Honestly, using Linux Mint lately and it's been far smoother than my previous linux attempts. Granted, there's much better tech today to help, but yeah it's been nice. My only sadness is not getting my singular Xbox App game playable on linux.
this post was submitted on 23 Jun 2025
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Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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A low place indeed when even the high seas deliver not your treasure.
Recently I was using Ubuntu and needed to recall a terminal command I had used a couple weeks prior. Luckily, my terminal commands are logged in the ~/.bash_history text file. Easy, convenient, customizable, and no AI needed!
Ctrl+r in any terminal will open up a search mode for your history.
Thank you. I was just pushing the up arrow a hundred times.
Great effort and all but until we can get an .exe to run in windows to install the new system, this will not attract anybody but the 0.01%.
Yes, for us in the know it’s no biggie to get an USB stick, play with Rufus or the kind, fiddle with ”BIOS” but for the average user even the first step is just too much.
Windows can install new Windows and modify EFI stuff, and macOS can install new macOS so why can’t Linux use the same mechanisms? Especially as in the history there used to be some projects that could do this…
Best chance in decades to bring Linux to desktop and it looks like we blew it by being too accustomed to difficulty, not being united behind the effort and whatnot :(
Yo, you're giving me ideas. Maybe I can make use of my old laptop, get Windows on it (if possible), and try to do something like this. Could the average user run something through the terminal? I know PowerShell and some CMD. Or I could figure out how to GUI as well. I'd need to sketch out what such an app would do. Downloading a Linux distro would be step one. Not sure if I could make BIOS changes, though, and install. I guess with my current abilities, it'd end up being an auto ISO downloader and USB flasher at best. But I'd be down to learn and try. I'd need a basic Install Linux 101 guide, to "mimic" through a script. Could be a fun project.
Not my text but here’s what Gemini laid out, apparently projects like WubiUEFI do something like this but with caveats.
” Project: "One-Click Linux" Installer Objective: A simple .exe for non-technical users to install a full Linux distribution from Windows 10/11. The process will be fully automated after a single click.
Core Technologies & Components
- The Windows Application (.exe)
- GUI Framework: .NET (C#) to build a minimal user interface and leverage deep Windows integration.
- Disk Partitioner: Script the built-in Windows diskpart.exe utility to automatically shrink the existing Windows partition and create a new one for Linux. Requires Administrator privileges.
- Installer Preparation: Download a pre-selected Linux distribution (e.g., Linux Mint) and extract its core files.
- The Bridge from Windows to Linux
- Boot Configuration: Use Windows bcdedit.exe to create a temporary, one-time boot entry that points directly to the Linux installer, bypassing the normal Windows boot.
- Automated Installation: Generate a preseed or kickstart script. This file will provide all the answers to the Linux installer automatically (language, keyboard, and instructions to use the partition created earlier).
- The Modern Boot Solution (Post-Installation)
- Boot Manager: rEFInd. The automated Linux install will install rEFInd. It is chosen for its superior auto-detection of both Windows and Linux, and its user-friendly graphical interface. It will automatically provide a clean, icon-based menu to choose an OS on startup.
- Boot Method: EFI Stub. The Linux kernel will be launched directly by rEFInd as a bootable EFI application. This is a fast, clean, and modern method that avoids the complexity of older bootloaders. rEFInd will handle discovering the kernel and presenting it as a boot option. ”
Eh, now that I think about it, such a project would either need to take a lot of decisions for the user, or risk becoming too complex for giving the user options. I mean, I see partitioning, and I realise that's something I hadn't thought of. I assumed just an install, but what if the user wants dual boot? What distro to pick? How much space for each "boot"? Do we choose a specific DE or take the distro's main or default? So many variables. I mean, it's one thing to BAM! Ubuntu auto-installer .exe. Now, to allow for user choices… or not to? You either give options, which could be overwhelmimg to someone who might not even understand all that, or become simple and, in the process, heavily "opinionated"
Mint is really good , but a while ago I was having issues with Mint , swapped to Fedora Desktop. No more bad feelings to Linux again
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for all Ubuntu haters there is a Debian Version of Mint. And second Linux Mint is the perfekt set and forget Distro. No Tinkering for a basic PC without special Requirements.
And i love it that almost all agree that when a noob ask what Distro to choose that Linux mint is every time in the proposed Distros
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Is ubuntu still alright? I've only ever used that kernel and it was on machine that was prepped for it, would y'all say it's relatively easy to install yourself?
Ubuntu is good, actually. It has basically the widest out of the box hardware and software support of any distribution, a decent default UI and an easy installer. Its downsides are that it has a reputation as baby’s first Linux so you don’t get any hipster cred and some people don’t like that it uses snap as a package format for some things, including Firefox.
