Linux Mint 13 Maya, is one of the best Linux distributions available at the moment, and it is the only one capable of standing up to Ubuntu which is the most downloaded and installed Linux distro worldwide.
Linux Mint 13 Maya it is based on Ubuntu, and this in turn in debbian; what I like most about this sensational operating system is the choice of different desktop formats.
This latest version of Mint is based on Ubuntu 12.04 and in its classic version we can select between two different desks, Mate y Cinnamon, in addition, of course, to be able to continue choosing the XCFE, KDE and Debian versions.
Differences to highlight between the different desks available
Cinnamon 1.4
This desk offers us a spectacular impressive, both his effects as their graphics They are cared for in detail, it also has the characteristic of mouse gestures that will make the experience much more pleasant.
Cinnamon 1.4 It is designed for more powerful equipment, although it rolls quite well in netbooks with lower technical specifications.
Mate 1.2
This desk is designed for teams less powerful like netbooks, both its graphics and its effects are simple and light as much as possible, since the only thing that is offered to us is the functionality and lightness of the system.
Its appearance is very similar to Gnome 2, although much easier if possible.
KDE
The desk KDE offers us a spectacular and different design to the arch-known desk Gnome, this type of desk has many followers, although I personally prefer the Gnome strengths and weaknesses in its version 3.
Debian
This version of Linux Mint is designed to Advanced users, and it is not advisable for novice users, since its simple installation will become a real ordeal.
If you are an advanced user in Linux systems, for sure this will be your choice.
XCFE
This is the desktop and version of Lighter Linux Mint by far, it is aimed at teams with very few resources.
The minimum specifications to install the version XCFE they are limited to 256 Mb of Ram memory, a resolution of 800 x 600 and an available hard disk space of about 4 Gb.
Which version to choose?
I definitely prefer the version Cinnamon as its spectacularity and performance They are excellent, of course that all depends both on your personal tastes and on the computer you are going to install it on.
More information - How to change unity desktop for gnome 3
Downloads - Linux Mint official page
Those curious to try debian have no fear, it is almost as easy to install as the ubuntu-based version. Nothing of torture.
This is not to fear anything, all I wanted to say is that Debian may not be the best publication for new users.
On the other hand, if you are a user with some experience in Linux operating systems, without a doubt Debian is the best distro that exists.
I have been using Linux Ubuntu for at least 4 years. At home I installed it in a partition next to Windows, we were alternating, but to this day we practically never use Windows. Always Ubuntu (I have LTS version 10.04). The whole family uses it.
In my work, in the office one day I tried Ubuntu, (3 years ago), and I supplanted Windows, with it. The system that we use in the network for the entire company, works with Wine, as it works in Windows.
But… .. since Unity came out, in Ubuntu, I could never make friends with that desktop. I tried it, I tried it again, at home (then I went back to Ubuntu 10.04 LTS again), at work, at the office, and neither. The truth with that desk complicated our lives, without any meaning, just to make it look more modern? Totally uncomfortable, it is difficult to find an application, slower, heavier.
But …… I discovered (I knew it, but had never used it) LINUX MINT 13 !!! A MARVEL!!!
Do not break your head changing desktops in Ubuntu 12.04, If you want speed, simplicity, everything by hand with a single click, Mint13 is the solution (I use Mate). Besides, it already has many extras installed that Ubuntu does not include.
Currently I am using it at work, it is spectacular, the same, the operating system of the network company, with Wine it also works marvelously.
At home I continue with Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, which is great.
stop talking silly that ubuntu lets you use several desktops it does not force you to use unity, also it shows that you do not know what you are talking about since unity has improved enormously and today it integrates very well with web applications
Sorry, you consider that what I say is nonsense, but mine was only an opinion, and as such, one can share it, or not, or accept it or not.
Unfortunately it is seen that you have no education, nor do you know how to exchange opinions.
I no longer enter this blog, I am used to dealing with more educated people.
Nor that you were so important xD
A few months ago I discovered these operating systems that were completely new to me! Since it would not have occurred to me to leave the cave WS…, (Plato's allegory) and discover and also know its «consoles» or «terminals» (I even I bought a university manual to understand it more thoroughly… ..very obsessed!), In different PC's I have installed a linux natively (as in this one, I have a BEAUTIFUL LINUX MINT DEBIAN, which handles everything with the fluency of a Ferrari 12 cylinders that glide down a fast German highway ... and yes, what am I going to do, I have the best ... What do you want me to do! At first it cost me to get used to the change, but what I could not find in the manual, I found it in the myriad collaborations that are on the web. I don't understand everything! But since I love your company, it makes any journey I walk easy. I tell you that a friend, who had problems on her pc, asked me for help, she had an XP (and did not play games), full of difficulties for her, what and he only used it for emails and chat with his friends., I "cornered" him in a bit of the hard disk and in the rest I installed a Linux ..., so that he will call him whenever he wanted!, I will tell you that even in that, he I am grateful to these SO's, today I have her madly in love with me!, pssss, and bhue!
