Linux OS

[hypno-potamous]

Yes, use Mint. Stick with it and you will start learning something worth-while. Windows sucks and always has and always will.

[politux]

Yes, use Mint.  Stick with it and you will start learning something worth-while.  Windows sucks and always has and always will.

+1000

[Kotter]

If you want to customise your Linux Mint/Ubuntu/Arch, make sure you download JLIVECD.

Directions are here:
https://pirates-forum.org/Thread-Your-Us...#pid235523
https://pirates-forum.org/Thread-Your-Us...#pid258701

Hope this helps.

EDIT: Oy, there's more!

Documentation: https://www.linuxmint.com/documentation.php
Manual: https://www.linuxmint.com/documentation/...h_18.0.pdf

EDIT: I will say that the latter link is for an outdated version of the distro, but it's still useful.

thanks Robert

If you are gonna go to Linux try Debian, and also expect less of a selection when it comes to programs.

I figured the same, but thanks for the suggestion (never gonna give up one of my windows pcs -> for my steam and origin lol)

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Yes, use Mint.  Stick with it and you will start learning something worth-while.  Windows sucks and always has and always will.

except for Steam and Origin, imo. but thanks

[waregim]

My $2 (inflation).

Mint is problably one of the best starter Linuxes, as out of the box it should work just fine. I use it on my main machine in a VM and have had no problems whatever with it. It is Ubuntu based, which means it was not designed for geeks, or require special skills to run.

HOWEVER!

Under no conditions do i ever recommend wiping Windows from a system. It WILL be needed especially by younger folk in school, taking courses which might require Win specific programs, especially as most schools are going the 'online course' bullshit.
There are Win programs for which there are no suitable Linux substitutes.
And no, Gimp is not a realistic substitute for Photoshop.

The user MUST read up on 'dual booting'.
(Though the simplest is either using a VM for one or other, or best yet, two machines coupled with a router. )
I always recommend that Linux and Win be on seperate disks, and it is VERY IMPORTANT to have the Win disk installed first, and before installing Linux - using a utility like Macrium Reflect to back up boot sector and partition info.
Then DISCONNECT the Win drive.

Install the disk for Linux, then fire up the install DVD/USB stick. Install Mint. It is important to realise that there are actually TWO Mint versions. Standard Mint, and Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE). A beginner is best advised to avoid LMDE at all costs.
Mint should provide all the basic tools like browsers, and media viewers - its made for the non-technically inclined.

NOW CONNECT THE WINDOWS DRIVE.

Depending on your system bios age and type you may be able to use your BIOS/Setup screen to boot either OS independently.
This is the ideal situation. You choose by DRIVE - NOT OS! Remember this is NOT a screen where you see an option for both OS's.
You can remove either drive, and the system will still boot. This is called BIOS BOOT.

The second option is to make sure the Linux drive is on Port0 or choose it from the BIOS BOOT selection, boot into it, and then do a 'grub-update'. This will add the Windows OS to the Linux boot sequence, and at the same time rewriting the Win drive's boot sector, making it unbootable (this can be restored via Macrium Reflect or any other app that can restore a boot sector, aka MBR).
When you go to reboot you should bee a GRUB BOOT screen with both Mint and your Win version as options to choose from.

With a GRUB BOOT you will no longer be able to boot directly from the Win disk, and should something bad happen to the Linux drive the above mentioned steps must be used to restore the Win drive. I regard grub as evil, and avoid it when possible.

The problem with Grub, is that if you accidentally update the Grub program it will infect the Windows disk, so if you are using BIOS boot one must read up on PINNING APPS to ensure that grub is never updated. Unless, of course you prefer the Grub Boot method.


Back to Linux:
Mint Cinnamon as mentioned, is fine for new users: Out Of The Box.
Installing updates or new software from Software Manager might present new problems never normally enountered by Win users.
I would turn Updates off, and only install what may be really needed, until one gains a certain familiarity with it, and I would highly recommend the Mint Forums beginners section for guidance.
New users are STRONGLY advised *not* to mess with the internals of the system - since here at the config file level the system is decidedly *not* user friendly.
In Win you can often wipe a config file or a registry entry, and you can either always restore the registry from a system restore, or often the program will recreate a new config file. This wiill not happen in Linux.

That said, this is written from a near fully loaded, extremely modded, Debian Sid system. Which can, will, and does break. I can mess with it as I have a recent backup, and years of experience dealing with this debbil of a system. The advantage I find with Linux is simple. It is easier on my SATA drives when torrenting. Win7 appears to have driver/buffer problems that putz up sectors (even on multiple machines and clients) - while linux has no such difficulties, and apparently superior download speeds on my VPN.

