10 GNU/Linux Distributions Worth Checking Out

[Shemhamforash]

http://distrowatch.com/images/yvzhuwbpy/mint.png
http://distrowatch.com/images/cgfjoewdlbc/mint-small.png


1. Linux Mint is an Ubuntu-based distribution whose goal is to provide a more complete out-of-the-box experience by including browser plugins, media codecs, support for DVD playback, Java and other components. It also adds a custom desktop and menus, several unique configuration tools, and a web-based package installation interface. Linux Mint is compatible with Ubuntu software repositories.

OS Type: Linux
Based on: Debian, Ubuntu (LTS)
Origin: Ireland
Architecture: i386, x86_64
Desktop: Cinnamon, GNOME, KDE, MATE, Xfce
Category: Beginners, Desktop, Live Medium
Status: Active
Popularity: 1 (3,013 hits per day)

Source:
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=mint


http://distrowatch.com/images/yvzhuwbpy/debian.png
http://distrowatch.com/images/cgfjoewdlbc/debian-small.png


2. The Debian Project is an association of individuals who have made common cause to create a free operating system. This operating system is called Debian GNU/Linux, or simply Debian for short. Debian systems currently use the Linux kernel. Linux is a completely free piece of software started by Linus Torvalds and supported by thousands of programmers worldwide. Of course, the thing that people want is application software: programs to help them get what they want to do done, from editing documents to running a business to playing games to writing more software. Debian comes with over 50,000 packages (precompiled software that is bundled up in a nice format for easy installation on your machine) - all of it free. It's a bit like a tower. At the base is the kernel. On top of that are all the basic tools. Next is all the software that you run on the computer. At the top of the tower is Debian -- carefully organizing and fitting everything so it all works together.

OS Type: Linux
Based on: Independent
Origin: Global
Architecture: arm64, armel, armhf, i386, mips, mipsel, powerpc, ppc64el, s390x, x86_64
Desktop: AfterStep, Awesome, Blackbox, Cinnamon, Fluxbox, flwm, FVWM, GNOME, i3, IceWM, ion, JWM, KDE, lxde, MATE, Openbox, pekwm, Ratpoison, Razor-qt, WMaker, XBMC, Xfce
Category: Desktop, Live Medium, Server
Status: Active
Popularity: 2 (1,925 hits per day)

Source:
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=debian

http://distrowatch.com/images/yvzhuwbpy/ubuntu.png
http://distrowatch.com/images/cgfjoewdlbc/ubuntu-small.png


3. Ubuntu is a complete desktop Linux operating system, freely available with both community and professional support. The Ubuntu community is built on the ideas enshrined in the Ubuntu Manifesto: that software should be available free of charge, that software tools should be usable by people in their local language and despite any disabilities, and that people should have the freedom to customise and alter their software in whatever way they see fit. "Ubuntu" is an ancient African word, meaning "humanity to others". The Ubuntu distribution brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the software world.

OS Type: Linux
Based on: Debian, Ubuntu
Origin: Isle of Man
Architecture: armhf, i686, powerpc, ppc64el, x86_64
Desktop: Unity
Category: Beginners, Desktop, Server, Live Medium
Status: Active
Popularity: 3 (1,561 hits per day)

Source:
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=ubuntu


http://distrowatch.com/images/yvzhuwbpy/manjaro.png
http://distrowatch.com/images/cgfjoewdlbc/manjaro-small.png


4. Manjaro Linux is a fast, user-friendly, desktop-oriented operating system based on Arch Linux. Key features include intuitive installation process, automatic hardware detection, stable rolling-release model, ability to install multiple kernels, special Bash scripts for managing graphics drivers and extensive desktop configurability. Manjaro Linux offers Xfce as the core desktop options, as well as a minimalist Net edition for more advanced users. Community-supported GNOME 3/Cinnamon and KDE flavours are available. Users also benefit from the supportive and vibrant Manjaro community forum.

