The Linux Mint team have another monthly update blog post out, to talk about the state of Linux Mint and it sounds like things are going well. They also announced the small-form-factor MintBox 3 and something about Snaps.
Teaming up with Compulab once again who did the previous MintBox, it's based on their current Airtop3 and will come with Linux Mint installed with their branding. The specifications, while not final, are below:
- 1. Basic configuration: $1543 with a Core i5 (6 cores), 16 GB RAM, 256 GB EVO 970, Wi-Fi and FM-AT3 FACE Module.
- 2. High end: $2698 with Core i9, GTX 1660 Ti, 32 GB RAM, 1TB EVO 970, WiFi and FM-AT3 FACE Module.
While a bit on the pricey side, I do have to admit it's a pretty tidy looking unit! I wouldn't mind something like this to replace the ridiculously large PC case I have sitting under my TV:
Additionally, Mint's Clement Lefebvre who wrote the blog post had some interesting words to say about the Snap package format and how it's currently being handled. Touching on topics like being locked into a single store, Ubuntu possibly replacing the Chromium repository package with one that installs the Chromium snap and things like that. However, Lefebvre did say they've been invited to participate by the Snap developers, so hopefully they can all agree on something.
As for the whole 32bit debacle recently with Ubuntu, they said if it becomes an issue they will solve that too. It's good to know they're making plenty of plans no matter what happens, as desktop-focused distribution the Mint team seem to be doing a fair amount of good work.
They also continue to pull in an impressive amount in donations, with June getting $11,825 which is on top of their various Sponsors which was around $7,700. Seems like quite a healthy amount.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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The comments on this article are closed.
They should switch the primary mint to Debian, LMDE is in good shape and off the canonical craziness.
16 Likes, Who?
orochi_kyo Jul 2, 2019
The inside wars, this will keep just happening until someone big jumps on the scene and make some distro easy to adopt for the people who want to switch. Then everyone else should have to adapt to this distro or just fade away into oblivion.
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Quoting: fagnerlnThey should switch the primary mint to Debian, LMDE is in good shape and off the canonical craziness.
I've used Mint for some time, switched to LMDE pretty early in the process, and never looked back at the ubuntu edition, which didn't work so well for me anyway.
Snap is a good idea on the surface, but it doesn't work that well. It might be useful for distributing some exotic apps that need specific dependencies (games come to mind...) but in everyday usage it's just too messy and feels bloated.
6 Likes, Who?
Regarding Mint's wording about 32bit support in their announcement (which wasn't quoted here), I find the mixed reporting on all of that to be interesting. I'm pretty sure many of the writers out there are either ignorant of, or willfully ignorant of, the original posting/news about 32bit support removal where Canonical was quite clear about the complete drop of 32bit support -- not just for the kernel/distro release. They backtracked regarding multilib support only after Valve had some words for them.
They certainly tried to spin it like that was always the case in that updated "clarification", but it's plain for the world to see -- and read given five to ten minutes -- that there was no miscommunication.
They certainly tried to spin it like that was always the case in that updated "clarification", but it's plain for the world to see -- and read given five to ten minutes -- that there was no miscommunication.
9 Likes, Who?
Will never use a distro based on a distro where a company calls the shots. LMDE is really nice, and would be my 2nd choice at the moment. I'm happy with Solus though.
The Snap issue in the article made me think. I didn't actually know Snap was that vendor locked. Was an intersting read, and I agree with the authors positions.
The Snap issue in the article made me think. I didn't actually know Snap was that vendor locked. Was an intersting read, and I agree with the authors positions.
3 Likes, Who?
I could accept (just) snaps being Ubuntu focused if at least they worked properly.
The problem is they don't. They take too long to launch, particularly on cold starts, and they don't integrate with themes. They simply feel as "not belonging". Flatpaks are marginally better.
I don't think Repositories are an insurmountable problem. Take MX-linux, their base is Debian stable and yet they keep programs and kernels updated; take KDE Neon: Ubuntu long term and Plasma fresh on top; and then there's Arch and its rolling release which I consider to be the most elegant solution, albeit at the cost of some lesser stability.
I really dislike snaps and Flatpaks :><: both in practice and in principle.
The problem is they don't. They take too long to launch, particularly on cold starts, and they don't integrate with themes. They simply feel as "not belonging". Flatpaks are marginally better.
I don't think Repositories are an insurmountable problem. Take MX-linux, their base is Debian stable and yet they keep programs and kernels updated; take KDE Neon: Ubuntu long term and Plasma fresh on top; and then there's Arch and its rolling release which I consider to be the most elegant solution, albeit at the cost of some lesser stability.
I really dislike snaps and Flatpaks :><: both in practice and in principle.
4 Likes, Who?
Chronarius Jul 2, 2019
QuoteI wouldn't mind something like this to replace the ridiculously large PC case I have sitting under my TV
Maybe you should have a look at the mini's from Zotac :D
https://www.zotac.com/de/product/mini_pcs/zbox-e-series/all
I have two of their "Steammachines" which are pretty amazing. Super small and super silent :D
2 Likes, Who?
I personally wouldn't have as much against Snaps if Canonical were as good as they promised in ensuring it'd be a viable cross-distribution packaging method.
As it is, I don't have a choice as Flatpak's the only one that can be installed on any of the systems I use or administer.
