I haven’t “answered” reviews for a while now so I just couldn’t resist when I saw Linux Mint 7 KDE get its very first review. Not to mention that the author brought up a series of interesting points… so let’s start with the reading and then we’ll discuss.
Link to the review:
http://www.itlure.com/2009/08/distro-hoppin-linux-mint-7-kde-edition.html
Happy reading everyone!
Discussion:
Danny says: “[…] the team […] made a highly anticipated announcement: Linux Mint 7 KDE released!”
–> Most distributions adopted Gnome as their default desktop, but KDE is still the most popular among Linux users. It’s been hard for KDE fans lately, with support for many important components better handled under Gnome, with the controversy over the stability of the initial KDE 4 releases, and with Mint 6 KDE finally released just a few days prior to Ubuntu 9.04 because of issues with the desktop. There’s a lot of anticipation with each KDE release. Comments flourish on the blog, we’re #1 in Distrowatch’s hype-o-meter, the torrents activity figures are high… that’s for sure, this release didn’t go un-noticed.
Danny says: “The KDE version of Mint 7 (about 1.1 GB) won’t fit on a CD.”
–> When it comes to KDE, and because of the popularity of the desktop itself, people have a lot of expectations. I’m not saying Community Editions don’t deserve this, it’s just that our resources are limited and so we make more compromises. The KDE edition would deserve support for both i386 and amd64 architectures and it would be within my goals to make it fit on a 700MB liveCD. This might happen in the future as some of us start working full time on the project, but for now this entirely depends on Jamie “Boo” Birse’s (maintainer of the KDE edition) availability. Most of our development is also done in GTK and although its integration within KDE “looks” nice it also means the media needs to contains both QT and GTK librairies…
Danny says: “Gloria’s default green wallpaper was quite a star when revealed by Clem. If you liked that, you’ll certainly like this one. It’s basically the same, except it’s blue. The same sky, the same water drops, but blue.”
–> The KDE edition got its own blue logo and most of the artists within our community provide standard and wide versions, blue and green. The Mint 7 artwork was done by “Zwopper”, it was very popular among the community and very successful after the release.
Danny says: “The latest, 4.2.4 version of K Desktop Environment certainly feels more stable and less of a resource-hog than previous ones, so using it didn’t make my good ol’ single core Pentium 4 machine develop an inferiority complex.”
–> The development team was really impressed with KDE 4.2.4. Of course, as it happened, KDE 4.3 was just released… I guess with time, and with more resource, we’ll become more and more efficient and we’ll need less time to release the KDE edition. Since the release of their respective Ubuntu bases, Mint 6 KDE took 160 days to be released, Mint 7 KDE took 102 days.
Danny says: “As I knew Canonical didn’t bother to update their repositories with the latest version of Pidgin in order to be able to connect to Yahoo, I wanted to see if Mint did something about that. Nope, still at 2.5.5. Before adding the third party source, I downloaded and installed it, just for the heck of it and, surprise, surprise, I was online. Apparently, the Mint team couldn’t include the latest version so instead they changed the server in the account preferences. Still, that isn’t a permanent solution, as certain features (such as avatars and file transfer) don’t work, but it’s better than nothing.”
–> Ah ah, it looks like we were caught π I can’t remember whether Pidgin 2.5.8 (or another version) was available at the time…
Danny says: “If there is one thing that I find highly annoying about Kubuntu-based OSes, it has to be this: NVIDIA drivers installation. Though it quickly recognized my chipset and recommended the 173 series, when I clicked “Activate”, the selection grayed out on me and nothing happened. NOTHING! Restart the application, try again, restart the system, try again. Nope. Still no response. Usually, depending on your luck and how the planets are aligned that day, the darn thing will work after a few tries. Luckily, the Minties (is it too wrong if I call the Linux Mint team that? π ) are probably aware of that issue and included the awesome EnvyNG driver installation program that quickly and smoothly took care of the problem.”
–> Would that be covered by bug #368558 in Launchpad? Either way, polls were made within the community as to whether or not we should stop including Envy by default. Results showed that half of the people installing 3D drivers for ATI/nVidia under Mint prefered Envy over Jockey, so Envy is still included by default in all editions and in the KDE edition, because there’s enough room on the liveDVD, it also comes with its GUI.
Danny says: “When you open the most awesome software manager available for Linux, mintInstall, for the first time, you’ll notice that it doesn’t take as much time to load as it used to, as screenshots for the most popular applications are preloaded; for the rest, the pics are downloaded as you access them. If you want ’em all, click the “Refresh” button and they’ll slowly but surely be loaded. That’s a great improvement if you ask me, as waiting several minutes to access the repositories for the first time was a bit frustrating in the previous version.”
–> We got a lot of feedback on mintInstall and people were really disappointed about its performance and lack of responsiveness when it came to downloading screenshots and to refreshing the meta-data. So in Mint 7 we included the meta-data by default, making the tool usable without any refresh, and we multi-threaded the downloads of the screenshots. The current dev snapshot of mintInstall (planned for Linux Mint 8 ) also comes with new features such as the ability to uninstall applications, and to see their status and their version number. We also further reduced the lag and increased the responsiveness of the interface.
Danny says: “Of course, Flash videos, MP3s and most video formats play out of the box in Linux Mint 7, so yay!”
–> We’re currently discussing this within the team. The proposition is to move from having the codecs installed by default, to having the installer download and install them… like it’s done for the language packs. There would be an extra checkbox in the advanced section of the installer for people to uncheck if they don’t want to have the codecs. The discussion is still ongoing, no decision has been made so far, and your opinion is valuable. People, please comment on this.
Danny says: “It was a bit sad to see no games available out of the box, considering the fact that the distro had already βspilledβ over the 700 MB CD limit, so 1.5 GB instead of 1.1 wouldn’t have been such a big difference.”
–> I never considered games as a part of an OS. Accessories yes, calculators, and all.. but games? Isn’t a game something people add, play a lot with, get bored with, uninstall, and eventually abandon for another one? And then again, solitaire, minesweeper and “office” games like that are indeed very popular. Do we need them? Should they be included by default? If so, which ones? Please comment.
Danny says: “If you have kids (I used that instead of children because it starts with a K! Get it? K! From KDE? How funny is that? – don’t answer).”
–> I must be a real geek.. I thought that was hilarious, yet, I know it’s not something I’d tell my wife.. or my friends.. or anybody π
–> Actually, did you ever notice that symetry between the “g” and the “K” in “geek”? Ok ok, sorry… –> []
Danny says: “You can call mintNanny and do some good old fashioned domain blocking. But with today’s highly computer-literate youth, they will probably blaze past your wall of protection. Nonetheless, a welcomed addition.”
–> They will eventually, and in the meantime they’ll be challenged, busy and focused and that is very good for their development. π Seriously though, mintNanny is a small utility and it can be handy in certain cases and in certain families but it has limitations of course and it lacks flexibility. Parents looking for a strong parental control system will need to install alternative solutions.
Danny says: “Another tool straight out of Mint’s laboratories is mintUpload that unfortunately wasn’t pre-configured to use the default Mint server. If you use any other upload services, you can add them to this nifty interface too. Beware though, you won’t find mintUpload in the applications menu, as you can access it through the right click context menu on individual files.”
–> The development of mintUpload was delegated to Philip Morrell aka “emorrp1” and we currently have 3 developers working on it. This tool is going through massive changes at the moment. In Mint 8, it will appear in the menus as an “Upload Manager” which will dynamically generate context menu items for the upload services defined by the user. It will also support multiple uploads, which we’re hoping will be multi-threaded, and we’re also talking about an eventual panel applet which could be used by the user to drop files and see them automatically uploaded to the service of his/her choice. On the server side, we’re having issues with the “Default” service and I don’t know if it will be continued. We’re thinking of opening the specifications instead so that we can bring and maintain a catalogue of pre-defined services to the user.
It’s always a pleasure to see a good review for Linux Mint.
Part of my delight with Mint comes from the fact that it is a cool elegant distro with no games pre-installed. Prior to using Mint, I used to install an operating system and then spend the first few minutes uninstalling games and quietly grumbling to myself. I had always wanted a grown-up O/S and I found it in Mint.
Games – like music and film genres and reality TV – are a personal choice. Anyone who wants to play games on Mint can soon install the games of their choice.
Haven’t had the time to install yet, but looking forward to it.
A couple of comments that you asked for feedback on:
Codecs, yes remove them but make it auto install on install. I think this is a sign of Mint’s maturation. It would help to get Mint DVD’s included in magazines without resorting to the universal edition.
Games, I don’t feel strongly one way or the other, but I don’t use them and would probably uninstall them if they were included.
Keep up the great work,
–john
π
π
I left a post in the forums about the recomenations I have in regards to the codecs and what not. I would like to add also that you should definalty keep the games out of the install. Like the others said they can be easily added after installing.
I do not agree with removing the codecs though, after all this is what the univeral edition is for in the first place. Having to download them would only add to the time it takes to install Mint and one of the best things about it is its super fast install time.
