Sunday, August 23, 2009

I Made The Switch

I recently made the switch. No! Not to Windows 7 !!!!
I switched to Mint.
I have been using Ubuntu since Edgy and became a full time Linux user since Feisty.
As good as it is, I needed a change. Not so much a full distro change but more of a look and feel change.

I had some help with this decision. I was trying out ReneL's new multi-boot DVD which contains Mint (Both Gnome and KDE) along with all the Ubuntu versions, SysRescue and TinyCore.
In case you haven't been following the comments in my blogs and missed it, you can get the torrent from here;
http://www.mininova.org/tor/2837481

I will also be posting a new article about it and hope to put up some RS links to it.
Now about Mint.
After I installed it I realized that the look was very different. Instead of 2 task bars, there was only one. And that was at the bottom of the screen. I know I said I wanted a new look and feel but I'm so accustomed to having the task bar on top I switched its position.

The install and updates along with additional software installs took about 2 hours.
And thanks to Linux keeping all your personal files in the Home directory along with the ability to have your Home folder loaded into it's own partition, my documents, bookmarks and email were all ready and waiting for me.

So now I will be using Mint until I tire of it and switch to another distro.
But I still have my back up computer that currently has Vector Linux on it that I also use.
I enjoy variety and thankfully Linux provides me with plenty of choices.
Maybe I will just have to set up a multi-boot on my back up computer and install TinyCore next to Vector just for the fun of it.

BTW..... As with all the Debian distros, Streamtuner also needed to be patched for the Shoutcast bug. Mint may look different but it still has it's roots in Debian.

Until next time.

TaZMAn

3 comments:

rokytnji said...

I run Mint Fluxbox RC1 on the triple boot IBM T23 alongside AntiX. I like the Mint fluxbox version better than the Ubuntu Version though I guess underneath it is same/same. Since I triple boot streamtuner only get used when I am on AntiX because it just works there.

rokytnji said...

I also have been reading a bunch of flac about Clem and Terrorists and boycotts. But I also heard flac about Anticapalista and his naming of AntiX 8 as infatada. I'm too busy surviving this economic crisis right now to be a high hat and not use a tool to make surviving out in the desert easier than let other folks beliefs influence how I turn a wrench. Linux is about freedom, and this biker uses what he damn well pleases. AK-47s are all over the place and the same guys that bitch about ideas and ideals are firing those guns at target ranges as I type this. So the outraged whoevers can go p*** up a rope, Nuff Said.

TaZMAn said...

Hi Rok!
You know what I like about you? You tell it like it is!
Reminds me of someone else I know. LOL!

I use Linux. Why? Because it offers me freedom of choice and gives me control over my computer. I don't care what the name is or what political views the creator has.

I mean look at all the different distros. I'm sure that besides AntiX there are others such as the Christian Edition or the Satanic Edition that will offend people.

But they have a choice of using it or not.
You like Flux, I use Gnome. Others like KDE. Some purists only use the CLI.

But that's a matter of choice. And Linux provides that choice. Suppose there was only Windows and Mac. And let's just say that Windows decided to name their next version something that offended some people.

What would they do? Run out and buy a Mac? Or maybe they would throw out their computers and do without?
Very doubtful. More then likely they would just ignore it because they wouldn't have many choices.

The only reason people gripe about a certain distro or its name is because they can. They have a choice to gripe about it.
They also have a choice to use something else.

And that is what Linux provides. Choices. You can move on if you don't like the name or a feature.
But don't let them come bitching on my cloud.
I'll tell them to move on to something else so that they can bitch about that distro later.

Linux. Freedom of choice. Freedom of expression. Free to use.
What can't you like about that?

TaZMAn