In reality, while Linux offers greater oppurtunities for privacy and security (if that is an issue) - it guarantees none. Much effort must be entailed for that on either system. The systems are inherently different, designed originally from two vastly different paradigms, so that neither is better or worse - but like Apples and Oranges - only what better suits your needs at the moment.

Another thing:
Linux CAN run most typical Win programs, including Office apps, end even some Photoshop versions out of a utility called Wine (often paired with PlayOnLinux), as well as most of the older games. So many favorites can simply be moved over.
Its far from 100% however!

[RodneyYouPlonker]

Oh yes also not forgetting that if you use Epson printers like me, trying to use Linux instead of Windows is a load of pants cos the drivers are a joke and don't work properly and all you'll find doing is going back to Windows again so that you can print properly.

Linux and using certain brands of printers like the popular Epson is a big no no, really great when you're wanting to sort something out like scan a document into your PC or print something off like train tickets or whatever.  Linux really does become useful I must say 

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And also not forgetting about the other 900 devices that you can buy to plug into your PC that don't work cos of the poorly programmed Linux drivers that don't make it work right.  Let's face it really most things don't like being plugged into Linux and all the drivers that they seem to produce all seem to work best under Windows.  There's all kinds of things, like music devices and professional gear you can buy spending into the thousands.  Non of these things work under Linux it's all a load of crap which is why you're better just sticking to Windows IMO where at least you can get it all working instead of messing around for days and days...

[waregim]

Quite true: Linux drivers for commercial external hardware suck rocks. From printers, scanners, drawing pads, even basic IOT stuff for the most part. If its got a closed source driver, odds of it working as desired are minimal. I have a Canon printer on my Win7 machine, and Debian does have drivers for it. Problem here is Win7 itself. It haphazadly decides what it will network. And what it will not.

One reason to NEVER wipe your last Win install.
Stuff wont work.
(Havent tested if the drivers come to life in a VM, yet!)

Oh. Lets not forget my favorite:
Linux optical clients like DVD writers blow chunks. Nary a decent one with UDF!!!

[RobertX]

Adding to RodneyYouPlonker's and waregrim's comments, no, Wine is not a valuable substitute for Windows; it's still in the experimental stage, probably so until the end of time.

EDIT: When hearing about Mint, I always hear it being associated to the word "new" and "beginner." What do you guys recommend if the user becomes more "seasoned" and "experienced?" Fedora? Manjaro? BSD? Arch?

[dueda]

Just to expand on what RobertX said:

There can be no replacement for Windows, or any other operating system. The OS thing is so big and full of obscure copyrighted code and considering each new version or major Service Pack makes things worse, there will be never a good substitute for "ruinning" your system on Windows if you need it's apps - One can't expect everything to run well, or to run at all, without buying a real Windows. MS, Apple, IBM, all companies do the "OS+App Developers cartel" business model, Linux being the only open eco-system (now with Steam and Android on it's heels but they are semi-open web-consumer-oriented gismos based on Linux).

All things considered, Wine achievements are really awesome even with the limitations. ReactOS would be the next best thing.

It's curious how this era of an open system that works (Linux) still see so few developers really commited - Developers for banks and industries (plants) are in just because many companies are adopting it, but consumer software developers seem to be waiting for someone to be the first...

[waregim]

Linux is still heavily institutionally oriented, but can make better progress on the consumer front if there was more effort to simply reverse engineer alot of the commercial stuff, and improve on it from there. Perhaps one day Asian block will come to its senses and say FU to US copyright policies.

ReactOS was nearly killed at birth by M$ and its copyright infringement claims. Now it must proceed too slowly. Putin showed some interest in the project, but he utterly failed to fund it - it should be at the top of the list to enable a smooth transition to a native OS with Win and Linux heritage.

If only the hacker front would forget about exploits and go after source code!

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Adding to RodneyYouPlonker's and waregrim's comments, no, Wine is not a valuable substitute for Windows; it's still in the experimental stage, probably so until the end of time.

EDIT: When hearing about Mint, I always hear it being associated to the word "new" and "beginner." What do you guys recommend if the user becomes more "seasoned" and "experienced?" Fedora? Manjaro? BSD? Arch?

BSD - No drivers.

Fedora/Manjaro - Nice systems, but a little limited and behind for developers. Magaiea is a beautiful system, but I dont rely on it for compiling stuff.

Arch - Forever to compile a professional system.

We are more of less stuck with Debian here, Its taking me about a month and a half to install a decent development system from packages, and thats just languages and libraries. Over half of Debian so far. Testing/SID is a rolling release option - but definitely not for beginners, or even for enterprise ecommerce.  Great for devs and power users though!

[RobertX]

Insightful input once again, waregim.

Now, one more question: if you get the hang of a "beginner" system like Mint, would it be sensible to want to stick with it even if you know "enough" to switch?