Renard’s Thoughts On Linux Mint

Linux Mint happens to be one of the most popular Linux distributions on the face of the Earth. If you were to do a search on Google, you would probably find a whole bunch of articles recommending it as one of the best choices for beginners.

In spite of being an Arch Linux user, I do have a reverence for Linux Mint.

So, without further ado, it is time for you to find out my true thoughts on Linux.

Linux Mint Is Damn Good

Hey, Linux Mint works out of the box (And, that in my opinion, makes it damn good).

From a factual point of view, Linux Mint (or Linux on the whole) does not work on every computer.

However, when you install Linux Mint on a computer that is compatible with Linux, you become amazed at how well it runs.

If your computer is old, you will think to yourself, “Wow! My computer runs like when it was new!”

If your computer is new, you will think to yourself, “Hey, my computer runs way faster than when I had Windows on it.”

So, in most instances, Linux Mint breeds new life into old computers and it greatly enhances the performance of new computers.

I Recommend Using The Cinnamon Edition

Those of you who know me well are probably thinking, “Renard, you love the MATE Edition. So, why are you recommending the Cinnamon Edition?”

I am recommending the Cinnamon Edition because it is the most modern of the two and it has a layout that is reminiscent of Windows (You will find your way around it easily).

In all honesty, I want your transition to Linux to be a positive experience and not a negative one.

Truthfully speaking, the MATE Edition, as well as the Xfce Edition, utilizes fewer system resources than the Cinnamon Edition (They might be better suited for computers that are low-powered or extremely old).

For experimentation purposes, I actually installed the Cinnamon Edition of Linux Mint on an old laptop computer ― one with only 2 GB of RAM; it worked surprisingly well.

In this modern age of ours, most base models of laptop computers start at 8 GB of RAM (Therefore, you should not have any issues whatsoever of running the Cinnamon Edition of Linux Mint on it).

Please check out the Linux Mint Installation Guide if you are interested in installing it on your own computer.

Linux Mint Has A Lovely Selection Of Software

Yes, my friend, Linux Mint has a lovely selection of software.

Please check out my article, Linux Mint ― A Mighty Distro, to find out some of the software that comes with Linux Mint.

Linux Mint has its own software repository (You can use it to download additional software).

As a matter of fact, you will be able to get a lot done with Linux Mint’s wide range of software.

Linux Mint Has The Best Version Of The Cinnamon Desktop Environment

Some Linux users believe that Linux Mint should not be in existence and that the Cinnamon desktop environment could be utilized on any distribution of Linux (I believe that the hatred stemmed from Linux Mint using Ubuntu as its core for their flagship editions).

I have used the Cinnamon desktop environment on the following distributions of Linux:

• Manjaro
• Fedora
• Debian
• Arch Linux
• EndeavourOS

Guess what? I did not find them to be as superb as what Linux Mint provides (Now, that should not come as a surprise because they are the ones who created the Cinnamon desktop environment).

I Would Like To See More Work Done On The Linux Mint Debian Edition

In addition to the version of Linux Mint that is based on Ubuntu, there is a version of Linux Mint that is based on Debian; which is the Linux Mint Debian Edition.

Unfortunately (or fortunately for some people), the Linux Mint Debian Edition only comes with the Cinnamon desktop environment.

Do not worry, the Linux Mint Debian Edition works well; my only issue with it is that it is based on the stable branch of Debian; which means it utilizes very old software; I wished that it was based on the testing branch of Debian; which provides Debian users with newer software.

Linux Mint created the Linux Mint Debian Edition as something that they could fall back on in case Ubuntu disappeared (That gave a lot of people the impression that the Linux Mint Debian Edition was not as important as the version that was based on Ubuntu).

From a realistic point of view, the developers of Linux Mint cannot do much with the Linux Mint Debian Edition because the developers of Debian are known to take almost an eternity to release a new stable version of Debian.

I guess that one would need to be a Debian lover in order to have a true appreciation for the Linux Mint Debian Edition.

Another thing to consider is that advanced Linux users are the ones who usually gravitate towards the Linux Mint Debian Edition (Debian on the whole is not known for its user-friendliness).

Using Linux Mint In The Cloud Is An Interesting Option

Hey, you can now access Linux Mint on any device; it does not matter if you are using:

• Windows
• macOS
• Android

The process is known as cloud computing (The service is provided by Shells).

Truthfully speaking, I am not too keen on using Linux Mint via the cloud computing process.

I prefer the old-fashioned method ― using an installed version of Linux Mint on my computer (And, there are lots of other people who prefer that method).

There Are Desktop Computers And Laptop Computers That Come Preinstalled With Linux Mint

If you are the type of person who dislikes the idea of installing Linux Mint on your computer, you can purchase a desktop computer or a laptop computer with Linux Mint on it (You can purchase them from ThinkPenguin).

You can also purchase the following computers with Linux Mint on them from the folks over at CompuLab:

• MintBox3 Pro
• MintBox3 Basic
• MintBox Mini 2 Pro
• MintBox Mini 2

Simply choose the one that fulfills your requirement.

Wrapping Up

Linux Mint is a nice way to get your proverbial feet wet in Linux; it is:

• Well-polished
• Rock-solid
• Reliable

Give Linux Mint a try (It would free you of the horrible burden of Microsoft Windows).

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