Windows 10. Many of you are Windows 7 users. Windows 7 just works. But the clock is ticking for Windows 7. In less than a year,.
Come that day, you'll have a choice: You can either run it without being certain you'll get vital security patches (that would be really stupid), or you can pay for on a per-device basis, with the price increasing each year. We don't know how much that will be, but I think we can safely assume it won't be cheap. And, yes, for now, you can still from Windows 7. Also: TechRepublic But Windows 10 came out in July 2015.
To install windows over linux Mint, if you have but 1 hard drive, is to format the drive, install the Windows OS first, then install the Linux OS second. If you want to install third party drivers and multimedia codecs while installing Linux Mint 19, mark the Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware, Flash, MP3 and other media as marked in the screenshot below. You will need internet connectivity for that.
If you haven't upgraded by now, I'm sure you don't want any part of Windows 10. I actually sort of, kind of like Windows 10.
Well, I did when it first came out. My affection for it waned with every. Take the infamous Windows 10 October 2018 Update, aka version 1809. When it first came out it deleted user files, would sometime fail at unzipping compressed files, and could fail while opening files on networked drives. But, wait, say you need Microsoft Office. There you go.
Welcome to 2019, when you don't have to be running Windows to run 'Windows' programs. For all your other desktop software needs, there's usually a free open-source program that can do just as good a job., for example, instead of Photoshop. Instead of Outlook. Or for full-featured Microsoft Office. Also: TechRepublic That said, there are some programs you can't replace on Linux. If I were making videos, for example, I'd be using Corel's, which only runs on Windows.
If you're locked into such a program, you'll need to move to Windows 10. On the other hand, desktop Linux tends to be far more secure than Windows. Oh, you can run into trouble, but it's not like Windows where having an antivirus program is a must. Getting ready to install Mint on your Windows PC There are many good Linux desktops, and I've used many of them., but there are numerous others you can consider such as. I have one big reason to think Mint is a good fit for Windows 7 users. Looks and works a lot like Windows 7's Aero interface.
Yes, there's a learning curve, but it's nothing like the one you'll face if you move to Windows 10 or macOS. Also: Another advantage, which Mint share with other Linux distros, is it is rests lightly on your system. Mint can run on any of your Windows 7 PCs.
All Linux Mint needs to run is an x86 processor, 1GB of RAM (albeit, you'll be happier with 2GB), 15GB of disk space, a graphics card that can handle 1024x768 resolution, and a CD/DVD drive or USB port. Mint, like the other Linux desktops, won't cost you a red penny. You also don't have to commit to it. You can try it first, and if you don't like it, just reboot back to Windows, and you're done.
Must read. CNET. TechRepublic. TechRepublic After downloading the ISO file, which takes up about 2GB, you must burn it to a USB stick or DVD. I recommend using a USB stick - since that's makes it easier to give a trial run.
Running it from a DVD can be quite slow. If you don't have an ISO burner program, download one. I recommend freeware programs (for optical drives) and (for USB sticks). Other good choices are. These are all free programs. Once you've installed the burner program and have the latest Linux Mint ISO file in hand, burn the ISO image to your disc or USB stick. If you're using a DVD - Mint is too big to fit on a CD - check your newly burned disc for errors.
Over the years, I've had more problems with running Linux and installing Linux from bad discs than all other causes combined. Also: It's better to use a USB stick with persistent storage.
With this, you can store your programs and files on the stick. This way, you can carry Mint with you and use it as a walk-around operating system at a hotel, conference, and library PC.
I've found this to be very handy, and there's always at least one Linux stick in my laptop bag. Next, reboot your system, but stop the boot-up process before Windows comes up, and get to your PC's UEFI or BIOS settings. How you do this varies according to your system. You should look for a message as the machine starts up that tells which key or keys you'll need to press in order to get to the BIOS or UEFI. You can also do a Google search for your specific PC or PC brand and 'UEFI.' Or, with older PCs, your computer brand and 'BIOS.' For example, with Dell PCs, you tap the F2 key to enter system setup; with HP, you tap on the escape key once a second; and on Lenovo systems, you tap (Fn+) F2 or (Fn+) F1 key 5 to 10 times after the power-on button is pressed to get to system setup.