Generally 10 to 20 minutes on my system. The longest part being the downloading of language packs(which I skip as I do not need them) However this adds like 10 to 15 minutes on to the install process.(I have a 12 Mbps connection by the way).
In my view there is no reason to remove the codecs from the installation. Mint provides out of the box functionality and a beautiful look and feel that Ubuntu just does not have.
One of the most comforting things about Mint besides its power and stability is knowing that if I trash my system I can have it reinstalled and up and running in no time.
Having to download and install the codecs would only make this take longer and therefore I say no to changing an already perfect installation process.
This KDE edition seems to be a great release. Chapeau bas
Codecs installed out of the box is one the Mint advantages, so keep them in the CD. The extra checkbox to uncheck for reluctant users is a smart compromise.
And games are not necessary IMHO.
Hello Clem,
I think that Linux Mint is a very popular distro because it have the multimedia codecs preinstalled.
This is a good point to consider.
Good Job guys!!!!!!
My feedback – Should play codecs out of the box. That is what Mint is known for.
And a couple of simple games wouldn’t hurt, like Solitaire and Min3sweeper. Again, Mint is known for being a working system at install, and people have gotten used to getting Solitaire etc free with their system.
Why should you be limited to CD sizes? Produce the best darn OS you can and let the file size sort itself out. Unetbootin makes it so easy to install from USB drives there really is no problem for folks (netbooks included) without optical drives or who have CD instead of DVD. Just release the ISO and let the users decide how best to load it…
please don’t consider the codec question as a simple matter of “install on demand”. There are still millions of computers out there without any Internet connection, and the good old auto installer won’t help a bit. In most cases, it will simply fail, stating: “couldn’t download the codec”, with no hint on where I could get it from manually.
My idea would be to put the codecs on the CD and let the user install them when he clicks on something like: “it is legal in my country to do so”.
Among the 9.374.825 *unix distros, Mint is known for working OOB.
The user can play his mp3’s and watch flash related contents with no worries.
This is a strong valuable point to consider.
And maibe it’s my world that is to small or strange but i don’t know nobody that does’t want mp3 or flash or wathever codecs installed.
Just my 2 cents
On the note of both language packs and codecs… it would be helpful if, due to a lack of either patience for the download or internet connection upon install, that these could be options one may have in Mint Welcome. This gives the user a chance to already have his system installed and running without having to wait for a lengthy download to finish before the installation is finished.
As for the codec question, I might suggest, if not automatically installed, to have them on the CD and just let users install them, whether from MintWelcome where they’re already on the hard drive and inactive(?) or whether a selection from the CD install.
Users may have issues with the distro if they have to figure out how to put the codecs on there themselves, and much moreso if they don’t knowing /what/ is needed to get their media to work. This is another “out of the box” thing that is appealing to new Mint users, and I feel would drop that appeal if the codecs weren’t included. (Note that some people have no idea what a “codec” is and just want their media to work, and will complain endlessly and ignorantly if it doesn’t!)
Nice review with good sense of humour π
Anyway, just to answer a couple of Clem’s questions…
Games are actually some of the first apps I install on every newly installed Mint. My favourites are three KDE4 games actually (I install them even on my Mint Main Edition) and those are: KPatience, KMahjongg and Shisen-Sho.
When it comes to codecs, considering Jurgen’s arguments above, I must agree with him. There is Universal Edition for those who don’t want codecs. Maybe that’s enough?
As a general comment I must say that after trying several KDE4 distros Mint really rocks. It’s stable and fast. Great job!
Nice review.
But I have to say though, having the “option” to install codecs would be the best. Already having the packages within the install cd as opposed to downloading. IF that was an option included with the installer, it would make more sense.
Also games, yes well. That would make for another great option within the installer. Maybe even some links to pages touting native linux game installers for retails titles. Just a thought. π
Alot of pressure for the “installer” app, eh? lol
And I’m happy to see that mintInstall has vastly improved. That downloading part, yikes, took a while to update. Even with relatively highspeed access.
But thanks also for highlighting the upcoming changes for Mint 8. I for one, rather appreciate that bit of inspiration. Not to mention the challenges, allowing people to get involved. Be the cause, not the effect.
Nice work Clem and Mint Team. Very well done.
The reason I put XP to rest for ever and run exclusively Gloria 7 on my PC was the fact everything run out of the box. My 2 cents is don’t remove CODECS!!! there are many newies triying Linux and Linux Mint as it is will convert them. My congratulations to the Mint team for an excellent job, you are the reason I converted to Linux.
Although I’m not much of a fan of KDE myself (I simply started with GNOME and didn’t really switch to anything else until I’d used it for about a year and a half) I did appreciate the review.
Several topics asked for feedback:
Codecs: Keep issuing a Universal Edition. Those who don’t have high speed connections will be bitterly disappointed if they spent money on a copy of the new Mint only to find out it won’t play their MP3s or YouTube without a several hour download of codecs.
If hosting is becoming a problem, you may want to have a lightweight edition that doesn’t have the codecs or multi-language packs bundled. That way those who use direct download (and there are plenty who do) won’t have to pull as much from the Mint servers. Of course, the best solution would be everyone using BitTorrent. If only there was a Microsoft(R)-compatible version of Transmission.
Games: It is my opinion that games are excess- especially since taste in them varies so widely. If someone wants a gaming distro, they can go and get one fairly easily. We aim to please most, but you can’t please all.
MintInstall: I think this is a great piece of software, but I find myself using Synaptic more because of it’s greater variety of software. Also, I think it’s rather annoying that you have three tasks in a GNOME panel when installing. I can understand the Synaptic one, but I think the window describing installation status should be combined with the main portal.
I do not like games and I am in accordance with 9.JΓΌrgen Kazmirzak: Think of, please, newbies without any Internet connection and wishing to prove LinuxMint.
“The proposition is to move from having the codecs installed by default, …. There would be an extra checkbox in the advanced section of the installer for people to uncheck if they donβt want to have the codecs. The discussion is still ongoing, no decision has been made so far, and your opinion is valuable. People, please comment on this.”
If this is what it takes to be able to drop the Universal Edition then go for it. It is still a problem in IRC when someone comes in with “this doesn’t work this is broken” and you wonder if they have a bad ISO or the Universal edition.
Mint is about working out of the box, people love that and we are often greeted with whoops of joy when they first install Mint Main. It would be very good if everyone could “legally” get that high of everything working ootb.
Im a newbie so please, take this with a grain of salt. I started using Mint6 in Jan. and then upgraded to Mint7. I love how both versions were fully functional out of the box. I would respectfully ask that the codecs be auto-installed with a check box for if you don’t want them. Not everyone installing Mint is an expert and knows how or where to get them if needed.
As for the games, how about just a couple of popular games preloaded. Then a link in the menu…games menu for “get more games” that would open mintinstall to the games tab. That would help us helpless newbies begin to learn how to use the repositories and save disk space. It could also work for the other tabs as well. Kind of like in Mint7 where it searches the repos. for a program if you don’t already have it. Great option by the way.
For new M$ converts a functional first install, user friendly menu, and mintinstall are key. If it weren’t for Mint, I would still be in M$ land.THANK YOU Clem and Mint team!!!
Please keep up the great work and forgive my newbieness.
There’s more of us coming
Great job on mint I love it recently got rid of resource hog vista which I hated. Love that mint works out of the box keep the codec in.
Games I don’t play most that come with OS’s and the ones I like are in software manager anyway so no problem to install. The other game has to be installed with wine.
Although I use the gnome version may try the kde not sure yet like this one alot. And the support community is unbelievably helpful to us newbies and it’s greatly appreciated that should have been in the review.
I think codecs should be out of the box causr I can’t tell you the number of times i have had to use this as a live cd to recover or look up info and the ability to watch youtube for instructions on how to take apart that damn thing thats causing all the beep is a very god sent gift
Games it can be an option to install them but i think defult should be no
Maybe we can have an advance setting where ppl can look at the packages and select and deselct what to install
I think Suse has this feature implemented
Also i think its time we look into looking at a gnome/KDE version where they are both in the live DVD
Yeah, great review, love the sense of humor.
It seems like most people are for leaving the codecs installed by default, and I definitely agree.
I never thought about how convenient it was until I read this. I remember installing Windows XP (repeatedly), and one of the things I hated was trying to find several different codec packs to cover myself for playing of any file type I came across that I might want to use.
Mint has always worked out of the box for all my needs and I love it for that. Please stick with the codecs installed :).
Man it feels great to be able to have some input on something I like and use so much. Thanks Mint Team, keep up the amazing work.
This might not be the best place to post this suggestion, but I think the eastern board game “go” would be a good game to install by default.
Other games that seem to be popular are Minesweeper clone, and a meta card game that offered different forms of solitaire etc. Just look at Fedora for examples. I tend to think Fedora has too much crap that gets boring quick though. But I also feel that way of minesweeper and solitaire, maybe “office” workers just learn to cope. Perhaps a good selection of shallow-deep type games would be ideal (games with simple rules but deep emergent game play such as go) I don’t personally feel chess is part of this group.
