Linux Mint

1521 readers

10 users here now

Linux Mint is a free Linux-based operating system designed for use on desktop and laptop computers.

Want to see the latest news from the blog? Set the Firefox homepage to:

linuxmint.com/start/

where is a current or past release. Here's an example using release 21.1 'Vera':

https://linuxmint.com/start/vera/

founded 3 years ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

Anyone else want LMDE to become the primary release? (self.linuxmint)

submitted 11 months ago by packetloss to c/[email protected]

10 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I've always liked Linux Mint. It's been one of my go-to distros for a long time.

Lately though my interest in using it has waned due to the fact it's based on Ubuntu. I'm not a fan of what Canonical is doing with Ubuntu, snap focused, and some of the tracking they've added.

I realize the Linux Mint team does their best to remove this from their fork, but as Ubuntu bakes it in more and more with each release, I'm wondering if it makes sense to drop Ubuntu and focus on LMDE solely instead.

It would also put them closer to the upstream source instead of being a fork of a fork. And at this point I trust distros based on Debian a lot more than distros based on Ubuntu.

What do you think?

all 11 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] KitchenNo2246 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Personally, I'm fine with the Ubuntu base. Canonical does a great job.

I feel Mint takes an already great distro and makes it way better.

I've used LMDE and it works well but keeping a Ubuntu base means we can reference soooo many Ubuntu based help forums.

If Mint is already removing the parts of Ubuntu we don't like then great, let them keep doing it 🙂

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I agree up until the point where snap becomes the default way to install software. Then I'm out.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

What's wrong with snap? Honest question.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I have had multiple experiences where I installed stuff with snap and had just boatloads of problems: crashes, laggy performance, dependency conflicts. In most cases, I was able to fix this by removing the package and then typing "apt install "

When I asked about my problems on reddit or stackoverflow, I got a lot of "Are you using snap? Don't." responses. About a year and a half ago after the third or fourth time I'd ridden this donkey, I said to myself... "Ok, I get it. Fuck this package manager."

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

I see. That's unfortunate.

[–] xylogx 6 points 11 months ago

I use LMDE on my gaming PC and my daily driver laptop. It works great and I could not be happier. That said I tried using LMDE on a media PC and I struggled to get MythTV to work. I switched to Ubuntu-Mint and it just worked. My conclusion is that while LMDE is fine for most things, Ubuntu-Mint gives you all of that you get with LMDE plus compatibility with Ubuntu stuff as well. I am not immediately switching off LMDE, but I will be less likely to stick with it in the future when upgrading.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

The ubuntu base is why I never gave mint a fair shot on the first place, so I agree.

[–] eddanja 2 points 11 months ago

My daily driver is the Ubuntu-based Linux Mint. I want to install LMDE on it, but it's such a procedure to get my files and applications moved across. All new systems are having LMDE installed and 3rd party applications are backed by Flatpaks.

I don't like the additional weirdness that Ubuntu do. At the end of the day, Canonical is a company.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

Probably Ubuntu-based version becomes immutable?

[–] bizzle 0 points 11 months ago

Couldn't agree more, Ubuntu is wack. I always recommend LMDE if I'm not recommending Arch.