Switching to linux mint

How I Switched from Windows 10 to Linux Mint

This article is all about my journey on switching from Windows 10 to Linux Mint 20, how I got easily adapted to the Linux environment, and some resources that helped me to set up a perfect Desktop environment.

Uncertainty

Ok, now I have decided to switch to Linux but here comes the first question. Which distro will satisfy my needs both in terms of GUI and other aspects? Linux is not something new to me since I have been working with RHEL based distros in my work for the past 4 years with the command-line.

I know RHEL based distros are good for enterprises but not for personalized desktop environments, at least that’s what I am thinking till now. So I started my research to find the distro that should be easy for me to use and at the same time should have good community support if in case I ran into some problem. Among many Linux distros, I drilled down my list to 4 flavors.

Before deciding the Distro it is necessary you formulate the list of tools/programs or packages needed and check if the distro you choose provides all those features.

For me, I use Linux for two main purposes: one is for my professional development work, writing articles, and second for my personal use like Video editing and Movies. Most of the popular software are created to be compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux like Sublime Text, VSCode, VLC Media Player, Firefox/Chromium browser. Other than these software, cloud-based services make our life easy Like Microsoft Office 365 or G Suite.

Considering all these I decided to go HYBRID. All my tools or software are cross-compatible or cloud-based so in any case, if I have to switch back to windows or Mac os I can use the same set of tools.

Reason to Choose Linux Mint Over Other Linux Distros?

Well, this is purely a personal choice. Based upon the comparison between different distros like Ubuntu, Mint, Manjaro, and Arch Linux I chose to opt Linux Mint.

Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu and Debian and comes with three different desktop flavors (Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce). Linux Mint is the go-to OS for people switching from Windows to Linux for the first time.

Below are the articles published in this site, which will help you to install and configure Linux Mint on your machine.

Linux Package Management

The first thing I did before installing Linux Mint was to learn how to work with package management. Since I already had some experience with yum command it is easy for me to learn from other package managers. There are many ways we can install packages starting from getting the source binary, Synaptic package manager, Snap store, or via the apt package manager.

Linux Terminal

For me, the real beauty of Linux is the terminal interface. I installed oh-my-bash to make my terminal look cool and aliased my frequently used commands to increase my productivity. I did everything via terminal starting from Monitoring the system, Disk Management, Network Management, Package Management, etc…

List of Software I Use in Linux

Here are the list of software I use for my personal and professional work.

Web Browsers

Multimedia Player

Code/Text Editors

• Sublime Text
• VSCode
• Nano/Micro

Programming/Database

I use Python, Bash, Git, and MySQL databases for my day-to-day work so it is necessary for me to set up the correct tools and workflow. The advantage of setting up a programming stack in Linux is I wrote a simple bash script which is a one time work. So next time, if I have to switch to a different Linux distribution I don’t have to spend my time setting up the stack from the scratch. I use Sublime Text 3 and Vscode for my development work and use Nano for command-line editing.

Productivity Suite

On a daily basis, we need tools like an email client, calendar, task creator, to-do list, Powerpoint, Word Processor, Spreadsheet, collaboration medium like slack, Microsoft teams, etc.

There are two ways you can set up the productivity suite. Either find the right set of tools and install it in OS or use cloud-based services. I use cloud-based services (G Suite and Office 365) which satisfies my needs. But there are a bunch of tools you can explore and configure as a productivity suite.

Other than the described tools, below are a set of tools that I use for system management and other purposes.

• Stacer – System optimizer and Monitor.
• Joplin – Note-taking and to-do application.
• Timeshift – Backup and restore utility.
• Virtualbox – Virtualization software.
• MySqlWorkbench – MySQL GUI based client.
• Shutter – Screenshot tool.
• Snapcraft – App store for Linux.
• Spotify – Music and Audio.
• Deluge – BitTorrent Client.