So you’re considering adding a checkbox to download codecs… In this case, would you also consider adding a ballot screen to allow choosing the web browser ? π
oh my god GoustiFruit
Thats the best thing I heard all week
Other ppl might not get it but man that is hilarious
let’s try π
Please keep the codecs on the CD for faster/easier installation.
Games can be left out – as you would never find the correct ones to install for everybody.
The great thing about Linux Mint is that it just works, with Ubuntu you have to spend a couple of hours installing/setting up stuff.
I very much like Mint as it is – “The Ubuntu that actually works!”
Definitely leave the codecs in the install by default. Mint’s advantage and beauty is it’s ease of use – it’s like K/Ubuntu with a layer of polish on top. I want to be able to give Mint to someone and say “hey look at how easy and high-functioning a GNU/Linux operating system can be” and to do that the OS should do what they’d expect out of the box. If people don’t want proprietary codecs then they are probably not GNU/Linux newbies and might consider gNewSense or even using Mint and uninstalling the codecs if they care that much. I wasn’t sure if this was more an issue of disk space or free vs. non-free, but if the concern is more diskspace I still say you should include them – liveUSBs are becoming more and more standard, especially with netbooks. And everyone has 2 GB usb sticks lying around. They’re like hard candy.
As far as games go, I remember being surprised by that when I first switched to Mint from Ubuntu, but I think I liked it overall since I never used half of those games anyway. That said, if we’re going the easy of use route, I could see the argument for including “office games” like you said – solitaire, minesweeper, etc.
_codecs_ should always be installed. The reason for me to use Linux Mint in the first place.
_Simple games_ , mines, freecell, could be installed as a standard, we’re used to that.
It would be great if you would put several bigger games in the distro for people with slow internet connections. This could also be installed (later) by MintInstall from the DVD (if that is possible).
> But are there people out therewith slow internet connections using Linux Mint?
greets from Nederland
Codecs: why not put the checkbox in the Universal edition? (handling the codecs issue during installation, instead of through a menu item)
Games: I don’t use them but i know folks who do, and if you want to appeal to a broader range of users it’s useful to have games easily added to the distro during installation. I don’t think the present setup does this well. I believe that many of the folks who benefit most from having a distro ready to go with codecs (ie new users) also are interested in games, if only simple card games like freecell. As i see it, the issue is not what i want but what will increase/broaden the appeal of Mint.
Installation generally: Not asked but … from a competitive point of view, I have yet to see a Linux distro (and I’ll admit to having seen a limited number) that does installation well. The biggest fault (there are others) is that a user coming from Windows finds the computer booting by default into Linux, with a Windows boot option available. If you really want to encourage new users, there should be an option during installation, not hidden on an Advanced screen, to make Windows the default boot. Everyone loves to talk about Windows arrogance (evidence of which is too easy to find), but it’s also arrogance to assume that a user’s installing an OS to replace the current default OS. I’d like to see more Linux users out there, and I think the way to do it is to make Linux easier to install and use; Mint does a great job at this, the best I’ve seen so far, but it still could be better.
Please, keep the codecs alive.
I hate, sear for it, and install it. I alwais had compability problems, when i tried to do that in ubuntu….
Dont kill the Mint!
been with linux for some time now… however could shift my kid & wife only because of OOB mint, Gloria KDE is glorious.
request leave the codecs as they are… they would convert lot of MS to linux…
as for games, KDEjunior & standard KDE Edu may be included… for the kids… they need lots of help in linux…
Mint without the codecs sounds a bit pointless to me! I like Mint because the codecs are on the LiveCD.
Radeon 2100 is a gd vidcrd but has prblms
Leave the codecs installed by default.
The live CD experience is what sells an OS, if a user can’t have fun with the live boot because of codec issues he’ll likely just move on. Allow the 90% deal with installing them.
Please leave the codecs in the main edition! Nice work and I’m a happy user of Mint 7!
Nice review. I vote for keeping the codecs pre-installed.
My thing about the codecs is that a lot of people have dialup or not Internet.
How would they get the codecs?
Also many people have bandwidth caps and may not be able to download the codecs.
Linux Mint is well known for the codecs being installed and working once installed.
That’s one thing I really like about it, I can just install and start working on what I need to.
I don’t even change the artwork, that’s how much setup I have to do, none.
Please keep the codecs. That’s what I love about LM. A newbie would have a hard time installing all the necessary codecs.
Ex. flash plugin, mp3 support, dvd stuff, etc.
Keep the codecs please. It’s a stand-out feature of Mint vs other distros. Broadband still has a long way to go where we live. Less download during installs, the better. Thanks Mint team.
Will Linux Mint 7 KDE run smoothly on my desktop PC, which has a paltry 256 MB of RAM?
I have always been a gnome user. Is there a compelling reason for switching to KDE?
No codecs? I thought that was what the universal edition was for? Oh well, if not, maybe that’s the solution? A “lite” version without codecs or extra applications alongside the regular one.
Well, Clem, since you asked, IMO a choice of CDs like we already have is probably the best solution, 2nd would be one CD version with a choice of not installing the codecs, worst choice would be downloading them.
Now about the games idea, for a while, I used Caldera OpenLinux 2.2, which was included in a Linux 4 Dummies, or Idiot’s Guide or something back in about ’96 or ’97. OpenLinux had the ABSOLUTE best installer I have ever seen. Mouse choice and partitioning was first, then it started installing while you figured out time zones, display config, etc, then while the installation finished, a game of Tetris started. Total installation time, including partitioning and filling out the information needed, was less than 15 minutes on my Athlon 550 w/ 64mb of RAM. There wasn’t really much time to do anything else so the game was appreciated.
When I found Ubuntu, I started the install and then opened up Mahjongg (old habits die hard). I didn’t have that choice with Linux Mint, but with a Live Desktop, it’s possible to install a couple games through Synaptic or MintInstall before Starting the install process, filling in all the questions and then play while waiting 20-25 minutes for the actual install.
Of course one of the first things I do after a new Linux installation is to install Freeciv for a time waster… :^)
Just my 2 cents worth.
JJ
I have been using linux for over 10 years now. The first time I installed a linux version it took over a week just to get the printer working. Needless to say I had a dual boot with Winblows ME. I have tried countless numbers of Linux Distros. Two favorites would be Fedora (6 and up)and Arch Linux. I have also used KDE since the beginning. Not because its better the Gnome or any other out there but because it is what I started with and what I know. I gave Mint a try a while back and felt like I was using Ubuntu with different graphics. (I should mention that I don’t think Ubuntu is a bad OS, Just doesn’t appeal to me)
After talking to some die hard Mint fans I decided to give it another try. I am VERY impressed with this latest version (7) I have not tried the Kde version yet but will be within the next few days.
I agree with everyone here when they say leave the codecs on the cd/dvd. Sure give the people a choice to install or not install but don’t make it an additional download. Choice is what linux is about.
As far as games go, again give people a choice. With fedora you get a list of games a mile long in the menu and play only a few. I would suggest either install a few basic games (voted on by users) or options in the install.
Linux Mint is quickly becoming one of my favorite distros, Thank you to everyone that puts in so much time and effort to make Linux what it is today and will be tomorrow
I am using Linux Mint on several pc’s. A newer Amd64 desktop runing LM7 386 another is an old IBM Thinkpad T23 running the XFCE edition both of those systems work flawlessly. About the games though, my 4 year old has been playing the Childsplay suite for a year and loves it. If you consider including games for we home users consider Childsplay and Gcompris. They actually serve a purpose beyond entertainment.
I’m a new Linux Mint user, can anyone say me what is the solution for using or what is the alternative of using corel draw and adobe photoshop in Mint. I want a be a regular Linux user. I need to know the alternative software for corel draw and adobe photoshop in Linux Mint.
I like Mind KDE version.
yeah . i like LinuxMint7 . please do it for offline user too (people with no internet)
my freinds want use > L M 7 < but they have problem for online instalations
The codecs should be installed by default. People who don’t like proprietary codecs are usually a little more advanced than new users. They can check off a box during installation to not include the codecs.
I would also like to not have extra language packs installed by default during installation. I don’t see myself ever using them.
Thanks to Clem and his teams for Mint.
Certainly a nicer bunch than openSuSE team!
I would keep codecs.
I would allow windows wireless loader to let me tell it its a broadcom 4318 Air Force One and then get the inf from a server the wireless card is a dongle so one can’t be infringing anything.
Yes I would contribute my inf files.
The installer for video looks good but I have a ATI card which will be happy with 2.6.31 (The odd colour bars will go away.).
Publish your job jar link for help. The KDE crowd is moving away from openSuSE so make sure they have a clear choice in KDE mint.
You never know who might help.