OS Type: Linux
Based on: Arch
Origin: Austria, Germany, France
Architecture: i686, x86_64
Desktop: Cinnamon, Enlightenment, Fluxbox, GNOME, i3, KDE, lxde, LXQt, MATE, Openbox, pekwm, Xfce
Category: Desktop, Live Medium, Netbooks
Status: Active
Popularity: 7 (978 hits per day)

Source:
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=manjaro


http://distrowatch.com/images/yvzhuwbpy/arch.png
http://distrowatch.com/images/cgfjoewdlbc/arch-small.png


5. Arch Linux is an independently developed, i686- and x86_64-optimised Linux distribution targeted at competent Linux users. It uses 'pacman', its home-grown package manager, to provide updates to the latest software applications with full dependency tracking. Operating on a rolling release system, Arch can be installed from a CD image or via an FTP server. The default install provides a solid base that enables users to create a custom installation. In addition, the Arch Build System (ABS) provides a way to easily build new packages, modify the configuration of stock packages, and share these packages with other users via the Arch Linux user repository.

OS Type: Linux
Based on: Independent
Origin: Canada
Architecture: arm, i686, x86_64
Desktop: Cinnamon, Enlightenment, GNOME, KDE, lxde, MATE, Xfce
Category: Desktop, Raspberry Pi, Server
Status: Active
Popularity: 9 (738 hits per day)

Source:
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=arch


http://distrowatch.com/images/yvzhuwbpy/lubuntu.png
http://distrowatch.com/images/cgfjoewdlbc/lubuntu-small.png


6. Lubuntu is a fast, lightweight and energy-saving variant of Ubuntu using the lxde (Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment) desktop. It is intended to have low-resource system requirements and is designed primarily for netbooks, mobile devices and older PCs.

OS Type: Linux
Based on: Debian, Ubuntu
Origin: France, Taiwan
Architecture: armhf, i386, powerpc, x86_64
Desktop: lxde, Openbox
Category: Live Medium, Netbooks, Old Computers
Status: Active
Popularity: 16 (537 hits per day)

Source:
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=lubuntu


http://distrowatch.com/images/yvzhuwbpy/ubuntumate.png
http://distrowatch.com/images/cgfjoewdlbc/ubuntumate-small.png


7. Ubuntu MATE is a desktop Linux distribution which aims to bring the simplicity and elegance of the Ubuntu operating system through a classic, traditional desktop environment - the MATE desktop. MATE is the continuation of the GNOME 2 desktop environment which was used as Ubuntu's default desktop until 10.10 (when it was replaced by Unity). The project began its life as an Ubuntu "remix", but starting with version 15.04, it was formally accepted as an official member of the Ubuntu family of Linux distributions.

OS Type: Linux
Based on: Debian, Ubuntu
Origin: United Kingdom
Architecture: armhf, i386, powerpc, x86_64
Desktop: MATE
Category: Beginners, Desktop, Live Medium, Raspberry Pi
Status: Active
Popularity: 21 (435 hits per day)

Source:
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=ubuntumate


http://distrowatch.com/images/yvzhuwbpy/bodhi.png
http://distrowatch.com/images/cgfjoewdlbc/bodhi-small.png


8. Bodhi Linux is an elegant and lightweight Ubuntu-based distribution featuring Moksha, an Enlightenment-17-based desktop environment. The project takes a decidedly minimalist approach by offering modularity, high levels of customisation, and choice of themes. In addition to basic 32- and 64-bit systems, Bodhi maintains designated ISO images for Chromebooks and legacy machines. By default Bodhi has only five pre-installed applications: Midori, Terminology, PCManFM, ePhoto, and ePad. Additional software is available via AppCenter, a web-based software installation tool.

OS Type: Linux
Based on: Debian, Ubuntu
Origin: USA
Architecture: armhf, i386, x86_64
Desktop: Moksha (Enlightenment)
Category: Chromebooks, Desktop, Live Medium, Old Computers, Raspberry Pi
Status: Active
Popularity: 27 (394 hits per day)

Source:
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=bodhi


http://distrowatch.com/images/yvzhuwbpy/gentoo.png
http://distrowatch.com/images/cgfjoewdlbc/gentoo-small.png


9. Gentoo Linux is a versatile and fast, completely free Linux distribution geared towards developers and network professionals. Unlike other distros, Gentoo Linux has an advanced package management system called Portage. Portage is a true ports system in the tradition of BSD ports, but is Python-based and sports a number of advanced features including dependencies, fine-grained package management, "fake" (OpenBSD-style) installs, safe unmerging, system profiles, virtual packages, config file management, and more.