How do I dislike Ubuntu, let me count the ways:
- Desktop whiplash: Gnome, Unity, no Gnome...
- snap pushed into the default distro, long before it's a net-positive (and it's still not a net positive, IMO)
- You want this security update that somebody else published? Yeah, we want your money.
I've used Ubuntu heavily since 14.04 through 24.04... my new system installs are going Debian 12 with XFCE, and yes - I did evaluate Xubuntu, I'm actually typing this from an Xubuntu machine right now that's planned to be getting Debian if it ever needs a re-image.
Ubuntu wasn't a bad choice, still isn't a terrible choice, but if you're going to have to strip out snap by hand and deal with security updates by hand after 4-5 years and install a "niche" desktop version to get out from Gnome's rather inflexible view of things, might as well just go to Debian and be done with whatever "new deals" Canonical comes up with in the future.
What's with all the Mint hype? I've never used it and have little desire to go back to a Ubuntu-based distro. Just curious why everyone loves it so much.
Mint is easy. Easy is good.
Even if you can configure your way through Arch to a killer custom system, is that really what you want to do every time on every computer in your life?
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I ran it for a while, and loved it. Cinnamon is sleek and feels polished. The installation is really fast and not bloated with garbage software.
Everything generally works, and the interface feels familiar.
It is Ubuntu/Debian under the hood, so compatibility with most software is good. Bleeding edge drivers may run into issues, but most of them work with a little fiddling.
It's worth a try. If nothing else toss it on a USB drive and give it a test drive.
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It's rock solid and the desktop is very close to what people coming from Windows would expect. It's just a very good beginner distro, not necessarily something that more advanced users would choose.
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For the most part, it works well without needing too much tinkering by the user. It's the Fisher Price My First Distro.
I tried it out with a 21.3 dualboot with Windows 11 and within 2 or 3 months I hadn't gone back to Windows other than to push files over. Sure, there were a few "learning opportunities" with tweaks or weird driver issues that were because of the particular hardware I'm using, but they were manageable. At this point I'm running 22.1 only on this machine.
The nice part is that being Ubuntu-based, if I run into a problem, I can search for both the more widely-documented Ubuntu version of the issue, or look for a Mint-related version. Claude does a great job with small-to-medium troubleshooting rather than me dig through forums. It's low-risk, low-work, high-reward.
Calling it a "Fischer Price" distro is a little patronizing. I'm a seasoned Linux user and I use Mint for work because I just want something that works when my paycheck is on the line. Mint has never broken on me and always works.
Slight sarcasm - I'm also a Mint user, and it was like a recursive reference to this meme from forever ago. Maybe it was too specific and dated, but the point is that since Macs were so easy to use, the Windows people back in the 8.1 days treated Mac users like kindergartners as they paid for their $1,000 facebook machines (also a meme from that time).
All the "Yeah, I use Arch, BTW" people that love the struggle and the hobbyist tweaks of their distros seem to look down on Mint users because it doesn't require a struggle to use Mint. I used to see it all the time when I first jumped over to Linux.
Exactly! I've been using a laptop with Mint for school for more than 5 years and I've had no problems with it
That being said, I also haven't had any problems with my TV PC running Fedora, or my fileserver running Ubuntu either, so... 🤷
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Originally I planned to switch in October when support for W10 runs out, but it seems my PC made the push for me.
At the start of ~~July~~ June some issue with windows that caused my system to freeze and then get stuck on boot when restarted finally bricked my system for a 2nd time this year and I was forced to reinstall the OS again. So, instead of wasting another 4 months on dealing with all the crap windows has been throwing my way lately, I just jumped ship to mint.
3 weeks in and, so far so good. Really got around to all the personalization it allows over windows. Learning to run a pc mostly through the terminal has been a step out of the comfort zone, but an enjoyable one tbh
At the start of July
Ah, so I see you switched to Linux and made the time travel. Cheers.
June haha. Got the wrong j month. ty for pointing that out
I really need to move my PC over to Mint, but change makes me deeply uncomfortable :(
Take it slow. Install a VM with Mint. Play around with it. Get familiar. Move your regular usage over to it gradually. Make the jump when you are ready. It's perfectly OK to have reservations about a big change like that. But you don't have to do it all in one go.
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I screwed up so bad. I bought a laptop to trial different Linux distros and also because my old one is 12yo now and has its own problems. However, the manufacturer ONLY provides Windows support drivers, so the keyboard won't work without a kernel level patch and I am not a kernel-patch level guy yet
wtf how does a laptop need drivers to use the keyboard? i thought they just used usb/ps2, that is truly fucked
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