12 Things to do After Installing Linux Mint

ManofGod said:
Thanks for the tips. In all seriousness, I wish those who claim that ONLY WINDOWS could do this really have no full understanding of how hardware and the UEFI / BIOS works. Once again, thanks for letting us know this.
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This is BIOS/UEFI stuff that has little to do with the OS. I was dealing with this situation last summer when I had an Ubuntu 17.04 dedicated drive in my sig rig. My system didn't have any problem with just switching the boot drives even with all of the drives still enabled but not a bad idea here.
 
Hagrid said:
Not 10, but much more to do. Need to get of the spyware, viruses, bloat, telemetry, etc.
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also create spoof email as you need to give MS your email to use your their operating system ;)


*edit: Apparently not the case
 
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heatlesssun said:
This is BIOS/UEFI stuff that has little to do with the OS. I was dealing with this situation last summer when I had an Ubuntu 17.04 dedicated drive in my sig rig. My system didn't have any problem with just switching the boot drives even with all of the drives still enabled but not a bad idea here.
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Yea it's normally fine.. but why risk it. Just leaves a bad first impression (n)
 
ManofGod said:
Thanks for the tips. In all seriousness, I wish those who claim that ONLY WINDOWS could do this really have no full understanding of how hardware and the UEFI / BIOS works. Once again, thanks for letting us know this.
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No problem. Even if you don't want to use Linux for productivity or gaming using a dedicated Secure Linux environment for Banking only is a good way to go, even if you just install and run the OS directly onto a USB key as opposed to a HDD and boot when you need to commit transactions or access accounts. It separates all your other online/software activities from that one core task and is a good risk mitigation step from all the nasties that come with running an OS where you do Everything in one space.
 
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Jim Kim said:
I recommended Outlook.com for anytime a throwaway email is needed.

You even feel the need to shill for micro$oft in linux threads.
shame shame shame shame
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Crap, you are thick, eh? Wow, you have no idea what all those smileys mean that you quoted, eh? LOL!

GNUse_the_force said:
also create spoof email as you need to give MS your email to use your their operating system ;)
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Ummmm, nope, no email required, never has been either. ;) Truth is, start menu copies in the Linux world are absolutely horrid, in my opinion. That is why I prefer the Ubuntu interface that is available now and also what was available as Unity.
 
Shmee said:
Mint is fine, but for newbies I still tell them to install Ubuntu. It and Red Hat/Cent have the most online help if something goes wrong, and Ubuntu is easier to use than Red Hat by a mile.
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I always install whatever is current LTS Ubuntu with Cinnamon desktop interface for those interested in a dose of linux. No particular reason anymore. They always enjoy the software app, not sure if mint has that now.

Your average user wont know the difference between ubuntu and mint given the same interface as far as I know.

Fwiw I use both Debian and fedora these days but have been through them all.
 
risc said:
rG is still online?

Get some sleep, stop playing with your new Linux box. :ROFLMAO:
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Hah, my AV receiver decided to die last night, spent way too long swapping to a spare and bitching about Onkyo
 
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1- Uninstall Linux Mint.
2- Install Windows 7.
3- Be productive.
4- Have fun.
5- Fap
6- Repeat 5
7- Repeat 5
8- Repeat 5
9- Repeat 5
10- Repeat 5
11- Repeat 5
12- Repeat 5
 
Last time I tried to intsall mint the installer failed, so I didn't even get to the point of trying anything.
 
For those having issues with Mint 19 or Ubuntu 18.04 using USB ports on your AMD FX system, you have to enable IOMMU in the bios. That... only allows the USB2.0 ports to work and disables USB3.0. Anyway, once you install Mint or Ubuntu you need to edit grub and add iommu=soft. This is usually enabled by default for Intel chips but isn't for some Gigabyte AMD FX motherboards. Once you do that and update grub you can reboot the machine and disable IOMMU in the bios.

ymer said:
1- Uninstall Linux Mint.
2- Install Windows 7.
3- Be productive.
4- Have fun.
5- Fap
6- Repeat 5
7- Repeat 5
8- Repeat 5
9- Repeat 5
10- Repeat 5
11- Repeat 5
12- Repeat 5
Click to expand...
01912.jpg
 
Always interested me, Linux, until recently i haven't had the time though and now, am just hesitant i guess.. never run it, not once; and i've read enough to know it can be overly complicated.
Still, Microsoft has been trying to shoo me away for years now and i know i will soon have to oblige, out of my hands way this is going.

