Opinion

Top 5 Reasons Why Linux Mint Is Better. In this video why I think Linux Mint is better. Not saying Linux Mint the best distro, I’m saying that it’s often times better than that “other” OS most people are using. I also think it’s better than some other distros out there. In future videos, I’ll be offering the same Linux distro insights on why I think the distro I’m featuring is better than its alternatives and why.

# Linux Mint is a community project. Instead of owing favors to large corporations, Linux Mint is free to take the path its developers believe is best.

# Linux Mint puts the newbie user first. No matter what development turns Linux Mint has taken over the years or who Mint has appealed to, Linux Mint has always put the newer Linux user first.

# Linux Mint is always ffine-tuningthe Mint tools and other elements of the layout. Linux Mint always seems to take what’s working best and then works to make it even better.

# Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu LTS. Being based on Ubuntu LTS (long term support) means a longer release cycle and often times, a less buggy release overall.

# Linux Mint has all the desktop environments you could want. Well, enough for most of us anyway. Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce offer us a ton of choice.

# Linux Mint - https://linuxmint.com/

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Top 5 Linux Apps For Writing. Keeping in mind that not all Linux apps for writing are created equal nor do they each provide the same functionality. Today I’ll provide you with my top five Linux app picks for writing.

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## Traditional writing:

# Libre Office Writer for Linux Writing - Best for articles, etc. All the bells and whistles.
https://www.libreoffice.org/discover/writer

# FocusWriter for Linux Writing - Best for articles, etc. Distraction free writing tool. https://gottcode.org/focuswriter/

## Book writing:

# Bibisco for Linux Writing - For writing books. Character creation is one of its best features. http://www.bibisco.com

# Asciidoc FX for Linux Writing - For writing books. For those who love a an IDE approach to book writing.121 https://asciidocfx.com

## Markdown writing:

# Ghostwriter for Linux Writing - Both distraction free writing in markdown, while also allow you to access more robust features like drag/drop imaging inserts, theming and formatting. https://wereturtle.github.io/ghostwriter/

Debian vs Ubuntu, their differences and similarities. While Ubuntu is based on Debian, there are some areas where the two distros differ. In this video I’ll discuss Debian and Ubuntu, how they differ from one another and how despite these differences the two Linux distros manage to do amazing things.

## Debian vs Ubuntu.

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# Debian vs Ubuntu Release models. Debian has three release types called Stable, Testing and Unstable. Ubuntu on the other hand has their shorter release cycle and their LTS (Long Term Support) releases.

# Debian vs Ubuntu Installer. Debian’s installer is ncurses based, a bit more advanced while providing a consistent experience. Ubuntu provides the option for a Live USB experience in addition to a GUI installer for their Linux releases.

# Debian vs Ubuntu Included software. Debian is about installing the software you choose, from the repositories it provides. Although, there are some limitations. Ubuntu comes per-configured with most of the software casual users would want while also offering partner repositories that contain propritary software.

# Debian vs Ubuntu PPAs/Debian repositories. With Debian, you simply add the repository that you want; or enable one that’s comment out in your software sources. With Ubuntu, you’re presented with provided repositories and other repositories called PPAs.

# Debian vs Ubuntu Firmware and drivers. Ubuntu makes it easy, Debian requires you enable and install it yourself. Ubuntu makes this easier and more readily accessible. So while Debian isn’t difficult to use, there are differences as they embrace free software first, convenience second.

Best Ubuntu Apps. There are countless apps or applications for Ubuntu and other Linux distros available. However, I feel strongly that these five Linux apps are must have software, especially the first four software titles. The latter is simply an application I feel strongly that most of us who have large ebook libraries ought to be using.

#Best Ubuntu Apps

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##Bleachbit - Free up disk space, keep things tidy. Tidy up browser databases, delete forgotten logs and more.

##Guvcview - If you need to manage, tweak or adjust your webcam, this app is a must have.