OS Type: Linux
Based on: Independent
Origin: USA
Architecture: i486, i586, i686, x86_64, alpha, arm, hppa, mips, powerpc, ppc64, sparc64
Desktop: AfterStep, Awesome, Blackbox, Enlightenment, Fluxbox, GNOME, IceWM, KDE, lxde, Openbox, WMaker, Xfce
Category: Desktop, Server, Source-based
Status: Active
Popularity: 45 (275 hits per day)

Source:
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=gentoo


http://distrowatch.com/images/yvzhuwbpy/ultimate.png
http://distrowatch.com/images/cgfjoewdlbc/ultimate-small.png


10. Ultimate Edition, first released in December 2006, is a fork of Ubuntu and Linux Mint. The goal of the project is to create a complete, seamlessly integrated, visually stimulating, and easy-to-install operating system. Single-button upgrade is one of several special characteristics of this distribution. Other main features include custom desktop and theme with 3D effects, support for a wide range of networking options, including WiFi and Bluetooth, and integration of many extra applications and package repositories.

OS Type: Linux
Based on: Debian, Ubuntu
Origin: USA
Architecture: i386, x86_64
Desktop: Awesome, GNOME, KDE Plasma, MATE, Razor-qt, Xfce
Category: Desktop, Live Medium
Status: Active
Popularity: 49 (253 hits per day)

Source:
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=ultimate

[jedi]

Hey Shemhamforash, might I suggest one more? VSIDO Linux. You can grab it at vsido.org

I told you I'd be rid of Windows 10. Finally got busy and wiped the drive and started fresh. Even got it to install with EFI, and am trying out Gnome 3.18.2. Haven't looked at Gnome since ver 2.?...

Can you point to any good Gnome themes on here?

[Shemhamforash]

Can't get it to install in VirtualBox for me. There are no GNOME themes on here, better to just check gnome-look.org.

[freak69ize]

Theres some good gnome themes on DeviantArt if i recall correctly.

[jedi]

Yeah, Gnome3 lasted all of a few hours at best. A real letdown for me. Personally I think they should toss it and just go back to Gnome2 and work on it!

I went back to Fluxbox and LightDM. Using Compton as my compositing tool.

[Shemhamforash]

Yeah, Gnome3 lasted all of a few hours at best. A real letdown for me. Personally I think they should toss it and just go back to Gnome2 and work on it!

I went back to Fluxbox and LightDM. Using Compton as my compositing tool.

Personally I hate GNOME3 but apparently developers like it for workflow, idk why exactly. But what would be the point of the GNOME team working on GNOME2? MATE has been around a few years now and is better than GNOME2 ever was in its glory days.

I use lightdm, lxde or DWM on Arch and I use Openbox, sometimes with Compton for the compositing but generally I use plain Openbox no Compton when I don't want distractions of Compiz animations. Compiz has been updated to a new version of the 0.8 series and development is still ocurring, if you're interested you can read more on the Northfield blog http://blog.northfield.ws/

[Dark Knight]

Don't know exactly what you guys are looking for but if you are looking for a suitable Windows replacement you might want to check out Elementary OS here: https://elementary.io/

[2635599]

Don't know exactly what you guys are looking for but if you are looking for a suitable Windows replacement you might want to check out Elementary OS here: https://elementary.io/

the idea is to get a userfriendly os that we're not going to be charged for.

[Dark Knight]

the idea is to get a userfriendly os that we're not going to be charged for.

:laughing:

Dude, they are just looking for donations towards it's development ........ just enter $0 in the custom field and you can download the OS for free OR feel free to donate if you like, I have. Out of all the Linux based OS's this one is my favorite and is installed on my old Dell laptop.

[Shemhamforash]

The family of Ubuntu flavors have been upgraded to a new Long Term Support release today. Version 16.04 "Xenial Xerus" will be supported for 5 years.

Ubunutu MATE 16.04 iso images: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-mate/releases/16.04/release/
Lubuntu 16.04 iso images: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/lubuntu/releases/16.04/release/
Kubuntu 16.04 iso images: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/16.04/release/
Ubuntu (Unity) 16.04 iso images: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/lubuntu/releases/16.04/release/
All other flavors: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/

[Nimbi]

Is Manjaro still worth getting? I'm thinking on swapping to Arch based Linux but need one with a graphical installer since I don't like the idea of having to install each separate part via command line. Also I have AMD Quad-Core A8-7410 APU with AMD Radeon R5 GFX in it which is one reason I want to swap. Ubuntu nor UbuntuMATE support that at the moment. And I've been told Arch is likely better.