Got two books ordered, plan is to (eventually*) read them, then install Ark on the mini ITX, goof around and fail miserably until i learn.

* eventually as in the typical "i don't want to, but.. yeah.. i will. honest!". You know.
 
With this activation sequence and method, I guess i pony up for new licence. Since when is free speech required to be licenced?
 
Aenra said:
Always interested me, Linux, until recently i haven't had the time though and now, am just hesitant i guess.. never run it, not once; and i've read enough to know it can be overly complicated.
Still, Microsoft has been trying to shoo me away for years now and i know i will soon have to oblige, out of my hands way this is going.

Got two books ordered, plan is to (eventually*) read them, then install Ark on the mini ITX, goof around and fail miserably until i learn.

* eventually as in the typical "i don't want to, but.. yeah.. i will. honest!". You know.
Click to expand...

You'll be pleasantly surprised how quick and painless getting started on Linux is these days. It goes by much quicker than a Win 10 install and doesn't end with some evil robot woman telling you how she is now in command of your soul.
You literally just download the ISO, burn it to a dvd or flash drive (simple click using Rufus), boot from usb, spam next, done. If you go with Mint (Cinnamon) or Ark (LXDE) you get dropped right in a Windows like desktop. Drivers for your hardware is almost guaranteed to be automatic with a mainstream distro like Ubuntu or Mint.

From there, if you even bother playing with the terminal, you can google whatever it is you're after and you'll find copy paste-able commands. Otherwise if your intention is to just browse or play steam, just google "How to install steam on [insert distro name]" and you'll get a hand-holding guide (and you'll learn it's stupid easy).

If you want to go advanced, there are plenty of books on learning the Unix file system and the Shell, no different than learning your c:/windows file system and the command prompt / power shell. I personally find *NIX WAY less cumbersome than Windows for power use.

The "difficult to install" OSes like Gentoo or Arch are just for people who want to go super custom and build their own OS from source code. Generally programmers or hobbyists go that route (or just that annoying guy who wants to tell his friends he's a genius nerd who uses Arch Linux).
 
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Mode13 said:
You'll be pleasantly surprised how quick and painless getting started on Linux is these days. It goes by much quicker than a Win 10 install and doesn't end with some evil robot woman telling you how she is now in command of your soul.
That annoying guy who wants to tell his friends he's a genius nerd who uses Arch Linux
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:D

As to the latter, lol, no, nothing like that. Am just very particular, very old fashioned, very conservative. I know what i want, how i want it and i don't like fluff, fussy shit, extras, or someone i don't know deciding in advance, for me, what's best for my "experience".
So my thinking was read read read (which i do all day long anyway, no biggie), then start from the beginning.
Am i being too optimistic? :p
 
Aenra said:
:D

As to the latter, lol, no, nothing like that. Am just very particular, very old fashioned, very conservative. I know what i want, how i want it and i don't like fluff, fussy shit, extras, or someone i don't know deciding in advance, for me, what's best for my "experience".
So my thinking was read read read (which i do all day long anyway, no biggie), then start from the beginning.
Am i being too optimistic? :p
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Nah not too optimistic if you're willing to put the time in. It's not difficult to slap together a system that 100% suits you, just time consuming. Unix and all it's modern flavors grew out of people like us who enjoy picking things apart and putting them back together in the first place :p..

You sound like somebody who would enjoy Slackware or Arch as far as I can tell. My experience with Arch was always pleasant, they have a forum right on their website with a newbie corner and installation sub-forum. They can surely help get you going on a manual system installation.

Still though, even with all that said, I spend most of my time on Debian these days.. I've been through Tanenbaum (Minix) books through the years but these days I just enjoy the ease of use. I can install Debian or Fedora in 5 minutes and get straight to work.
 