Not that I can complain too much about that, Flatpak's custom installation system means I'm able to host a shared install between a roomful of computers. And the P2P install/update system means I'm even able to do the same with non-shared installations too.
As it is, I don't have a choice as Flatpak's the only one that can be installed on any of the systems I use or administer.
Not that I can complain too much about that, Flatpak's custom installation system means I'm able to host a shared install between a roomful of computers. And the P2P install/update system means I'm even able to do the same with non-shared installations too.
2 Likes, Who?
To be honest, Snaps are not so bad. It's almost same thing like Flatpak. But, the way Canonical is going about not only Snaps, but overall system usage is kinda odd. It's almost like Windows gone free, and oh, ah (in my opinion). I don't know what happened there, but I'll not install next version of Ubuntu (Xubuntu in my case) for sure. Solus looks like some really good alternative, and very friendly, if you think about gaming.
5 Likes, Who?
While the box does seem interesting , those prices seem a bit high to me at least.
You could get a failry powerful laptop for that money.
I guess the small form factor pushes the price up.
But at the moment if I had a choice i would probably build a mini-ITX box over buying something like that.
Cool idea though.
You could get a failry powerful laptop for that money.
I guess the small form factor pushes the price up.
But at the moment if I had a choice i would probably build a mini-ITX box over buying something like that.
Cool idea though.
1 Likes, Who?
QuoteTouching on topics like being locked into a single storeSnaps are usable without the Canonical snapcraft.io storefront, I thought. Or is that a Flatpak only thing? Because I remember Alan Pope making a big deal about it.
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Snap only works on Ubuntu?
Didn't even know that... rather weird and seems strangely against the concept.
Didn't even know that... rather weird and seems strangely against the concept.
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Quoting: TheSHEEEPSnap only works on Ubuntu?That is definitely not the case, though snaps work best on Ubuntu. I can use them just fine on Debian, and there are instructions to use them on other distros. For example, Linux Mint.
Didn't even know that... rather weird and seems strangely against the concept.
https://docs.snapcraft.io/installing-snap-on-linux-mint
0 Likes
I haven't played with Mint for a long time. Man, that was my first dual-boot choice when I started migrating my general computing and some gaming to Linux. I found messing between Steam and PlayOnLinux and USB WiFi drivers not to be fun on Mint, and I wasn't a fan of the Ubuntu desktop environment back then. I also wanted to get away from major OS upgrades. Anyway, I'm still somewhat fond of the distro. I'll throw LMDE into a VM and take a peek.
2 Likes, Who?
doomiebaby Jul 3, 2019
Quoting: 14I haven't played with Mint for a long time. Man, that was my first dual-boot choice when I started migrating my general computing and some gaming to Linux. I found messing between Steam and PlayOnLinux and USB WiFi drivers not to be fun on Mint, and I wasn't a fan of the Ubuntu desktop environment back then. I also wanted to get away from major OS upgrades. Anyway, I'm still somewhat fond of the distro. I'll throw LMDE into a VM and take a peek.
i read as my vm lmde install finishes, haha ;3 very similar story here
1 Likes, Who?
Bravo Clément^^ honestly I quite like this distribution, it has almost everything you need at the first boot, it is user friendly, I also like the design of the interface. It is a dynamic team, which love and works in the good direction for linux in general. I have to say that I haven't encounter a single problem on all the games I have tried on linux. For me this is an important detail when you want to compare with some other distributions (including ubuntu itself), and more importantly with windows which over the time becomes more and more bugy. It is almost the same kernell since... vista with full loads of patch, fixes, spyware, backdoor, annoying softwares...
Last edited by Jahimself on 3 July 2019 at 8:27 am UTC
Last edited by Jahimself on 3 July 2019 at 8:27 am UTC
0 Likes
Pretty sure valves nu recommended os will be linux mint, just because its debian based, its got old solid kernel and is LTS.
Its good to see Linux mint devs seems commited now with all the news involving Ubuntu :(.
Linux mint was one of the first Linux destros I tryed, and there was always problems for me, I couldnt use it like a windows machine and it was just frustrating for a beginner.
Now that Iv been more comfortable with linux and how to use it I might check out linux mint again sometime in the future.
But also add the old kernel and the security problems linux mint has hade in its history, Im still a bit sceptical.
But I think its still a good OS for valve to support :).
Last edited by Zelox on 3 July 2019 at 10:04 am UTC
Its good to see Linux mint devs seems commited now with all the news involving Ubuntu :(.
Linux mint was one of the first Linux destros I tryed, and there was always problems for me, I couldnt use it like a windows machine and it was just frustrating for a beginner.
Now that Iv been more comfortable with linux and how to use it I might check out linux mint again sometime in the future.
But also add the old kernel and the security problems linux mint has hade in its history, Im still a bit sceptical.
But I think its still a good OS for valve to support :).
Last edited by Zelox on 3 July 2019 at 10:04 am UTC
0 Likes
I used to use Linux Mint and enjoyed it a lot. I wish the best for Clement and it is good to see him still getting support. I mainly use Ubuntu MATE and Arch these days. Linux Mint was really nice to get up and running, but when things went wrong, it was often just different enough from Ubuntu to be difficult. So if I want to deal with difficulty for unusual situations, I'd rather do it in Arch. For the computers where I just want a basic OS and don't want to mess with it, I use Ubuntu MATE.
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