Mint Linux Distribution Reference

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

The default windows manager / desktop environment is called Cinnamon. Cinnamon is an independent desktop environment that retains many features that users appreciated in GNOME. The toolbar is called the Cinnamon Panel.

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

UI Preferences and Features

launch Welcome Screen

At the console prompt type:

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

Cinnamon Task Bar Thumbnail Previews

When the mouse cursor is over a running program label and icon in the task bar a preview window opens up to show a mini view of the running program application. Sometimes this is an annoyance when the user inadvertently parks the mouse cursor at the bottom of the screen out of the way while working, causing the preview window to pop up and cover part of the workspace. The preview feature can be disabled, the setting is a little bit buried. To disable (or enable):

1. click the Menu
2. Hover the mouse cursor over the Preferences icon under "All Applications"
3. In the next column over a list selection will appear, scroll up and click on "Applets"
4. In the Applets dialog under the Installed Applets list scroll down and locate "Window List"
5. There are two icon symbols on the right side of "Window List," click on the gears (configure)
6. Under "Display" toggle "Show window thumbnails on hover" on or off

Mint comes with a lame vim

Get full vim

apt install vim

Shell Environment Path

Need to add a directory path to the shell path statement for your own scripts?

• Per user shell

vi ~/.provile

Look for the line with a comment about "set PATH so it includes user's private bin directories" and add your custom path in there like this: ( added /myscripts to the path )

PATH="$HOME/bin:$HOME/.local/bin:/myscripts:$PATH"

note: In the past we used ~/.bash_profile and had to include "export PATH"

Look at /etc/profile which is used for each new user directory created. It has a script still looking for .bash_profile so it appears that if a .bash_profile is created, the script will identify its existence and use it.

Also note that .bashrc is executed every time a bash shell is opened and .bash_profile only if it's a login shell. Also, it appears that the default profile still looks for

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 Cinnamon desktop includes Nemo File Manager by default. Nemo is fine. Pcmanfm is another good file manager. pcmanfm file manager

apt install pcmanfm

pcmanfm does some useful things nemo does not do. For example, to backup a file in the directory with pcmanfm simply click the filename, choose "copy" and then choose "paste" from the menubar. pcmanfm will prompt you because the copy has the same filename as the original, and give you the option to rename, in which I simply change the extension to .bak or something like that. This simple task that you can do in Microsoft Windows and in Linux using pcmanfm cannot be done with nemo!

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") JUST USE CONSOLE
3. Click "Additional repositories" choose "+Add a new repository" and enter: deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ xenial main SEE NOTE BELOW FOR VERSIONS
4. Click the "Update cache" button
5. From console type: sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable -y
6. Configure: winecfg

note 1 ***: Add key via console, goto terminal and enter (instructions for step 2)

sudo wget https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/Release.key
sudo apt-key add Release.key

or try the legacy method

apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv 76F1A20FF987672F

WINE REPOSITORY VERSIONS

• Mint 18.3 deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ xenial main
• Mint 19.x deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ bionic main
• Mint 21.x deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ jammy main

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)

Mint changes computer clock on reboot

This is only noticed on a dual boot machine when the other OS is Microsoft Windows. On a dual boot system, or comparing bios time to the time in Mint- Windows tries to keep HW clock at the local time. Linux tries to keep them at the UTC.

The fix for Mint 18 or newer is to execute this:

sudo timedatectl set-local-rtc 1

Related Issue on Ubuntu (for reference): Ubuntu_Troubleshooting#Ubuntu_changes_computer_clock_on_reboot

The folks over at Mint don't want you to use local time. Here's the warning:

Warning: The system is configured to read the RTC time in the local time zone.
         This mode can not be fully supported. It will create various problems
         with time zone changes and daylight saving time adjustments. The RTC
         time is never updated, it relies on external facilities to maintain it.
         If at all possible, use RTC in UTC by calling
         'timedatectl set-local-rtc 0'.

Image Viewer

Xviewer is the default image viewer installed in Mint 18. You may find that Xviewer is lacking some useful features in an image viewer. Gimp is also included in Mint however Gimp is quite a bit more than an image viewer, and most people are looking for something lightweight in an image viewer. Here are some alternatives:

Geeqie

Perhaps the most useful image viewer and also in the Mint repository. Highly recommended.

sudo apt install geeqie

When you zoom in on an image the window does not automatically enlarge, however, it will zoom an image automatically to fit the window. It has many image zoom options and zoom memory. You can also hide any part of the interface such as the files view on the left. This is a better image viewer than the classic ACDSee 2.21 (not a linux software but runs well under wine.) Geeqie is a 5 star image viewer as of version 1.2.2

viewnoir

Has some good features such as the ability to control the action of the mouse wheel (scroll though images in a directory or zoom level). However, it is not in the default repository. Use this if you don't care for Geeqie, however, I still prefer Geeqie.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:skellat/flow1
sudo apt-get update
apt-get install viewnior

Missing feature: when you zoom in on an image the window does not automatically enlarge.

viewnoir can edit and save which I don't need in an "image viewer."

You can remove the repository without uninstalling viewnoir (I don't necessarily want other software from skellat, but if you do, then leave it.

add-apt-repository --remove ppa:skellat/flow1

If you want to delete a PPA repository as well as all packages installed/upgraded from the PPA, you can use "ppa-purge" command, simultaneously this downgrading installed packages to the version from official mint base. But to keep viewnoir after removing the repository do not "ppa-purge."