[Shemhamforash]

All of them are still worth checking out, imo.

[Nimbi]

All of them are still worth checking out, imo.

Cool, gonna try Manjaro Gnome. I like the look better than the others. And I'm hoping it supports my gfx. Also once i have it installed I'll check to see if it supports Emerald. If not then o well but it's definitely looking like something I might like.

[Nimbi]

Well, that failed. Made the Live USB Installer and got Error Unknown File System when I tried to boot it. Oh well. I'll just stick with UbuntuMATE, lol.


---EDIT---

Figured it out. Apparently Rufus requires a version of Grub that isn't supported by Manjaro. I'll have to make the Live USB Installer with something else, lol.

[Shemhamforash]

I always burn cds to make live DVDs. Compiz/emerald will not work on gnome btw.

[2635599]

has to be something specific to Manjaro cause i've never run across that problem with debian, ubuntu, redhat or other distros i've tried.

[Nimbi]

has to be something specific to Manjaro cause i've never run across that problem with debian, ubuntu, redhat or other distros i've tried.

Yeah, it's specific to the latest Manjaro. There's anew line somewhere in it that doesn't work with the version of Grub required by Rufus. No worries, Ill find a working program sooner or later. I'm actually not sure if the reason Universal USB Creator [or whatever it was called] failed was due to running it through wine, but i'll test it on grandma's Windows computer in a few days. For now I'm hosting an event for my clan in RuneScape tomorrow so I'm gonna wait til after that, lol.

[Shemhamforash]

Yeah, it's specific to the latest Manjaro. There's anew line somewhere in it that doesn't work with the version of Grub required by Rufus. No worries, Ill find a working program sooner or later. I'm actually not sure if the reason Universal USB Creator [or whatever it was called] failed was due to running it through wine, but i'll test it on grandma's Windows computer in a few days. For now I'm hosting an event for my clan in RuneScape tomorrow so I'm gonna wait til after that, lol.




Or you could pick up some dvds to burn, that method is foolproof lol

[Nimbi]

I always burn cds to make live DVDs. Compiz/emerald will not work on gnome btw.

ah ok. and it seems gnome is a community edition, not an actual main release.. i'll just get the main release. Not sure which is better though : XFCE, Openbox, or NET.

Also, don't have any discs that can be used to boot like that. only DVD Data discs and they're not the re-writable ones.

[Shemhamforash]

ah ok. and it seems gnome is a community edition, not an actual main release.. i'll just get the main release. Not sure which is better though : XFCE, Openbox, or NET.

Also, don't have any discs that can be used to boot like that. only DVD Data discs and they're not the re-writable ones.

Ok, well if you don't have any dvd discs, they are easily attainable. I don't know why you don't go for a community edition like mate https://manjaro.org/2017/03/29/manjaro-mate-community-edition-17-0/

[Nimbi]

Holy!!! AryaLinux is FREE!! I don't know why it was being charged for last time I found a download for it, lol. I might look into that one as well. Especially since the screenshots show a start menu that looks almost completely identical the the windows 7 styled start menu. Definitely something to look into. If it fits my preferences I might go for it, lol.

[Nimbi]

Ok, well if you don't have any dvd discs, they are easily attainable. I don't know why you don't go for a community edition like mate https://manjaro.org/2017/03/29/manjaro-mate-community-edition-17-0/

NOICE!! I'll look into that as well, lol. Looks really nice. I won't deny, when I switched to Linux my original search was for AryaLinux but the only one I found then wasn't free [it was expensive asf, tbh]. But this looks fairly similar to the free ones on the actual website for AryaLinux, so this might be a better option for me since the commands are east enough to memorise [and since I still don't know if AryaLinux will be easy to use due to it being a builder's OS].

But thanks for pointing this one out to me. It definitely looks like my style of OS.


---EDIT---

Also what size and type of DVD disc will I need? Will a 7GB DVD-RW disc be good enough?

[Shemhamforash]

Any burnable dvd disc will do. 3+gb of data. imo no good linux distro charges money or begs for donations. If you want a Windows 7 style start menu there is mint-menu, mate-menu, and xfce whisker menu.

[Nimbi]

Any burnable dvd disc will do. 3+gb of data. imo no good linux distro charges money or begs for donations. If you want a Windows 7 style start menu there is mint-menu, mate-menu, and xfce whisker menu.

