I lastly attempted Linux Mint, and now I comprehend why Windows users change

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Released Sep 20, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT

David has actually been long-lasting fan of innovation who enjoys putting his enthusiasm into words.

A reporter by training, he found the power of Unix-like os when discovering how to modify video on macOS, back when it was still called Mac OS X, in the mid-2000s.

A fan of retrocomputing, he values the large history of Unix that Linux continues today. He likewise delights in explore mathematical and analytical programs in Python.

David holds a bachelor’s degree in interaction from California State University, East Bay. His writing has actually appeared in Techopedia, TMCnetThe Motley Fool blog site network, and HTG’s sibling publication MUOto name a few.

I ‘d heard the name Linux Mint, however I just understood it was a derivative of Ubuntu. I’ve been with Ubuntu and Debian for the majority of my Linux life. I chose to take a look at Linux Mint just recently, and I was impressed by what I saw.

It's simple to set up

Linux setup without tears

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I keep in mind when you almost required a Ph.D. in computer technology simply to set up a “regular” Linux distro. Due to the fact that Linux might be picky on genuine hardware, live distros like Knoppix, the very first distro I ever attempted, were popular.

<p>It's still typical to run modern-day Linux distros in a live environment, given that individuals can test-drive a distro before dedicating to a setup on their device. Mint is no exception.</p>    <p>There are numerous variations of Linux Mint readily available, however I picked the one based upon Xfce, due to the fact that it's my preferred distro and light-weight enough for the virtual device I was installing it in. The setup went through the common actions you would anticipate from a Linux circulation, such as establishing users, keyboard design, and the partition. All of these would be intimidating not just for a brand-new Linux user, however for anybody who had actually never ever set up an os before.</p>    <p>The setup program was well considered. It described things in terms nontechnical users might comprehend, and Linux veterans like me might breeze through or fine-tune things if they wished to. Anybody without Linux experience may desire a pal convenient who has actually set up a Linux distro, simply in case, however distros like </p><h2 id="mint-is-refreshingly-boring"> Mint are far better at identifying hardware and sculpting up the difficult drive/SSD without intervention than they utilized to be.    Mint is refreshingly uninteresting
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A desktop you can overlook and get straight to work

I’ve composed before that individuals should not anticipate Linux to be a drop-in replacement for Windows, however Linux Mint comes remarkably close.

<p>While lots of Linux distros like to promote how "Linuxy" and "advanced" they are, Linux Mint appears to do the opposite. It simply attempts to be familiar to normal computer system users. And given that Windows is still the most popular desktop os, it imitates as much of Windows' feel and look as possible.</p>    <p>Even on the Xfce version, the advancement group has actually made adjustments to make it identifiable to Windows users. The primary panel has actually been relocated to the bottom, most likely to imitate the Windows taskbar. Having actually utilized Windows desktops for the large bulk of my computing life, I might start utilizing it right away.</p>    <p>Rather of requiring you into a mold with various window environments or desktops, Linux Mint's interface appears to vanish into the background, letting individuals focus on what they wish to do.</p>    <p>The system features the normal stable of Linux desktop apps, consisting of Firefox and LibreOffice. While Chrome is more popular, internet browsers have standardized their UI components, so a Chrome user might likely muddle through.</p>    <p>LibreOffice varies more from Office, however it's mainly suitable if you adhere to basic format and font styles, and it sufficed that a previous freelance composing customer of mine who demanded Word files never ever captured on that the.doc files I was sending weren't composed in Word.</p>    <p>Having a Linux desktop be ignorable is rather an interface accomplishment.</p>    The Software Center recommends familiar apps

Your preferred apps are just a click away

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Linux Mint, like a lot of desktop Linux distros, has a “store” where individuals can download and set up brand-new software application. It appears that individuals will desire a brand-new app or 2 out of package. What’s fascinating is that the Software Center recommends popular, exclusive apps. This may be anathema to open-source/Free Software diehards, however the very first thing a great deal of individuals brand-new to Linux will ask is something like “Where’s Excel?” While Excel is not available on Linux, a growing variety of apps and video games are being ported to it.

<p>I was amazed to see popular apps like Spotify provided. Numerous Linux and open-source fans would most likely choose that individuals stick to open-source programs; a great deal of users may truly require to utilize something proprietary. Listening to music from individuals you've become aware of will likely suggest handling an exclusive software application maker, likely since of the </p><h2 id="batteries-are-included"> copyright routine. That's something that's larger than the software application and the topic of another post.    </h2><p>What I like about Linux Mint is that this exhibits the Linux worth of conference users where they are and interoperating with what they currently have.</p>    Batteries are consisted of

Enjoy and listen with your codecs

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What I like about Linux Mint is that it comes as a total system that you can utilize to get efficient. The choice to set up codecs for video and audio playback was something that identified Mint from other distros that stuck to open-source software application. It may have been a compromise, however it lowered a great deal of friction for possible users when regional media playback mattered more. Even in the streaming period, streaming suppliers still demand exclusive codecs. I can see why Linux Mint is so popular as a desktop.

It's simple to upgrade

You’ll really wish to upgrade your system

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Individuals enjoy to gripe about Windows Update, however numerous popular Linux distros like Mint provide a method to keep the system upgraded. I recommend individuals utilize it. It’s one less thing to stress over. Linux Mint provided to do so right after setup.

In spite of utilizing a “lightweight” choice, I was amazed at the heft of the set up plans. After the updates, the set up system weighed in at around 15GB, about half of the virtual drive I ‘d assigned to it.

A strong desktop that reduces Windows users into Linux

If I needed to begin over in Linux, Linux Mint might extremely well be the very first distro I would seriously think about. If I were coming by directly from Windows, it might hold my hand while I found out about Linux. It’s quickly among the most enjoyable desktop experiences I’ve ever had.

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