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naib said:
If you have a single-harddrive setup then I disagree... Windows has zero means to resize linux partitions and thus will ask you to format the drive -> linux install is destroyed

Consider these scenarios

Blank HDD -> install Linux single partition using entire HDD -> install windows = hosed linux
Blank HDD -> install windows single partition using entire HDD -> install linux ( option to resize windows) = possible dual boot
Blank HDD -> install linux BUT provision a spare partition -> install windows = boots windows but linux exists BUT the bootloader can be rebuilt


Now unless there is a drastic change to the windows10 installer to facilitate resizing then my statement stands AND thus the recommendation to do a blank install as the resize and dual-boot is always the most complex part. Do a 1-1 comparative test would mean a full HDD utilization by the OS in question, remember you don't need to make partitions in linux
Click to expand...

Seriously though, who relies on the installer to prep their drive for resizing partitions? Take care of that shit before ever launching the installer (using a LiveCD and Gparted, or maybe Partition Magic if you are feeling old school.)

The only real problem is that Windows tends to overwrite the MBR, rendering Linux unbootable, but this is easily fixable by booting up from a live CD and issuing some simple commands.
 
Mode13 said:
My experience with Arch was always pleasant, they have a forum right on their website with a newbie corner and installation sub-forum. They can surely help get you going on a manual system installation
Click to expand...

Will keep that in mind, thanks :)
 
rgMekanic said:
Hah, my AV receiver decided to die last night, spent way too long swapping to a spare and bitching about Onkyo
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Some Onkyos (and other amps) be needing fans! Especially in Summer.
I bought an Onkyo 875 10 years ago and immediately stuck a 25cm fan drawing air out of the top after reading horror stories about sparks and flames.
I gave it to my Dad 6 years ago and it still works perfectly today with said fan on top.
While setting it up last year to demo a new DAC for the family to hear, I accidentally left the fan in the wrong place and I swear it could fry eggs it was stupid hot.
Oops moment.
Keep amps cool. Capacitors fail fast with high heat. Solder joints too.

The amp I bought after is an Emotiva XPA-2 which also gets rather hot with a DAC sat on top with no fan.
It has since been running with a Bitfenix Spectre 230mm fan between them and some spacers to allow air to move.
Job done.
I use a fan controller to limit the speed so it is silent, the fan LEDs dim but still tell me the fan is running.
(The LEDs go out if the fan stops)
Great method of ensuring it is cooled.
 
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gigaxtreme1 said:
Is it your assertion that this is an anti-competitive activty?
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Nope. Just a shortcut. Being market dominant allows Microsoft to be lazy when it comes to developing their installers, so that they can assume that of course no other operating system is on the machine already.

Systems with enabled Secure Boot and no way to disable it on the other hand...
 
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Nenu said:
Only for those wanting a forum nasty with no evidence.
Was what he said unreasonable?
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Zarathustra[H] said:
Nope. Just a shortcut. Being market dominant allows Microsoft to be lazy when it comes to developing their installers, so that they can assume that of course no other operating system is on the machine already.

Systems with enabled Secure Boot and no way to disable it on the other hand...
Click to expand...
Brilliance is the requirement for the job. Many thanks.
 
Nenu said:
Some Onkyos (and other amps) be needing fans! Especially in Summer.
I bought an Onkyo 875 10 years ago and immediately stuck a 25cm fan drawing air out of the top after reading horror stories about sparks and flames.
I gave it to my Dad 6 years ago and it still works perfectly today with said fan on top.
While setting it up last year to demo a new DAC for the family to hear, I accidentally left the fan in the wrong place and I swear it could fry eggs it was stupid hot.
Oops moment.
Keep amps cool. Capacitors fail fast with high heat. Solder joints too.

The amp I bought after is an Emotiva XPA-2 which also gets rather hot with a DAC sat on top with no fan.
It has since been running with a Bitfenix Spectre 230mm fan between them and some spacers to allow air to move.
Job done.
I use a fan controller to limit the speed so it is silent, the fan LEDs dim but still tell me the fan is running.
(The LEDs go out if the fan stops)
Great method of ensuring it is cooled.
Click to expand...

