Canned Linux

whs

Extraordinary Member
Exploring and playing with Linux is fun. But often we dread the effort to setup a Linux distro. To make that easy for you I have uploaded a fully configured and setup Mint Mate 17.1 system to my OneDrive that you can run in VMware Player. Just follow these steps:


• Download the .zip folder with the system from my OneDrive (right click on the tile). The folder is 3GB so it will take a moment to download it.

• Extract Mint Mate folder from the downloaded .zip folder to any place in your system

• Download and install VMware Player - e.g. from here

Watch my video that tells you how to set it up - for further detail on how to setup the VMware Tools, watch this video.


Enjoy playing with Mint Mate. If you like to alter some settings, consult the video tutorials below.


Change the themes and skin

Start menu and taskbar settings

Tuning the start menu

Terminal window setup

Installing and uninstalling programs

Screenshots and snips


That's all.
 
Well to be honest those who dread about installing linux need to realize that in the end windows is no better.
If say you install Ubuntu or openSUSE the installer is no harder then the one windows uses with the only big hiccup being partitioning if dual booting.
Secondly is the issue of codecs and multimedia, well again windows is no different if doing a non OEM install of it.
Heck windows is worse in that matter, most distros offer an easy way to get multimedia playback such as Ubuntus restricted extras or openSUSE's codecs installers.
Windows?
You need to get several softwares to do the same job, its all over the place to install codecs and multimedia playback on windows.
Sure VLC is a good solution but it doesnt offer the whole kit and caboodle
 
There is nothing wrong what you are saying. But for die hard Windows users - especially the simple kind - there is often that flair of mystery around Linux. And most time they cannot even get past a selection of the right distro - which I admit is difficult. And after a couple of false starts you never see them again.

It is for those folks that I made this 'private distro'. It is all set up and if the user likes it, I am sure he/she will dig deeper. It is a Linux 'trailer' so to speak to generate some interest.
 
Well truth be told there are only five linux families one should look at in choosing as it is those five families others are based off of.
There is Debian, Slackware, Fedora, Arch and Gentoo.
Most other distros base themselves off those key distros such as Ubuntu and those distros have their own spinoffs like Mint,
The rationale of most spin off distros is each is catered toward a certain user.
Something like Linux Mint is aimed for the absolute beginner where as its parent ubuntu is more for a generalized utilitarian purpose much like how windows is.
Of course you have side distros like openSUSE and Mageia but even they have some similarity to others in the big five.
I think overall the best distro to start with is Ubuntu, as it can teach a new user how different linux really is to windows but at its core its no different once you know what to do.
Another good choice is openSUSE which has some of the best documentation one could read on how to use it without all the jargon one may find on something like arch.
 
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Yeah right. Ubuntu is the main distro. I used it for a few years but since they came out with Unity, I did not like it any more. Mint Mate is the closest I could get to a 'Windows look'. Maybe that is not the objective of any Linux, but it helps the beginner who comes from Windows to get a foot into the water.
 
Actually its unity the main reason why I think Ubuntu is good for beginners, it lets the new user know this is not windows.
Its all about UI psychology something I have experienced first hand, the more something looks like windows the more the end user will treat it like windows and try to install .exe files.
This is why people are more adaptive to tablets and smart phones, objects dont appear the same way they do in windows so they have to learn how to use it.
 
I've used quite a few different Linux distros such as Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Zorin, Mint, etc... My problem is that I set it up and boot into Linux then sit there and ask myself, "What does this OS do that Windows doesn't?". Since I can't think of anything useful to me running Linux instead of Windows, I haven't found a Linux distro that I like as well as Windows. My reaction is simply, "meh".

I agree with WHS that Ubuntu was much better before they came up with Unity. I don't care for Unity at all.

I can see running Linux on a machine with marginal hardware since Linux uses less resources than Windows but since I own computers that are plenty powerful and don't struggle I have no need there.