Also: Once you get to the BIOS or UEFI, look for a menu choice labeled 'Boot,' 'Boot Options,' or 'Boot Order.' If you don't see anything with the word 'boot' in it, check other menu choices, such as 'Advanced Options,' 'Advanced BIOS Features,' or 'Other Options.' Once you find it, set the boot order so that, instead of booting from the hard drive first, you boot from either the CD/DVD drive or from a USB drive. Once your PC is set to boot first from the alternative drive, insert your DVD or USB stick and reboot, then select 'Start Linux Mint' from the first menu, and, in a minute or so, you'll be running Linux Mint.
Now play with it for a while. Take a few days if you like. Windows is still there. Anytime you reboot without the drive or stick in, it will go right back to it. Like what you see of Mint? Then let's install Mint on your PC. How to install Linux Mint Like any serious upgrade, you'll start with making a complete backup of your Windows system.
Installing Linux in the way I'm going to describe shouldn't hurt your Windows setup at all, but why take chances? It used to be that. It can still be annoying, but. All pre-built binaries intended to be loaded as part of the boot process, with the exception of the initrd image, are signed by Canonical's UEFI certificate, which is implicitly trusted by being embedded in the Microsoft signed shim loader. If, for some reason, you can't install Mint with Secure Boot running on your PC, you can always turn off Secure Boot. There are many. All involve going to the UEFI control panel during the boot process and switching it off.
Also: Now, let's get on with the actual installation. Make sure your PC is plugged in. The last thing you want is to run out of battery power during an operating system install!
You'll also need an internet connection and about 8GB of free drive space. That done, reboot into Linux again. Once you have the Mint display up, one of your icon choices on the left will be to install Mint. Double-click it and you'll be on your way. Next, you must walk your way through several menu choices.
Most of these decisions will be easy. For example, the language you want Mint to use and your time zone. The one critical choice will be how to partition your hard drive. Partitioning a hard drive can be a real pain, but it doesn't have to be for our purposes. We're going to set your PC up so you can dual-boot both Windows and Mint. To do this with the partition command, just pick the first option on the Installation Type menu: 'Install Linux Mint alongside them.'
Featured stories. This procedure will install Linux Mint next to your existing Windows system and leave it totally untouched. When I do this, I usually give half my PC's remaining drive space to Mint. You'll be asked to choose which operating system you want to boot by default. No matter which one you pick, you'll get a few seconds to switch to the other operating system. You'll also be required to give your system a name; pick out a username for yourself, and come up with a password.
You can also choose to encrypt your home directory to keep files relatively safe from prying eyes. However, an encrypted home directory slows systems down. It's faster, albeit counterintuitive, to encrypt the entire drive after you have Mint up and running. Mint 19.1's setup menu enables you to automatically run several processes. These are to set up a. This way, if something goes wrong later, you can restore your system files and get back to a working system. I highly recommend.
While you're at this, set up a regular Timeshift schedule. Next, you can have it check to see if your computer needs any additional drivers. You should do this, and after, you can install proprietary multimedia codecs such as drivers to watch DVDs. That's a good idea, as well.
Also: You should also set it to update your system to the latest software. Unlike Windows, when you update Mint, you're updating not just your operating system but all your other programs such as the web browser, office-suite, and any other programs you installed afterward from Mint's Software Manager. To do this manually, click on the shield icon in the menu bar. By default, you'll find this on the menu bar on the bottom part of the screen, and the icon will be on the right. Once clicked, it will prompt for your password and ask if you really want to update your system. Say yes, and you'll be ready to give your new Mint system a real try.
The setup routine also offers to let you look at system settings and find new programs with the Software Manager, but since you're probably a new user, you can skip those for now. That's all there is to it.
I've installed Linux hundreds of time, and it usually takes me about an hour from starting my download - the blessings of a 400Mbps internet connection - to moving from booting up to customizing my new Mint PC. If you've never done it before, allow yourself an afternoon or morning for the job. I think you may just find that, while you'll still miss Windows 7 at first, you'll appreciate how much Mint can do for you. By registering you become a member of the CBS Interactive family of sites and you have read and agree to the,. You agree to receive updates, alerts and promotions from CBS and that CBS may share information about you with our marketing partners so that they may contact you by email or otherwise about their products or services. You will also receive a complimentary subscription to the ZDNet's Tech Update Today and ZDNet Announcement newsletters. You may unsubscribe from these newsletters at any time.
