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Linux mint 18.3 Russian version reviews. Operating system update

Linux Mint - an open source project that provides a completely free and easy-to-use operating system based on one of the most popular Linux distributions - Ubuntu .

Linux Mint includes a wide variety of applications for performing common day-to-day tasks.

The best way to describe Mint is to depict a virtual container in which you can install the Cinnamon and MATE desktop environments on top of a stable Ubuntu framework, and add additional functions and built-in applications.

Linux Mint is a very friendly Linux distro that is used by hundreds of thousands of users, especially those who are not comfortable with the native Unity interface.

Linux Mint Review

Distributed as 32-bit and 64-bit Live DVDs with shell versions Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce

The project has separate versions with environments Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce, each of which is available as bootable Live DVD ISO images that can be deployed on both 64-bit and 32-bit architecture. Users can also burn ISO images to USB drives or clean DVD discs and download Linux Mint without installation.

Bootable media takes 10 seconds to boot, but experienced users can press a separate key to run the test random access memory or to download operating system from a local disk.

A similar bootloader, implemented in Ubuntu, is used in Linux Mint, only it has its own distribution logo. It should be mentioned that Cinnamon and MATE environments are created Linux developers Mint.

Two graphical environments and many useful applications

While Cinnamon is a clone of GNOME 3, MATE is a separate branch of the classic GNOME 2 environment. Both versions include top-notch applications such as Mozilla Firefox. Mozilla thunderbird, Banshee, VLC Media Player, LibreOffice, Pidgin, Transmission, GIMP and Synaptic Package Manager.

Linux Mint is one of the most popular free operating systems in the world. Many Linux users prefer this particular distribution over Ubuntu OS due to its support for outdated hardware and weak hardware components.

Development Team Leader Clement Lefebvre approved the release of the skins for a wider audience on July 2, 2017. Curiously, the release of the new version of Mint coincided with updates to the main desktop environments Cinnamon and MATE, as well as the alternatives to KDE and Xfce.

Clement Lefebvre commented on the release:

Linux Mint 18.2 - Long Term Version technical support until 2021. The distribution comes with updated software and includes improvements and new features to make your desktop even more user-friendly.

Linux Mint 18.2 ships with fresh versions desktop skins for Cinnamon 3.4, MATE 1.18, KDE Plasma 5.8 LTS and Xfce 4.12. The distribution is based on the Ubuntu 16.04 LTS codebase and the Linux 4.8 kernel. LightDM is used as an authorization manager for Cinnamon. Software Sources, Update Manager, and XApps have received numerous improvements.

Now that work on Linux Mint 18.2 (Sonya) is complete, development for the next major version of Linux Mint 18.3 is underway. Clement Lefebvre invites developers to think about new ones interesting features and projects that they would like to implement in the upcoming release.

In the update manager, select the “Check for updates” button to start checking the new version of mintupdate and mint-upgrade-info. If updates are available for these packages, install them.

Run the system update by selecting Edit> Upgrade to "Linux Mint 18.2 Sonya".

Follow the instructions on the screen.

After completing the system update, restart your computer.

Additional Information:

  • Although Linux Mint 18.2 has a new kernel, this update does not change the kernel on your behalf. The decision must be made by the user.
  • The same goes for graphic manager selection or selection software... Brasero will not be removed and MDM will not be switched to LightDM on your behalf. You can apply these changes yourself, but this is not required.
  • It is recommended to disable the screensaver before updating. If the splash screen is activated during the update and you are unable to log in, switch to the console with CTRL + ALT + F1, login and type killall cinnamon-screensaver(or killall mate-screensaver in MATE). Use CTRL + ALT + F7 or CTRL + ALT + F8 to return to your session.

How to switch from MDM to LightDM

First install LightDM by typing the following commands in a terminal:

Apt install slick-greeter lightdm-settings

When asked to select your default display manager, select LightDM.

Then uninstall MDM and reboot by entering the following commands into terminal:

apt remove mdm

Linux Mint is a great distribution, developed and maintained by a community of users based on Ubuntu. Compared to Ubuntu, it contains more programs by default, for example, many proprietary drivers, as well as proprietary software that makes it easier to work with the system, for example, a program for Reserve copy or updates.

The Cinnamon shell is based on Gnome, but aims to be simpler for users, has a familiar appearance and support for widgets. Latest version Linux Mint 18.1 was released a few weeks ago. This release has updated Cinnamon version, software stack, updated Xeader, Xviewer, Xplayer and fixed several bugs. This article will walk you through setting up Linux Mint 18 Cinnamon after installation.