I saw the review on Tuxmachines and came over and pulled the torrent. Also pulled the Kubuntu dvd torrent too. Mint seems to work better. Don’t worry about the size CD’s and DVD’s cost the same “really!” if I have to pull it now or later from a server who cares. Rather have everything due to the BC4318. (it normally works really well with ndiswrapper) but I can’t get it started yet on a live cd but if you allowed a pull from a repository of the inf file
Great!
About the games:
Actually dont include them, I dont really think games are nessecary in the default install, actually they are only a matter of taste and if something would have to be kicked out for a bunch of games I think many people would be kinda annoyed anyway ^^.
Besides nobody really needs the “working killers” like Klondique (Solitair), besides all Klondiques for Linux arent that great anyway ;p
To 42. emon: The GIMP is the classic alternative for Photoshop and, I think so, Inkscape for Corel Draw. π
emon,
gimp and inkscape are good graphics packages
After reading the comments, Iβd like to add to my previous comment to say that a general pattern appears:
Most of us want to keep the codecs because with them Mint is perfect for both old hands and for newbies – working Out Of The Box is the main factor of Mintβs high reputation (next being its high quality style), if it ainβt broke, donβt fix it – if Linux Mint has had legal threats against it because of installation of codecs, then ok, we may have to install codecs later, but please make the process as simple as possible;
Games are controversial – liked by some people and a waste of time for others – best leave them to the installer application, a checkbox or Synaptic Package Manager or whatever;
My homepage is http://www.linuxmint.com/start/gloria/ which incorporates the Google search bar which I rarely use – this is a thought for the future, but Linux Mint could support another search engine sometime: Google performs well but it has tried to claim copyright on users’ data and only stopped after mass protests β¦ so now I tend to use Clusty or CometQuery [http://www.cometquery.com/], then Google, Ask or Exalead, but there are many smaller search engines that only stand a chance of growing if given user support. Maybe Mint could write its own search engine one of these days, wouldn’t that be something? π
Anyway, Linux Mint could make no changes and still be tops!
Codecs: I like having them installed by default, but a checkbox in the install is OK if it is checked by default. New users will not be happy if the first thing they do is try to watch a movie and start getting codec errors which is what happened to everyone who had Vista. Being the computer geek, every friend and relative I have calls asking why they can’t watch movies in Vista. Most people don’t know what codecs are or where to get them.
Games: I don’t want games. But I am amazed at how many people still play solitaire and minesweeper on Windows. Seriously, I got tired of these in Windows 3.1. If you still play solitaire and minesweeper then turn your computer off because you’re wasting electricity. That being said, if I installed Mint on my father-in-law’s computer, the fist thing he would do is ask what games does it have.
Codecs, flashplayer, Everything… IN
GAMES OUT…out…out
Anyway Danny, thanks for the review. Not so bad but not a good one.
+1 for codecs
+1 for no games
I think these issues are no-brainers π
Keep Codecs as default install pls. As for the games…as said futher above.. make just one or two as default install, and make a link for more games.
hi everybody… im from ecuador and sorry but my english isn’t very good…. well i m a newbie in linux, i was looking for a distro easy to use and friendly… i was reading about all version and the mint was the perfect for me.. at the begin i installed de mint 7 kfce but it don’t like me, a little confuse but the problem was that i dont know how configure the ati vcard of mi dell c600… then i downloaded the mint 6 gnome and its pretty elegant and easy to understand well little bugs like some buttons of open office don,t function but nothing is perfect… at least i can configure the ati in low graphic resolutions and when i shut on the laptop appears a white screen and i have to reset but i think its a hardware problem.. mint is great, yeah games out, i hope to can install mint 7 kde or gnome in my laptop but please fix the problem with old vcards ati… its a really headache for newbie’s like me… great work mint team…. greetings from Ecuador…
(Most users) Codecs, what are those, I don’t need those.
Also, it is a slow long road to go down, when you start having a checkbox for each little decision.
One Option: I click “yes” to install and have: DVD, mp3, flash, java, and a browser with all the tweaks to make the media integration work online.
As someone without a working internet connection on my main PC, I have to say that Linux Mint would be useless to me without codecs preinstalled, or at least on the CD.
If Mint 8 doesn’t have codecs either preinstalled or readily available on the install CD, Mint 7 will likely be my last Mint distro for quite a while.
As for games, I don’t mind either way.
Anyway, Mint is the distro that convinced me to never look towards Windows as a main OS again, so hooray for Mint!
Codecs, flashplayers… anything that can play all major video formats… IN!
If there is a need for an option, leave this on as default! That’s a MAJOR usability factor in Mint. That’s the reason why I’m using it.
Games are unimportant. If there’s space in there, why not? If not, leave them out. Is there a thread for suggesting software packages to be included/excluded?
I see no reason for not including games. ‘Not part of the OS’ seems like a weak argument, especially when you say a calculator is. Nope. It sure isn’t. And since it doesn’t fit a on CD anyway (if I understood this right), you have no space constraints. I’m not saying I think them absolutely necessary, just that I don’t see a reason for not doing so. Of course, you might be trying to keep it as small as possible, since not everyone has a fast Internet connection, but Frozen Bubble wouldn’t kill ya.
great review…. keep up a good works bro π
Please keep the codecs if at all possible.
If not, then please follow irishfury’s suggestion above and have a checkbox in the install which is ticked by default.
Ease of use in this area is one of the things that defines Linux Mint in a crowded distro marketplace – and one reason why I recommend it to many non-techhy users who probably do not have any clear idea of what codecs are!
Congratulations and warmest wishes to the Mint team on their excellent work with KDE4.
I am going back to Windows! Linux Mint kde 7 killed my external hard drive.
As a Mintevangelist, codecs included on install work best. Most of the Mint installs I do are for Vista users with (for Vista) underpowered laptop/desktop hardware and non-power users that are fed up with Vista and unwilling to shell out for a reduced price Vista Reloaded. These are mostly the folks that the operating system really doesn’t matter as long as it works and they can double click and icon on the desktop or find a start button leading to applications. Having flash on websites, music and video work out of the box is a godsend for them and me. If you don’t know how to find the k-lite codec pack in windows to get XP playing content, how are you going to do it with a Linux distro. As long as codecs are included on the cd, there is no worry about downloading madwifi or broadcom wireless drivers on a running machine and sneakernetting them to the machine you are installing on. Yes, I know, ndiswrapper exists, and that works fine on a dual booting XP machine but often, that XP machine is only useable in safe mode or preboot environments. Good luck finding the right inf and sys file within the windows folder. The reality of my situtation is that I am installing to a largely computer illiterate group. They want their computer to be an appliance and Mint fills that bill. Install it, it works almost unilaterally for whatever they want it to do. It offers minimal install time compared to windows 30 minute plus base operating system install off of a recovery partition, the bloatware uninstall, the necessary applications (nearly a gig on a flashdrive) from winrar and 7zip to Foxit to Malwarebytes to Avast to all in one codec packs to vlc to MS Office non 30 day trial or Open Office to something to burn discs to vpn software so I can remote in the next day, remove the brand new spyware and avoid them calling me all hours of the day and night because I didn’t “fix it right”. I know that some of those functions are included out of the box on Vista and Windows 7, but my biggest concerns are time, cost, functionality and ease of use. I have soccer mom’s, grandmothers and guys that call the tv remote a clicker using Linux Mint with no fear of spyware, virii or browser hijacks and after a very short adjustment period, they rarely have PEBCAK problems again. I have converted two small business over to LAMP and Mint workstations and it requires almost no upkeep and keeps the users happy because they can while away the boring hours on youtube. My vote is to keep the the things that Mint embodies for making Linux accessible and improving on them. I respect the outlook of the no proprietary camp, but in the real world most people don’t change their own oil, hook up their own entertainment systems or maintain their own computers. That is what they know a guy for. Just my two cents, take it for what it is worth.
Just recently got the Linux bug and have been trying out various distros,
Mint is great and if you can,keep the codecs in by default as it is a great plus not to have to download and search for things to get an os up and running.
Congrats to the team for all their hard work, I am using both KDE and Gnome desktops installed on Mint 7 and am growing to like KDE more as the days go by.
Look forward to more updates soon!
All the best from London.
Definitely keep the codecs. One of the things I hate doing when I install a new OS in a computer is having to install these, because I can never remember if I got them all or are missing something. Besides, as mentioned, 99% of those new to Linux would be scared off if they couldn’t get their mp3, DVDs, videos, etc. to play easily, and there’s nothing easier than OOTB.
Don’t care either way about the games. It is true that opinions differ greatly on that subject…
@Fugy: What do you mean by “killed my external HD”? Do you mean:
a) Deleted the information on it
b) Corrupted the table of partitions therefore making you believe it deleted everything (which it didn’t, all you have to do is recover the table and you’ll be good [it’s happened to me more than once])
c)Physically destroyed the drive (very unlikely, and not something the system would have done on its own)
I’m guessing b)… a) wouldn’t happen unless you specifically told the system to format the drive (and if you did, it ain’t linux’s fault), and c) is VERY unlikely to happen (you would have to be messing with commands like hdparm and the like, which, even tho SAY they could mess a drive with some of their flags, I have never heard of that happening).
