this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2026
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Linux

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[–] prunerye@slrpnk.net 42 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

The article states that you can't link your phone to Linux Mint like you can on Windows or Mac.

Huh?

[–] henfredemars@infosec.pub 46 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

You certainly can. I think part of this perception comes from this idea that you’re stuck with the same desktop environment or utilities that came with the system, whereas on Linux you can completely reinstall things you didn’t even know were options from the Windows World.

For example, I can run Gnome and use the KDE connect application if I want to.

To some users, if the system doesn’t recommend the use case or hold your hand through it, they confuse that with being impossible.

[–] KoboldCoterie@pawb.social 30 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

It's valuable to see comments like this, though. You could claim it's ignorance on the part of the writer, but a better takeaway is that Linux doesn't do a good job of explaining how it works. This could have been prevented with some kind of post-install documentation explaining exactly what you just posted, for example. The "New To Linux" experience is really not great if you don't have online communities or external-to-the-OS resources to reference to find out things like this. I went quite a long time after making the switch before really understanding that the desktop environment is largely independent from the OS and how the two relate.

On that note, having multiple desktop environments available to "demo" on the live USB pre-install would help massively. Hearing "Oh, there's X desktop environments to choose from!" isn't useful if you don't know what the difference is or which one you prefer, and online resources aren't particularly helpful if you're coming to Linux from another OS. Fuck anyone who installs, say, CachyOS that has what, like 15-20 options? rather than 3 for Mint.

[–] RenardDesMers@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

And there is an extension for GNOME shell called GSconnect using kdeconnect protocol. But I understand there's none called Linux mint so it's not as easy for discoverability.

[–] young_broccoli@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 2 weeks ago

You can run kde connect on Mint Cinnamon without problems too

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Bullshit

KDE connect has finally been working well for years now

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip -2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I wouldn't say bullshit

KDE connect is fairly obscure

[–] Papierkorb@feddit.org 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The article in question is about Linux Mint

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Its been a while since I had mint, but I remember Mint coming with KDE, as I've never used anything but KDE

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I don't believe it has ever shipped KDE

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I believe it has as I have used it and I have never used anything that was not KDE

[–] punrca@piefed.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

AirDrop/Quick-share FOSS alternative to transfer files across cross-platforms (LocalSend): https://localsend.org/

LocalSend is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

It's free and open source, source code is here: https://github.com/localsend/localsend

[–] steel_for_humans@piefed.social 2 points 2 weeks ago

It's true. Sort of ;) Tried connecting my openSUSE with my Android phone today.

https://github.com/GSConnect/gnome-shell-extension-gsconnect/issues/2116

Supposedly fixed and merged but not released yet. I decided to wait.

[–] SteveTech@aussie.zone 1 points 2 weeks ago

Also,

it doesn’t run some major software, such as Adobe Creative Cloud or Microsoft 365 desktop apps.

I don't use it, but I've heard Adobe CC can work now. Microsoft Office also still works for me with CrossOver, although they've just given up on support for it. Sure, these are much more nitpick things, but I think the author could've at least done some research.