Well done Jim.
I am not sure I would have the patience for that, but it is a worthwhile effort and the reward is to see people enjoying their new found abilities.
3 Likes
Mint is such an easy interface to work with for people of all ages and similar to windows so easy to upgrade to.
As i have written before most of my clients are older people and just take to using mint. But there requirements are normally internet, mail and a voip such as skype or now whatsapp.
2 Likes
Just to add my 2 centsā worth, I just went through a series of distro hops, finding unsolvable difficulties with Devuan, Haiku, Extix, Semplice, and Pop_OS. Formatting my sandbox HDD and loading LMDE was a lovely, smooth, and welcome relief.
3 Likes
I have never used or even tried
Devuan, Haiku, Extix, Semplice
Got to mint after ubuntu and debian tries now happy.
But did use lubuntu and linux lite for clients settled for xfce in the end for lightweight versions
I would like to hear what difficulties you found with Devuan.
I think you may have found the Refracta installer confusingā¦ it is different
Tried installing it in Boxes, since thereās not a live option. Installer is less than intuitive but just chose the defaults. Installation seemed ok. Iāll try an installation when I decide which operating distro to abandon (I have three). Peppermint Devuan stalls at 92%āIāll have to try to figure out how to verify the iso. Most of the problems seem to cluster around āunder the hoodā activities and my lack of knowledge.
2 Likes
It could be that some of the imperfection is due to lack of commercial resources in the FOSS sector. But, a few years ago when I was contributing a bug report on Libreoffice (I think it was the inability to disconnect regional settings from the formatting of numbers, dates and so on), one reply was to the effect that not much could be done. Basically the developpers are stymied by a fault in the design of the odf file format. Are we allowed to ask whether FOSS design committees might lack protection against faults being slipped in by someone with interests elsewhere?
On the broader front, the fact that the offering with the largest sales in each software category is overwhelmingly dominant worldwide may indicate a need to review the way competition laws work internationally.
3 Likes
I wanted to install Linux on a my newly built PC and get rid of Windows. I canāt. Apparently my MB, launched 1 year ago, is way too modern for something like Linux. I waited to see if the new Kernel would improve the situation, but no.
A 1 year old MB would use chipsets which are at least 6 months older.
So apparently your hardware has to be at least using 2 or 3 years old components to be compatible. A 18 months old chipset? That is like science-fiction for Linux.
I had no idea before installing Kubuntu (24.04 LTS and the Beta 24.10) that hardware compatibility was a thing. But I am pretty sure lot of people who have tried Linux can relate.
Welcome to Itās Foss. Maybe you can get some answers about Linux support for newer hardware.
There is a very popular Linux called MX. It is currently number 1 on the DIstro download watch list.
MX Linux has an release option called āahsā.
MX-23.4_ahs_x64.iso/download), an āAdvanced Hardware Supportā release for very recent hardware, with 6.6 kernel and newer graphics drivers and firmware. 64 bit only. For newer hardware.
2 Likes
I endorse what Howard suggests.
You need to choose a specialized Linux distribution that is set up for very new hardware.
I was forced to use MXahs once when I added a new graphics card.
MX is also a good beginners distro.
2 Likes
Thank you for the advice, both of you.
I will certainly look into it.
Also my point was regarding the fact many people wanting to go to Linux would feel let down by the bad hardware support.
Or daunted by the choices of distros (I certainly was), or the choices of GUIā¦
Although i have not tried it on a new machine as most of mine or clients have older computers
Linux Mint 21.3
Cinnamon (Edge ISO) Edition
Was a speial version for new computers, but i understand thats now incorporated into the latest version 22 of cinnamon
Thanks Paul, I checked this one as it is one of the most mentioned distrosā¦
And one of the most disappointing, the Edge is not updated anymore and the current Linux Mint is coming straight from Ubuntu 24.4 LTS.
Not exactly streight from !
The mint team do lots of updates and changes before release.
Did you actually try mint and if so did it fail more details to enable diagnosis of the problems needed
I never offer linux on new machines for any clients in case of a hardware failure and it neededs to go back to the selling shop or original maker under the warranty as it would be too easy for them to blame linux as not originally supplied.
Here we have 2 year warranty on all goods.
No, no, I didnāt test it because when I checked distros I was not impressed with Cinnamon, I wanted KDE. I only tested the 2 Kubuntu versions I mentioned (24.04 LTS and the Beta of 24.10).
My main issue is with the lack of support of the MT7927. The MT7925 is just only now supported by Kernel 6.11. MT7927 has no support. Itās a common theme since January 2024 in many forums (Garuda, Manjaro and so onā¦)
Hence my posting here on why Linux is difficult to adopt for newcomers.
You have already used Linux and want a new PC? you know you have to check. You are a newcomer? Donāt come with your existing PC you just built with brand new hardware, itās unlikely to work.
Itās a real issue for Linux adoption.
1 Like
MX ahs only comes with Xfce desktop. That is a fine desktop, try it.
The only other way to get the support for new hardware is to use a rolling release distro. That means Arch or Void or Gentoo. They are not easy distros for a beginner, but you will get the very latest kernel and drivers. You could get KDE in a rolling release distro.
The easy way to test if a distro will work in your new machine is to use a live iso download on a flash drive.
1 Like
Or Solus, which has beginners for a target audience.
1 Like
Solus may work. It is not as bleeding-edge as Arch, Void, Gentoo.
Solus would not run my new graphics card, but Void would.
Yes , @Aerth would find Solus a lot easier for a beginner, and it has KDE.
Easy to find out @Aerth only has to try a live iso of Solus.
1 Like
Thanks a lot all for your support, I checked all the suggested distros and some others, but no chance. MT7927 support is not a thing despite being requested since January 2024 and being a chipset presents in some MB since September 2023.
Choices are,
- throw away my brand new MB, buy a new one.
- Brag about having one of the most secure Kubuntu linux ever installed since no Internet.
- Plug some USB Wifi
- Or reboot on my Windows partition and go on with my life. It worked fine after all.
Your requirements were around using KDE and the plasma display where most new to linux coming from windows just want a system that works and first time not have to play with the system.
I tend to stick with mint and occasionally xfce for lower spec machines.
Never had any problems with drivers or graphics. But donāt play games so many things pass me by