What I’m saying is, don’t be so quick to cast judgement…
Great release , but I have a problem while downloading drivers for NVIDIA 7100 256 mb in built graphics card, the res. it supports 800 x 600 , while I have 18.5″ piano finish I Ball TFT , supporting a higher range , while downloading diver shows no response , does it supports NVIDIA ?
Best regards π
Wow!!! Linux Mint is the first distro that I neither needed or wanted to make any changes at all. Everything worked first time and everything looked great right ootb. You have achieved what so many of the other distros are striving for. Kudos to Clem and the Linux Mint team. You’ve done and unbelievable job.
I vote leave the Codecs in, this is part of what makes Linux Mint all that it is.
As for games, they can be left out, with no problem as far as I’m concerned. They are readily available for anyone who wants them.
Clem and Hard working guys and gals.
I have been using LM since # 4. I’m not a total Newbie, and have used and tried 20-30 distros in the last 5 years. KEEP the Codecs and use a check box with the default checked. yeah, I know, games are not productive, but they can help keep your sanity and your fellow workers physical well-being. keep it simple,like a game of Solitaire,Frozen bubble and maybe Mah-jong.
Since LM4, Linux Mint has been the one OS that is ALWAYS on my ‘puter. I have 4 running and Multi-boot 6 or 7 different distros but always have Linux Mint on all so as to have one that doesn’t break. I’m 65 years old and can’t claim to be a Linux Geek–that said I do know my way around a few Distros. That said–I have nothing but the highest regard and respect for Mint. I like Minimal OS’s, BUT, Mint=Mainstay! Thanks Loads and loads for all the great work, people. LM is the one I always pass on to the new folk to Linux. Again, thank you.
It is great , It has downloaded the driver, great feeling now !
Cheers !!! π
Regards
I went from Ubuntu to Mint because of the codecs(and ubuntu’s Ghastly themes!). I think its more mature to not have to sit there for an hour trying to find all the codecs you HAVE TO HAVE to use your PC. I do not understand why, but i agree with most the people here that having a box to check is a nice compromise, the games could be done in the same way. I have not tried KDE MINT, i will give it a shot and kudos to everyone that works on the mint distro, it is the best one i have used thus far!
Keep the codecs…its what makes Mint unique to others.
i say removing the codecs may make Mint less attractive especially now days people just want things to work out of the box and dont really have the time to download or configure…..
Havnt tried KDE yet, but will DL and try….
Keep up the good work guys….
Always nice to see a good review.
In response to your invitation to comment, I’ve been using mint as my main o/s since Daryna, and would probably have used it before then if I’d known about it. I’d been using Ubuntu for a while and the main reason I switched was the codecs.
Having started using mint I love the mint menu, tools, appearance etc so would not change lightly but for me and a good few others I know the reason we tried Mint was the codecs. So removing then from the install CD seems a bad plan. Perhaps an option to not install them would be OK, but they should be available on the CD.
Games just seem unnecessary bloat, installing is easy, plus everyone wants different games.
Putting VLC as default video app is hit in the middle of a target.
Congrats on a fine distro. I have used linux on the odd occasion over the last 5 or 6 years and within a week of installing them I have always gone back to windows because I could never find a program that was easy to install and worked how i wanted it to, or i could never work out how to get the internet to work, or it was to much work to copy a dvd, or for whatever reason at the time.
Mint has changed all of that. I installed it on my laptop thinking….I wonder what wont work this time, and I was surprised that I didnt have to install anything else (unlike in windows i have to install sound drivers and video drivers and wireless card drivers), I could even browse my windows7 media server from a ‘standard install’.
I dont think I will be going back to windows at this stage, not on the laptop anyways π
Thanks for doing a great job, oh and leave the codecs in….it makes life so much simpler for linux newbies like myself π
I had been using freespire because of the codecs. Freespire has been abandoned, so I found Mint, and haven’t looked back. Downloading games is a no-brainer. That is easy to do, and doesn’t take long. What I would like to see is an internet install, so everything could be installed directly, with out leaving anything out. O’course, that doesn’t sell many CD’s. I have a fairly fast internet, but no DVD machine, and I enjoy movies on my PC, without downloading them.
Codecs: My first choice, keep it the way it is. Second choice, checkbox with codecs in the ISO. Third choice, checkbox with download.
Games: My first choice, again keep it the way it is. Second choice, include only the standards like solitaire and minesweeper. Third choice, include more games but let Mint users vote on which ones to include. I would vote for minesweeper and frozen bubble.
Thank you Clem and the Mint team!
Please keep including the codecs. The included codecs are why I use GNU/Linux Mint KDE. When I add libdvdcss to a distro, it rarely works. I have done this many, many times. When libdvdcss is already included, it has always worked for me. Thanks very much. Keep up the good work.
I think it would be great to have an OS that was light, βvery lightβ by all account put stubs to more popular application and if and when needed they could be installed when selected. This would deliver a slick, short install time.
Other application could be installed by using the Software Download later for the more adventures
I havenβt installed Mint just yet, a friend in Aberdeen called me and said βGet it, itβs so cool. Thanks Chrisβ. Downloading now, looking forward to getting it installed.
I know a lot of ppl say they are newbs here, but i am the newbist of all. Can anyone tell me how well mint works of a flash drive? my laptop wont connect with its harddrive and since its second hand i would have to pay to get it fixed. i currently have moolux running on my flash drive and im looking for a better os, but i have absolutely no idea how to use linux. so as i was saying can anyone tell me if mint would be good for me?
oh, and i really like to read and most of my books are in .lit does anyone know of a program for linux that can allow me to access these?
I’ve tried various distros over the past 10 yrs and with Mint I’m FINALLY confident in dumping Windows. The couple of minor functions I need to use Win for seem to work fine running VirtualBox. My next hurdle is convincing the wife & kids to switch. Running 6 or 7 desktops and 2 or 3 laptops in a home network (I tinker a lot) I don’t (want to) pay for Win licenses on all; not even the Win 7 “family” pack. And for stability and security Linux just ROCKS!! I enjoyed trying Mandrake, Caldera, open Suse, and a few others in the past, but when I first installed Mint (5) I said, “WOW!!”
Just a long and rambling way for me to say, continue to automatically install the codecs. It’s one of the features most likely to convince Win users to upgrade.
As one who just switched to mint, please keep the codecs…mint is the first distro I could see my parents using…
I suspect that the complete out of the box experience is why many choose Mint. Sure, Mint has great tools and a solid feel but being able to play videos, music, and flash without a clunky install is why I use Mint.
If the codecs are not included, many people would just do without, move to another distro, or (more likely) go back to MS-Win or Mac. This is because it is not obvious what a codec looks like. Codecs are not clearely listed as such in the repositories, and websites (for eg.) that require them don’t tell you what they are so that you could search for them. Even Ubuntu can’t play sound and movies in many installations and requires expert intervention to make it do so. That is where Mint comes in. π I’ve never used MS-Win or Mac, but I’ve noticed that people who do so are usually not prepared to research a computer problem nor are they willing to hire a professional.
Lol @ Fugy…. Linux mint killed your external hard drive???? LOL what a load of crap…. If it did… then it must of been something stupid that you’ve done
I have never uses MS-Windows or Mac and even after a number of years of using Linux, I have no idea how to find a codec in my system. The repositories (certainly Ubuntu) have no listings for codecs, and websites (eg YouTube) don’t tell you where to get them. YES! We need the codecs included. π
PS: Sorry, if this message is a duplicate. The one I posted yesterday, hasn’t shown up yet. π
Adding games would likely appeal to people coming from Windows… it would probably make them feel safer in a new environment because of the similarity.
I am now using 4 OS: Mac OS X 10.5.8, Mint 7, FreeBSD 7.2, WIN XP. From these, the Mint 7 is most usable out-of-box, when big deal of that is, because it has all needed codecs installed.
So i am for keepen codecs installed by default.
Thx all members of Mint team for great job, Mint is best of opensource. I only wish the same quality project exist for freebsd, which i love. In comparison with all os, including commercial, Mint is second only to Mac OS X, because of lacking somewhat with support of commercial software, but in some areas is more usable than Mac OS, especialy for Win switcher.
Thanks a lot boys!
Please do not move codecs off the CD, many people install using just the CD with no internet connection available. This is why I love the fact that APTonCD is installed by default, it helps users with no internet. Please don’t do it!!!!
Hi, I am a newbie, so my recomendation / comment may sound stupid…
I really LOVE Mint Menu.
The review did not mention it, but it seems that the KDE version lacks the Mint Menu. For me, this feature is decisive. I am a “windows power user”, so KDE was my first choice. And I like KDE’s configurability. But the Mint Menu made me migrate to Gnome.