ACCEPT & CLOSE.
Linux Mint is a popular distro in the Linux community. Owing to the Windows-like UI and a fairly easy learning curve, Linux Mint has been able to generate a decent amount of fan following. Moreover, the availability of all the essential apps which come pre-built with the Linux Mint Installation makes it especially preferable for beginners in the Linux world.
We have already covered the complete tutorial on, which is the latest Linux Mint version available. So if you have already followed the steps to install it, the next thing on your mind would be what to do after installing Linux Mint 19. So, have a look at our most important 10 things to after Installing Linux Mint Tara. Things to do after Installing Linux Mint 19 Tara Linux Mint Cinnamon is one of the more popular desktop environments around.
But here, we are using the Linux Mint 19 MATE edition to freshen things up a bit. So, let’s use that edition to look at the important things to do right after you install this popular Linux distribution. If you are having a tough time choosing the best Linux desktop environment, check out our article on. Welcome Screen The Welcome screen is the first thing that greets you when you boot up your Linux PC. Furthermore, it can be a very helpful tool to get things up and running for the first time.
![How How](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125622481/392613962.png)
There are links to help and documentation as well. Check For updates First things first, check if your machine is running the latest components and features provided. Even though you might be sure that you have installed the latest version of Linux Mint, some fixes and additional security features may have been released already.
Owing to the brilliant support for the Linux community, regular updates are a thing. To make sure that you have the latest libraries and packages for your Linux OS, launch the terminal from the menu or using the shortcut key Cntrl + Alt + T and enter the following command. $ sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y Or, you can launch the Software Updater instead. Optimize Linux Mint Update Servers If you notice dreadfully slow updates on a fast internet connection, the most probable cause would be slow servers.
A good option to try out in such situations is to switch to a closer mirror server. Eventually, this might yield better results in most cases. To change to a faster mirror server,. Launch the Update Manager and got to Ed it Software Sources Mirrors. Firstly, change the server for Main(Tara) by clicking on the current server and choosing the appropriate one in the forthcoming window. You might already know that most drivers come pre-built in the Linux kernel. Due to the dependency on proprietary restricted drivers, graphics drivers like Nvidia and some printers are the only exceptions.
To update/install graphics drivers on Linux Mint,. Launch the Driver Manager from the start menu Driver Manager. In the driver manager window, you can choose whether to install the closed source proprietary software or open source xorg. Installing the proprietary graphics driver is the recommended one in the list and just as it reads, that would be the preferable one. Install complete Multimedia Support If you have followed our article on the complete Linux Mint 19 installation, you might remember the option to choose whether to Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware, Flash, MP3, and other media. Choosing this option would have already installed the necessary multimedia codecs and plugins. If you didn’t, no problem! You can do that now.
To do this, eEnter the command in terminal: sudo apt-get install mint-meta-codecs 6. Install Microsoft Fonts Additionally, you can install the Microsoft fonts in the Linux. You can use the Linux Software Manager or the Synaptic package manager to do so.
Launch the software manager by going to Menu Administration Software Manager. Type in Microsoft and select Ttf-mscorefonts-installer. Click Install. Install the Popular and Most useful software for Linux Mint 19 Even though one might notice a few major software titles missing, almost all the popular software has Linux support. To help you get started, we will recommend a few free Linux Mint Software here:. Google Chrome ( Web Browser ).
Audacious ( Audio Player ). VLC ( Video Player ). Skype ( Instant Messaging and Calling ). Libre Office ( Office Suites ).
GIMP ( Photo Editor). ATOM ( Text Editor ).
![Moonlight Moonlight](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125622481/664621515.png)
uGet ( Download Manager ). Transmission ( Torrent manager ).
DropBox ( Cloud Storage ) 8. Create a System Snapshot Snapshot feature in Linux Mint might not be as familiar to the users.
