… and still happy as a clam. This fantabulous Arch Linux distro is running like a dream and without any glitches on my production machine (this very one here) and on my poor little netbook. /me knocks on wood in order not to anger the gods of fate.
Ok, why am I telling you this piece of mildly uninteresting information? Because I just noticed that I installed it first on OrcNet, my Acer netbook, on February 24, so exactly one month ago. The two Lenovos and my good selfbuilt machine followed suit in the same night, respectively next day. But that’s not the main reason for my bragging, not entirely. I dunno if you follow the comment section of this blog, because if you do you’ve surely noticed a little exchange I just had with Jackie Waters, following this blogpost:
in which I dismissed a rather well-known and super famous Linux distribution, namely Ubuntu, and treated it from my superior perspective and was like “I am soo much better, and my distro is soo much better and Ubuntu is caca.” As it so happened Jackie had just installed the unfortunate Ubuntu and is pretty happy with it and its apparent ease of use and stability. And she was obviously (rightfully?) a bit miffed with me, and didn’t just send 3 comments in a row but composed a post in her own blog:
I really liked her article – with some exceptions – and wanted to reblog it here but unfortunately was too stupid to find any way to do so. 😦 Maybe Jackie didn’t even activate the reblog function for her bloggo?
Anyway, what I gathered from Jackie’s reaction to my article was a bit of misunderstanding. Despite her being at least 10 times as geeky as me, I guess she’s pretty new to Linuxy things and so far has only experienced Ubuntu and Ubuntu-fork Mint’s goodness, while I admittedly never ever had a real vanilla Ubuntu on any of my computers. Hard to believe, I know. Ubuntu is for most ppl synonym with Linux, many don’t even know that there are a gazillion more distributions available.
Anyhoo, I started my Linux career not by just accepting that Ubuntu is the bees knees but found out – after doing research for 5 minutes – that Mint is like a super Ubuntu on steroids and with added fairy dust n stuff. So I started there immediately, without making the detour via Ubuntu. And after a very very short while I was pushed directly into geek territory when my Linux guruine told me how bad Ubuntu and its politics were and how clunky and complicated it really is, and forced me onto Manjaro. And it was, after initial confusion and losing my religion, like she had taken off the blinders from my eyes! I was reborn. Entered a new stage of universal awareness and felt – and still feeling – like a sentient being, part of a super elite! 🙂 And last month I even found my new fave distro, Namib GNU/Linux, all by myself. \o/ I’m so awesome! \o/ LØL
Maybe this becomes obvious in some of my Linuxy writeups and my contempt for most Linux distros from non-Arch families. Sorry for that. As Orcablog readers everybody should already know that I AM NOT A GEEK! That I’m mostly a bumbling idiot. I was just pushed to the right Linux distribution for me. Not my fault that Arch is so much better than all the other crappola. 🙂 Hehe!
Buuuuut anyways: What I guess where Jackie didn’t quite understood, my intention wasn’t the “prefer to use the hardest to use Linux distros” part. For the umpteenth time now: I’m not a geek! I’m not happy when I can make my life more complicated and hard. Quite the contrary, as a lazy hippie I’m always going for the easiest way, and I see Linux as an easy and politically correct Operating System, not as a hobby and an oracle whose secrets I gotta explore. But I’m also not a coward and don’t mind going for broke when choosing my OS. And I’m not adverse to read a couple articles on the internet to find out which solution would fit me and my workflow best. And still here I am, on a supposedly super geeky and unfriendly system (that turned out to be very friendly and actually quite easy to use) and not on an allegedly easy to use, n00b friendly distro that actually likes to throw sticks between my legs.
So, how does this involve you, dear reader, and why ain’t it a thing between just Jackie and me? Because I want you to be clever! Because I want you to be wise and make wise decisions. Because I don’t want you to blindly follow the herd!
Because I want you to read and learn as much about Linux as possible before you jump onto any bandwagon. Neither Jackie’s nor mine, not Trap’s or any other people you know as Linux users. For all bandwagons are shit. Find your own path you must!