Good info, Mine was a TX-NR616 and apparently there was a problem with them doing exactly what mine just did, Onkyo is offering $200 off a replacement, but I have to get it from their store, so I'm gonna call one day this week and haggle lol.
 
rgMekanic said:
Good info, Mine was a TX-NR616 and apparently there was a problem with them doing exactly what mine just did, Onkyo is offering $200 off a replacement, but I have to get it from their store, so I'm gonna call one day this week and haggle lol.
Click to expand...

If you have any interest, I'm selling an Excellent Denon AVR X1300W for a rather affordable price. Not sure where you are located though. Shipping would be... complicated.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
Seriously though, who relies on the installer to prep their drive for resizing partitions? Take care of that shit before ever launching the installer (using a LiveCD and Gparted, or maybe Partition Magic if you are feeling old school.)

The only real problem is that Windows tends to overwrite the MBR, rendering Linux unbootable, but this is easily fixable by booting up from a live CD and issuing some simple commands.
Click to expand...
Well considering my installer of choice for Gentoo is sysrescue cd :)

Now if I was to dual boot ever again I would lay out the Harddrive first, then install windows first and then install Linux.
Think about Joe average though...
If the pc is to be single OS, mint actually takes less mouse clicks :) (this has been done) and is "easier" than windows.
If you start chucking resizing well it is ... Annoying
 
I don't mind all the 10-12-15-20 things to do after X type articles.

I do wish when it comes to Linux that they would be written in a way where they better explain some of the things they talk about. Instead of just saying update... you can do that with this command.

For instance;
The first point from the article... update through the GUI or type this;
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
Considering Mint is a new user distro and the article is things to do after... clearly assuming the reader has little to no Linux XP. Why not explain a few things at least a little...
sudo - command (program) that lets you run another program with the security level of another user. Often used to run software as the root admin user.
apt - Debians (the main distro that Mint and Ubuntu are built from) advanced package tool. Lets you install software as well as track installed software including any packages that software may require. (Dependencies) Like a windows game may require you to install DirectX (that would be considered a dependency in LInux)
update - a paramater that tells apt to update its package index. This is the list it used to know if all the software installed on your system is the newest versions.
&& - also run another command at the same time
upgrade - what it sounds like upgrades everything installed.

I get that most of us can look at that and its perfectly logical. But I do wish these articles would just explain it like they are talking to 2 year olds. Most people don't realize how much they are not aware of until they are slapped in the face by it. Switching to Linux from Windows is one of those moments where lots of "power users" get slapped in the face with their own inadequate knowledge. So spell things out. lol

Mint, and Manjaro... good new user distros that are all around good distros for anyone.
 
rgMekanic said:
It's FOSS has posted an interesting article on 12 things to do after installing Linux Mint 19. There are some good tips for new as well as advanced Linux users to get the best Mint experience. I appreciate articles like this, as I've often tried to install Linux, and always ended up getting as far as installing Chrome and then giving up. I still wish that several of the Linux distros would pool together and make something actually competitive.

Linux Mint is one of the best Linux distributions for new users. It runs pretty well out of the box. Still, there are a few recommended things to do after installing Linux Mint for the first time.
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Linux does often feel like a procedurally-generated OS, and it makes it really difficult to find definitive answers. One other thing I think is missing for the majority of us that have tried (multiple times) to switch over, is the why? Chiefly, why am I struggling so hard to do things I've come to expect out of an OS? We go in with some thin justifications: it's more secure, it's less bloated, it's configurable; and we get lost trying to figure out why our wifi doesn't work for software updates, but is fine in the browser. Death by a thousand cuts.

The Linux community would serve itself well, as you point out, by rallying around a single distro and making it competitive. I think Mint would be a good candidate to scoop up those frustrated Windows users.
 
spugm1r3 said:
Death by a thousand cuts.

The Linux community would serve itself well, as you point out, by rallying around a single distro and making it competitive.
Click to expand...

I agree with the first part. However, unless something drastically changes, the second part is never going to happen and that is why the Linux Desktop will remain a niche product.
 
naib said:
I would like to see an editorial from [H] of someone who has never used Linux doing a install (no dual booting so complete wipe) of

1) windows10
2) mint
3) Gentoo

Just because I think it would be insightful and equally funny as with gentoo
Click to expand...

You missed

4) Arch
 
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