Episode 67: Linux Mint 11, The Mintiest!
News & Personal Updates
- 0:7:58 Linus Talks Of Linux 2.8 Or Linux 3.0; Ending Linux 2.6
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=OTQ3NQ
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=OTQ3Ng
https://lkml.org/lkml/2011/5/23/516
- 0:12:09 Fedora 15 is released
http://fedoraproject.org/
http://fusionlinux.org/
- 0:13:37 Unity Coming to openSUSE After All
http://ostatic.com/blog/unity-coming-to-opensuse-after-all
- 0:21:09 Calligra Announces First Snapshot Release
http://www.calligra-suite.org/news/calligra-announces-first-snapshot-release/
- 0:26:02 Simon Phipps blogs about the Microsoft Skype purchase
http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/simon-says/2011/05/a-liberating-betrayal/index.htm
- 0:34:25 Duke Nukem has gone gold!!
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/05/duke-nukem-forever-has-gone-gold.ars
Main Topic
- 0:36:06 Linux Mint 11 Review
- 1:05:52 Gramp’s Garage
Feedback
- 1:10:56 Feedback from our wonderful listeners.
Website of the Week
Tip of the Week
- Run a second command only if first command succeeds. You can string two commands together using ‘&&’, and the second command will run only if the first command completes successfully. For example, I like to run “sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade”. If the update fails, the entire command exits and the upgrade does not run. This way, I can go fix the reason for the update failing, prior to running the upgrade.
Announcements
- None
More info
Hosts: Rob, Scott, James, Harrison
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Hi Guys,
Great Podcast.
Bringing back the choice of extra apps would be great on LinuxMint install!
Why is that the only Distro that never fails to install & just work, on any aged hardware is always LinuxMint?
My main Box fails to install Ubuntu and Debian amd64 without a lot of bad language, but since v6, LinuxMint just works as it should.
I have a house full of LinuxMint machines, as well as another 12+ for friends & family. And I don’t intend to use another Distro for day-to-day use.
From LinuxMint v9, I’ve been running VirtualBox for WinXP and othertesting distros which works flawlessly.
On my dual core Intel with 4GB I can run Photoshop and Lightroom flawlessly.
I’ve been running both amd64 & i386 LinuxMint Debian additions on my main box and my son’s AMD 1800XP, which also has worked flawlessly.
I’m building a new Intel i7 Sandy Bridge box with 16Gb of Ram, which will be running amd64 LinuxMint Debian. MS Windows will be run as a VM Guest. The only way anyone who values reliability, security & there privacy should run any MS Software is as VM Guest.
Anyway keep the episodes coming….
All the best Ray.
I suspect that Microsoft’s acquisition of Skype is rooted more in integrating Skype’s features into a future version of Windows Phone rather than striking a blow at Linux and the open source community. I agree with Rob (I get Rob and Scott’s voices mixed up, so apologies if I’m incorrect) in that I belive Microsoft is not facing much competition from Linux. Linux will not provide any kind of mainstream alternative to Windows until someone can create a distro that is truly user friendly.
To illustrate my point, try to install an application called TaskUnifier on both Windows and LM 11. In Windows, I just have to download two executables, click through a EULA, and then go through the application’s graphical installer the first time I run it. Done. On LM 11, I have to know which version of Java it runs in, and then know which CLI commands will download and install that version of Java, then I have to extract the program from a tarball and then make a launcher in order to be able to launch the program from my menu. Then I finally get to the graphical installer where I can select the options I want in the program.
All of that is well and fine for me, as I enjoy the level of control that low maintenance that Linux offers, but Linux is not easy to use. It requires a huge learning curve and a willingness to sacrifice (Netflix, for example). It demands users roll up their sleeves and fix their own broken Broadcom drivers. It’s like asking people to buy a car that doesn’t quite do everything a car off the lot does, doesn’t quite work the way you are used to cars working, and you have to fix it yourself if it breaks. But it’s safer to drive, it’s cheaper, and it has some high ideals attached to it. Until Linux comes up with a system that works as well as Windows and offers a good reason to tackle the learning curve, Microsoft has every right to dismiss us as a marginal bunch of hobbyists and enthusiasts, of which I am proud to be.
Sounds like one one of you guys could use a pop-filter (S:es clipping)
I also like the idea of being able to customize the install set but I completely understand the need to make it as easy as possible. Even before it was mentioned on the show I was thinking about the possibility of triggering the package option with a simple question requiring users to specifically opt-in to seeing the screen. Perhaps the screen could be on a timer so that if you don’t opt in within 10 seconds or so the installer automatically assumes a default install.
@hosts:
Am I missing cover art for this podcast? I know my media player was having issues with my storage medium (I’ve been having to make repeated downloads to get the entire episode lately) so it may be an issue on my end.
Thanks for the review!
At the risk of sounding extremely petty, the continuing deal-breaker for me and Ubuntu-based variants of Mint is the eyesore otherwise known as the Indicator Applet:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/indicator-applet/+bug/591387
Is there any way users can swap it out for something better?
Calling Grandma in Sheboygan? I LIVE in Sheboygan!
Great listening and thanks for fixing the production issues. I’m with Rob that customizing the install would be a retrograde step. I go back to ’97 with linux and installation then was like a survival test; only those who passed could use it and that’s why take-up has been limited, IMO. I like Gramps’ Garage and will use it as a reference for the newbies I know. I have switched from LMDE to Fedora because, unlike some, I couldn’t get Gnome 3 to run on it. I think Gnome 3 with shell extensions and tweaks is brilliant and will only get better. I’ll keep following mintCast and the forums waiting for news that Clem has seen the light and put Gnome 3 on LMDE. Perhaps you can help persuade him, although some of you seem wedded to Gnome 2. Keep up the great work; you’re good company while I walk the dog.
Even though I’ve not used it much I agree GNOME 3 is fine.
I have an old pc (Athlon XP) and Fedora 15 was a bit slow (using the default nouveau driver). I eventually uninstalled it because it wouldn’t power-off properly (simply restarted instead). Even with that it was the Fedora version that worked best here.
Anyway, I installed GNOME 3 from experimental in Debian and, believe me, it’s quite snappy. Maybe the NVIDIA driver helps some and the much smaller overhead from background services too.
But then, regarding LMDE, when
Great tip on the && feature. I applied this to some commands in my .bashrc file to make life one command simpler. Great stuff.
Hi
Although I’m not a regular user of Mint (I use PCLOS), I am very impressed with the latest Mint version – very professional. I listened to the comments on The Linux Action Show podcast – a good advert for Mint 11. (Fedora 15 did NOT come out well.)
The Tip of the Week is useful – worth copying out.
Gramps Garage is a good idea although GKrellM took a while finding. Not spelt the way I wrote it down!
I think you guys are over thinking the whole easy way to install apps on new install. Just have your app list tied into Ubuntu One or Mint One or whatever account.
Then just have user be able to login or create a an account during install. New users get default install those already with an account are shown their list of apps and you can uncheck any or have them all installed.
Even though I’ve not used it much I agree GNOME 3 is fine.
I have an old pc (Athlon XP) and Fedora 15 was a bit slow (using the default nouveau driver). I eventually uninstalled it because it wouldn’t power-off properly (simply restarted instead). Even with that it was the Fedora version that worked best here.
Anyway, I installed GNOME 3 from experimental in Debian and, believe me, it’s quite snappy. Maybe the NVIDIA driver helps some and the much smaller overhead from background services too.
But then, regarding LMDE, when GNOME 3 comes to Debian testing it will be much more mature and we will know how all video cards/drivers work. So no hurry.