##Gparted - While totally doable from the command line, Gparted makes partition management simple, easily understood and non-threatening.

##Timeshift - The single best backup utility I’ve ever used for desktop Linux users. It relies on rsync while sharing common files in-between syncs to save drive space. Or if you prefer, you can use BTRFS snapshots instead. There are countless user file backup tools, Timeshift actually backs up your system state.

##Calibre - For those of us with huge ebook libraries (they do exist outside of a Kindle/Amazon world after all, this is the absolute best for ebook management, ebook reader syncing available.

Top five Linux desktop mistakes we make. Let’s face it, we as humans tend to miss stuff when it comes to technology sometimes. This is especially true in the Linux community.

What do you think? Perhaps Linux users are getting better about avoiding these mistakes when running their favorite Linux distros? Hit the YouTube comments, let’s hear your perspective on this.

## Here are my top five Linux desktop mistakes I see happening on a regular basis.

1. Assuming the distro is at fault for failing expectations.
2. Being unwilling to browse a conf file or read dmesg/logs.
3. Expecting FoSS applications to operate exactly like proprietary software.
4. Not showing support for applications or distros that support you.
5. Asking for help without needed details about the problem.

Best Linux Distros for Beginners. Some of you may disagree, others may have other distros they feel are better suited for newcomers and Linux beginners. That said, these four distros are my top picks based on factors such as ease of use, it’s reliable and hardware detection is solid.

Do you have other distros that you feel are better suited for new Linux users? Hit the comments below (YouTube or Patreon), tell me what you’re thinking makes a better choice and why.

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MX Linux: MX tools is great as is their user manual pdf, however, there support pages on the website have a number of broken links. Such as https://mxlinux.org/wiki/help-files/help-mx-broadcom-manager

• Pros - Great PDF documentation and MX Tools, Debian base.112
• Cons - Links in newer PDF are amazingly outdated, broken or unhelpful. (Dansguardian leads to sales page for Smoothwall)

elementary OS: As much as I love MX, it’s not that refined when compared to elementary OS. Unified, logical and careful consideration go into every element of this distro. Parental controls, restore to “factory defaults”, a clean, well presented software store with some elementary OS “first” apps. Not exclusive, as they are open source…but they are logically submitted to the app store first since they were made with elementary in mind.

• Pros - Clean, easy to use and offers features out of the box not found with other distros (Real parental controls, built in firewall controls offered in control panel that rival Gufw’s ease of use, blue light reduction applet, picture in picture and the best bluetooth handling of any distro I’ve ever used. Not just in terms of detection, but overall flow of devices.
• Cons - It’s not a Mac, bring the option to use a minimize button to the settings without relying on a third party tweak tool. Loki release can be buggy with some Steam proton games. Obvious work-a-round for me was to simply install XFCE for gaming and that fixed that issue.

Manjaro: Rolling release distro that offers the latest from Arch, but does so in two stages. https://manjaro.org/features/fresh-and-stable/, AUR software access.

• Pros - Kernel selector, rolling release, improved handling of security packages over releases of the past.
• Cons - Rolling release, running AUR packages designed for Arch may lead to mixed results. Supports desktop versions that make no sense - Deepin, really?

Linux Mint: In my opinion, the single most popular distro available for desktop users. While Ubuntu may claim the official numbers, I call nonsense. I firmly believe Linux Mint is at least as popular if not more so. It also has a unified feel unlike some other distros.

• Pros - Based on Ubuntu LTS and they have a Debian edition as well should something go south with Ubuntu. Minttools make general desktop management a snap. Solid release notes so you know exactly what you’re getting into.
• Cons - This distro is pretty boring. It lacks some of the more exciting tools found in MX, like a Conky manager (by default) and a boot record repair tool. However, some tools like mintnanny are just weak. I mean, it blocks urls. Unlike elementary’s controls that do this plus provide time limits, and app access controls.