Linux Mint 12 Released

Ritho · 03. Dec 2011, 02:02 AM

I downloaded the release candidate, a couple of weeks ago, and ran it as a live usb. It was still a little rough around the edges. So I waited and just installed new release today. I played around the new gnome shell environment with the custom extensions, but do not like having the gnome shell panel at the top and the "mint menu"/bottom panel at the bottom. I simply don't like two panels. It is possible to make the gnome shell panel at the top hide using an extension, but then you don't have the system tray etc. on the bottom.

I think the gnome shell is well executed, and the default extensions made it more to my liking. The mint menu extension is not really much like the mint menu many know and love, and with the gnome shell menu, I don't really see the point.

So I logged out and tried MATE (Gnome 2 Fork) next. I was back in familiar territory, but ran across a few bugs. The worst one was when I tried to make the panel transparent. My system immediately became unresponsive. I had to drop to the command line and force a log out. When I went back in I was able remove the transparency, and now all is well. I think I will be sticking with MATE, although I am warming to Gnome Shell.

Ritho · 03. Dec 2011, 04:12 AM

I found that the problem with transparency also occurred with other themes but it has received a fix already which I had not yet downloaded.

Jojoyee · 03. Dec 2011, 05:08 AM

Good for sharing your experience Ritho. I'll downloading it and will give it a try after setting it up. Looks like the Tips and Tricks for Mint page needs an overall update on a separate page for this new release.

MidnightCowboy · 03. Dec 2011, 10:03 AM

Maybe you more knowledgeable folk will have a ready answer for this, but considering with 10 Julia you have so many more options for "looks" such as Emerald and Screenlets, what are the compelling reasons to dump this and move up to 12? I appreciate looks aren't everything but certainly the majority of converts I've made here have gone down this route after seeing one distro or another on my screen.

IMO sticking with Julia seems an attractive option at the moment, or maybe Zorin 5.

Jojoyee · 03. Dec 2011, 10:35 AM

@MC

Hmmm, will be keeping 11 in a partition and install this in another partition for exploring new things, just like you have been trying out many other distros.

wdhpr · 04. Dec 2011, 12:28 AM

From LinuxMintBlog

Quote:

We consider MATE yet another desktop, just like KDE, Gnome 3, Xfce etc… and based on the popularity of Gnome 2 in previous releases of Linux Mint, we are dedicated to support it and to help it improve. The most popular Linux desktop was, and arguably is, Gnome 2. It is no longer possible for Linux Mint to provide Gnome 2 but there are two promising alternatives available, Gnome 3 which is stable and which could lead to an even better desktop than the one we previously had but which lacks features and flexibility at the moment, and MATE which design is identical to Gnome 2 but which lacks stability at the moment. The future will tell which of these desktops will eventually become the most popular. In the meantime we’ll be working hard to bring more features and configuration options to Gnome 3 and more stability to MATE.

I just cant believe Gnome3 is advancing usability. I keep reading how people have to jump through hoops by installing extensions so they can make their desktops look and feel like something they are comfortable with.

As the above quote from the LinuxMintBlog states Mate is a desktop in itself designed to be identical to Gnome 2. Its interesting how we have to digress in order to progress.

I'm sticking with Mint Julia

Jojoyee · 04. Dec 2011, 01:23 AM

Downloaded Mint 12 ISO image and used Unetbootin to make a live USB, booted into Mint 12 from USB smoothly.

Now installing it in the harddisk after shrinking Mint 11 partition and creating a logical partition for Mint 12 using GParted.

Will see how this new release work...

Jojoyee · 04. Dec 2011, 02:17 AM

Installed and tried to boot into Mint 12 from the harddisk.

The boot menu didn't show up instead of showing 'Input Not Supported' on the screen. No panic, just waited for it to time out after a few seconds and it booted into Mint 12.

This was exactly the same problem as the one I experienced six months ago. Following the same fix posted here and the boot menu turned up after rebooting the PC.

I can now choose to boot into Mint 11, Mint 12, Ubuntu or Win7 from the boot menu.

Jojoyee · 04. Dec 2011, 04:18 AM

Mint 12 basically provides me with three login sessions:

Gnome
Gnome Classic (with or w/o effects)
MATE

Both Gnome and Gnome Classic come with top and bottom panels, the former has an "Infinity" Icon for you to switch views and the latter does away with that icon and therefore no such functions. MATE features only one panel at the bottom like the previous Mint release.

After logging into the MATE session, I noticed that the system response seemed to be quite slow. A click at Software Manager took around 15 seconds to fully load

. While in the Gnome session, it took only 4 seconds to do the same for me.