Currently, the only device I am running Linux on is my Raspberry Pi 2 which I have installed the Raspbian distro on. MS has promised that there will be a version of Win 10 made available for the Raspberry and I intend to give that a try when it's available.

I think I'll download WHS "canned Mint" VM just to try it out. Thanks for making it available.
 
I think I'll download WHS "canned Mint" VM just to try it out. Thanks for making it available.
You are quite welcome. Let me know what you think of it.
 
Wolfgang - Took a few hours to download. I unzipped it and opened the .vmx file. One tip, put Anne's sudo pw in the "VMWare Tools Terminal Commands.rtf" file, that would have saved me time as I had to view your video to figure out what it was.

After playing with your "canned" VM for awhile, I decided I'd rather just download the latest Mint Mate build and create my own VM. It would be OK for someone that can't or doesn't want to roll their own.
 
Yeah, it is not personalized to everybodie's tastes. But it is easy to modify with the tutorials that I provide. It was something for non-Linux users that wanted a quick solution - e.g. for safer on-line banking.
 
Ubuntu Studio
I read about this artists distro and decided to try my hand at it. I have a dual front loading HD system so putting HD's in an out is a snap. I got a new HD and through it in. Downloaded the image file and burned a DVD. Checked the DVD to make sure it was good. Great everything ready to go. I put the DVD in and said for it to install. This is where the problems started. Multiple freezes. I then decided to load it without installing. After a few attempts I got it to boot up. Great now I am up and running. I select to install it onto my new HD. After a half dozen attempts all I got was various levels of the install process before it froze. I actually got to the point of it installing twice to my HD and then stopping with "internal" error messages. It was a definite no go.

Ubuntu 12 & 14.04

I then remembered I had a old Ubuntu version on DVD. It was version 12 so I decided to try to install that. I selected to erase everything and install it. Worked like a charm and was rock solid. I then got a message asking me if I wanted to upgrade to 14.04? So I said sure and off it went. Installed everything fine this time but said I needed to reboot to finish. OK. It booted up with "internal" error messages and the mouse was boggy as hell. Did this sequence 3 times with the same results. Well this wasn't going to work either. Ubuntu 12 worked great but upgrading to 14.04 everything went to hell.

Linux Mint 17.1
I then went back onto the internet and read about how great Mint is especially for previous Windows users. Hey, I am in that camp so I downloaded the iso and burned to DVD once again. Booted and told it to erase everything and install. Bam, rebooted and everything has been working like a charm. No error messages, rock solid, and very responsive. Very impressed so far with Linux coming from a long relationship with Windows. Much snapper than Windows, and unlike my experience with Ubuntu 14.04, it just works!
 
I've used quite a few different Linux distros such as Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Zorin, Mint, etc... My problem is that I set it up and boot into Linux then sit there and ask myself, "What does this OS do that Windows doesn't?". Since I can't think of anything useful to me running Linux instead of Windows, I haven't found a Linux distro that I like as well as Windows. My reaction is simply, "meh".

I agree with WHS that Ubuntu was much better before they came up with Unity. I don't care for Unity at all.

I can see running Linux on a machine with marginal hardware since Linux uses less resources than Windows but since I own computers that are plenty powerful and don't struggle I have no need there.

Currently, the only device I am running Linux on is my Raspberry Pi 2 which I have installed the Raspbian distro on. MS has promised that there will be a version of Win 10 made available for the Raspberry and I intend to give that a try when it's available.

I think I'll download WHS "canned Mint" VM just to try it out. Thanks for making it available.

