Linux Mint Debian Edition 2 released

Linux Mint Debian Edition 2 released

Linux Mint Debian Edition is not as well known as its Ubuntu-based sibling. But it offers the convenience of a rolling release along with the advantages of using Debian as its base. Linux Mint Debian Edition 2 has finally been released and you can download the Cinnamon or MATE versions today.

The Linux Mint Blog has details about Linux Mint Debian Edition 2 Cinnamon:

LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) is a very exciting distribution, targeted at experienced users, which provides the same environment as Linux Mint but uses Debian as its package base, instead of Ubuntu.

LMDE is less mainstream than Linux Mint, it has a much smaller user base, it is not compatible with PPAs, and it lacks a few features. That makes it a bit harder to use and harder to find help for, so it is not recommended for novice users.

LMDE is however slightly faster than Linux Mint and it runs newer packages. Life on the LMDE side can be exciting. There are no point releases in LMDE 2, except for bug fixes and security fixes base packages stay the same, but Mint and desktop components are updated continuously. When ready, newly developed features get directly into LMDE 2, whereas they are staged for inclusion on the next upcoming Linux Mint 17.x point release. Consequently, Linux Mint users only run new features when a new point release comes out and they opt-in to upgrade to it. LMDE 2 users don’t have that choice, but they also don’t have to wait for new packages to mature and they usually get to run them first. It’s more risky, but more exciting.

Linux Mint Debian Edition 2 system requirements: x86 processor (Linux Mint 64-bit requires a 64-bit processor. Linux Mint 32-bit works on both 32-bit and 64-bit processors). 512MB RAM (1GB recommended for a comfortable usage). 9GB of disk space (20GB recommended). Graphics card capable of 800×600 resolution (1024×768 recommended). DVD drive or USB port

More at Linux Mint Blog

There’s also another announcement page for the MATE version, and you should be sure to browse the release notes for Linux Mint Debian Edition 2. The release notes page lists the known problems with LMDE 2.

You can use these torrent links to download the Cinnamon or MATE versions of Linux Mint Debian Edition 2: LMDE 2 Cinnamon 32-bit LMDE 2 Cinnamon 64-bit LMDE 2 MATE 32-bit LMDE 2 MATE 64-bit

Linux Mint Debian Edition 2 users shared their thought on the MATE announcement page:

Sebastien: “So cool! Downloading right now…”

AndyA: “I installed it yesterday, keeping my old /home partition. Its working brilliantly, even on this 9 year old PC. The only complaint is that I have to remove ‘quiet splash’ from the boot parameters every time. Fortunately I don’t reboot often!”

Dawid: “This is great news! Contgratulations for the team! Now I’m waiting for the promised upgrade path from the original LMDE. I guess some time is needed for this to mature but I’m thrilled for this new release. Already tried the RC on one system and it’s great, as always…:)”

Lacko: “Thank you , i have an old Desktop PC and will try to install the Mate Version of LMDE. Is it based on debian stable that will come out in 2 Weeks or on which debian, Nr. Name?”

Stefan: “I am very excited. I switched from Win7 to Mint entirely over a year ago. I will definitly take a look in Virtualbox and Seed the Torrent. Maybe thats for me, since I love MATE and thought about switching to Debian some time ago. With a Mint on top it can’t be bad…:)”

More at Linux Mint Blog

Linux Mint 17.2 codename to be “Rafaela”

Speaking of Linux Mint, the codename for version 17.2 will be Raphaela. Clement Lefebvre, the leader of the Linux Mint developers, shared this tidbit in a recent blog post.

Silviu Stahie at Softpedia reports:

The name of the next Linux Mint 17.2 release has been chosen and it’s going to be “Rafaela.” The project continues with the feminine names, so the new code name should be no surprise.

Linux Mint is the second most used operating system after Ubuntu, which makes it extremely popular. It has a lot of users and its two main flavors, Cinnamon and MATE, have a lot of fans. The code names are not usually all that important, but it helps the community to identify a release much more easily than a version number that might not be all that clear.

Unlike other projects that outsource the naming process to the community, and that is not always the best idea. The community tends to choose weird names and developers are forced to adopt them. For example, the Fedora naming process used to be like this, but they have since abandoned it.

More at Softpedia

The Linux Mint Blog has the official announcement from Clem:

The second 17.x point release will be Linux Mint 17.2 codename ‘Rafaela’.

Rafaela is a feminine form of Raphael, which is of Hebrew origin and which meaning is “God has healed”.

The name Raphael is attested as far back as c. 1350 BCE. It was made popular by many illustrious characters and historical figures:

An archangel in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam An Italian master painter and architect in the High Renaissance A Spanish tennis player A Ninja Turtle 🙂

More at the Linux Mint Blog

Why get a Chromebook?

