Difference between revisions of "Mint Linux Distribution Reference"

Revision as of 14:56, 22 December 2017

Mint Linux is based on Ubuntu- the Long Term Support (LTS) Ubuntu distributions. Therefore, many of the customizations mentioned in Kubuntu and Ubuntu Linux Distribution Reference are applicable to Mint.

Mint is more user friendly, stable, and supports 3D acceleration better than Ubuntu. For frustrated Ubuntu users, Mint just might be the answer.

Reference New Linux Workstation Post Installation Tips for other post installation suggestions that apply to Mint.

To determine what version of Mint that you currently have installed,

cat /etc/apt/sources.list

web browsers

Uninstall Firefox and replace with the Firefox Extended Support Release so that you don't get forcefully upgraded to the dreaded Quantum 57.

1. Open Software Manager
2. In the search box type "Firefox" and click "remove"
3. Close Software Manager
4. Launch Software Sources (Menu button - Administration - Software Sources)
5. Choose PPAs and +Add a new PPA
6. enter: ppa:mozillateam/ppa
7. Click "update the cache" and close Software Sources
8. Open Software Manager
9. In the search box type "Firefox-esr" and when located "install"

See also: Firefox , Favorite Firefox Extensions

launch Welcome Screen

At the console prompt type:

/usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/mintwelcome-launcher &

Mint comes with a lame vim

Get full vim

apt install vim

Put important LAN addresses in /etc/hosts

This is primarily for the LAN file server or any machine you wish to access shares on, and only machines that have a static IP address.

vi /etc/hosts

You'll need this if you put any shares in /etc/fstab ref: New_Linux_Workstation_Post_Installation_Tips#CIFS_Windows_file_share_connectivity

File Managers

Linux Mint with the Cinimuon desktop includes Nemo File Manager by default. Nemo is fine. Pcmanfm is another good file manager. pcmanfm file manager

apt install pcmanfm

Java

OpenJDK Java Runtime

sudo apt install openjdk-8-jre

Wine

The Windows emulator, I mean, Wine Is Not an Emulator...

To use a current version of wine we do not want to go though the Software Manager in Mint. A current version of wine is available from the wine repository.

1. open the "Software Sources" control panel and click "Authentication Keys"
2. At the bottom click "Download a key" and enter: https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/Release.key (** If this fails, see "add key via console below")
3. Click "Additional repositories" choose "+Add a new repository" and enter: deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ xenial main
4. Click the "Update cache" button
5. From console type: apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable -y
6. Configure: winecfg

note ***: Add key via console, goto terminal and enter "wget https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/Release.key" followed by "sudo apt-key add Release.key"

see also: Wine as a resource to using wine and installing windows software.

Chrome rather than Chromium

Google Chrome is not FOSS. But it does stuff Chromium does not do. Lets install Google Chrome not because we love it, but because we might need it. This cannot be done with the Mint Software manager. Instead we shall go to console and install it.

• Create a text file in the path /etc/apt/sources.list.d

cd /etc/apt/sources.list.d
vi chromelist

• Add the following text to the newly created chrome.list file

deb [arch=amd64] http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main

• Download the current signed key

wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | apt-key add -
apt-get update

• Install Google Chrome from the new repository

apt install google-chrome-stable

This procedure was verified in 2017 on Mint 18.3 Sylvia installed Google Chrome Version 63.0.3239.108 (Official Build) (64-bit)