So. For me, Mint 7 KDE is not a “full-blooded” Linux Mint. At least not for me π
regarding the issues discussed:
– I do not want games by default.
– Please keep including the codecs.
But I have other suggestion: automatic update after install (or during install, which means that if there is newer package in repos, it will be installed instead of the one on the CD). There would be an extra checkbox in the advanced section of the installer, unchecked by default. So that people, if they want, can tell the installer to download and install newer packages, if they are available in repositories. The first thing we do after install is update. This way we would safe time: newer package will be installed right away, instead of installing the older one from CD only to be rewritten in couple minutes.
Mint Rocks
Keep the codecs. That is one of the areas that differentiates it from other distros. Games can be installed as user requires.
My Vodafone Mobile Connect card worked out of the box. That sold me. I spent hours trying to get this operational with another popular distro.
Have used Linux for a number of years now and Mint has to be the most polished and easy to use one I have come across.
I vote for better compatibility / more included device drivers. If it’s an already checked box during install, and aids Clem with patent issues, what’s the fuss ?
If you exclude from your default set the codecs, your system will lose in popularity a lot. In fact, codecs is the one thing that I hear all the time makes people choose Mint. So be alert.
One more “include the codecs on the CD/DVD” here. Install by default, allow option to not install. I’m guessing very few would make this choice, but having the choice there wouldn’t be a bad thing. Especially if it’s buried in an “advanced” tab or some such.
Basic games like solitaire and sudoku would be nice. If the dev team has enough time they can make the games specific to Linux Mint. Examples being Mint themed decks, favorite sudoku puzzles or even an option to replace the numbers 1-9 with l,i,n,u,x,m,I,N,t. Since two of the letters are similar, it’d be one heck of a challenge.
I do love the Mint. It’s done quite a bit show that we want a good os that’s completely useable and hassle free. Something that shows that it cares about how we use the system. It has style. Maybe adding a few games designed to be played casually and few of the more hardcore games like Alien Arena can keep it expanding and being all inclusive. I understand that games can’t hit in a 700 MB release, but in the larger releases we’d really like to lavish the fact the we had to burn this bad boy to a dvd. People love playing games. A mediocre game can explode in its’ enjoyment factor by having more people around to play with socially. Not many linux os’s back games seriously. Linux Mint should embrace them and do so elegantly.
LOL! I second Kaddy’s comment.
One of the things I loved about the Mint 7 install was the fact that all codecs were installed out of the box. I vote for keeping it that way, given how useful these codecs are for most people.
Lol @ Kaddy….. that’s so on point.. ha ha ha..
@ Fugy – Somehow I can’t see how KDE would kill your external drive. Did you have it attached during the install and selected the partition to be deleted?! Have you tried the installed media widget to see if it is displayed there?
Anyway, to the point in hand, codecs and games. Codecs. These should stay on the install media, as pointed out, not everyone has access to broadband and they shouldn’t further be punished by not being able to play MP3’s. In this scenario Flash is a moot point. Keep in mind Windows doesn’t play mp3’s or DVD’s out of the box either, you need to download the codec pack to enable it (VLC, WinAmp, etc) so kudos for Mint to have these.
Games. Meh, personally don’t use them, but if I feel the need for a spot of mahjong or solitare, it is only an apt-get install away π
I have to say that Mint 7 is a delight to use. I have been a Ubuntu guy since October 2006 and chose Mint when 9.04 went a bit funny. So I am now in a bit of a pickle, do I blow Mint away in October for 9.10 or do I wait until Mint 8 comes out and carry on with my positive Minty experience?
please keep the codecs π
– don’t be like windows(tm)
– it’s the reason i choose linux-mint over ubuntu-linux
– i have no internet connection at home
As for a REDUCTION to a LIVE CD….. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!
We have a DVD and were not filling it up now… FILL THE DVD, NO GAMES! Nagios, NetBeans….We’ve got plenty of room…. I am not a KDE4 fan and unless some major things change HUGELY in the near future, I will moving to another non gnome WM. I don’t share the Segio KDEstapo “vision”, and actually think they are a HUGE PROBLEM within KDE. Which is unfortunate because KMint till Elyssa was/did some great things. KDE4 broke all of that.
CODECS- NO, again. LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS! CODEC INSTALLED READY TO GO! No extra clicking, no other BS.
I love Linux Mint, It’s all mint to me,
But that’s not to say your work is done, “Far from done”
I think you need to look at people’s hardware more,
Old to the New, My laptop is a “AMILO LI 1718”
You do not have my Wif or ATI 3D card,
but you do have my sound, if you do update your drive’s for Linux Mint,
I’d love it more if you get my drive’s,
Thanks for now, SignedAdam,
Frozen bubble would be a good game for the default installation. π
Hey, still a complete n00b after trying different distro’s for years.
For my money Mint seems to be the one to ween me off my Windows addiction. Great job guys and gals! π
Codecs – Yes, Games -Partial Yes.
If one of the major goals of mint is to increase user share among the Linux n00bs, then I think a few games should be included, Frozen Bubble being a big yes. As well I know that hard wear isn’t totally in the hands of the development team, but as an ATI user fully functioning video drivers would be nice too (any way you guys can show ATI how to produce Linux drivers? lol).
Finally I may come off as a total twit hear, but I think you could go even farther in making Mint super n00b friendly. For example (here comes the twit part) coming from windows I find the file system a bit different, and no matter how hard I try I can’t seem to find the default download folder. It’s a real minor thing, but a major pain when you have no idea where a download file’s been stashed (and search doesn’t find it either). Windows has a whole host of preset folders, and considering how easy it’s file system is compared to Linux, it’s not even really needed.
I think there’s most likely a number of extremely small issues that simply fly under the radar for experienced users. But can be quite puzzling for us complete Linux n00bs.
With that said, I still find Mint to be a great OS and can only see bigger and better things down the road. Again Great job!
I downloaded the Linux Mint 7 Gloria (KDE) but when i install, i get the GNOME Desktop instead of the KDE, What’s wrong?
I’m going to give my two cents:
After working with Fedora 8, which was solid on an old Athlon 3200+, when I bought my new machine, I tried out Ubuntu 8.04 for my Linux installation. After not being able to boot up (At least Ubu 7.04 booted and ran for a week before it imploded), I decided to load on Linux Mint 5, after playing with a Linux Mint 4 Live CD. I never went back, except to try out Ubuntu 9.04 for a week. 9.04 is the first base Ubuntu distribution that ran out of the box on my new machine (now over a year and a half old).
Linux Mint is a fine distribution. The polish, and amount of care involved to produce it is so apparent to all that see it in action. I have tried to adivse people who have never used Linux to try Mint. Many have never gone back to Windows, except for standout programmes that they need like Photoshop or AutoCAD.
The reasons for this are as follows:
1. Codecs are installed, making it easy for the new user to acclimate.
2. The look and feel, as well as the MintMenu is simple and elegant. It is pleasing to the eye, and easy to pick up.
3. The support of the Mint Forums is extraordinary.
As a user in the US, I am familiar with the legal ramifications of the use of codecs. The fact of the matter is everytime you play an mp3, you should be sending a royalty payment to the inventors of the format. There is no way you can do that, and everyone knows this. It’s a moot point. I find nothing wrong with listening to the mp3 files I purchased legally on my desktop. The legal grey area for this nonsense doesn’t deter me from being able to use my desktop for it’s intended purpose.
So, that said, please consider the following:
Keep Universal Edition, with the check box to install codecs. Standard Mint Edition should work out of the box. This is what it is known for, and is it’s identity. Word of mouth is a much more powerful tool than getting your ISO in the Linux mags. That is why you have such a devoted following.
MintNanny is a simple, but effective domain blocker. I use it because of matters of my faith. It is quite literally a Godsend.
MintMenu is one of the best homebrew applications and keeps getting better with each release.
Games are not necessary. Download them from repo. The only game I play that is resident to Linux is Vendetta Online.
Thank you for rewriting bash in Python and simplifying the interface. This is helpful for someone like me that is still bewildered by the command line.
Clem, you and your staff outdo yourselves with every release. Thank you all for making such a fine user experience in Linux.
Dear Clem and whole Mint team,
Minties!!?? COME ON!!! What was thinking about that guy!? IT PLAIN SUCKS, KNOW IT!!
Now, going to straight to business:
I definetely LOVE your distro, no matter what bad people say your distro is just AWESOME, I think is one if not the best out there, the more usable Linux distro EVER, period; I used to think Ubuntu was user friendly and indeed it is, but after playing a while with Gloria, well Ubuntu seems like plain Slackware and not friendly a bit LOL xD
About your enquiries I would like to say:
1. I welcome the initiative to check a box to download de codec pack so Mint can be freely distributed in every publications around the world, but please take this sugestions in mind:
A. Make the check box EASY to find and check.
B. In the case a user choose not to install codec pack at install time, add the same check box option in the Mint Welcome Screen and if the user EVEN choose no to install the codec pack, it should be accessible easyly somewhere in the Mint Menu.