Every person is different. Ergo is every Linux user different as well. Maybe you are a tinkerer and desperately looking for fights with “uninstallable” Linux distributions, maybe you’re a slacker like Orcs but just don’t have a wise guru, maybe you want your Linux to resemble your Windows or MacOS, maybe you’re your own person and have totally different reasons to try Linux. Being angry at Microsoft is as good a reason as anything else to pick up Linux.
I don’t have a solution for you. Neither does Jackie. And neither do any of the wise YouTubers. Everybody knows which system is the best. Unfortunately most of us do tend to forget that what’s the best for us can be total crap for you.
Now you’re waiting for a kinda solution, for my recommendation? Okay, despite me telling you just a minute ago that I don’t have a solution for you I would start with Linux Mint. So, basta! I don’t care that it’s a lame ass Ubuntu fork. It’s super! Easy to use and you’ll find lots of of support. Cool thing. It’s my only recommendation now, as I’ve shrunk my list down to one item, and one only. 🙂 But that’s only my opinion.
Just do me a favour and don’t ever become a fanboi/gurl but stay open to influences, never stop learning, stay tolerant and curious. Even if you think you might have just found the bestest Linux in the universe, there might be something better, an even holier grail, just around the corner (as it just happened with me, when I found Namib was so cool I could switch over from Manjaro … after 6 years of being a hardcore Manjaro fangurl!). It’s no problem to use Mint for the rest of your life either, it’s good enough for many old geeks as well as for new users. But if you branch out and read up on what’s going on in the Linux world, you maybe don’t want to get old on Mint but change to a whole different family of Linux distros.
Don’t forget a war between Linuxers is pointless. It’s not a quasi religious clash of the worlds as we see it happening every so often between Windows and Mac apologets. We’re Xers, we’re better than that!
Or at least we should be. =^.^=
THAR SHE BLOWS! 
I agree that there should be no wars between Linux distro’s. In fact I suggest there be more harmony. While I get people like to personalize and make their own machines how they like them…one of the things that prevents Linux from being shipped on alot of desktop PC’s and also keeps proprietary vendors from making ports for linux is there are too many different libraries, too many different package managers, too many different dependencies.
That is one thing I would like to see change. I would like for them all to ship with the same desktop, the same package manager, the same basic apps installed. That would not limit anyone from changing to their preference but give enough consistancy for third party devs to say hey..it is easy to make a port for Linux rather than …fuck you Linux users we are not making 8 ports and 8 libraries etc. Make them universally similar, but allow us to modify as desired.
That brings us to the whole rebloggy thing. That is a feature of wordpress.com sites to reblog other wordpress.com sites. I use a self hosted WordPress install…notice my pages look like howtotechstuff.com/post-name…not howtotechstuff,wordpress/date/postname or .blog/date/postname etc. Now, I do not know if I will every monetize that blog BUT if I decide to…it would actually be search engine friendly…I dont need wordpress to decide if they like my affiliate link or not..I am not limited on what plug ins or themes I can use etc…basically…I am a control freak. I have lost entire not self hosted wordpress sites because they didnt like an affiliate link I used…erm…fuck em.. I have never seen a non self hosted site get any real page rank…I don’t make content to make wordpress.com more popular..but that is another topic.
I get that I am very pragmatic in my approaches to stuff and a bit of an odd ball…If WIndows 3.1.1 for workgroups still worked..I would still be using it. I only ever even installed Ubuntu because I couldn’t get Mint to get around Dells wonky UEFI during install…and ended up with a blinking cursor after installing mint..lol.
I went over to my other machine, got the Ubunto .iso slapped it on a USB and installed it and it launched. Ubunto now ships with the Gnome desktop, I disliked it, I disliked Unity as well. So, I put Cinnamon on it. Honestly, I don’t see it as any different than my Mint…looks and functions the same to me…shrugs.
While there are more bleeding edge, rolling distros and such…these work for me, so I honestly…probably won’t try them unless I get yet another machine…which I will eventually. It aint broke, aint trying to fix it. 🙂
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“I would like for them all to ship with the same desktop, the same package manager, the same basic apps installed. ”
Oh no! God, please. Noooooo!!! That wouldn’t be Linux anymore, and no fun at all. It’s the most amazing thing about Linux that it is so many things to so many people.
Didn’t know there was a “Cinnabuntu” now. Good for them, good for you.
