provide users with an alternative way of contacting our repositories. We’re hoping to solve this issue by providing users with repositories mirrors and a list kept up to date at the following address: http://www.linuxmint.com/mirrors.php
Finally, the screenshots were updated to show Linux Mint 7 and changes were made to the donors and sponsors pages to better explain why we need donations, what sponsoring is, and how it works.
Have looked at the mirror side, but there is nothing what can help the average user. 🙁
Thanks, but this isn’t a great help. It’s again in a typical linuxer attitude only something for people who have studied computer science for some years.
Maybe a friendly linuxer could provide step-by-step instructions somewhere, like on the forums?
Great idea :)!
Maybe you could create a small script/applet which temporarily uses a mirror for the Linux Mint repository when the official repository is down for newbie users who wouldn’t naturally think “ah time to edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file”?
The donations page doesn’t list methods of payment, so I guess it’s credit card only.
It’s better for a website to display Methods of Payment before the user clicks “Pay Now” or “Donate”.
These days some people try to use their credit card as little as possible online, because of the security risk. In a time of recession, that risk is usually greater. Some people in the UK might want to send a postal order … There are Mint users in some Asian and European countries who will not have a credit card, some will be without a bank account … Having various methods of payment opens up previously locked resources.
Donations might increase if PayPal was offered as a method of payment. For myself, it’s very rare that I pay by any other way now.
So I hope to see the PayPal sign on your page someday.
Keep up the good work, LinuxMint.
You are right, hamburn. 🙁
News is always quite useful/entertaining even; even if it is only to mention some minor changes/incremental improvemnets to the Linux Mint website..
I also have to tsk tsk hamburn
[b]Have looked at the mirror side, but there is nothing what can help the average user.[/b]
–we shouldn’t always be looking for or after the average user (whomever that could possibly be) and be always offering hand-holding service..
–pertaining to this quip from hamburn
[b]It’s again in a typical linuxer attitude only something for people who have studied computer science for some years.[/b]
Hamburn:
What is a ‘typical Linuxer attitude?’ Honestly, I feel that since all of this is done voluntarily in their spare time without pay that their attitude is quite generous and self-sacrificing. Please don’t be upset if the solution they present isn’t ideal, after all, LinuxMint really is a labor of love, a gift to us, the users.
Rather, explain what you need as an average user, and, as their free time allows, they will be glad to help, if possible.
This has always been my experience within the Linux community. Please don’t discourage them from helping us by complaining about what they are able to do. They work very hard in our behalf.
OK, yes I’m on my soapbox; it truly sounds like hamburn may prefer Windows type system? Honestly, this way hamburn can have lots of fun and excitement (aggravation) calling MicroSquish support to tell them their software doesn’t install, updates don’t work, or maybe ask support why MS-Genuine Advantage (big brotherware) says your copy is not legal (though it is absoulutely legal), ask how do I stop virus and malicious software attacks without having to buy more software on top of the heap already loaded that cost you a bundle of money, etc….
These are a few of the things MS has done to ppl in the last week!
Patience is a virtue, developers/ staff of Linux Mint are true to their cause and produce a top notch distribution. In closing, my involvement with Linux started in the mid 90’s with ZipSlack and reading, teaching myself installing, intentionally breaking and repairing, going through all the other Linux distro’s, mostly free but honest to all readers, to this day Linux Mint (Ubuntu/ Devian variant) is one of the finest I have found. Thank you Clem and all the crew for outstanding work.
well said joel and good points Xanikseo.
Thanks for the feedback. In particular about the lack of instructions for the mirrors, the idea of a config tool to switch between repositories mirrors and an eventual paypal sign on the donors/sponsors pages. I took note and I’ll make further improvements.
Thanks.
Updates to the site look great. Nice update to the screen shots. I must say though that I do miss having a good screen shot of Linux Mint on the home page. Mint 7 just looks so damn good! Can’t please everyone all the time.
Thanks again for putting such a great product together.
OK, so I was looking at the Home page when I wrote my previous post, which showed a thank you to a recent donor at the top. When I went back a few minutes later there is the familiar screen shots scroll. Been a long day I think. My original comment about the killer look of Mint 7 still stands! Oh and the great updates to the site!
Thanks
Well Ubuntu got such tool already(?) but its not available in mint.
thats quite weird. 😛
hamburn, you are right on one point – some users won’t find the new stuff useful. However, every detail is important in the big picture. While you cannot ask anyone to provide you all you need, you should also be more aware of the fact that all we get is for free and someone is working hard to offer us what we now love – Linux Mint. They’re doing it out of passion and the hope what they love will also pay their bills, while making other people happy and more productive. It’s just how life is – with people trying to make a living. I have no idea what are they doing at their jobs and how good they are, but making this distribution proves they are very good at this so this is probably one of the best jobs everyone would like them to have. 🙂
I don’t know how much time have you spent using Linux Mint but I can only say over the last 3 years I saw it constantly improving, making my life very easy with Linux. I’m a web programmer, but Linux is new territory to me as well. Actually, any new Windows version is “new territory” to millions of people around the world. It’s time we try harder to understand the people working in such complex projects and realize what they usually do is by far more complex. Writing small stuff as web pages like reviews and interviews are rather time consuming but in the end they’re useful both to promote the project and to better inform the people on how others see this Linux distribution.