The reason I enfatize this is because inexpert (beginner/noobie) users may not realise at install time what the Codec Pack really is, so he/she should have an easy way to install the pack if it is required later.
Anyway: you should add this option to the “Universal” edition AND STILL KEEP PRODUCING the main edition. It’s outstanding cool to download, burn, install and start watching a DVD without downloading anything extra or waiting extra time.
Please keep in mind that if the only edition you produce is the “Universal” because “you allways can add Codec Pack later” it may give really slow download speed at times, when lot of people is downloading the pack.
2. Games? Not at all. I’m nearly 32 years old, a played a lot with computers since 8-bit era and have had a lot of fun with them (name it Spectrum, Timex Sinclair, MSX, Commodore, etc., still remember adjusting the cassette azimuth to make it load the games… “yes, those are the right colors… and yes, it sounds good now!” =D )
But as you say, you make an OPERATING SYSTEM so I see not point in installing any game by default. Sabayon for example ships with a cool strategy game, but how many people will like it, for example? I think you should keep on your track. You are doing things extremely well and I aplaud you. If you want add an option to download those games ok, but you should keep your ISO as small as you can.
Finally I would like to congratulate you because Gloria KDE is THE BEST damn KDE DISTRO OUT THERE… and I’m not a KDE fan, indeed I don’t like and find it ‘canned’ and hard-to-do-simple-things (not matter what God Torvald says).
One more thing:
Linux lacks some VITAL usability like proper Printer & Scanner support and both Gnome and KDE are quite HUUUUGE even for my 17″ 4:1 screen. Right after installing I need to switch font size to 8 pt rather 9 pt you ship.
It’s awesome how just WinXP looks smoothier thant Gnome or KDE at first glance, you know, more screen free for windows and things, but after shrink the font size Gnome and KDE become lot more usable desktops.
By the way, sorry for my ugly Tarzan-like enlgish.
Peace!
Sorry for this, but I think the line of work proposed by
66 fraxinus
55 roberto
54 irishfury
50 roin
44 dereks1961
35 whiskey_tango
74 Dave
and so on is the GOOD way.
Don’t lose your path, son!
* STB *
in other words (simply the best)linux distro out there
Clem & Staff ____ You are excellent. Thank You All
Please keep the codecs and the easy mobile broadband setup. Of the linux distros I have bought at Β£7 ($10) each on UK linux magazines only Mint has both of these working out of the box .Dozens of other distros have been discarded because of frustrating setup procedures for either the modem/internet connection or cd/dvd player.To be honest with thousands of newbies trying out linux your Universal distro sleeve should have cleary and boldly printed on the sleeve ” This distro will NOT play CD/DVD’S without downloading additional codecs” because to push sales the linux magazines have hyped up many distros and obscured this kind of information and other shortcomings like modem/usb connection problems which leads to very disappointed expectations and gets linux rejected/a bad name.You should be very proud of your latest excellent Mint distros.To help with your decision making on what to include and exclude ask the question “What do you want to do with your computer(s)?” list the most common responses and design those functions to work ootb. Connecting to the internet easily and playing cd/dvd’s, messaging, photoprocessing will be high on the lost for many home computers.The lack of interest in games here probably shows that Mint has yet to attract a junior section of supporters.They are the future and should not be overlooked.
Hi guys, i wrote a comment two or three days ago -which was subject to moderation- but i don’t see it published here, what could have happen??
π
I endore the taste of Mint!
I love your reviews of the reviews. They are always good.
I personally don’t play games on computers at all, but I could see why some people might like that. Mostly those moving from Windows who are used to killing time with some minesweeper or solitaire. I think that Linux Mint is the best OS for windows converts, so I must admit I was a little surprised that there weren’t any small, simple games preloaded.
As it has been said “Mint is known to work out of the box with multimedia files” that is the reason I tried Mint in the first place, for a long a time I have been in and out of the linux community. I started more seriously with Ubunut 5 or so. So since I have trying the Kubuntu every now and then. Anyhow, I returned to linux because I had a terrible system crash on my laptop, the HDD presented a physical failure and also I discover a faulty DIMM. Right now I’m working on my pendrive linux with Linux Mint KDE 7 installed, with 1 GB or ram memory but 128 MB are shared with video, so it is not running as smoothly as I wanted to but I really happy. Let me tell you: your distro has been a livesaver because I can work without any truble whatsoever. With this I can comment on two things: Please KEEP the codecs and about the game you can leave the out of the distro. I never play games on my computer (:
So that’s that
I haven’t tried Mint Linux yet, but I’m downloading it right now.
It sure looks promising. I’m using Kubuntu today, but it will be interesting to test this one out.
Before reading about Mint Linux I read about Foresight Linux and their Conary package management tool, couldn’t that one be included in Mint?
I prefer not to see any games installed by default.
I want all codecs and such just working directly.
Please keep the codecs on cd
I usually take some Mint isos on vacation, because people watching compiz in action want to install mint on their win laptop
Difficult to find a quick internet connection on greek islands (I’m greek)
This summer i made installations to people who just finished school, with no linux experience
thx clem and all mint team
As a long time lover of codecs, I say – please please please please please leave them in!
I’m a recent Linux convert from Windows and I have to second the comments above which say that codec hunting is possibly the worst thing about using Windows (apart from actually using Windows that is π ). I kind of had to convert due to the purchase of a netbook (Asus EeePC 701 4G) which – although booting XP quickly (under 1min from turning on to desktop) – was very unhappy with the lack of HDD space. The distro that came packaged with this netbook, to be honest, looked like it was designed for pre-teens. After testing various other distro’s (some apparently designed for netbooks), I stumbled across Mint 7. The Mint tag-line (initially I thought “overblown & pretentious”) quickly proved true. The simple, clean & elegant style drew me in & I’m hooked.
The main draw is the simplicity in updating & installing new packages/software (through either Synaptic or MintInstall). The fact that I can throw pretty much any of my media at it & start enjoying runs a _very_ close second.
As for games, the Mint website takes you to a fairly nice selection for download – it’s arguable that maybe including these on an installation DVD could be an idea with an option to install – however, having games installed by default isn’t really necessary (unless you could make them Tetris, Jet Set Willy 2 & Dragon Mountain (ancient text based adventure game from the Dragon Series of computers) lol).
I’d like to see an app to make customizing the bootsplash & loading screens much easier. I apologise that I can’t remember who made it but there was a bootsplash (somewhere in the “Mint Art” section) which unified the boot & loading screens with the default wallpaper. This, in my opinion, looked much better than the standard but is possibly just a cosmetic change rather than a necessary improvement.
Possibly including an implementation of TinyFugue pre-installed could be cool too, although that may be a bit too much for newbies to handle?
Other than those minor nit-picks, I have to say a big well done to all involved in making Mint what it is – (to using local slang for “really really super brilliant”) PURE MINT! π
After using SuSE 7.3 to openSUSE11.1.x — after trying Linux Mint 7 for a few weeks — openSUSE whatever just went in the file cabinet alongside Ubuntu/Kubuntu and Mandriva. Although Mandriva 2008 Powerpack is solid as a rock and with codecs — Linux Mint 7 is such a fresher approach and it seems like everything works fine on my boxes and I can’t believe my three 5 year old nVidia GeForce4 64 cards are working like 3D champs with this nVidia96 codec as well as my two GeForce FX5200’s with the nVidia173 codec. What a freaking relief to have a complete 3D System running full on and with everything apparently working. The LiDE scanner is running, my WaCom4 tablet is working perfectly. The SoundBlasterLive is working outstandingly. What the hell gives here. If Mint can do it — why can’t all the other flavors. I think Linux Mint has just really screwed the rest of the Linux distros. Yea – that’s right. Linux Mint 7 is the REAL competitor to XP, Mac and now Windows 7…not Mandriva, Ubuntu, openSuSE, Fedora, Debian or any other flavor I’ve tested out in my basement. I’m ecstatic. My A7V8X-X 333FSB motherboards are humping like premies now. After transferring 270 gigs of music, pictures, PDF files and tons of games and other files — Linux Mint 7 is still only using/holding 350 megs of RAM whereas openSUSE was using my whole damn bank of 1.5 gigs. I think if you haven’t tried Linux Mint 7 by now — you must be eating pizza and drinking beer because that’s the only thing other than sex that is funner than Linux Mint 7.
+++Cheers
Yea – I’m stoked — 3D programs working like banshees, spinning decktop cubes, colors that actually make you feel nice and comfy when you sit at the screen all day. I just plugged in my external drives and they seem to work better than before (because I’m already happier) and I don’t know who it was that said Linux Mint burned out their external drives — but, I agree with the other guy — the user must’ve done something bad to the drive themselves to burn it out…like maybe they plugged it into a wall socket first —- ha ha ha.
