I’ve been considering dipping my toes in and trying to learn Linux for the first time recently, having seen a couple screenshots from Mint that look approachable and not intimidating… Can somebody tell me how Mint would fair if it was included in this comic so I know what I’m getting myself into (or if I should try Fedora or something…)
Mint is hands down the easiest and most stable distro I have ever used. You don’t need the terminal at all. Comes with everything necessary preconfigured and if you need any tutorial you can use any Ubuntu tutorial (its based on Ubuntu).
Mint is a based on Ubuntu, which is based on Debian, so the guy on the left. The comic implies that it’s easy but not quite as easy as Fedora. I would say that it is easier to use than Fedora.
Setup is simple and unless you’ve got something unusual going on on your computer, then everything will just work. Since it’s based on Ubuntu, most Ubuntu information will also apply to Mint, and that’s nice because there is a lot of information about Ubuntu.
Not everyone would care about this, but I personally don’t like chasing updates and constantly installing the latest versions of things. All Debian distributions favor stability over cutting edge features, whereas some distributions are set up to try to get the latest changes quickly. Ubuntu leans very slightly toward cutting edge compared to stock Debian, but Ununtu has Long Term Support (LTS) releases which are supported for, I think, 5 years. Ubuntu also have other releases with shorter support times. If you’re using Ubuntu and favor stability, you need to pay a little attention to what you’re installing. Mint is based only on Ubuntu LTS releases, so Mint favors stability.
Not to ambush you into tech support, but I decided to take your advice and try that, but I’m instantly stopped and trying to google the answer for myself is just leading to vague powershell language and I’m fully unfamiliar with powershell. I installed WSL and Ubuntu, but when I attempt to open Ubuntu I’m getting:
“Installing, this may take a few minutes… WslRegisterDistribution failed with error: 0x80004002 Error: 0x80004002 No such interface supported”
Any idea what I’m doing wrong? The site I’m following (your link) doesn’t mention this error or how to overcome it, unless I’m just to dumb to decipher it.
If you’ve got a spare USB stick laying around then you could install Ventoy on it (www.ventoy.net/en/index.html) and run Linux in a live environment. Just (1) install Ventoy on the USB (this will wipe it, btw) (2) download any live Linux ISO (Mint has one of these) and put it on the USB (3) change your BIOS boot order to USB first (4) reboot and select the Linux you want to test drive from the Ventoy menu. (5) When you’re done, just shut down, unplug USB and reboot normally.
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> wsl.exe -l -v Windows Subsystem for Linux has no installed distributions.
Use ‘wsl.exe --list --online’ to list available distributions and 'wsl.exe --install ’ to install.
Distributions can also be installed by visiting the Microsoft Store: aka.ms/wslstoreError code: Wsl/WSL_E_DEFAULT_DISTRO_NOT_FOUND PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> wsl --set-default-version 2 For information on key differences with WSL 2 please visit aka.ms/wsl2The operation completed successfully. PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> wsl.exe -l -v Windows Subsystem for Linux has no installed distributions.
Use ‘wsl.exe --list --online’ to list available distributions and 'wsl.exe --install ’ to install.
Distributions can also be installed by visiting the Microsoft Store: aka.ms/wslstoreError code: Wsl/WSL_E_DEFAULT_DISTRO_NOT_FOUND PS C:\WINDOWS\system32>*
Still getting this when I try to open Ubuntu:
*Installing, this may take a few minutes… WslRegisterDistribution failed with error: 0x80370114 Error: 0x80370114 The operation could not be started because a required feature is not installed.
Press any key to continue…*
I did make sure the subsystem feature in windows features was turned on, btw
If you just want to get to using and enjoying an operating system without reveling in nerdery (which can be fun!), Mint is fantastic. Just make sure you understand partitioning basics if you want to install alongside Windows.
You can’t go wrong using something like VirtualBox to try the install process without touching your actual system :).
If it were depicted in this comic, it would be even easier than Debian because it doesn’t lean toward any particular extreme, it just goes for being usable.
I’m pretty sure there’s a simple check box to include proprietary codecs and things that are commonly used, so you can still watch Netflix or open .mp4s and stuff.
Wide variety of drivers. Should just work on most systems. Friendly community if it doesn’t!
That said sometimes the applications feel a bit old, and you’re looking over at people playing with shiny new features in something like Blender or Krita…
Well, Mint has flatpaks built into the software store! Flatpak is basically a self-contained app that can be the latest version so it doesn’t care about the rest of your system and “just works.”
What’s the process of switching distros? If I start with Mint but do decide later I’m enticed by those shiny new features, will switching over be akin to starting entirely over and learning a whole new system, or is it gonna more similar to just like reinstalling windows for a clean install (to use an analogy situation I’m familiar with)?
edit: wrote dispo instead of distro, goddamn stoner brain
Create a separate partition for /home so you can change distro without having to backup and restore the files in your home directory. Just be sure to NOT format that partition in the installer for your new distro. Take a backup anyways.
It’s mostly a clean installation. You can copy the contents of your home directory, which is where personal configuration files are stored, in the hopes that some stuff will transfer, but surely that won’t be complete.