Ah, ok then. I'll see if I can get some DVD discs then. Right now I only have one DVD-R Data disc and I'm not sure if it actually works, lol. If Data discs work I'll try it, but if not I'll pick up some regular DVD discs from the store once my SSI check comes in [supposing there's enough left over after the bills are all payed, lol].

[Nimbi]

Ok, well if you don't have any dvd discs, they are easily attainable. I don't know why you don't go for a community edition like mate https://manjaro.org/2017/03/29/manjaro-mate-community-edition-17-0/

Forgot to ask. Does Manjaro MATE support the Emerald theme manager and Compiz?

[2635599]

Or you could pick up some dvds to burn, that method is foolproof lol

i'm sorry but dvd's are for skeet shooting or using as ninja stars this day and age. lol


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUf-g9tbAvg

[Shemhamforash]

i'm sorry but dvd's are for skeet shooting or using as ninja stars this day and age. lol


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUf-g9tbAvg

Sometimes distros don't play well with getting burned to usb, also it's easy to overwrite one that you may want later, with a disc you'd always have it. I have a binder slipcase with quite a few distros in it.


Forgot to ask. Does Manjaro MATE support the Emerald theme manager and Compiz?

The packages are available in the community repos. Compiz works on most desktop environments, I think the main GUI desktop environments that it doesn't work with are Gnome and Cinammon, emerald doesn't work on Unity. You can try booting into the live environment before manjaro would be installed and install compiz and emerald to make sure everything works for you. You can find info in the wiki and in some YouTube videos about what packages you might need to install.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kggTmGWf1vE

Just to let you know, Manjaro is not a perfect distro and can be "buggy". I had different versions of Manjaro installed and there were a lot of problems I had with updating, and also audio issues where I had to reinstall the OS a few times, so be prepared for that. It has been a few years though, so it might be a bit more stable. I have found any arch derivatives are not as stable as arch itself, plenty of people use them though and they make switching a lot easier. Anything Arch based usually is a bit more advanced too, you may have to do researching, ask questions online and reinstall your OS if you don't know how to fix something.

[Nimbi]

Sometimes distros don't play well with getting burned to usb, also it's easy to overwrite one that you may want later, with a disc you'd always have it. I have a binder slipcase with quite a few distros in it.



The packages are available in the community repos. Compiz works on most desktop environments, I think the main GUI desktop environments that it doesn't work with are Gnome and Cinammon, emerald doesn't work on Unity. You can try booting into the live environment before manjaro would be installed and install compiz and emerald to make sure everything works for you. You can find info in the wiki and in some YouTube videos about what packages you might need to install.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kggTmGWf1vE

Just to let you know, Manjaro is not a perfect distro and can be "buggy". I had different versions of Manjaro installed and there were a lot of problems I had with updating, and also audio issues where I had to reinstall the OS a few times, so be prepared for that. It has been a few years though, so it might be a bit more stable. I have found any arch derivatives are not as stable as arch itself, plenty of people use them though and they make switching a lot easier. Anything Arch based usually is a bit more advanced too, you may have to do researching, ask questions online and reinstall your OS if you don't know how to fix something.

Ok, sounds fair, Tbh, the only reason I didn't go for the Vanilla Arch is because it doesn't seem to have a gui installer. All I can find of it are ones that require everything to be installed via command line. Literally just an iso with no actual gui installer or anything else, lol. I'm simply not skilled enough to install anything that way. I gotta have a gui installer to install it with. Gotta have the desktop enviroment available via the gui installer as well ,lol.

If there's a version of the default vanilla Arch Linux with a gui installer that provides everything needed [like pretty much all Ubuntu flavours do], then I might try that, but without that I don't have the skill to do it all via command line lol.

Basically I'm going for Arch because Ubuntu doesn't support my graphics. And going to an older build that does fudged up my wifi connection [literally had the worst wifi connection ever. couldn't stay connected for more than 2-3 seconds at a time].

[Shemhamforash]

Any gui installers are unofficial and aren't supported by the arch community unfortunately. Manjaro is a seperate distro that's based on arch. If you like the idea of manjaro, try it out.

[Nimbi]

Which of those copies of Manjaro MATE is the one to download to make a live USB installer out of? I figured out how to do it via command line simple enough but I only see a .iso.sha1 version and a .iso.sig version on there. And the link up top suggesting the latest version is a Manjaro Cinnimon link....