Overall, everyone should be aware of the fact that nothing can be useful to everyone. However, the Linux Mint team is obviously trying to make thing as simple, user-friendly and beautiful as they can. They are doing a good job. It’s not necessary to tell everyone if something looks to you like it isn’t useful to the average user. Cheer up! You can’t get what you want everyday. There are other people in here as well, not you alone.
(IRONY) @JohnMikel, thanks for understanding me so fully (/IRONY)
[x] You are new to the Mint sides.
Because if not, you would know that I came to Mint just because of the politics of M$. Have written this so much times now there can be no misunderstanding.
And indeed I want to learn how I can manage my Mint at the best. But the text on the mirror side is a little bit cryptic for people who are not so long in this field as you. You say you are involved with Linux since the ninetieth. I’m only since Mint 4 and have scratched that Redmond OS from my compu since Mint 5.
So even I have Mint installed now on a dozen computers of my family and acquainted people compared to you I’m a newbie to Linux.
About Mint I have the same opinion as you.
As one who considers himself a newb (though I’ve dabbled with Linux for about 3 years), I find some of these posts a bit curious. I’ve used SUSE, Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, Damn Small Linux, SimplyMEPIS, ad infinitum, but Mint is ideal. Great desktop, great hardware detection, great everything. _With absolutely no offense intended to anyone_, if Mint isn’t everything you want it to be then you might want to either check out the documentation a bit more or (ugh!) stay with Windows.
Mark
I think hamburn is a welcome user, regardless of his ability or knowledge. The best ability that any user possesses, is the ability to say “I don’t know that.” What happens next defines the individual, not the distro, developer or distributor. Be it Windows, any other OS or a software application. I left a commercial PC repair company for this reason. I can fix a PC, but so very often, it’s the user that needs fixing. And I can’t fix people. People need to fix themselves and own their own choices. Make them, live with them, or change them. I live with my choices, like darksyde obviously does. I’m a distro hopper and have a machine dedicated to installing the latest “whatever”. Mint is a permanent install on my dual boot Vista gaming machine and work laptop.
For so many “noobs” the reward in discovering the solution to “I don’t know that” seems to elude them. I’m 40. If I ever loose the joy that comes with that discovery…I’ll buy a playstation.
I added a paypal sign to the donors and sponsors page. In Mint 8, if the repositories go down, mintUpdate will find alternative mirrors and ask the user if it’s ok to switch to them. As for the mirrors page on the website, the information published over there is useful to potential new mirrors (people with dedicated servers, ssh access, familiar with cron and rsync… “mirrors” in other words).
Thanks for the explanation Clem. When I start with working in September you can look forward to another donation from me 😀
And I really love linux mint so much, that I even let TNT post made my own Linux Mint stamps. 😀
This is a wonderful os, dare I say better than Ubuntu? every feature of my Toshiba M5 worked after installation, even the bluetooth.
evry bit as easy as Winblows. I applauld you guys at Linux Mint. Thank you
Clem, I think a new page would be very welcome just so people could keep up with what you guys are doing regarding development. I’m talking about a “workinprogress” page that would list all editions of the current release (and the next one as well) with their status:
– not yet started
– closed development
– closed testing / closed alpha
– closed/open beta
– release candidate
– final revision released
At least I know how much I want to see Linux Mint on LXDE, because I need it for some really old computers and Mint is surely one of the best Linux distributions for newbies or Windows users that feel comfortable with a certain degree of simplicity. Well there are others but I like Mint’s backyard so I’m waiting even if it hurts. 😛 MiniCE would be a great idea so we can install and use Mint on PCs with 64MB/96MB of RAM packed with a few essential recovery tools that would become not only a desktop replacement for low-end computers but an amazingly sexy recovery tool for any tech guy.
Ok… getting back to my suggestion. It takes quite a few clicks to find out what you guys are doing – Mint Planet, the forums, the blog and so on. That’s why a separate page stating what’s going on behind the scene would be absolutely great and also save a lot of time because people won’t have to look for answer or ask you for them, while you won’t need to answer so many times to the same thing. 🙂 If that status page also has links to the relevant resources (forum/blog posts etc) that would be even better. Thanks for reading.
Thank you, Clem.
The updates look good and I’m glad to see PayPal on the Donate page of Mint7.
I have just made my first donation, a small one but I know every little is important … I will donate again when the means allow 🙂
Best wishes to all the team.