Mint 18.3: The best Linux desktop takes big steps forward

zdnet. ^ | 12 12 17 | Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

[dennisw]

Linux Mint isn't just the best Linux desktop, it's the best desktop, period.

I run many operating systems every day, from macOS, to Windows 7 and 10, to more Linux desktop distributions than you can shake a stick at. And, once more, as a power-user's power user, I've found the latest version of Linux Mint to be the best of the best.

Why? Let's start with the basics. MacOS has been shown to have the worst bug I've ever seen in an operating system: The macOS High Sierra security hole that lets anyone get full administrative control. Windows, old and new, continues to have multiple security bugs every lousy month. Linux? Sure, it has security problems. How many of these bugs have had serious desktop impacts? Let me see now. None. Yes, that would be zero.

Oh, and by the way, in using Linux desktops for over 25 years now, I have never needed to use an anti-virus program because, for all practical purposes, there are no Linux viruses. Yes, I know you've read stories saying they exist. And, they do, but you must actively try to infect your system to get them.

Then, there's ease of use. Despite ancient FUD, Linux, especially the new Linux Mint 18.3 but really all current Linux desktops, are simple to use. Mint's Cinnamon interface uses a classic Windows, Icons, Menu, and Pointer (WIMP) interface. If you've ever used Windows XP, you'll feel completely at home.

Want to install an application? Sure you can use shell-based tools such as apt-get on Debian-based Linux distributions or yum on the Red Hat family of operating systems. But, ordinary desktop users need not bother with these. Instead, they can just use an app store approach such as Mint's Software Manager. You search for your app, you point, you click. Not very hard is it?

Want to update your system to a new one? With Macs and Windows, that can take hours. With Mint, it took me less than an hour and most of that was waiting for the download to complete. Compare that with Windows, where as a friend recently pointed out, just updating a Logitech mouse driver took about 10 minutes.

Linux desktops are also fast even on older hardware. High Sierra runs as fast as pouring maple syrup on a cold day on my maxed out Mac Mini with its 3.0GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 CPU and 16GB of RAM. Windows 10, on my Dell XPS 8700 with a 3.6 GHz Intel Core i7-4790 processor and 16GBs of memory, runs fast enough to be useful, but fast is not the word I'd use to describe its performance. Mint 18.3, on my 2011 Dell XPS 8300 with its 3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and 8GBs of RAM, charges along like a champ. I wouldn't waste my time trying to run Windows or macOS on a six-year-old box.

But enough about Linux vs. the others, let's talk about Linux Mint 18.3.

If you've never installed Mint before, you can download its ISO files from the Mint Downloads. There are still both 64-bit and 32-bit versions for the Cinnamon desktop, but unless you're running a really old system, just down the 64-bit version. Then burn the ISO image to a DVD using a tool such as ImgBurn. Or, you can put it on a bootable USB stick with a program like Rufus.

Then, boot your computer using the DVD or stick and make sure Mint works with your computer. If it does -- and I've never met a PC it wouldn't work on -- you can then install it. For further details see my How to install Linux Mint on your Windows PC article.

The one possible problem is if your PC has a newer NVIDIA graphics. In that case, for a better display, use NVIDIA's own drivers rather than the open-source ones provided by NVIDIA. To do this, take the following steps:

Run the Driver Manager Choose the NVIDIA drivers and wait for them to be installed Reboot the computer

If you're already running an earlier version of Mint 18, click on the Refresh button in Update Manager to check for any new version of mintupdate and mint-upgrade-info. If there are updates for these packages, apply them. Then, refresh the packages and install any updated package. Finally, launch the System Upgrade by clicking on "Edit->Upgrade to Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia". Within an hour, you'll be running the latest, freshest version of Mint.

This version is based on Ubuntu 16.04.3. Like 16.04, it's a long-term support version. Mint developers will support it until April 2021. This distribution is based on the 4.10 Linux kernel.

[dennisw]

Glad you figured out the Linux rollback for Firefox. Maybe save all you FF bookmarks and settings. Uninstall it. Then install FF version #56 0 2

I use Chrome with the search set to Bing instead of google. Never sign into Chrome. I don’t/ And don’t be signed into G-Mail.....AND THEN.....google will not be tracking you. You use them rather than them using you.
Also there are anti-tracking extensions such as “track me not” for Chrome and Firefox

Opera browser is OK too. BUT I use mostly Firefox and Chrome. Many sites I only open up on Chrome. This helps me mentally organize matters.