“Honestly, I don’t see it as any different than my Mint…looks and functions the same to me…shrugs. ”
I said it very often: Cinn is almost identical to Mate, a bit more modern, not as customizable but more modern and “better” looking. It’s also heavier/slower and not as stable. I have no need for that.
Don’t know if you ever noticed: In my screenshots all the icons are only 50% size. I hate it when they are so childishly big and on easy-to-read-senior size. Anyhoo, that’s not possible on Cinn, to scale down the size. Small thing only, no big affair, no difference in speed, but I love to fiddle with details like that.
I tried Ubuntu MATE as well but didn’t like it much. Too much nanny state. And all those wasted resources for n00bie shit. Not nice.
Hubby is still happy on his Kubuntu 14.04 since he hates everything Plasma 5. Well, next year support for 14.04 ends and then he has to find a new home. My Mate is too easy and primitive for his taste, so fuk him, and good luck in his future endeavours. 😉
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Oh, resources…yeah, I guess in Comparison to Windows Ubuntu is plenty light..the laptop is just a i3-5015U with only 4GB or Ram, it does a hell of a lot better than it did with Win10!
As for my other rig…I don’t worry too much about resources…i5 6600k OC’d to 4.6ghz with 32GB of 3000Mhz Ram OC’d to 3200mhz…it hardly ever even sweats. 🙂
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Oh, special note. If I were interested in making a political statement and go all Stallman with my distro..I guess I would be stuck with Gnu..no thanks.
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But as a matter of fact you’re stuck with GNU on basically all Linux distros. Not?
Well, maybe not with Ubuntu coz they’ve always been the odd one out. Ever noticed how painstakingly they are even trying to avoid calling themselves a Linux distribution?
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Oh, I always thought Gnu was the only the Richard Stallman completely free software type distros, you know the ones you cannot even install a Nvidia driver on because that isn’t Stallman enough.
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I always tend to think of the GNU licensing system. But you’re right it is also an OS in itself, and one that doesn’t use proprietary software at all. Very Stallman-ish. But that guy is a highly functional idiot savant. I always thought all Linuxes are GNU, but obviously many, if not most, are not. I must be an idiot too, but without the savant part. (
Good example for a non-GNU OS is my new fave Namib GNU/Linux, which installed and updates my Nvidia driver like it’s the normalest thing to do. So much better and more comfy than Windows could ever do. frederic2ec must have his very own, unique interpretation of GNU.
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It has been awhile sinc eyou used Windows huh? The nvidia driver on Windows is ALOT better than Linux. I have to admit, on Linux we don’t get the nVidia experiance, SHadowplay and a a whole series of adjustable features like power, frequency etc adjustments…and those all auto install when you install windows and it boots. Not defending Windows, I just think it may have been some time since you used it…all my drivers auto install and auto update on WIn10. The linux version of Nvdia driver is half assed honestly. It WORKS fine but you have no control or settings you can adjust like you get on Windows and you lose a ton of features.
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Yes, I tossed that shit in 2011. About the quality of the drivers I can’t say nothing. My Nvidia control center gives me quite enough control, most of that stuff I don’t even know what it means. Anyhoo, last time I used Windows it was in Win7 times and I had to go look for the driver on Nvidia’s website and download it from there. I find that kinda complicated and don’t even wanna know how many housewifes worldwide have Nvidia graphic cards but never installed the suiting drivers for them.
When you say the Linux version is half assed, you’re talking about the Nouveau driver or the real deal? I know my driver is the original Linux version by Nvidia.
Search for nvidia x server settings linux and you get a lot of material. I know Nvidia is a little bit behind with their Linux driver but can’t be more than one or two versions. Let me look it up: 390.42. Is that recent enough?
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I think the driver “works” fine, I am talking about the actual Nvidia drivers, also the proprietary AIB software to support specific cards is not even available on Linux, for example I have an EVGA 1050ti Super Clock..I need to use EVGA’s (or alternativesly MSI afterburner works oddly enough) to change the fan profiles and curves, the power limits, temp limits etc. On Linux, I just get a stock driver…which is fine I guess, but as I mentioned you lose out on things like Shadowplay, the G-Force Experience etc…you just get a basic video card driver…you don’t know the difference if you never experienced it. Think of it like this, Linux has come a long way over the past few years, you think Nvidia hasn’t? They have BILLIONS invested in their product and yes it is cool the at least give us a Linux driver…but those software features often enough are the reason you buy a particular card, and you lose those benefits on Linux.
