Thread: 17 Days and Counting Down to Ubuntu 20.04 Release

I'm a huge proponent of gnome-shell but of course that isn't specific to any distribution. Like many people I got my start in earnest with Mint before moving on. Learning linux is actually a pretty great project for folks who are stuck at home looking for something new to keep them busy.

Originally Posted by Grazor

Yeah, mint is a pretty good distro. Would be an easier transition than Ubuntu.

For our readers who aren't familiar with the "genealogy", Linux Mint's main edition is based on Ubuntu (there's a Debian-based edition, called LMDE, for "Linux Mint Debian Edition"). The main edition comes with a choice of three Desktop Environments (DE): MATE (a fork of Gnome2), Cinnamon (LMs self-developed DE), and Xfce; LMDE is available only with the Cinnamon DE.

I ran LM for more than a decade, first with the default (Gnome) DE, then MATE when Ubuntu moved to Gnome 3. On my computers (admittedly, lower-end when compared to today's hardware), ALL DEs (these of LM, as well as others) are way too resource "hungry", and impair performance. What's more, it's the DE that makes Linux Mint worth using -- the DE is what gives you integration between hardware, software, the operating system (OS), and does so automatically. As if by magic, plug-in an external drive, a webcam, or most whatever else, and Boom! it appears on menus, the desktop, and everywhere in-between, and just plain works. That's the user-friendly advantage of a DE.

I don't run my Ubuntu installations with a DE. Instead, I make a minimal installation (NOT "the kitchen sink", or anywhere close), then add X Windows, a login manager (XDM), and a window manager (JWM)... and any/all other software I need/want. I manually configure all hardware and software, manually add items to menus, etc., etc. My setups fly! But I can do that because I was a Unix-then-Linux systems administrator for 25 years... and I still find myself Googling the Web for answers to questions... questions that I wouldn't need to ask if I was running a DE.

If you've got a modern, 64-bit CPU and "north" of 4GB RAM, I'd recommend Linux Mint without reservation. If you didn't like Ubuntu's Unity/Gnome3 DE, then MATE or Cinnamon are excellent choices (Cinnamon has a lot of pluses, but it uses it's fair-share of system resources; MATE is much lighter-weight).

The current main edition of Linux Mint -- 19.3, aka "Tricia", is based on Ubuntu 18.04, aka "Bionic". The next version -- Linux Mint 20, aka "Ulyana" -- will be based on Ubuntu 20.04, will feature the same three DEs, but will only be available for 64-bit CPUs.

Oh well that explains how you are getting away with running a P4 still...

Well I believe I'm a dinosaur. Somehow this is all beyond me at the moment. However, I believe I'll give this a whirl and see if I can get with the program.....

Man, it's been a long time since I've run Ubuntu. I was also put off by the switch to Unity, but I should give it another go. I don't think I've installed a new version since 14.04, and haven't had any version actually running since I had to wipe my laptop a few years ago.

Originally Posted by Johntoad57

Well I believe I'm a dinosaur. Somehow this is all beyond me at the moment. However, I believe I'll give this a whirl and see if I can get with the program.....

It's not really a new thing. Linux was first developed in the early 90's by Linus Torvalds, a student at the University of Helsinki, who wanted to develop an open source operating system similar to Unix, which has its origins in the 60's. So, it predates Windows, predates DOS, even predates CP/M. It originated about the same time as the IBM/360 system, regarded as the first operating system to be sold along with a computer. Before then, operating systems were written by the customers. Since no direct descendant of the IBM 360 system is in current mainstream use, you could say that Linux and its direct ancestors are in fact very old school, with Windows and Mac and OS/2 and BeOS and all the other operating systems you may have heard of, being very much the new kids on the block.

Tried Ubuntu several years ago and it was just too buggy for my use.

Just loaded LM 19.3 Cinnamon on an older desktop last week. So far, so good.

Why would I (new Linux user) consider Ubuntu? All that I use that computer for is browsing, pix, music, and the Libre Office stuff.

Originally Posted by kelbro

Tried Ubuntu several years ago and it was just too buggy for my use.

Just loaded LM 19.3 Cinnamon on an older desktop last week. So far, so good.

Why would I (new Linux user) consider Ubuntu? All that I use that computer for is browsing, pix, music, and the Libre Office stuff.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm several years out of touch with the Linux community, but I do recall that Mint was always one of the top distros, and one of the ones that threw into the "should I go with Ubuntu or X" debate. I reckon if what you have works, then why change it? I think one of the cool things about playing around with different distros is the ability to dual boot and try different ones out to see what works for you. If someone's curious, then give it a shot. But if someone's satisfied with how things are working, then don't worry about it.

Unless of course Ubuntu has some fantastic new tricks up its sleeve.

For sure, if Mint is working with you then I can't see any reason why you would or should switch to Ubuntu. Cinnamon is a wonderful desktop and Mint is really tight in their execution. If you happen to come from a Mac OSX background (or are interesting in that aesthetic) then Elementary OS is another very good option -- but, again, if you're happy where you're at then stick with it! Starting to jump around between linux distributions is a rabbit hole similar to different razors.

Originally Posted by kelbro

Tried Ubuntu several years ago and it was just too buggy for my use.

Just loaded LM 19.3 Cinnamon on an older desktop last week. So far, so good.

Why would I (new Linux user) consider Ubuntu? All that I use that computer for is browsing, pix, music, and the Libre Office stuff.

No reason to switch from Mint if Mint does everything you need in an OS. It is still secure, efficient, and powerful. The advantages of Ubuntu over Mint are rather small and for some users, insignificant. The advantages of Mint, you are already aware of. Peace.