[dennisw]

Fooling around with installing and uninstalling programs is much easier in Windows. A real Linux drawback. I have never used terminal.

[Bob434]

thanks maybe I’ll check out chrome again knowing that- I think chrome allows apps like adblock plus if i remember right- which is really the main thing i am interested in regarding legacy apps

All my ff bookmarks and settings were remembered with the 56.02- I kept the 57 version though just to see howl ong adblock plus will run on it- but really the linux 56.02 isn’t really installed- it’s kinda just a lousy workaround for now- Can’t figure out how to install it properly in linux- console installing isn’t easy- way above my geekiness level lol-

I do love linux- MOST of the time- just not when i have to dig into console stuff-

[dennisw]

All Firfox extensions I liked also had Chrome versions. I use uBlock origin to block adverts etc. Yeah I know you have version 56 0 2 only kinda installed.

[TheStickman]

I’d love to run Linux.

I run a small project recording studio. There’s not Linux alternative to Logic X, Cubase, Pro Tools etc. Not to mention none of the 3rd party plugins I use will ever be ported to Linux.

I’m pretty happy with macOS on my aging iMac. It just works for me.

[Bob434]

I looked at Chrome again- I dunno- not crazy abotu the idea of anythign google- Even Ublock now ‘needs permissions’ granted to it by the user to gain control of the browser and settings etc- Still reading up on that- not sure if I’ll go with htat oen or not-

I’m finding in firfox 57 that a couple things are different - the ‘screenshot’ tools doesn’t work (56.02 has it up on the right) - it’s there but no option to take a screen shot- minor annoyance-

Also in regards to adblock- yeah it sorta works with 57- but now there are no options with it- (you can’t individually block certain things on websites anymore- they revamped adblock to work with 57- now it’s all automatic-

What that means is that it works different, and I’m noticing more ads now like on youtube getting through

I gotta go back and try 56.02 (I got rid of it) again to see if those same ads now pop up- (Like when i view a ‘toro snowblower’ video, right under the video there will be targeted advertisements to other videos- that never happened before- maybe youtube just started doing that, I dunno- but i never saw them before my linux update a few days ago-

[56 0 2 only kinda installed.]]

It’s wierd how it works now- we used to just install them from the downloaded package- now i guess we just download the package, it’s all ready to run without installing- just gotta put a ‘sim link’ on the desktop (that links to the actual folder with the files i n them) to run the program- Not sure i like that concept- I wasted a lot of time finding this out actually-

That is one other thing i hate about linux- can’t ever seem to get a straight forward answer from the ‘help’ community- they always seem to give a huge massive runaround- - I actually found all this out by mistake- myself- just clicking around in the files in the folder- ARRRRG! Had someone just plainly said “Nope you don’t install them anymore— you just create link and run it from the folder”- it would have saved a ton of time- but nope- huge runaround- I think they do it on purpose lol

[Bob434]

can you run virtual machine on macs?

[TheStickman]

You can.

[novemberslady]

bkmk

[Bob434]

have you tried linux in one? When i fitst started to be interested in linux- i tried in a virutual machine for awhile- now i run linux as main os and run windows in vm- (p0lus i dual boot into windows- but that is for games and photoshop use- vm isn’t good for those)

[Bob434]

bump for link

[dennisw]

my two links are good but you need the Linux version within the second links directory. Not the Windows version (downloadable) I indicated

[Bob434]

Yes thanks- I got the linux one- running 56.02 now- I’m not sure what 57 did to the font on yaho search, but it’s harder for old tired eyes to read- I thought maybe i was imagining htigns, but i now have both version running (57 and 56) and it’s definitely different spacing in the font- letters are more crammed together- in 56 it’s just right- I’ll have to try some other search engines to see if it affects all of them or just yahoo search- free republic font seems fine in both-

Also- the snip tool in 57 is missing- and there was something else about 57 i didn’t care for too- Ugggh- Why do they always always always have to mess with something that works fine?