I can give a few things that linux can do that windows cant:

No need to defrag
No real need for antivirus
No need to restart the computer for every last update
No NSA backdoors
No need for third party tools to use more then one theme
Use less memory (on average)
Have wonderful documentation on teaching one how the OS works
No bluescreens
Have fewer worries about security and safety
Plus linux is very adaptable for any environment, it could probably run your toaster on it
 
Defragging is over rated anyway.
I only use Windows Defender and don't get viruses so moot point.
The Linux distros that I've used tend to reboot after an update so don't know what you're talking about here.
Don't know (or care) about NSA backdoors.
Don't give a hoot about themes.
I have plenty of memory on my machine so don't care.
There's plenty of tutorials on Windows (but I don't need them).
I haven't had a BSOD in years.
I don't worry at all about safety and security because I'm not paranoid.
I don't want to adapt Windows to my toaster.

You obviously didn't pay attention to where I said "... anything useful to me running Linux instead of Windows..." Some of your points are valid points but they don't mean a thing to me. I already said that Linux would be better on marginal hardware (such as my Raspberry Pi).

My point is that your list may be real benefits of Linux over Windows but if they don't benefit me then they are not compelling reasons for me to switch.
 
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Well it is a good companion OS to say the least, both offer plenty but i do think linux is far more adaptive to the users end need then windows is.
Its not meant as a replacement, just an alternative and one I firmly stand behind as it can be used on practically any setup.
Also yes linux does need to be restarted but normally after a kernel update not every any minor implemented update.
Plus your confidence in Microsofts defender is a little flawed, its not as good as a better av client like AVG
 
It's not so much my confidence in Windows Defender, it's just that I don't really need more than that. The number one defense against viruses, malware, trojans, etc... is being smart about what you click on or don't click on. AV software is second line defense at best.

Linux may be adaptable to the users end need but the average user would never be able to adapt it!

In regards to Wolfgang's "canned Linux", why is it necessary to even have it? Why did he set up Anne's computer for her in the first place? It's because the average user can't readily setup Linux.

I have a career that has spanned 40 years and I've used a substantial number of OSes during that time. I've worked with PCs, mainframes, mini-computers, servers, workstations, etc... so believe me, if I thought Linux was better for me, I'd use it.
 
Defragging is over rated anyway.
I only use Windows Defender and don't get viruses so moot point.
The Linux distros that I've used tend to reboot after an update so don't know what you're talking about here.
Don't know (or care) about NSA backdoors.
Don't give a hoot about themes.
I have plenty of memory on my machine so don't care.
There's plenty of tutorials on Windows (but I don't need them).
I haven't had a BSOD in years.
I don't worry at all about safety and security because I'm not paranoid.
I don't want to adapt Windows to my toaster.

You obviously didn't pay attention to where I said "... anything useful to me running Linux instead of Windows..." Some of your points are valid points but they don't mean a thing to me. I already said that Linux would be better on marginal hardware (such as my Raspberry Pi).

My point is that your list may be real benefits of Linux over Windows but if they don't benefit me then they are not compelling reasons for me to switch.

I think some of your statements are wrong.

1. Defrag is very much required at times in Windows unless you want to live with loss of performance or you run from a SSD

2. Defender never finds anything. The other day I got 5 trojans and another 20 pieces of malware and Defender was completely ignorant of those. Mbam, SAS and BitDefender scanner found them. The malware came with the downloader of WinIso

3. The NSA deal is vicious and you should care about it.

4. Look on the Windows forums - half of the postings are about BSODs

5. The no reboot for Linux is a new function

6. You will worry about safety and security the day someone stole money from your credit card or used your system to spread malware.
 
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I think the main reason for its poor adoption is that its not as easy as it could be and those who use it and are in charge of its development have this mindset. I was reading somewhere that while Mint is a good GUI for linux they want people to learn the terminal window. They really don't want a point and click user base and program. Its this mindset in the developers that will always keep the masses away. The masses don't want to learn about the workings of their computers or OS they want them to be transparent and run their software, which they wish they didn't have to learn that either.
 
The "masses" may want to learn things but are usually not smart enough or too lazy to learn. They are looking for the magic pill. That is my experience after years of teaching "Windows Facilities" at the local computer club.
 
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