Why I love Linux

Hamster said:
Who can explain this to a Linux n00b:

I'm considering installing Linux but can't decide between Ubuntu and Mint. I'm sort off leaning towardsMint but I believe they each come with an "app store"/repository. Do both contain the same apps or does the Ubuntu one have a crap load more stuff in there?

And since the major difference between the two is the window manager (I'm sure there is more to it) can I install Ubuntu and run Cinnamon on it?
Click to expand...

Technically it's all Ubuntu.

So yes you could simply log out of one and back into the other and hardly notice much difference.

You'll have some cross pollination of apps but that's about it.

Install Ubuntu first and then simply run...

Code: 
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gwendal-lebihan-dev/cinnamon-stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install cinnamon

However I would highly recommend that if this is your first time you don't try to do all of it at once and settle on a winner.

Rather install Ubuntu (it's the most popular Linux distro on the planet and therefore well supported) and give it a good month before you start looking for alternative.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Technically it's all Ubuntu.

So yes you could simply log out of one and back into the other and hardly notice much difference.

You'll have some cross pollination of apps but that's about it.

Install Ubuntu first and then simply run...

Code: 
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gwendal-lebihan-dev/cinnamon-stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install cinnamon

However I would highly recommend that if this is your first time you don't try to do all of it at once and settle on a winner.

Rather install Ubuntu (it's the most popular Linux distro on the planet and therefore well supported) and give it a good month before you start looking for alternative.
Click to expand...

I would much rather suggest Mint over vanilla Ubuntu for a linux newbie.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Technically it's all Ubuntu

[snip]

Rather install Ubuntu (it's the most popular Linux distro on the planet and therefore well supported) and give it a good month before you start looking for alternative.
Click to expand...
From personal experience for new linux users, I would rather recommend Kubuntu. If it's set up right, win users feel more comfortable. Once they are comfortable with the UI, they can start fiddling themselves.
 
MyWorld said:
sudo apt-get install playonlinux winetricks

That should be enough for almost everything you may want to do with WINE.

What apps do you want to use in Linux?

EDIT:
Should have refreshed the page before answering, beaten to the question by over 20 minutes!
:D
Click to expand...

I want to get Origin, Any Video Convertor running, Maybe Microsoft office 2013 (I have used Ubuntu (but not for longer than 10 mins) in the past and it came with some free office suite). It would be also nice if I could get my games working on Linux: NFS Most Wanted 2012, Blur, COD4MW, Split Second. I know this is weird, but would visual studio 2010 or 2012 work on Linux??

Will these games work with PlayOnLinux? If they won't, its fine, I will just play whatever is available from Valve for Linux.

I had Windows 8 and it crashed at least 5 times. That was the last straw for me - for Windows. Ive downloaded my graphics driver (nvidia gt525) so far, I'm going to look for the intel HD Graphics 3000 driver for Linux. Does Linux automatically detect hardware on the PC and search for drivers over the internet?
 
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SauRoNZA said:
Technically it's all Ubuntu.

So yes you could simply log out of one and back into the other and hardly notice much difference.

You'll have some cross pollination of apps but that's about it.

Install Ubuntu first and then simply run...

Code: 
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gwendal-lebihan-dev/cinnamon-stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install cinnamon

However I would highly recommend that if this is your first time you don't try to do all of it at once and settle on a winner.

Rather install Ubuntu (it's the most popular Linux distro on the planet and therefore well supported) and give it a good month before you start looking for alternative.
Click to expand...

I'm not a fan of this.
I have tried in the past but sooner or later you will run into problems. Officially Ubuntu only supports Unity, fullstop. Any problems you will have you will have to try and sort out yourself. In the past I had a lot of packages and functionality breaking because Ubuntu would update a lib or config file for Unity and the other window managers would then simply break on you.

I.m with DrJohnZoidberg, rather go with Mint.
 
okuhle94 said:
I had Windows 8 and it crashed at least 5 times. That was the last straw for me - for Windows. Ive downloaded my graphics driver (nvidia gt525) so far, I'm going to look for the intel HD Graphics 3000 driver for Linux. Does Linux automatically detect hardware on the PC and search for drivers over the internet?
Click to expand...

I'm not a huge gamer, so cannot comment on the games and I use no MS products (except for a MS keyboard).

