Raiden's Realm: Review: Linux Mint 8

Review: Linux Mint 8 (Page 1 of 1)

Written by Samuel Wang
Posted on: Dec 02, 2009 at 02:12pm
Section: Reviews
Printer Friendly Version
Legacy URL

Details:
Linux Mint 8 ( Helena)
Based on Ubuntu 9.10
Live CD

To start off, this review will attempt to describe/find what sets Linux Mint apart from all the other remastered/customized version of Ubuntu.

Normally, I don't really fancy Ubuntu based distros, as most of them are nothing more than custom / remastered versions of the original Ubuntu. However, Linux Mint has really broken the tradition of poorly made custom respins and has nearly became a whole complete distro of its own .. ( unlike the other distrolets based on ubuntu )

Well, Linux Mint shares a few key items that it inherits from its parent. The installer, Ubiquity, is still employed in the installation process. Thumbs down to Ubiquity. Ubiquity takes so much system resources ( okay not that much but a minimum of 512 mb ram is required to install) that it makes it unsuitable to run Mint on older Computers...( what a pity...)

Well...I love screenshots. Yes, a picture speaks a thousand words. lol But there's really not much to describe or explain how to install or use Ubiquity. Really, trust me, It is as simple as it looks and as simple as it can get.

Well...Not much to say here too :s...Just that I don't seem to fancy those self-advertisements that come with the installer...( reminds me too much of MS ) but I do appreciate the part where they said almost finish copying..

Well, the installation is rather fast, but that can also be expected from Ubuntu 9.10. Another thing that amazed me was the boot time. It is really fast (about slightly less than 20 seconds on my old rig ) PS . My old rig is a P4 3Ghz with Hyperthreading and 512 mb of ram.

The new Gdm (2.2 is a thing to look out for. Sure it doesn't allow you to use all the old themes available at gnome looks, but it does give an overall nice and coherent theme to the system..

Finally at last, the desktop. I love it when they give a welcome pop up...( its just me...lol)

Finally, this is the fancy and shiny app that you should look out for: The MintInstall software manager. Things to look out for: Applications can be and are ranked according to users liking. Applications are well-placed into each category making search for apps rather convenient

Another thing that impresses me is the Mint Menu ...( not my cup of tea though ) The mint menu allows users to find and locate their applications A
Plus 1 for Linux Mint

Another Plus Point is the Mint Update Manager..Yes their own update manager. The number you see beside the update in the screenshot signifies how safe or secure it is to install that update. It's good for new users indeed. 1 stands for the most secure and tested and 5 the least

Yes, I said it was really a pity that Ubiquity was a heavy installer. Upon fresh install, Linux mint only took 150 mb of ram ...Which made it really suitable for older computers

In summary, Linux Mint is really a unique distro, catering to a wide audience. People who just came from windows would most like feel comfortable with
Linux Mint and Linux Mint does really work great with older computers They just need to do something about Ubiquity. The MintInstall software manager is really great, making installing applications really a breeze. IMHO, Mintinstall is what we need to break those biased opinions that installing software is difficult for Linux

The MintUpdate is also a Plus point. Many new users screw their systems up through updates. ( especially major ones) This surely would help a lot. I went in with the opinion that Linux Mint would be just like any other remastered distro, but came out changed! Its really a great distro.

I personally would recommend it to any one who just came out of the windowed world or any one who is looking for a light and simple system. Linux Mint 8 is really on the right track on making Linux user friendly..

Linux Mint's site: http://linuxmint.com/

And for more info about the v8 release: http://www.linuxmint.com/blog/?p=1155

Discuss this! ( 28 comments )

Raiden's Realm Social Bookmarking
If you have any problems with any of these links, please let us know. Thanks.

Average vistor rating: 4.2 out of 5 (73 total votes)