LINUX MINT A introduction to Linux Mint

Advantages Mint works straight out of the box: everything you need is already there in the distribution, meaning you don't have to spend time installing additional applications (-unless you want to) It's based on Ubuntu, which means that the majority of sofware available for Ubuntu will also work on Mint It's community based, which means that any Linux developers out there (-and there are many) can contribute to the codebase. Often, this means fixes are available quicker than distros maintained by companies (-such as Ubuntu and Fedora) - which generally only release updates twice a yearUbuntuFedora

Disadvantages It is not Ubuntu! Although based on it, Mint differs in many ways from it's sibling, so not everything out there for Ubuntu will work with Mint. Also, the latest version of Mint will not be based on the latest version of Ubuntu: it is invariably some way behind (-e.g. one or two releases)Ubuntu Mint has a conservative approach to new technologies so, if you like to keep up with leading edge technologies - or flashy desktops - then you may be better suited to a distro such as Fedora instead Fedora Mint is quite large and requires a reasonably capable machine to run effectively: if your machine is particularly old (-and you can't upgrade it) then you may be better off with something like Puppy insteadupgrade itPuppy

How to install from CD/DVD Once the file is downloaded (-normally, this is an.iso image file - as shown in the image above), insert a blank disc in your CD/DVD writer and burn the image file to the disc using suitable software.downloaded Place the disc in the CD/DVD reader tray of the target PC Power up the PC and let it boot from the CD/DVD reader To change boot device priority, the F8 or F12].. key should be pressed during the BIOS splash page Use the arrow keys to select the device you wish to boot from then hit the "ENTER" key. The computer should then invoke the Linux boot loader (grub) automatically.

Why you would use Linux Mint13 instead of Windows 7 Linux Mint is a free operating system, compare this to the basic version of windows 7 which is $200 going up to $429 for Windows 7 ultimate. Due to Windows 7s wide use, there is a lot viruses, spyware and malware targeted towards this operating system. There is a lot less of malicious programs aimed Linux Mint so it is a safer system to use. Doesn’t require as much hardware resources as Windows 7 so it can run on older machines.

Recommendations Most people are familiar with Windows operating system, while Linux mint is similar I would recommend that people who are quite tech savy try this system as some options are in different places to Windows so could be hard to navigate for people with low computer literacy. It is possible to do a dual boot so that you can choose to use either operating systems. This could be a good option so that those comfortable with Windows 7 can continue to use that operating system and those wanting to try something new can use Linux Mint.

Conclusion Linux Mint is a good system for people who don’t like to conform to the norm and want to try a new system. The fact that it is open source means that alterations can be made to the code. Being community based, fixes can come more quickly as companies generally only release fixes only twice a year.