I have nothing against the Linux Mint logo and dark background, but it is more pleasant to work on the system with a beautiful image set as the desktop background. So the first step is to change the background. Open Menu -> Options -> Backgrounds:

Then go to the Serena tab and select the picture you like. On the image tab, you can upload your own:

2. Theme of design

Back in Mint 18, the Mint-Y theme was added. It is designed in a modern flat style and looks pretty pretty. You can activate it in the settings. To do this, open Menu -> Options -> Themes and select values ​​for all parameters Mint-Y:

Looks pretty pretty.

3. Add widgets

Cinnamon supports widgets, referred to here as desklets. Return to the main menu of the Settings utility and select Desclets:

Here you can add the desired widget to the desktop using the button Add to Desktop:

Or install additional widgets from the network:

4. Update the system

It is important that your system is always up to date. Linux Mint has a dedicated update tool, launch it from the main menu:

At the first start, the system will offer to choose which updates to install, it is recommended to leave it as it is to get new software:

Then you can select the updates you want and click Install updates:

Most likely, you will need to do the procedure two times, since you may first need to update the update manager itself.

5. Installing codecs

Previously, codecs were supplied with the distribution kit and there were no problems with this. But then the developers decided to remove them. But we can install linux mint codecs from the official repositories. For this we have an application center:

In the search, type mint-meta-codecs or just codecs, you will immediately see the found package, as well as its assessment:

To open the package description window, double-click on it, and then click Install for installation.

To install all available codecs, open a terminal and run the command:

sudo apt-get install gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly-amr gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly libgstreamer-plugins-bad1.0-0 gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad-videoparsers gstreamer1.0-plugins- bad-faad gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad libdvdnav4 libdvdread4

6. Install the drivers

The system already contains drivers for many peripheral devices even if they have a closed source, But not all. For example, drivers for a video card must be installed separately. Open the driver manager through the main menu:

When the program loads, select the drivers you want to install and click Apply changes... After installing the driver, you will need to restart your computer.

7. Installing programs

Despite the fact that the system already contains many programs you need, not everything is there. Everything you need can be installed through the app center. Skype communication software:

VLC media player:

Clementine Audio Player:

Inkscape graphics editor:

Torrent client qBittorrent:

Aria2 Download Manager:

Mozilla Thunderbird mail client:

Chromium Browser:

BleachBit system cleaning program:

You can find and install other popular programs in the section Favorites:

8. Installing Adobe Flash

Flash technologies are less and less used on websites, and HTML5 is coming to replace them, but still many users still need Flash player... To install it, use the following commands in the terminal:

sudo apt-get install pepperflashplugin-nonfree
$ sudo dpkg-reconfigure pepperflashplugin-nonfree

9. Installing Java

Many programs require a Java machine to run. You can install it from the PPA repository. First add the repository:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa: webupd8team / java
$ sudo apt-get update

Then install the package:

sudo apt-get install oracle-java8-installer

10. System backup

Configuring Linux Mint 18 cinnamon after installation should include backups. While the system is still clean, you can create backup to restore it very quickly later. To do this, you can use the TimeShift utility. First install it from the PPA:

sudo apt-add-repository -y ppa: teejee2008 / ppa
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install timeshift

Then launch the program from the main menu, then adjust the backup frequency and create your first copy using the button Create:

Now you can restore the system if needed.

conclusions

Although Linux Mint contains more improvements over Ubuntu, it also requires linux setup mint 18 after installation. We have covered everything in sufficient detail so that even a beginner can figure out how to prepare his system for everyday use. If you have any questions, ask in the comments!

For the sixth year in a row, Linux Mint has been at the top of the list of popular linux distributions according to Distrowatch.com. This is an excellent indicator. The Linux Mint distribution was able to win the hearts of users thanks to its stability, ease of installation and learning, as well as good documentation and a large community.

A few days ago, another release was released - Linux Mint 18 XFCE.

Linux mint 18(“Sarah” or, in Russian, “Sarah” (biblical female name of Hebrew origin)) is a long-term support release. Linux mint 18 will be supported up to until 2021... This distribution is based on Ubuntu 16.04, which also has long-term (five-year) support. I want to remind you that recently, on July 21, 2016, an update for Ubuntu 16.04.1 was released, containing updates for many packages, as well as fixes for identified vulnerabilities.

Linux Mint 18 XFCE- a distribution kit with a lightweight graphical environment XFCE... For those unfamiliar with XFCE, it is a lightweight free desktop environment for linux as well as other UNIX-like operating systems. XFCE features low resource consumption and high speed.

After a short introduction, let's go directly to the review Linux Mint 18 “Sarah” XFCE.

Linux Mint 18 XFCE - What's New?

X-Apps

Developers started new project entitled X-Apps on building common applications for traditional work environments GTK (Gnome, Cinnamon, Mate, XFCE and etc.).
The idea behind this project is to create a set basic applications that are equally suitable for any supplied work environment. You don't have to adapt to new applications. For the most part, they will be based on off-the-shelf products.

