Unix and Linux → My Thoughts on Mint 17

I am currently running Linux Mint 17 from my 8GB USB stick. It is a nice operating system, however, running it from a USB drive does slow down the speed of the programs. Opening up web pages in Firefox, for example, definitely halts the browser and sometimes the system. Still, though, for a free operating system with no catch, no keys or keygens to look around for... it really is a nice OS.

You don't have to pirate it, or download it from some shady filesharing utility. You just go to the distro's website and download it right there. It's all free, it just works!

I have been using Linux since 2002. When I first started, I used Linux Mandrake 8.0. I had never used a Linux OS before that point in time. It was an interesting experience but a lot of stuff didn't work without a bit of hacking here and there. I've since forgotten that stuff I learned and I have still forgotten how to actually do a Linux hard drive install, which is what I want to do for this distro.

I feel like I can finally perhaps replace Windows on my computer with something that doesn't need cracks or whatever. I just download the latest version, install it and I'm done. The thing that amazes me is when I put Mint 17 on my USB stick and booted into it, the thing just worked. It asked me what to boot, I selected it and the next thing I know I was presented with a beautiful Linux desktop.

That was it. No more loading. It was so fast. Within 30 minutes of clicking the download link on the Mint website I was up and running with a free and full featured Linux desktop. It was amazing how fast it booted, I cannot stress this enough. It just loaded up the desktop, QUICKLY, and that was it. It was ready to go. All free. At my disposal. An operating system free, fully featured and fun!

The slowness problems are purely a result of the medium in which it is installed. On a regular hard drive it will be very fast. On an SSD It will scream.

Since moving to Linux I have stopped all piracy and work-around to freeware that expires.

Understatement of the year? I'm using a SATAII drive on a SATAIII controller and it's hysterical. I can't wait to get a SATAIII drive.

I concur. I am running Mint 17 Cinnamon on a NUC 2820 with a kingston 120 gb ssd. 32 inch Haier tv
apple key board and microsoft mouse booth Bluetooth. It does everything you would want it to.
Back in 98 I had to pay an IT guy to install Red Hat on my my old tower. The change in computer
technology and the Linux OS in the last 16 years is something.

quite possible.
my reboot times are around 15s -- from desktop to desktop.
my vm's load faster now than it took my previous computers (running spindles) to boot.

and i'm only on a sata-ii controller running a 3 year old samsung 820.

q.