For all the list of software I mentioned in the above sections I created a bash script that will take care of installation, configuration, and retaining the perfect environment that I created now. Let’s say if I am switching from Mint to Ubuntu then I can retain everything with a single script.

That’s it for today. If you are a Windows user, try installing Linux. As a newbie, you will have some difficult time in scratching the surface, but trust me once you make your hands dirty with Linux you will never regret switching from Windows to Linux. We are excited to hear back from you about your experience with Linux.

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How I Switched from Windows 10 to Linux Mint?

The first question that arose in my mind is which Linux Distro will fulfill my needs in terms of professional and personal use. Some of the Linux distros are fine for professional use, but not meant for personal use like Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Therefore, I was keen on finding the best distro that can be used for professional, as well as personal use, and great community support.

Community support is an important aspect to consider when you are selecting any distro. The reason is that if you face any problem while installing any software applications or doing some configuration, then you can post your problem on the community website, and anyone can give the solution. From various Linux Distros, I selected the following Distros that can fulfill my professional and personal needs and have great community support:

After selecting the Distorts, the next step is to make a list of all the programs and software that you require for your personal and professional use. As I am a professional writer and writes for linuxhint.com, I need a word processor, web browser, Python interpreter (Spyder 3), screen recorder, and video editing tool for my professional use. For my personal use, as I like to watch movies and read books in my free time, I need a media player and PDF reader.

Reason for choosing Linux Mint

The Linux Mint is an efficient Linux distro, and the graphical user interface of Linux Mint is very similar to Microsoft Windows. The Linux Mint’s application menu resembles with Windows 7 application menu.

Any previous Microsoft Windows user can easily adapt to Linux Mint and get familiar with the Linux Mint operating system. So, that was one of the key reasons for the switch from Windows 10 to Linux Mint. Additionally, compared to several other Linux distributions, Linux Mint needs less hardware to run. Linux Mint comes in the following three desktop environments:

1. Cinnamon Desktop
2. Mate Desktop
3. Xfce Desktop

The Cinnamon Desktop is the default desktop for Linux Mint 20. Linux Mint 20 is based on Ubuntu 20.04 Long-term support (LTS) release. Moreover, it is totally free and open source like other Linux distros.

Installing application and packages on Linux Mint

The package management in Linux Mint is done through the apt package manager. So, the applications and packages can be installed using the apt command. Additionally, we can install the applications and packages through the Snap store and synaptic package manager. The terminal is the essential component of the Linux Mint system because by using the terminal, you can install the packages, monitor the system, and manage the disks. Most people say that terminal is the scary part of Linux distros as you need to write a lot of text on the terminal to get things done. But once you become familiar with the Linux terminal, you will find it very easy to perform your professional and personal tasks.

List of pre-installed software in Linux Mint

Much useful software comes pre-installed on Linux Mint 20, like a web browser, medial player, office suite, etc. They are essential applications and help us to perform our daily tasks. Following the list of pre-installed software tools arranged in a category:

Audio and video media player

• Celluloid (For playing video files)
• Rhythmbox (For playing audio files)

Web Browser

Text Editors

Word processor

Email client

Graphics

System Management Tools

• Synaptic Package Manager
• Update Manager
• TimeShift utility for taking and restoring system backups
• System Monitor
• System Reports
• Disk Usage Analyzer
• Driver Manager
• Power Statistics

Additionally, Python 3.8 comes pre-installed on Linux Mint 20, therefore, you do not need to install it manually if you are a Python developer. All the above-mentioned software applications help us to perform our professional and personal tasks. Moreover, the other external applications can also be installed for use on Linux Mint easily.

For instance, I need to install Open broadcaster software (OBS) studio for screen recording, then I will simply open the terminal window and run the command:

That’s it! Now you can observe how easy it is to install external software applications in Linux Mint.

Give Linux Mint a try!

If you are a Windows user and want to shift to Linux based operating system, then give Linux Mint a try, and you will enjoy it.

