Dedoimedo recently reviewed Linux Mint 6 Felicia. The review is enthusiastic and covers some of the improvements brought in the latest release. Happy reading everyone.
Link to the review:
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/linux-mint-felicia.html
Comments:
Dedoimedo writes: “Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, which means you’re in for rock-solid stability, an extremely friendly experience, rich and fast software repositories, and lots of support. Most Ubuntu solutions work for Mint […]”
–> We changed the way we build Linux Mint since version 6. Until now the latest release was built by upgrading the previous one and Linux Mint, initially forked from Ubuntu Edgy, was following its own separate branch. With Linux Mint 6 and for future release we decided to focus on the desktop layer and to leave the Ubuntu base intact. We now build Linux Mint directly off their equivalent Ubuntu releases. So the two distributions are more compatible than ever before.
Dedoimedo writes: “[…] it has a tremendous User Guide.”
–> The Main Edition of Linux Mint comes with a PDF User Guide. If you haven’t read it yet, please do so: http://ftp.heanet.ie/pub/linuxmint.com/stable/6/user-guide/english.pdf
Dedoimedo writes: “For a strange reason, Linux Mint did not detect my Wireless adapter, although Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex did.”
–> I’d like to know more about this. Felicia’s base is Intrepid and unless you’re using the mintWifi drivers the hardware detection for wireless cards should be exactly the same as under Ubuntu.
Dedoimedo writes: “[…] there was a sound issue with my Windows-made moron video. […] The Windows video problems can be solved by using VLC. And I believe the driver issue can be solved by manually tweaking. Nevertheless, I will be waiting for the next release to see if this problem gets resolved.”
–> We test DivX/AVI and WMV playback before every release. Would it be possible to get a link to that video? Did anyone else notice this problem?
Clem I also had sound problems with Mint 6 (no sound). Mint 5 gave me no problems with sound. I therefore switched back to Mint5. May I humbly suggest a reason for this situation? I used to be an Ubuntu user. Ubuntu 6.04, 6.10, 7.04, 7.10 all worked perfectly for me. I installed 8.04 and lost my sound. I tried to solve the problem for 6 months with no success. Ubuntu 8.10 was no better. I tried Mint 5 and by fooling around with it, I found that, by default, Mint 5 had chosen the sound circuitry on my motherboard rather than the sound circuitry on my Soundblaster sound card. Under Mint 5, I was able to set the default back to my sound card. Under Mint 6, I was not able to set my sound card as the default. I am new to linux. Ubuntu 6.04 was my first serious experience with linux. After my problems with 8.04, I tried Mandriva, Debian, Red Hat, and Suse, but fell in love with Mint 5. I am now a Mint addict! Thank you, Clem. George
Dedoimedo here! If you can contact me by email, I’d gladly like to help with the issues mentioned, including the specific hardware configuration running on my T61 and the Windows video file.
Cheers,
Dedoimedo
Mint is like Vista
where Ubuntu is like XP
in other words … it’s damn slow on comps older than 2-3 years
“Mint is like Vista” – you must be joking!
I (and I’m sure a lot of other people) am running Mint 6 on a 5-year old Dell laptop – it runs beautifully.
Dedoimedo: Thanks. I’m sending you an email right now. Hopefully we can solve both issues and eventually have this fixed in future releases.
\\/\//: Ubuntu and Mint show similar performances. If Mint isn’t fast enough for you then I would suggest Debian.
Not a bad review, good to see the word is getting out more about Mint. 😉
I am a newbie, and have been using Ubuntu 8.01 and 8.10 and liked it a lot, since I want to get away from Windows (owned every version of it). But I read about Mint and am trying it now and it is a wonderful system, untill now easier than Ubuntu. I am trying to learn more about Linux, and hope I will be able to solve my last remaining issues (printing Lermark x2250 printer/scanner), and I hope I will find something equivalent to Quicken, with that I’ll never look back at Windows.
Does anybody have the problem that your browser (Firefox) gets stuck and there’s no more internet until you reboot the computer? Has happened with Ubuntu and Mint. (Firestarter as firewall).
I, too, enthusiastically support Mint Linux, both v5 and v6—having it running on two different machines, one an Acer 3050 laptop and the other a homebuilt desktop. In both cases the installs were easy. On the laptop, to get sound working it was necessary to edit in terminal the options, naming the sound card: acer-aspire and setting up ndiswrapper on wireless. Both of these are necessary on Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.1, so there is nothing new or different. But, once installed, the feel, if that is possible, is very comfortable and little things like all the codecs for audio and video playback make life in Mint very pleasant!
Could someone give me simple directions on how to get my floppy drive working under Mint 6 x64? George Borusiewich
root6544 You said that “to get sound working it was necessary to edit in terminal the options, naming the sound card.” Can you give me simple directions on how to do that? George Borusiewich
Some of these posts would be more appropriate and better answered in the forum – that way you will get attention, the solution will help others and you wont be filling the blog with increasingly less relavent points.
In realtion to the review – short and sweet, well done all 🙂
Hi Clem. I’ve sent you (links) to files addressing the wireless and audio issues. Cheers,
Dedoimedo
For the sound problems: I had similar issues under Ubuntu 8.10 and Mint 6. Here is the solution: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=967129
For the one saying that Mint is slower than Ubuntu, the truth is the opposite, check this:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=ubuntu_derivative_perf&num=1