And I just got through loading my first Windows 7 distro…and I think I’m so happy I could just ___t because now I have a Windows 2008 AD server controlling my network, a Windows 7 box (all I want) and 5 outstanding Linux boxes to play with. Life is Great! Linux Mint 7 is equal so far as I can see to Mac and Windows 7. In fact – I’ve already ran into an issue with Windows 7 not being able to play a file and I played it right away with Linux Mint 7. What’s its type – not sure…just one of those that pop up when you’re at certain websites. So far though – Linux Mint 7 is better than Windows 7…that is so sweet!
Codesc: YES, leave them where they are! Do not force people to download them! Mint is the only distribution I know that plays everything out of the box. Actually, I am going to try to play my ironing board if it fits into the dvd tray :]
why is everyone so down on installing a few games by default? they all want the codecs and flash and all that jazz. why? so you can play music and watch videos on youtube? whats the difference in that and playing a game on your pc? i know you cant please everyone all the time, but including 2 or 3 small games shouldnt matter one bit.
and for the iso for kde being over a gig, so what. dvd burners are less than 30 bucks for crying out loud. get one and move on.
For gawd sake DO NOT REMOVE the codecs! I use the Mint live cd to get round my heavily locked down work laptop. As for games..? Surely there’s other stuff you can squeeze into the 700MB iso.
Hi Clem!
I’m totally sure that codecs should be pre-installed on Mint π For the rest, thanks for a great distro and keep up the good work!
All Quiet on the Western Front!
Although several posts on this subject up, I must confess that I’m bored with this blog. Very static and underused as a whole.
The devs are making a trip around the world?
Absolute lack of news about Xfce7 stable and Fluxbox 7, and also
on the progress of work for new versions of Linux Mint
It seems to me that when the only guy that works is Husse
(newsletters/forum/IRC support work)
We want more news on the march!
Please, don’t take it as an offence.
My 2 firefox (2 computers) mean page opens here.
Sorry, Firefox main page.
This is gonna be my third linux distro that I will try out, I like the fact that everything should run out of the box and if it does, I’m thinking this will be my favorite, keep up the good work!
Wow. How on Earth did I miss this? π Oh, well…
First of all, Clem, I have no idea how you find the time to give such thorough feedback to reviewers, but it’s awesome that you do it, so GG for that.
Now about the games… I really am not gaming a lot on Linux, but, from time to time, when waiting for a download to complete or a YouTube video to load (yes, my ISP actually sucks that much…), and got nothing else to do, I fire up one of those casual games that are abundant on Linux (in the detriment of, well, “real” games) and so the time flies. I’m sure that with the huge project that is Mint (and the adjacent work) + family + etc. you don’t “benefit” from these dead times, so games would be the last thing on your mind. π
Aaaanyway, that’s the least important part of a distribution, especially when all kinds of games are already available in the repositories, one click away from installation.
“I must be a real geek.. I thought that was hilarious, yet, I know itβs not something Iβd tell my wife.. or my friends.. or anybody :)”
Oh, yay! π
“Actually, did you ever notice that symetry between the βgβ and the βKβ in βgeekβ? Ok ok, sorry⦔
:)) We are so easily amused sometimes…
Sorry for the obnoxiously late answer and I wish you a great day and happy working! π
Oh, and thanks to all of you readers who left a comment regarding my review, either here or on my blog.
P.S.: Keep flooding Clem with feedback. π
Quick pointer; people needing help with problems then please use the IRC channel or the Mint Forums.
Actually enjoyed the review if I’m honest, not often that I do.
I am in agreement with with Codecs install option, and I also
believe that they should be included with the ISO. Then it truly
would be the users choice π
With regards to games, it wouldn’t bother me one way or the other,
although I do not deem them as nessecities… (I remember RH FC including PPRacer once… )
I hope that one day a DVD version of Mint will be issued, much like SuSe Pro used to be (Choice of Desktop Environment etc), and that
it can be used for local installs, due to the lack of internet connections of a large number of users.
Obviously this isn’t something that can happen overnight, and I
personally believe that the Mint Debian Edition will be the one to
change the trends and really take Mint into the public limelight.
As always guys, good work, and I hope your all getting some relaxation time in before Mint 8 π
Kind Regards,
Ikey Doherty
I have been looking at numerous Linux distros over the last several months. I do not like the KDE versions because all of the ‘K’ words drive me nuts and many of the distros I tried were buggy.
Ubuntu had been the favorite because of the easy install and overall functionality with networking and printer config. However, I have not been completely happy with the task bar arrangement because I feel the need for a single point to start menus instead of the Applications, System, and Places common to Gnome.
AND then I load Mint 7. What a beauty!! A single button to start all menu choices, the network detection is really good and the combination of built-in applications is very nice. I do suggest that a photo manipulation package should be included.
It is amazing to watch the install go as rapidly as Mint goes and have all of my stuff work as it should. IF any of the Linux packages are going to chip away at the big W, they will have to be absolutely error free and complete from the start. Mint 7 is the best I have seen in this regard. You have done a tremendous job with this distribution.
As the old saying goes “If it aint broke, don’t fix it”.
I have been using windows for years and years.
And let me first admint I still am :).
Old dogs dont learn new tricks ;p.
Actually it is because of lazyness, my win system has actually been pretty reliable.
Also I used Acronis True image to make a security zone on my harddisk where I have saved an image of a clean installation.
Every now and then I “return” to it and I am used to it.
And I would know how to make this security zone unaccessable when running anotehr OS because I am afraid I might accidently delete data from it.
I tried Knoppix, i had a look at opensuse, I used backtrack, and so on.
When I was looking for a good live cd Linux it was the “out of the box” factor that convinced me.
In other words, knowing in advance that I would be able to watch (Youtube) videos and flashsites etc. from a live CD and later from an installed system was the major factor for me.
Because I am a total linux newb, and I have had some share in trying to install stuff to linux distros.
When you’re unexpererienced it can be quite a hassle.
Apparently there are other linux distros that work out of the box, like Puppy linux, but afaik that is not that much advertised.
Of course once you have Mint running the out of the box character is complemented by the look and the feel which is rather inviting to a windows user.
So I would suggest to definetely keep the codecs and plugins.
Let me just state my very own biased opinion which might be wrong obviously: I think (without knowing earlier versions of Mint or too many other linux distros) that at the point Linux Mint is now, only minor changes, upgrades, little improvements should be done.
Simply because it is pretty good and well received so why mage big changes?
There is more to lose and only little to win.
Changing the implementation of the codecs would be a major change wouldn’t it?
So better not do it.
What I would wish for is a preinstallation of gyache.
Or have it added in the packet manager, I mean this nice list where you can just choose what to install and the rest is automatic.
My cousin was visiting me, her windows crashed and I installed Mint on her laptop.
Everything was fine except firefox crashing from time to time and the weird thing that I would not be able to use the laptop’s keyboard for the console but everything else.
Anyway, getting yahoo messenger to work was kinda hard.
Kopete wouldnt connect to her account while pidgin would do so but it has no webcam chat has it?
What I have read about gyache was really really good, but I havent tried it myself yet.
Mostly because I have no idea how to install software correctly when it is not in the packet manager’s list.
Cheers
Please leave the codecs. It helps sell the system to new users when I hand them a disc and they don’t have to worry about making something that’s already new to them even more intimidating by having them install codecs as most people don’t know what they are. The “office” games like solitaire are take it or leave it. Some new users may be disappointed they aren’t there but that’s what the great mintinstall is for. Keep up the fabulous work guys. You’re heads and shoulders above all other distros in end user friendliness. Keep it up.
I found this nice little package for ubuntu also works in Mint….but be careful
http://ubuntu-tweak.com/downloads
similar to windows tweak sort of.
Please, keep the codecs installed by default. It really does save time and headaches to have one less hassle when configuring a new system, and it’s one of the perks that made me switch from Ubuntu.
Being new to Linux, I first installed Mint 7 gnome desktop realse, and I loved it but I had really Wanted to try KDE, and I have, and I simply Love it even more. I had heard about Mint from a freind of a freind and downloaded and installed, I had orginaly wanted to get linux for customization. I love that i dont have to hunt down codecs to play all my stuff on my windows HDD(Main so far..Mint might make me say F windows) I’ve had No issues, but one annyoance..
being a Mod freak, I had wanted to Get KBFX, and I couldent install using sudo apt-get install KBFX (but I think its mainly supported by Kubuntu) so to do this I had to become best friends with Konsole, by installing Kdevelop, then DL Kbfx, then after that finding cmake, then after that getting strigi, and then getting the other programs/code that supports strigi, so on and so forth.
being new to linux and not knowing many linux commands beacuse I’ve only been using it for 2 days =] but if I get this theme I want.. then my windows OS might be unistalled.
Keep up the good work Mint Team! I love your work! (art and all)
oh another Idea, If there was any program for KDE or Gnome that allowed to play videos for the background..(instead of wallpaper) that would be cool.
well.. now I’m using moolux (http://www.moolux/org). that is KDE and I love it. there full Media player Codecs..
http://www.moolux/org is not valid URL.
should be http://www.moolux.org/