You could also try dual booting, installing two OSes and you’d choose which to run at start up. You can configure these so that files on one are accessible from the other. This is pretty easy to do if you’re even slightly tech savvy.
I’ve found that the shiney new features are usually buggy. If you’re into helping improve things, using and fixing the new stuff is a great way to contribute. If you’re reasonably tech savvy, you’re going to be able to figure out any distribution. With few exceptions, they’re all easy enough to use. I even doubt the portrayal of Arch in this comic. If you’re not into developing stuff or just want to get your feet wet before diving in more, starting with Mint is easy. And it’s also easy enough to switch or expand if you decide to try something different later. There’s not a lot of lock in with Linux stuff.
The only thing I really have to add regarding “shiny new features”, is you can fire up something like VirtualBox and make “virtual” installs of other distros on your current machine.
A virtual machine or “VM” is basically running an emulated computer on your currently running computer, just like it was a program or game. But everything is self-contained in that emulated system.
So in Mint for example, you can still download other distro ISOs, get used to running the install process, trying out new things, basically just playing around and experimenting, because if you bork the whole thing it won’t affect your working “bare metal” system you’re using. You can just delete the file and start over as if it were a brand new computer! It’s strangely fun and has a lot of practical uses. (You know, like seeing what all this fuss is about with Temple OS for instance lol)
You can find a ton of interesting distros to play with on Distrowatch.com for instance, from stuff that’s meant to run on embedded devices to stuff that’s straight up memes. Lol
If you decide to actually switch your bare-metal system using the advice above, you’ll have a lot more experience then. :)
As for other distros, distro-hopping can be a lot of fun, but just remember in the end, there’s not as much difference between distros as it seems.
Mostly it’s about whether it’s rolling release or LTS, the desktop environment it starts with, and the packages / package-manager it ships with, aside from different specific customizations that team might have done.
Essentially Linux is Linux, but different distros cater to a certain kind of use case, audience, community, and so on.
The beauty and fun of Linux is choice and always having more you can learn!
Also Mint is often touted as a “beginner distro” but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a main driver for pros! There’s nothing wrong if you find you enjoy sticking with it in the long run. :)
I think it’s just a meme. I don’t think people hate arch. Same thing happens with Ubuntu, but for being too easy to use/being the default linux distro (beyond Canonical and Snap). And yes, forums and wikis are amazing tools! Linux wouldn’t be the same at all without them z39eohcrv4e31
Cultural appropriation is a bullshit concept predominantly invoked by people not belonging to a culture who are not able to make valuable contributions to society.
For me it is, in so far as I’d see it as a personal failure if my contributions here failed to create at least some controversy and ruffled some feathers :P
You see, it’s fun to poke things. Poking a pumpkin is funny for about 10 seconds. Poking a beehive on the other hand … that has a certain thrill to it. Sure, one might get stung, but it keeps on giving for a long time.
Yeah but how many knew that? Context helps, I initially thought you were commenting on “if you tell everyone you’re vegan, you’re probably also the type to talk up arch”.
Is this comic a useful contribution? It seems more divisive, made by someone who really concerns themselves with being part of an ingroup, vs anything meaningful.
I want to see Debain users and Fedora users faces when they noticd they don’t have access the AUR or PKGBUILDs.
I want to see them running sudo make install to install stuff from git.
Also reading the Arch wiki for so long is something new arch users probably do. I installed arch for tens of times btw and for me the system already runs with the installation media.
I am very sure no Debian or Fedora user is done after the installer finishes. Then comes the tricky part of the setup. The one that takes days. Adding ppas and making stuff work fedora doesn’t package.
This process starts with arch right away. From the moment i chroot into my installation.
I actively maintain ~9 computers in my house running arch. Many of them have dual boot arch. E.g. one arch for work, one arch for everything else. One arch for music production, one arch for everything rlse. I run arch on my webserver. I run arch on my home sevrer. I run arch on my wifes gaming desktop. I run arch on my wifes laptop. I run arch on my kids netbook. i run arch on rasberry pi.
I am always a bit disapointed when I install debian every couple of years.
Like, after 1.5 hours, I am like “what, that was all?” Most of the stuff I need is installed by default, just add Jetbrains toolbox, install my ide, add a few more packages and git clone my current project.
no one’s fucking downloading Arch to have a quick and easy OOTB experience, and no one’s touching Fedora workstation for a lightweight and super tailored OS.
This is a strawman at best, and OP is full of shit.
It’s funny how you completely missed the point. Isn’t it an obvious satire portraying people who pretend to be better just because they use a specific distro?
portraying people who pretend to be better just because they use a specific distro
How exactly is your setup going to be better
it won’t have all the bloat and will reflect who I really am
How the fuck is this satire? It’s literally just shaming someone for having different priorities. Like the only attempts at “comedy” here are actually just going for low hanging fruit “I use arch BTW”, the entire vegan t-shirt thing, the receding hairline.
Nope, I can run it on old potato with 3GB of RAM and i doubt i could run Ubuntu’s full snaps flotila . They also remove the telemetry of Ubuntu. But AFAIK you can turn on snaps. The way i understand it Mint has these main goals : get rid of questionable Ubuntu things, keep it super stable, be welcoming to newcommers (like my none tech parents who never seen Linux could just use Mint outbox the box)
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