The best of all? Mint with XFCE Light ?? HAHAHAHAJAJAJAJAJAJ forgive me, but I can not hold ...
[Tested on a COMPAQ CQ2405LA, 1.8 GHZ processor, 1.75 GB RAM, 256 MB from an ATI RADEON 2100]
Well, let's get serious ..., first of all, I don't know where they get the best and the greatest of all debian, if this distribution with just installing the chorrera of updates of the annoying updater that it has has not done more than TOTALLY go bad, gets slow, unstable, shuts down and restarts like 500 years later (I'm exaggerating, but very true is that shutdown and reboot on this distro is crap), and I can criticize this, because Lubuntu and all the * buntus that went through my ultra-modest PC would turn off in 5 seconds, and it will turn off in 5 MINUTES, and that should NEVER be.
Second, the version with XFCE should be THE HEAVY OF ALL, it has a lot of USELESS programs tucked in there just to add up to the additional 80MB that conventional CD's do not have, I don't know what use it is to have Catfish if XFCE already has its own search engine (Although Catfish is perfect, why didn't they remove the XFCE search engine then?) Likewise, I don't know why it has 2 image viewers, if with Gthumb, which is the most complete, it is enough, why then do they leave the Gnome ?, or they could do the other way around, remove gThumb and leave the gnome. At the same time, what am I going to do with Banshee? that bug is SLOW, and tedious, if it's about playing audio, they could just put audacious into it (which comes in LXDE and is a charm). Except for Totem because it does not deserve to be treated badly, it is a good multimedia player, I met it with Ubuntu 8.04, but if there is already VLC then why do they leave Totem ?, In addition, VLC serves as a music library and as a file player, it even emits streams and allows you to watch YouTube videos (with just the URL) and DVD's, even Blu-Ray! ...
And I'm afraid that I must include among the useless programs the Mint upload manager, and the infamous updater that it has, ok, I'm not saying that it is not simple and easy to use, but IT IS ANNOYING and slow! It came by default from all the life of the ubuntu's, mintmenu I do not know what it does there, if later when I want to remove it, the only thing I achieve is that it spoils the XFCE menu and it becomes totally disorganized (fortunately I know how to fix this with the menu file), PulseAudio is well known by a majority who know that it does not bring more than PROBLEMS, although it really does not tire me ...
Of course, I applaud the native inclusion of the Audio / Video Codecs, I will never deny it, and I also applaud that they have included the graphical interface of the firewall, which is essential on all computers.
I can speak with property of XFCE because I have used it since version 7.10 of ubuntu, and also Lubuntu has passed through this PC, the LIGHTEST distribution OF ALL DISTRIBUTIONS BASED ON DEBIAN / UBUNTU, that DOES DESERVE to be called LIGHT, not like this pseudo -Linux Mint MATE imitation.
Regarding the instability, I do not deny it, it is THE SAME WORM OF UBUNTU, I have not encountered more than problems since I installed that rude stream of updates, 440 packages! Not to mention when it is installed in a / home that It was already done and created ..., that I would say is the best way to describe the incredible misleading advertising that this infamous XFCE desktop product has, that instead of leaving everything white with green, the horrendous XFCE session comes out in the background blue and some awful panels with GNOME icons and nothing comfortable to look at ... and as I mentioned, that horrible shutdown problem, and not just shutdown but on as well. When in Lubuntu, turn it on, from Grub to full utilization, 5 seconds, and turn it off, 5 seconds. With this Mint with XFCE battered, from the Grub it was more than 1 minute and a half, and turning it off was half a minute, 30 seconds, sometimes less, but never less than 10 seconds, where is the lightness?
Very good comment. So, the best option, (aside from Debian of course) is Lubuntu? I think it is one of the few distributions that I have not used and if it is as fast as you say it is worth a try.
Right, if it is really light distributions, then I recommend Lubuntu, apart from being up-to-date, I have found version 12.04 quite stable, even having openbox it can be customized and stay well pumped, there is nothing that cannot be done in Lubuntu, what you need is more attention and better development
I USE ubuntu 12.4 but it is better, the Linux mint version 13 is more stable, but lighter, I do not know what is caught, it is never a marvel, it has support until 2017
Can I install it on a mac powerbook G4 1.33GHz and 512MB of RAM? how's it going?