Linux Mint 7

I am currently using this OS on my laptop it seem a little more complete than ubuntu best part is it comes with most codex preinstalled, so you can watch videos online without having to install extra plugins.If you are using ubuntu give LM7 a try and let me know what you think.I'm not sure if this OS is suppose to compete with windows 7 but works great for all basic tasks i can save things online easy though sometimes the OS seem slower with a lot of multitasking but it probably has more to do with my pc though.

Any idea how their support for ATI video cards is or if its got Wine functioning in a reasonable manner? Even under the much vaunted Ubuntu I couldn't manage to get ATI drivers to work with any degree of success, and without that its kind of moot to try to play games.

I tried Linux Mint 7, it was okay. I have Ubuntu 9.10 Release Candidate installed right now. I'm dual booting with Windows 7.

Linux Mint is an easier to use Linux. As you mentioned it has alot of stuff pre-installed so you can use it right out of the box. You don't have to use the command line as much to accomplish tasks either. Ubuntu seems to be middle ground. You can install software using the Software Center or do it the hard way with unzipping tar.gz files and compiling them. I'm still learning Linux but am having fun so far doing it.

Linux Mint 8 is getting released next month and the final release of Ubuntu 9.10 comes out on Thursday.

As for the ATI card problems. I'm not sure you can try the community help forum on ubuntu's website. I have a Nvidia graphics card and it installed the driver for it easily.

www.linuxmint.com

www.ubuntu.com

Best of luck!

I don't think it matters what OS your beating with a stick there has always been issues with the drivers and include utilities of ATI cards.
I haven't minted yet,I'm waiting for the next version.
If you get a chance give puppy Linux a try

These are extraordinary goals, yet Puppy comes close to achieving them all. The fundamental reason is that Puppy has been built from scratch, file-by-file, and is not based on any other Linux distribution. One of the most amazing features of Puppy is the range of powerful applications yet such tiny size ...and the speed.

Anyway...

As far as wine is concerned,that isn't the only solution to the running of Windows programs.Here's A nice little tutorial on Virtual box that solves the Reboot dilemma we a face at times.
Run Windows Apps Seamlessly Inside Linux

You love working inside your Linux desktop, but at the most inconvenient times you've got to reboot into Windows—whether to open a tricky Office file, try out a Windows application, or even just play a quick game.
However, with some free tools and a Windows installation disk, you can have Windows apps running right on your Linux desktop and sharing the same desktop files. It's relatively painless, it takes only a little bit longer than a Windows XP install, and it works just like virtualizing Windows on a Mac with Parallels Coherence—except it's free.
Here's how to set up Windows inside VirtualBox, and then get Windows apps running seamlessly inside your desktop.

For the ISO hunters out there.
Tuxdistro.com
Distro Watch
linuxquestions.org
linuxtracker.org

Here's A drivers source.
Linux Basis

[edit on 27-10-2009 by The Utopian Penguin]

Originally posted by Helig
Any idea how their support for ATI video cards is or if its got Wine functioning in a reasonable manner?

I don't have an ATI card so i am not sure though I did install Wine to run DVD flick that was a fail as the text became unreadable after the application was ran.Anyone know why firefox keeps crashing?Maybe i leave my laptop on too long.

Oh yeah don't forget the Community Editions of Linux Mint 7

The default desktop is a modified GNOME one but you can also get

KDE

XFCE

Fluxbox desktops.

Linux Mint 7 Community Editions

Originally posted by TinFoilHatMan55
Oh yeah don't forget the Community Editions of Linux Mint 7

The default desktop is a modified GNOME one but you can also get

KDE

XFCE

Fluxbox desktops.

Linux Mint 7 Community Editions

Will any of those desktops run smoother or faster on my drive than the default?

I just put LM7 on a usb and like it. It's like like having a SSD without having to spend hundreds on a SSD. It's also silent no annoying HDD noises from windows not being fragmented.Though there is a problem i can't read and write the the drive. I think im going to have do some work in terminal which is a pain but i guess there is no other option. Though i think we can all agree fixing screen resolution is biggest pain.

reply to post by SimpleKnowledge


Gnome and KDE or more or less on par with each other's speed, though KDE is a bit faster. XFCE is substantially faster. Fluxbox is faster, but I find that it doesnt look anywhere near as nice. If looking for something fast that is still decent to look at, XFCE is the way to go.

I just dual booted with Mint (I replaced ubuntu... I only really had it for a second OS so no loss to try others) ubuntu has been the best linux for me so far... So I'll see how I go with it.

One prob I do have is the same one that I never got around to sorting out with ubuntu - I have Nvidia 6150 LE on board graphics (I know - big spender ain't I!)... Now I got the wotsit driver straight away (protected do they call them? The proprietary ones any way)... So I got that because for some reason it only comes with a maximum 600 x 800 res??? wtf is that about??

Well I have a 1280 x 1024 monitor... The closest setting I can ever get is 1152 x 864 which makes the text look like crap - after that it's back to 800 x 600 :bnghd: I've found loads of people have this problem... And there are some walk through's, it's not simple! Any one know of an easy way? I'll figure it out soon enough...

At least the Grub screen is nicer this time! - Loverly green, already changed the boot order so windows is default (if any one needs a hand with that let me know, it's easy just edit the menu.lst file in the boot/grub folder)... Next I'm gonna see about putting some raunchy pictures there instead of the green!

Just installed Mint on an older PC and I have to say..

I LOVE IT

Seems to be complete and is really user friendly as far as installing programs etc..

I have not had to "look up" any Linux Commands yet.

Semper

I just triple booted my machine this time (7 ultimate, XP - and OpenSUSE)...

I'm straight away going back to either Ubuntu or most probably Mint cos OpenSUSE seems to assume your computer is connected to a wired network! -- I have a USB wifi dongle that uses the RT73 chipset, very common and all that in a lot of USB wifi products.... Ubuntu and Mint configured it straight out of the box - OpenSUSE is telling me to go ONLINE!! to go to repositories of drivers!!...

Now I know I can still get on line via both the windows OS, but have you read any of the walk throughs just to get the flipping drivers?? - Who writes those things? they contradict and some of them seem to be written by idiots...

I might give the ndiswrapper jobbie a go so I can 'wrap' the windows drivers into linux just so I know what I'm doing there... But defiantly plus points for mint on making that little drama non existent - did not even think about it, straight away all the available wireless networks were there clear as day, I just authenticated and used my standard search term to confirm I'm on line! (not telling)