[conspire] (forw) Linux on netbook (update)

[Rick Moen]

----- Forwarded message from Ronald Schild <rschild at gmail.com> -----

Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2013 22:00:52 -0700
From: Ronald Schild <rschild at gmail.com>
To: installers at linuxmafia.com
Cc: Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com>
Subject: Linux on netbook (update)

Hi again, Rick!

I've been meaning to get back to you regarding installing a flavor of Linux
on my Toshiba netbook. If you may recall, I initially contacted you earlier
in the spring with the intention of attending one of your sponsored
Installfests. One thing led to another, and I was unable to make an April
date however.

I did persist at trying to install it myself via a USB drive though. I am
happy to share with you - and based on a lot of the feedback you gave me -
I was successful in installing Linux Mint Olivia; I went for the Cinnamon
desktop environment.

I have used this for about 2 and 1/2 months now and I am very pleased with
it. The netbook works much more efficiently and boots up much quicker. I am
able to perform just about everything I need to with it and constantly
learn new tricks and tweaks about Cinnamon.

Oh, and by the way, I went "All In" (Gen. Patraeus reference) with my
commitment to a Linux install: I completely wiped the Redmond-based O.S.

So, so far so good. I don't believe I could have done this without your
encouragement. Thanks again for all you have offered me through our
correspondence. Perhaps I will be able to make one of the Installfests in
the near future - there is always something I have a question about or
could learn ;)

All the best,
Ron Schild


On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 12:41 AM, Rick Moen <rick at linuxmafia.com> wrote:

> Quoting Ronald Schild (rschild at gmail.com):
>
> > I am unable to make it today to Menlo Park. I am so sorry for not
> > being able to attend today. From your initial response, you are very
> > helpful.
>
> Ah, well, you're always welcome.  We had a pleasant group, and I made a
> from-scratch pizza featuring some early pickings from my vegetable
> garden.
>
> > I still would like to install a Linux O.S. on the netbook here. I
> > started looking into Mint, and it looks like what I need and want.
>
> Yes, I get the impression you'd like it.  If sticking with GNOME, you
> will want to decide whether to try first the MATE or Cinnamon desktop
> variants.  (They also provide supported KDE4 and XFCE desktop
> environments.  Each of the four is a separate DVD for i386 and a
> separate DVD for x86_64.  CABAL burns each one to media for the
> convenience of visitors -- and also a large variety of other distros:
> http://linuxmafia.com/cabal/installfest/#distros )
>
> > P.S. - What is your take on KDE? I have used a SuSE version with KDE
> > and rather warmed up to it. Please let me know when convenient.
>
> I haven't really played around much with KDE since KDE3 days, so my
> experience is out of date.  Both GNOME3 and KDE4 have become very
> heavy-weight desktop environments, which is to say that they run a large
> number of service processes and are heavy drains on CPU and RAM.  FWIW,
> many people really love KDE, though there are vocal users who resented
> the changes introduced in the change from KDE3 to KDE4, and who truly
> detest KDE4.
>
> My _personal_ preference is to use no Desktop Environment whatsoever,
> and just a nice clean window manager with no DE.
> (The 'tl;dr' version is:  DEs appear to mostly appeal to people who like
> drag and drop file handling.  Since I don't, I would rather eschew DEs.)
>
> More about that (recommended, if I may be so bold):
> http://lists.svlug.org/archives/svlug/2013-March/057971.html
> Note in particular the recommendation to visit Matt Chapman's
> site comparing DEs and various window managers:
> http://xwinman.org/
>
>


-- 
"We have no seriously satisfying alternative but to be wonderful." - First
Earth Battalion Manual, by Lt. Col. Jim Channon

Written, punctuated, and fact-checked in the U.S.A.

----- End forwarded message -----