Chromebooks have long been a mainstay on Amazon’s list of bestselling laptops. But not everyone is aware of just what a Chromebook can do in terms of computing. A redditor recently asked why he should buy a Chromebook instead of a Windows laptop, and he got some helpful feedback from his fellow ChromeOS redditors

Kahroo12012 asked his question about Chromebooks:

“Like the title says why should I get a Chromebook over a Windows laptop? And which Chromebook should I get? Also is rooting Android phones harder on Chromebooks then it is on a Windows machine?

Also does ChromeOS have a Spotify app, and do they have touchscreens? (Not a must have feature but would be cool to have)”

More at Reddit

Fellow redditors shared their thoughts about Chromebooks:

Deadlywoodlouse: “Why should you get a Chromebook? Well you haven’t given us much to go on. I’ll give it a go anyway.

Here’s the Spotify app. Some do have touchscreenss, but not all. The Lenovo N20p, the Acer C720p and the Chromebook Pixel are examples of ones that do, I can’t think of any others.

Which one you should get depends on a number of things. How much are you willing to spend? How important are the touchscreen, screen quality and keyboard quality to you? How much do you think you’d be using it, and so how important is processing power to you?

So again, I can’t speak for you but here’s why many others have invested in these devices: Chromebooks are cheap, reliable, and are very resistant to viruses. They are internet oriented and very optimised for their hardware. Because ChromeOS is so lightweight, manufacturers can use slightly older tech, which brings down the cost. You don’t get much hard drive space, but that’s no problem because they give you a load of free Google drive space. ChromeOS also gives you lots of flexibility: you can keep it locked down so you don’t need to worry about viruses at all; or you can turn on developer mode and gain full control of the device. You can completely replace ChromeOS if you choose, or you could run another Linux distro on top of it. There’s so many things it can do, even if it initially seems very limited.”

Fprestige: “I love my Chromebook. I use it for simple everyday stuff… it’s very fast, boots instantly, and the battery life is amazing! but when it’s time to get some work done… I use my windows laptop. I don’t think I could use the chromebook exclusively as my main system… but man, I love having it for the simple stuff.”

RodriguezFaszanatas: “Could you tell us what “work” means in your case, and why you choose your Windows laptop over the Chromebook to get it done? I’m looking to get a Chromebook myself, but I’m still not sure if I’d be too limited.”

Cjonesjr69: “Noone said you should get a chromebook over a windows laptop, I think your question should be reworded to “will a chromebook serve my needs better then a cheap windows laptop”.

It’s up to you to get what you feel is suited to your tastes.Are you curious about chromebooks at all?

I don’t know anything about rooting phones of any kind. As for spotify apps https://chrome.google.com/webstore/search/spotify look in both the app and extension section and yes some do have touch screens.”

Sl1pstream: “You should get a Windows laptop for those things.”

More at Reddit

Another redditor in a different discussion thread asked which Chromebook was best for students:

Gougou8: “What’s the best Chromebook for students? I’m thinking of getting the dell chromebook 11. Is it the best choice?”

More at Reddit

His fellow redditors offered their take on Chromebooks for students:

Sjg8157: “I got the Acer c720, the model with 2GB of RAM. Best purchase I’ve made in a while. Perfect for when you need something to carry around without the bulkiness of a PC. Nice and light, simple attractive design, and a fair amount of ports. I got mine to replace a broken Nexus 7 tablet, and after I had it for a week I wondered why I didn’t get a Chromebook in the first place.”

Teaghlach61: “I have two Dell 1st Gen Chromebooks and I love them. Tough as nails and boots very quickly. They take up to a 64GB SD card and work well with offline apps for almost anything I want to do. They pick up wifi that even my XPS 17 doesn’t pick up, so that is a nice touch. The screen is an anti glare and that comes in handy when I am outside, tho in bright sunlight, it could be a tad brighter. Sound is nice for such a low budget unit. I have no issue hearing movies on veetle and other sites. For music I use my ear buds and many times have to turn them down, as it really pushes out the sound in that mode.”

SlantedPictureFrame: “If you want the best bang for your buck, I think you should spend a little more and go for the Toshiba Chromebook 2.”

Le_Loufoque: “I agree. I have a Toshiba CB2 and I often find myself using that instead of my desktop. The only issue I have is that it gets a little hot if you have it in your lap for several (probably around 4 or 5) hours of constantly being powered on. I found that out the hard way when I had a couple papers to write.”

LifeIsAbsurd: “I would reccommend the Toshiba Chromebook 2. 1080P IPS screen, 13″ inch, 4gb of ram, and a decent 6-8 hour battery life.”

More at Reddit

Did you miss a roundup? Check the Eye On Open home page to get caught up with the latest news about open source and Linux.