---EDIT---


Nevermind I found it. Apparently I'm just blind or something, lol....

[Nimbi]

Is there a version of Manjaro that fully supports AMD gfx? I remember Linux and AMD didn't get along very well when I was testing the different flavors of Ubuntu lmao.

I'll have to install it through USB for sure now though as someone stole my external disc drive while I was waiting for my father to bring my PC to me from AZ. [Even had to buy a new USB Wi-Fi dongle since the thief also stole that.....]

[Shemhamforash]

Is there a version of Manjaro that fully supports AMD gfx? I remember Linux and AMD didn't get along very well when I was testing the different flavors of Ubuntu lmao.

I'll have to install it through USB for sure now though as someone stole my external disc drive while I was waiting for my father to bring my PC to me from AZ. [Even had to buy a new USB Wi-Fi dongle since the thief also stole that.....]

I've not installed with those drivers but I'll refer you to this link about AMD drivers on the arch wiki: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/AMDGPU#Installation

For a more customizable install I would recommend https://manjaro.org/get-manjaro/ the Manjaro-Architect ISO edition. I just installed this with MATE in Virtualbox. I wouldn't recommend a full system install

[Nimbi]

I've not installed with those drivers but I'll refer you to this link about AMD drivers on the arch wiki: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/AMDGPU#Installation

For a more customizable install I would recommend https://manjaro.org/get-manjaro/ the Manjaro-Architect ISO edition. I just installed this with MATE in Virtualbox. I wouldn't recommend a full system install

Awesome, ty. Also I recently noticed that Ubuntu 18.04 LTS has support for AMD Drivers now =) so hopefully Manjaro Arcitect will as well =)

I'll try it as soon as I can get a large enough USB stick to install it with. [definitely give it a virtualbox install first though lol]

[Grim Reaper]

hey Shem (http://virtualcustoms.net/member.php/280089-Shemhamforash) are you up to a few question? a little over a week ago i installed kde neon and am loving it for the most part. i chose it over kubuntu cause in kubunu discover can hang from time to time from what i've seen. matter of fact i've been so happy that i haven't gone back to the win 10 install in about 4 days. with that said let me know if you're up to answering a few questions. i'm asking here cayuse the majority i have now are questions about customizing and tweaking the look and feel. thanks in advance for any help and or suggestion you may give.

[Shemhamforash]

hey Shem (http://virtualcustoms.net/member.php/280089-Shemhamforash) are you up to a few question? a little over a week ago i installed kde neon and am loving it for the most part. i chose it over kubuntu cause in kubunu discover can hang from time to time from what i've seen. matter of fact i've been so happy that i haven't gone back to the win 10 install in about 4 days. with that said let me know if you're up to answering a few questions. i'm asking here cayuse the majority i have now are questions about customizing and tweaking the look and feel. thanks in advance for any help and or suggestion you may give.

Hi, I am downloading the iso now for kde neon to install in vbox. Plasma is a great desktop environment, kde seems to always have had more than enough customization tweaks, which sometimes makes them hard to find. I would like to go back to using Linux but now there are too many proprietary programs I'm using.

[Grim Reaper]

yea i get that for a lot of people. i myself won't entirely get rid of windows, cause i work on too many friends pcs and need the apps i have for windows or i need to test out something they want to install. my main things in neon are hiding desktop icons, creating links / shortcuts that don't break(i've dragged things to a shortcuts folder and chose link here, renamed, clicked and ran fine, then after a few uses clicking the item opens a text editor instead of the item the shortcut is linked to), and lastly getting the browser and email client to remember how i had it sized when i click to them smaller to be able to view something else.


EDIT: here's what i have so fat on customization. theme, wallpaper, icons and cursors already changed to my liking. have the main panel / taskbar set to my liking and locked. the second image is what i' talking about with shrinking a full screen program. now in window if i shrink the browser to half the screen,expand it back to full screen, clod the browser, relaunch the browser, shrink it down again it will remember how i had it sized the last time i shrank it. at least in neon it does not, seems to have it's own default.