So far, the list of ported applications is as follows:

  • Xed — text editor default, based on Pluma (fork of Gedit in Linux Mint MATE)
  • Xviewer- default graphics viewer based on Eye of Gnome
  • Xreader- application for PDF viewer and other default docs based on Atril
  • Xplayer- default video and music player based on Totem
  • Pix- application for organizing storage digital photos based on gThumb

On this moment the repositories offer both traditional applications for different working environments and new X applications. You can install, compare, and choose what you like best.

Update manager


Update manager

Linux Mint 18 also did not go unnoticed by developers.
Redesigned, and without that handy tool installing and updating the system kernel... Now it has become more informative. Installation new versions Kernel is now possible as a traditional security update.
For each version of the kernel, links are available to the identified errors, changes in the release.

Updated selection screen update security policies

.

Mint-Y

To keep up with the times, Linux Mint 18 developers have implemented new topic Mint-Y... Mint-Y is based on the famous GTK Arc theme. Arc supported GTK2, GTK3, and GNOME. Mint-Y has a flatter design and minimalism.

There are three options to choose from:


The icons for the Mint-Y theme are based on Moka and Vibrancy.
Mint-Y only complements the already not meager set of available themes.
The Mint-X theme is still installed by default.
Work on Mint-Y continues.

System improvements

Significantly improved tool introduced by the developers back in 2007 Apt. Apt- a convenient package management tool, a shell over apt-get, aptitude, apt-cach e and others. APT now supports Debian syntax.

Innovations in Apt:

  • apt install and apt remove now show progress
  • new commands with Debian syntax:
    • apt full-upgrade does the same as apt dist-upgrade
    • apt edit-sources - apt sources
    • apt showhold - apt held
  • add-apt-repository now supports --remove argument to remove PPA repository

Linux Mint 18 comes complete with daemon Thermald that monitors temperature sensors.

Now supported out of the box file system exFAT.

The login screen has received minor improvements.

As usual, a great collection of desktop wallpapers is available.

Support has been greatly improved HiDPI devices.

Firefox, all X-Apps, most Mint apps now run on GTK3.

Popular applications such as Steam, Dropbox and Minecraft are available in the App Manager.

Installed by default graphical tool Gufw to configure the firewall.

Installation of additional media codecs occurs in one step during system installation or after.

Main components

Main components Linux Mint 18 XFCE:

  • XFCE 4.12
  • MDM 2.0
  • Linux kernel 4.4

Download Linux Mint 18 XFCE

Linux Mint 18 XFCE download links:
32-bit 1.5 GB
64-bit 1.6 GB

Linux Mint 18 "Sarah" XFCE. conclusions

Before us is the same Linux Mint XFCE, only slightly better. Linux Mint is becoming more functional, user-friendly and beautiful without getting more complicated. This attracted and will continue to attract more and more users.
You can get acquainted with the new release by booting from the Live image (links above), installing Linux Mint 18 on HDD or in a virtual machine.
There shouldn't be any problems with the installation. Installation is smooth and fast.
Despite the fact that I myself have recently been using Manjaro as the main operating system, I recommend using Linux Mint 18 as a stable and convenient system.

A few more screenshots.

Linux mint 18 is a version of the operating system from the Linux distribution category. A distinctive feature of the operating system is the presence of a wide range of multimedia applications and an editor for working with documents, databases and tables. The operating system Linux Mint 18 can be downloaded by users of computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The LinuxMint 18 distribution includes a kernel, utilities, file libraries, and auxiliary programs for managing the interface and desktop. Official version opens a large number of applications for users to create and edit documents, databases and tables.

The installation of the distributor is accompanied by requests to download codecs for working with multimedia versions. Unlike the automated process of downloading all drivers and codecs on other operating systems, Linux Mint 18 Russian version requires self installation codecs for multimedia files. After downloading and installing the distributor, system users can also download documentation, applications, drivers. This function will be available on every boot in the welcome window. The system update is also not automated. If there are updates and new versions of the kernel, the user will be notified of the download options. In the system parameters, users can edit the appearance and theme of applications. You can edit the window frames and style, icons and the mouse pointer, and use a new dialog box to customize the sound. HiDPI support allows you to detail and edit high pixel density files.

The list of improved features of the technical parameters includes new commands, standby operation, thermal sensor monitoring, and protection of the processor from overheating. The official page accepts feedback on the operation of the system in order to change and eliminate possible flaws in the system for the release of a new update.

Distributor features

  • installed new graphical tools;
  • improved system characteristics;
  • new context menu;
  • improved support for scrolling and touchpad functions;
  • improved image and graphics quality;
  • new sound settings are available.