Linux Mint Snapshots allow the users to create System Restore images so that in case something goes woefully wrong, you can always switch back to the state when everything was well. This Timeshift feature is integrated with the update manager and users can find much-needed utility with it. To create a system snapshot,. Launch Timeshift by going to Menu Administration Timeshift. Choose RSYNC as the Snapshot type. Select the device where you want the snapshot to be saved and click next. Select the time when a snapshot needs to be created.
Click Finish. Disable Startup Applications Just like with Windows, Linux Mint also has some applications which start up automatically.
Additionally, you speed up the system startup and boot up by disabling some of the startup applications. To do this, head over to.
Menu System Tools Startup Applications. In the Startup Application Preferences, you can disable, add or remove the programs. Disabling prevents them from starting up automatically.
Removing removes the entry from the list. Furthermore, you can use the Add function to add the program again to the list.
Optimize Linux Swap Usage (optional) First of all, Swap memory is the backup memory partition utilized from the Hard Drive when the RAM memory runs out. As you should know, the hard drive is several times slower than the RAM.
Therefore, as the swap usage increases, the overall system performance decreases. To mitigate this, we can instruct the PC to decrease its swap usage. Note: Most probably, this tip would only be helpful for users with 2GB or less RAM. So, If you run a modern machine with 4GB or more, you need not bother and can skip this step.
Now, the setting called Swappiness determines the swap usage by the system. To decrease this,. First of all, check the current swappiness settings by entering the following in the terminal: cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness. By default, the value would be set at 60.
Now, to change the swappiness settings, enter xed admin:///etc/sysctl.conf. Enter your root password twice. Now scroll to the bottom of the page and change the value 60 to 10 as shown below: # Decrease swap usage to a more reasonable level vm.swappiness=10. Restart and check the value again. Use Synaptic Package Manager The Synaptic package manager is a very popular software manager for Ubuntu and Linux Mint. This great Linux software tool is used in almost all Debian distributions. For the reason being its ease of use and many benefits, it goes well beyond the shortcomings of the Ubuntu Software Center and Linux Mint Software Manager.
Note: Keep in mind to not to mess around with it if you don’t know what you are looking at. Removing essential packages can result in the unwanted behavior of the apps and the whole operating system.
Configure your Firewall Settings The Linux Operating system is well known for its security and protection. Even more, improving security in every possible way possible is always recommended for this day and age. Moreover, enabling Linux Firewall would be a good place to start.
Consequently, the firewall is called Uncomplicated Firewall (ufw). Additionally, the firewall can be accessed via the terminal or by using the Firewall settings in the Main menu.
Remove Mono and Orco ( Optional ) This is an optional step. Probably, people who are a tad bit concerned over the regular users would find this helpful.
Nevertheless, we decided to include it as it has been reported to for additional security. To begin with, Mono and Orco are two packages which come preinstalled with Linux Mint 19.
For the reason that, Mono is an implementation of the Windows.NET framework, it can pose a potential security risk. In contrast, Orco is an accessibility feature which can be discarded unless you are visually challenged. So you can choose to uninstall them both by using the terminal command: sudo apt-get remove mono-runtime-common gnome-orca Note: Removing Mono will also remove the mono based applications like Tomboy notes app and photo editor apps like Pinta. So, if needed, you need to install an alternative application. Configure Power Manager Another thing you need to do after installing Linux Mint 19 on your laptop is to configure the power manager settings. Maybe it won’t make much of a difference in your desktop machines.
Certainly, this can do wonders for the laptop machines if you manage to get it right. Access the Power Manager Settings to verify the configurations. Improve Battery by installing TLP for Linux TLP is a great command line tool for improving the battery performance for your laptop running Linux mint 19.
This advanced power management tool comes with automated background tasks which can help you get the most out of your battery. To install TLP in Linux Mint 19, sudo add-apt-repository ppa:linrunner/tlp sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install tlp tlp-rdw sudo tlp start Most noteworthy is that the default settings would be the recommended one and you can be safe to assume that it would do well enough. Still, if you want to configure it, you can use the text editor of your choice to do so. Hence, To tweak the settings, enter the following command: sudo gedit /etc/default/tlp Consequently, you can refer the to get a good idea in case you decide to configure the settings. Note: Always be cautious when trying out the different settings as effects may vary depending on the machine hardware. Snap or Flatpak Snap and Flatpak are highly acclaimed as the future of software packaging for Linux and for good reason as well.