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LOL. I bought my GTX-770 card because I could score it cheap from a professional gamer who didn’t need it since he always gets the latest and newest from his sponsors. Really had no idea about shadowplay and what else there is. As I’ve already admitted I don’ even use most features of the standard driver.
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I can understand, It isn’t too much an issue for me as I can set things up on the Windows side, but it would annoy me if I had the fans blowing at 100% and couldn’t change the RGB lighting from the stock cycling through all the colors to the color that matches my build etc.
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I’ve just checked. My fans are blowing between 49 and 50%, no idea where to change that. And RGB? Whoa! I had two iluminated case fans but they both started to become kinda noisy after a while. Now I’m back on the original dark Coolermaster fan. It’s quiet now. And less distracting.
And now it’s 6:09 a.m. and I’m off to bed for a little nap …
But what I really wanted to say was: Get rid of your stinkin’ Ubuntu … or stick with your fantabulous Ubuntu. Meh. In any way you should really try out Namib GNU/Linux and enjoy the easy life:
https://namib.meerkat.tk/
It’s the cool thing to do for really cool people!
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I dunno, I am wanting to really look at https://youtu.be/VwJoCdiQ5_g next
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There are a couple of things that render Neptune unusable for me: Debian, KDE/Plasma5, Chromium.
Nuff said. 😉
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I guess other than I see not a thing wrong with any of the things you mentioned. LOL
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If you had a carefully maintained and trimmed library of around 200 bookmarks and got used to a lot of Firefux Add-Ons n shit you’d be reluctant as well to switch to the basically anti-humane Chrome-ium stuff. Let’s not forget where it originally comes from. 😮
And KDE is just too much for me. Where Mate gives me just the right amount of options KDE is totally overdone. I hate that there is more than one way to change stuff. And according to husbando Plasma 5 is also a step back. Same complicated, less options.
I don’t have to tell you about Debian, do I? An operation system that not even Linus Torvalds himself manages to install in its vanilla stat, and that is so far behind the times with everything else, thx but no thx. It’s only good as a unkaputtable emergency system.
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Not sure why he can’t install it. the installer launches you say yes 3 times and in 5 minutes it is installed, must have been YEARS since he tried to install it, the game is different for Linux distros in 2018.
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Yeah, I never had a problem with installing LMDE or MX-14/15/16/17 or any other Debian fork. Never tried momma Debian proper tho. Well, Linus is fuked now, he’s contractually bound to use RHEL with that unspekable Gnome 3xx DE. Brrrr…
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AS for the Chromium browser, too much work to install Firefox in 30 seconds? I don’t understand your logic, if you dont like chromium just install and use firefox or whatever flavor browser/browsers you like. I guess coming from Windows people like me ..it is the norm to NOT use the included web browser…Windblows comes with Edge..I know nobody who pays any attention to that fact, it is useful only one time…to download a better browser. LOL
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the debian package manager just plain works, pick what you like click install…no complaints there…the KDE desktop…no clue, I always choose cinnamon, so thus far whatever they ship natively for me is once again not very relevant…Im going to use Cinnamon in any case. The thing I like about Neptune, is the software for the most part is everything I would have to get and install, it is set up for audio, video and graphic production, the things I do with my machine for fun. So basically, the things you don’t like about it to change would take about 5 maybe 10 minutes after you install it to change it to basically function no differently..LOL
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Yes, you’re right about the 5 minute changes, Jackie. Dunno why I’m so adverse to many distros these days. It’s maybe the totally strange command language I’d need to get used to. You know I find myself doing stuff in Terminal more often these days. And I have the Arch commands down to a decent level and would need to start all over again when switching to the Debian family.
