Linux Mint 17.1 Release Candidate Out

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux Mint 17.1 Release Candidate Out

Announced just minutes ago were the Linux Mint 17.1 "Rebecca" release candidates for the Cinnamon and MATE editions of this popular Ubuntu Linux derived distribution...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTg0MDY

[edoantonioco]

I think mint devs did the right thing related to focus more on cinnamon and mate rather than use that time upgrading to releases of 9 months support. Some people say mint is not too stable, and this will help a lot.
Right now I am waiting for newer patches to cinnamon 2.4, I upgraded to it and I had to return to 2.2, due to some problems in it, like icons with black letters, messages saying than there were problems loading stuff (I guess they mean themes), less performance in games. But most of the other people doesnt have any problem with it.

[aironeous]

I'm using Linux Mint 17 and I find it kind of confusing that they give me various desktop environments to choose from and then when I pick KDE desktop whenever I have a technical issue or think I do and google it, it is so darn specific that all of the answers I need are not there but results show up from every other linux mint using other DE's. I don't understand why we have a KDE choice for linux mint and also a Kubuntu distro. Why are we doing that? Because it makes it difficult for me to google answers to any technical questions. I am already asking enough stupid questions as it is but that makes it difficult to do an internet search for any question I have. All I get is Kubuntu answers, old linux version answers, and answers for other distros.

For example I would like to find a way to stream games from my PC to to my HTC One with a VR headset and a Moga Game controller. Something like http://www.kainy.com/ or installing limelight (app to make phone look like nvidia shield) on my phone and Nvidia experience on my linux desktop (but there is no linux version). CMOAR had a solution if you can get that done.

Also the volume is super super low when I play DOTA 2. I have to turn both desktop and DOTA to full volume to hear it.

[Remdul]

I'm using Linux Mint 17 and I find it kind of confusing that they give me various desktop environments to choose from and then when I pick KDE desktop whenever I have a technical issue or think I do and google it, it is so darn specific that all of the answers I need are not there but results show up from every other linux mint using other DE's. [...]

This.

I know many folks will probably disagree with me, but I also feel it is a poor thing to do. There's plenty of fragmentation at distro scale already. I always suggest Linux newbies to install Mint Cinnamon, not because I believe the DE is better than any other, but because the Google search results will be more useful when they run into a problem (which is also why it has my personal preference). I did the same when Ubuntu was still the most Windows-like environment (until Unity changed that, sadly).

If users are so proficient with Linux that they can decide between different DEs with full knowledge, they will likely also have the skills to install and change it. My suggestion would be to focus on one DE, and focus only on that.
Chances are however, that in reality, the KDE, MATE etc developers were going to be doing their work anyway, and these alternative DE versions simply come for free (and thus exist not necessarily at cost of Cinnamon).

Yet I would still suggest to make DE choice for newbie Mint users easier, for example by placing the alternative DE links on a separate download page, as not to cause confusion, and/or at least explaining (with screenshots) the practical differences. Nobody coming from Windows knows what a "Desktop Environment" is, and that it can even be interchanged. They've never experienced such choice before in MS Windows Land. They probably don't even know what a "distro" is, at all.*
Those Mint users who prefer KDE/XFCE/MATE will already know what they are looking for, and will have no trouble finding the proper downloads. No freedom lost.

* And that doesn't mean the (newbie) user is 'stupid'. You simply can't blame someone for not knowing something when they've never had the choice/chance to experience it before. I live in a country where one cannot buy a PC without Microsoft Windows.

[magika]

I looked through mint website but still kinda missed the fact that its aimed at newbies. Must be inside info.

[grok]

MATE is important as a desktop environment, it's not 3D-accelerated so it's more reliable, lighter and works on any random hardware. It is also very good, the closest to still being able to use Ubuntu 8.04 and 10.04.

In effect Linux Mint's main edition is both the Cinnamon and Mate ones.

(Windows 8.x manages to be reliable and pretty light/fast, but it uses a very advanced graphics stack they have full control of, the graphics drivers are high quality and old graphics cards are unsupported. Wayland + having the right graphics card might allow to get closer to that..)