Linux Mint comes pre-installed with the Cross-distribution software utility Flatpak. Likewise, you can also try out the similar package called Snap which is developed by Canonical and comes built-in with Ubuntu.
To install snaps, Launch the terminal and enter the following command, sudo apt install snapd Even more, both Snaps and Flatpak has its pros and cons and we will let you be the judge on what suits you best as you begin to try them out. Customize the Look and feel of Linux Mint 19 Above all, the best thing about Linux is the power of customization. If you find Linux Mint less pleasing on the eye, you can always take it up a notch. There are tons of themes and icon packs available for you to try out. Installing them are pretty easy as well. Head over to to have a look at the best themes available.
Play Games on Linux Mint 19 While everyone knows gaming isn’t one of Linux’s forte, times have certainly changed and currently, Linux holds many of major titles in its arsenal. Even though not as great as the Windows platform, you can definitely have a good time playing several games in Linux Mint 19. Especially, taking the Steam client into consideration, you can play a wide range of major titles quite well. Gaming in Linux is now much more optimized owing to the optimized graphics drivers and games optimized just especially for Linux. Install Wine and Play On Linux Most notable software for Linux users coming from Windows is undoubtedly WINE. WINE stands for Wine is not an Emulator.
Seems pretty self-explanatory, doesn’t it? Above all, wine helps you efficiently run Windows applications on Linux. To install Wine, Launch the terminal and Enter the following command. Sudo apt-add-repository 'deb bionic main' If you want to install WINE stable version: sudo apt-get install -install-recommends winehq-stable For WINE development version: sudo apt-get install -install-recommends winehq-devel Furthermore, if you want to install WINE staging version: sudo apt-get install -install-recommends winehq-staging Additionally, you can install PlayOnLinux from the Software manager to enjoy playing some Windows games on Linux. Enable Redshift Almost all the digital platforms have implemented the night light feature which filters the blue light enabling you to get some good sleep. As you may have already found that feature in smartphones and Windows, Redshift brings a yellow tint to the screen during the night hours for the night owls among our users.
To enable Redshift, Launch Redshift from the menu or from the taskbar and set it to Autostart and Enabled. If you can’t find it in the taskbar, search in all apps.
And as simple as that, you have given your health some good service. Useful Tweaks For Linux Mint 19 After using Linux Mint 19 for a short while, there are some settings that you would definitely want to implement. We can show you how. Amplify Volume Output In Linux Mint 19, you can easily amplify the volume output to 150% with a simple setting. Firstly, access the sound preferences via right clicking on the sound menu in the panel or in General settings. Now, go to the Advanced Tab, you can use the slider under Amplification to set the maximum volume output. Display Battery Percentage Besides, if you are one of those people who would like to see the battery percentage right on the screen at all times, you can use this method.
Access the Battery configuration settings by right-clicking the battery icon in the panel. Now, in the power manager, change the setting for display to Show percentage. Automatically Turn on NumLock Another Linux Mint 19 tweak that most would find helpful is to automatically turn on NumLock when the operating system boots up. First of all, you would have to install a package called numlockx. Hence,. Open up the terminal and enter the following command and press enter: sudo apt-get install numlockx. Now, head over to Menu Administration Login Window. In the settings tab, enable activate numlock.
Reboot your system. However, Linux Mint might still disable NumLock at startup. To fix this,. Go to, Menu Preferences Startup Applications. Now, Set the Name to Numlockx and enter the command as sh -c “sleep 20 && numlockx on”.
Clean Up your Linux System Finally, we should take note to clean the system of any temporary leftover files and junk. Launch the Terminal and enter the following commands: To remove the packages that failed to install completely, $ sudo apt-get autoclean Additionally, to remove the apt-cache, $ sudo apt-get clean Finally, to remove the unwanted software dependencies, $ sudo apt-get autoremove Important Things To Do After Installing Linux As we see, setting up your Linux machine after installing the Linux distribution is equally important and simple. Furthermore, you can check out our article to try out the.