Tell you what: Please write an article about Neptune and what you changed in it, add some example screenshots and publish it in your bloggo … and then let me fukn reblog it!!! ffs
And be quick about it before I change my mind and do it myself! 🙂
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Yes, LOL, just like IE in the old times. And no, I’m not too lazy to install FF, it’s just when ppl offer Chromixium as the original choice I get weary of the distro and mistrust their judgement as distro maintainers.
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wierd my comment didn’t post http://howtotechstuff.com/jackie-tries-out-linux-neptune-5/
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Just seeing it for the firstest time now. Will jump right on it …
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Well…Neptune and the fact I couldn’t get the nvidia driver installed…fail. I tried Mangero for about 5 minutes, the bootloader almost borked my entire system, I booted with the live Mint thum drive and just installed Mint back…so ..I tried to other ways…Linux Mint still is the best for my particular machine. I kind of thought my nvidia might be an issue when I saw that Neptune was Gnu/Linux. Fuckers, went to the Nvidia site, oh they have a linux driver…tar ballz! WTF am I supposed to do with that shit? You know what? Those tar ball fuckers just install on Mint Cinnamon when you click them…not so on actual debian based distros apparently…so…I went through all that to go right back to Mint, where I am just going to stay and stop fuckin around trying to fix shit that aint broken. LOL
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“Mangero”
Manjaro please. Named after mount Kilimanjaro, which impressed Philip Müller (project lead) on a vacational trip to Africa. It’s also regularly featured as wallpaper on many Manjaro powered machines.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kilimanjaro
“the bootloader almost borked my entire system”
Oh yes, had that quite often, and can’t install Manjaro on some of my machines at all. Without preparing the HD with GParted before installation I can’t get it to install at all. And it always runs great for the first couple weeks, and you’re feeling like King of the World, until a certain update … and then it all goes to shit. That’s why I switched to Namib.
“Linux Mint still is the best for my particular machine.”
That shit just werkz! I’m always keeping a bootstick with Mint handy for emergencies.
“Those tar ball fuckers just install on Mint Cinnamon when you click them”
Mint’s hardware detection is the stuff of legends. =^.^= I guess the Mint guys around Clem did more for user friendlyness than all other distros thrown together.
Manjaro also stole the Mint installer from them, as the basis for their genius Calamares installer. And it always runs great for the first couple weeks, and you’re feeling like King of the World, until a certain update … and then it all goes to shit. That’s why I switched to Namib.
“fix shit that aint broken.”
Unfortunately a huge part of the Linux population strives on stupid shit like that. You were right when you stated they love stuff to be difficult. But please, I’m not one of them. I’m a fukn housewife, looking forward to my menopause, start crying without reason and can’t be bothered with computer problems.
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Well, I may never use Arch but you did get me to switch to Linux unless I am on my current employers time clock…I have to use Windows 7 hours a day 5 days a week..the rest of the time. Mint it is! So there is that!
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Thank you for crediting me with one conversion to Linux. Now it’s your turn to convert your office to Linux. 😉
And congratz on your healthy and wise choice of distro. Let them experts get into a rage fit, I always say there must be a reason for Mint’s #1 position on the Distrowatch charts. Many ppl say Mint is for n00bs, I’d say Mint is for clever human beings. So, basta! =^.^=
xxoxoxxo
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Well we would first need to convince Adobe to make a Linux port, or I have no argument Pro Linux. In a professional environment, GIMP is a good piece of software but it is no Photoshop despite what anyone might say. Clearly they do not use Photoshop on any professional level as you quickly find that GIMP is lacking for this particular usage. That doesn’t make it bad, that doesn’t make it not good enough for most home users as it will do most of things that the home desktop user might need to do. It is very fine indeed, but convincing my company to switch from Photoshop to Gimp…eh..I personally boot in Windows and use Photoshop..so I can’t argue there.
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Shame on you, traitor! 😦
LØL
xxoxoo
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Well, I don’t think I am a traitor persay. I am just saying, getting out a tiny plastic knife and try to cut down a forest is futile. The road was paved before I arrived, Photoshop is the accepted Industry standard. I don’t have that sort of influence to revamp how an entire industry does things. So, one of two things need to happen. A better graphics program than PS is on Linux or a PS port for Linux
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Wine doesn’t work on PS?
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I doubt it, my experience with WINE is it doesn’t work worth a shit with most things.lol
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