You do not need drivers for Linux, it auto-detects the hardware and installs the appropriate modules (in windows it is called drivers) for your hardware.
In most Linux distros (Ubuntu and Mint for example) you only have to enable the Nvidia propriety drivers once your system has booted the first time and you are done.
 
I prefer the Unity desktop. It's fast to launch apps with the Windows key and - if you get used to it - dash.
 
DrJohnZoidberg said:
Gnome shell, Cinnamon, they all have this shortcut.
Click to expand...
Good to know. When I first saw Unity I hated it and tried Gnome-shell. It was so much Unity and little Gnome, that I returned to Unity and now prefer it.
 
Tinuva said:
That is sadly true. However once CS:Go is on Linux (which it soon will be) the only game I play on Windows will be ported and I will probably switch over.
Click to expand...
I'm really glad that Valve is actively pushing games to support multiple platforms. But unfortunately majority of AAA games only support Windows (DirectX).

http://store.steampowered.com/browse/linux/
 
Personally I'm not a fan of simply "cloning Windows".

That doesn't teach anyone anything and often means they get stuck on "Windows logic" instead of really getting to know Linux.

Unity is a lot more accessible to newbies than it is to those of us who have been using Ubuntu for many many years. We tend to fight the change too much.

I say this because I've seen it with my own eyes how someone who has never used Linux before has taken to Unity. On a Windows clone they are more confused by the fact that it doesn't operate EXACTLY like Windows as they expect it to.

Because Unity is different, people approach it as a brand new experience.


Just my 2 cents, nobody is forced to use it...which is the real beauty of it all.


Most "real" Linux users spent all of a few minutes with Unity and then shot it down to go back to what they "know and love". No different than people telling you how rubbish Macs are because they spent 2 minutes on OSX in a shop after 20 years of using Windows.

Same people will hate Windows 8 as well for the same reasons.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Personally I'm not a fan of simply "cloning Windows".

That doesn't teach anyone anything and often means they get stuck on "Windows logic" instead of really getting to know Linux.

Unity is a lot more accessible to newbies than it is to those of us who have been using Ubuntu for many many years. We tend to fight the change too much.

I say this because I've seen it with my own eyes how someone who has never used Linux before has taken to Unity. On a Windows clone they are more confused by the fact that it doesn't operate EXACTLY like Windows as they expect it to.

Because Unity is different, people approach it as a brand new experience.


Just my 2 cents, nobody is forced to use it...which is the real beauty of it all.


Most "real" Linux users spent all of a few minutes with Unity and then shot it down to go back to what they "know and love". No different than people telling you how rubbish Macs are because they spent 2 minutes on OSX in a shop after 20 years of using Windows.

Same people will hate Windows 8 as well for the same reasons.
Click to expand...

Only thing I have against Unity is that it's slow and unresponsive in it's current state. Okay also not a fan of the hidden scrollbars and global menu, but other than that is it fine :)
 
RoosTa said:
I'm really glad that Valve is actively pushing games to support multiple platforms. But unfortunately majority of AAA games only support Windows (DirectX).

http://store.steampowered.com/browse/linux/
Click to expand...

This is old news, we all know Linux doesn't have all the AAA games, and you know what, I for one don't need them. I have one game I play currently, and once it is ported, I am on Linux for good, and that is what that paragraph you quoted meant.
 
Hi,

I have installed Linux Mint 14 (Cinnamon Desktop). Im a noob to linux so please don't judge :)

I heard there was a place in Linux to enable the Nvidia Graphics card. Where do I find this place?

Can I also find a place in Linux to detect my hardware and automatically install drivers (if needed)?
 
okuhle94 said:
Hi,

I have installed Linux Mint 14 (Cinnamon Desktop). Im a noob to linux so please don't judge :)

I heard there was a place in Linux to enable the Nvidia Graphics card. Where do I find this place?

Can I also find a place in Linux to detect my hardware and automatically install drivers (if needed)?
Click to expand...

Check here for lots of tutorials: http://www.noobslab.com/p/tutorials.html#12-10

Here is one for Nvidia drivers: http://www.noobslab.com/2012/10/install-latest-nvidia-drivers-in-ubuntu.html
 
Isn't there a option in Synaptic you can just tick to install the latest drivers? I haven't used Mint in a while, but I'm sure there used to be such an option.

EDIT:
Preferences-> Additional Drivers

Choose the driver you want installed and done.
 
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