I think it still has a lot to improve for MATE, also as disclosed by Linux Mint that "MATE is brand new, not completely stable yet, and it's missing a few parts".

MidnightCowboy · 04. Dec 2011, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jojoyee

and it's missing a few parts".

Sounds ideally compatible with me

I have to say though this is one test I will not be making time for. All this grief doesn't seem worth it just to have something "new".

03. Dec 2011, 02:02 AM	#1 (permalink)
Ritho Foundation Editor Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 1,391	Linux Mint 12 Released I downloaded the release candidate, a couple of weeks ago, and ran it as a live usb. It was still a little rough around the edges. So I waited and just installed new release today. I played around the new gnome shell environment with the custom extensions, but do not like having the gnome shell panel at the top and the "mint menu"/bottom panel at the bottom. I simply don't like two panels. It is possible to make the gnome shell panel at the top hide using an extension, but then you don't have the system tray etc. on the bottom. I think the gnome shell is well executed, and the default extensions made it more to my liking. The mint menu extension is not really much like the mint menu many know and love, and with the gnome shell menu, I don't really see the point. So I logged out and tried MATE (Gnome 2 Fork) next. I was back in familiar territory, but ran across a few bugs. The worst one was when I tried to make the panel transparent. My system immediately became unresponsive. I had to drop to the command line and force a log out. When I went back in I was able remove the transparency, and now all is well. I think I will be sticking with MATE, although I am warming to Gnome Shell. __________________ The smallest good deed is better than the greatest intention.

03. Dec 2011, 04:12 AM	#2 (permalink)
Ritho Foundation Editor Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 1,391	I found that the problem with transparency also occurred with other themes but it has received a fix already which I had not yet downloaded. __________________ The smallest good deed is better than the greatest intention.

03. Dec 2011, 05:08 AM	#3 (permalink)
Jojoyee Maestro di Search Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4,295	Good for sharing your experience Ritho. I'll downloading it and will give it a try after setting it up. Looks like the Tips and Tricks for Mint page needs an overall update on a separate page for this new release. __________________ Keep It Short and Sweet

03. Dec 2011, 10:03 AM	#4 (permalink)
MidnightCowboy Site Manager Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: South American Banana Republic, third bunch from the left Posts: 9,250	Maybe you more knowledgeable folk will have a ready answer for this, but considering with 10 Julia you have so many more options for "looks" such as Emerald and Screenlets, what are the compelling reasons to dump this and move up to 12? I appreciate looks aren't everything but certainly the majority of converts I've made here have gone down this route after seeing one distro or another on my screen. IMO sticking with Julia seems an attractive option at the moment, or maybe Zorin 5. __________________ Knows nothing and cares even less

03. Dec 2011, 10:35 AM	#5 (permalink)
Jojoyee Maestro di Search Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4,295	@MC Hmmm, will be keeping 11 in a partition and install this in another partition for exploring new things, just like you have been trying out many other distros. __________________ Keep It Short and Sweet

04. Dec 2011, 01:23 AM	#7 (permalink)
Jojoyee Maestro di Search Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4,295	Downloaded Mint 12 ISO image and used Unetbootin to make a live USB, booted into Mint 12 from USB smoothly. Now installing it in the harddisk after shrinking Mint 11 partition and creating a logical partition for Mint 12 using GParted. Will see how this new release work... __________________ Keep It Short and Sweet

04. Dec 2011, 02:17 AM	#8 (permalink)
Jojoyee Maestro di Search Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4,295	Input Not Supported Installed and tried to boot into Mint 12 from the harddisk. The boot menu didn't show up instead of showing 'Input Not Supported' on the screen. No panic, just waited for it to time out after a few seconds and it booted into Mint 12. This was exactly the same problem as the one I experienced six months ago. Following the same fix posted here and the boot menu turned up after rebooting the PC. I can now choose to boot into Mint 11, Mint 12, Ubuntu or Win7 from the boot menu. __________________ Keep It Short and Sweet

04. Dec 2011, 04:18 AM	#9 (permalink)
Jojoyee Maestro di Search Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4,295	MATE is slow Mint 12 basically provides me with three login sessions: Gnome Gnome Classic (with or w/o effects) MATE Both Gnome and Gnome Classic come with top and bottom panels, the former has an "Infinity" Icon for you to switch views and the latter does away with that icon and therefore no such functions. MATE features only one panel at the bottom like the previous Mint release. After logging into the MATE session, I noticed that the system response seemed to be quite slow. A click at Software Manager took around 15 seconds to fully load . While in the Gnome session, it took only 4 seconds to do the same for me. I think it still has a lot to improve for MATE, also as disclosed by Linux Mint that "MATE is brand new, not completely stable yet, and it's missing a few parts". __________________ Keep It Short and Sweet

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