First, download the latest Linux Mint 20 ISO file from the Linux Mint official website (https://linuxmint.com/download.php) and check out the ‘How to Install Linux Mint 20 from USB’ article from LinuxHint website (https://linuxhint.com/installing_linux_mint_20_from_usb/) to install Linux Mint 20.

Conclusion

Linux Mint is Debian based Linux distro with a very beautiful and attractive user interface. There are several reasons discussed in this article to switch from windows 10 to Linux Mint 20.

About the author

Kamran Sattar Awaisi

I am a software engineer and a research scholar. I like to write article and make tutorial on various IT topics including Python, Cloud Computing, Fog Computing and Deep Learning. I love to use Linux based operating systems.

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5 Reasons to Switch to Linux Mint

3 min

If you are looking for an easy to use, low learning curve, compatible, reliable Linux based distribution – Linux Mint is the ultimate choice.

Ever considered that you are trapped in the vicious cycle of paying for Windows that came with OEM pre-installed in your desktop, laptop? Every five/six years you are forced to upgrade with a fee and most likely to ditch your laptop/desktop for a newer version of Windows.

Well, with Linux Mint version, you can say goodbye to those worries forever and save money. Here’s why Linux Mint is the ideal choice for everyone from beginners to advanced users, for those who is thinking to migrating from Windows.

Top 5 Reasons to Use Linux Mint

1. Free OS, Easy installation and updates

First and foremost, Linux Mint is obviously Linux and it is free and open source. You do not need to pay for downloads (although you might consider donating to the project). The installation is super easy for Linux Mint in your Laptop/Desktop. All you need to do is download the ISO image from official download page, write it as a bootable image in an USB stick then boot from it. An easy graphical installation manager will guide you through the installation process. After installation its just ready to use with all necessary pre-installed applications (such as Office Suite, PDF viewer browser, media player, screenshot tool, calculator etc).

Updating your system is also very easy in Linux Mint. Once the latest update is available, you will be prompted and you can follow the instructions for seamless update.

2. All Hardware supported

Linux Mint is based on latest Ubuntu LTS releases. And it comes with all latest hardware supports for almost all peripheral devices. All you need to do is plugin your device and it should detect automatically thanks to its pre-built drivers. All popular brands of Cameras, DSLR, mobile phones, keyboard, mouse, webcam, printers should just work fine.

If you need proprietary drivers, driver manager would prompt you to install based on your hardware. No more searching for drivers for your favorite device.

3. Very Fast and Secure OS

Linux Mint comes with three variants of desktop environments – Cinnamon, MATE and XFCE. These are merely names with different options. Cinnamon edition of Linux Mint is the most popular and if you are a first time user – considering to move from Windows – you should consider Cinnamon.

Despite whatever desktop environment you use, Linux Mint is very fast – super fast for all types of hardware whether it is new or old. You would not be worrying about Viruses or malwares as they would not work in Linux. Built in firewall helps you to protect from internet related attacks. No more paying again for OEM installed firewall protections in Windows.

4. Software Installation and Management

Linux Mint comes with a Software Manager graphical utility where you can search applications for your use. You can easily install and un-install application via click of a button from this utility in Linux Mint. This makes it super easy for the first time users in Linux world, eliminating the need to use terminal.

5. Ubuntu Based Distribution

Linux Mint is based on popular rock solid Ubuntu Linux distribution. It is typically supported for 4 years with security and other fixes. So you do not need to worry about the safety and security of your system anymore. You get periodical updates as it is available in Linux Mint branch directly pushed to your system and you can go ahead and install as in when needed.

If you want to try Linux Mint, go ahead and download latest Linux Mint Cinnamon, XFCE or MATE edition from below links. All downloads are available as torrent, direct ISO files.

You can try the Linux Mint via LIVE USB before you decide and install in your system. You can follow this guide on how to create LIVE USB.

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