80805

80804

[Shemhamforash]

my main things in neon are hiding desktop icons,

Create a folder somewhere and leave it empty,

Right click the desktop and click Configure Desktop

Click the Location tab and specify your empty folder (no icons will be on the desktop)

If you're asking about toggling showing the desktop icons on or off I'm not sure how that could be done


creating links / shortcuts that don't break(i've dragged things to a shortcuts folder and chose link here, renamed, clicked and ran fine, then after a few uses clicking the item opens a text editor instead of the item the shortcut is linked to),

The most powerful shortcuts will be created using the terminal, I tried

ln -s /home/neon/Desktop/index.jpg /home/neon/Pictures/

where the first address is the location and file you want to copy and the second address is where you want to copy it to


and lastly getting the browser and email client to remember how i had it sized when i click to them smaller to be able to view something else.

I'm not able to reproduce it, if I minimize firefox it saves the window size, and same thing if I close it.

Hope this helps

[Grim Reaper]

i wonder if the last one is monitor specific since i have a ultra wide at 2560 x 1080. wouldn't be the first time i've seen something quirky in linux you would think would work the same as in windows. anyway that said i will try the top two and see what i get. thanks for help shem, much appreciated.

[Shemhamforash]

i wonder if the last one is monitor specific since i have a ultra wide at 2560 x 1080. wouldn't be the first time i've seen something quirky in linux you would think would work the same as in windows. anyway that said i will try the top two and see what i get. thanks for help shem, much appreciated.

It could be the window manager too. I ran

sudo apt-get install openbox obconf

and then

openbox --replace

obconf can be used to change the theme

[Grim Reaper]

o.k.after too many long winded replies to in the kde neon forum, replies that were 250 or more words in length to explain something that coud be explained in less than 50 words i said enough. i decided to run mint cinnamon 19 live and found a lot of the issues that exist in neon do not in mint. been up and running on the entire drive with out any real issues. was wonder if you linux themes and icon packs can be used in mint.

[Shemhamforash]

o.k.after too many long winded replies to in the kde neon forum, replies that were 250 or more words in length to explain something that coud be explained in less than 50 words i said enough. i decided to run mint cinnamon 19 live and found a lot of the issues that exist in neon do not in mint. been up and running on the entire drive with out any real issues. was wonder if you linux themes and icon packs can be used in mint.

Mint is pretty stable, for some reason it's not a distro I would personally use anymore though. You can try the icons, most likely they will work but some icons might be default mint icons. As for the themes if you mean Emerald, you would have to install it from https://github.com/compiz-reloaded first.

[Grim Reaper]

for some reason i thought you did more themes for linux. as for mate cinnamon i'm loving it. been playing with linux on and off since at least 2000 just waiting for it to be like it is now. truly can't wait to see what the next 5 years will mean for it. the os drive my god currently 23 gigs used where to be at this point in win 10 would be a minimum of 50, and more like 60. while neon was nice dolphin left a lot to be desired as a file explorer. another big thing with cinnamon at least i have a actual computer icon that the default view is the drives, just need to figure out how to get that on the panel.

[Shemhamforash]

for some reason i thought you did more themes for linux. as for mate cinnamon i'm loving it. been playing with linux on and off since at least 2000 just waiting for it to be like it is now. truly can't wait to see what the next 5 years will mean for it. the os drive my god currently 23 gigs used where to be at this point in win 10 would be a minimum of 50, and more like 60. while neon was nice dolphin left a lot to be desired as a file explorer. another big thing with cinnamon at least i have a actual computer icon that the default view is the drives, just need to figure out how to get that on the panel.

Themes are great on Linux, however it's complicated going between DE's and versions of DE's. For example gtk2 themes do not work on gtk3. Gtk3 was a bit of a departure from the ability to use images in themes to having basically just a text file and being color based. I did not find the need to put that much effort and know-how into a theme when I was already happy with the themes I was using. My favorite themes are probably the Arc themes. I never felt the desire to switch my theme much at the end of my time using Linux.

True, 10 years ago I didn't know what Linux was but yes I understand what you mean about how far its come. In the early years it was mostly only for hackers, nowadays anyone with the hardware can easily install and use one of the popular distros. It's generally a user friendly experience.

I never quite took to cinnamon as it's kind of a gnome3-based desktop. I prefer gnome 2 (MATE).

[Grim Reaper]

yea i get that about gnome2 vs 3 cause the last time i dabbled i had 3 software managers right out of the gat and i i know more preiinstalled software. microsoft is lucky that it wasn't what it is now 20+ years back. as for themes and icon yea i'm fairly happy with my current.