jenkins4

A Good Starting Point

Note to self: A good WINE is a damn fine choice, whether software related or not!

Other than WINE, I think either Zorin or Mint (currently at "Rafaela", or release 17.2, but offered in 4 distinct sub-flavors) are probably the best Distros and have simple, low-overhead GUIs which are close enough to Win7's look and feel that most will adapt to it quickly.

A good starting point would be similar to a dual boot setup whereby one can quickly load a non-Windows OS and browse/search without apprehension. As we become increasingly familiar with Wine, Zorin or Mint, we'll soon find ourselves adding additional software to address our daily processing needs. Before long, we'll be loading Windows as the exception, and not the rule.

I have been impressed with the ease at which Zorin 9 and now 10 have installed themselves and correctly identified just about all the hardware I've thrown it into. Two different (Dell, HP) laptops and three Desktops (Sony, HP and Dell). The biggest issue I have had thus far is with a couple of aftermarket USB 3.0 adapters which, frankly, even Windows had trouble with and which rely on OEM drivers... doubtful at best and have provided me with a history of "mixed" results when put to serious use under W7.

My experience with Zorin thus far is that it is particularly well suited to older systems, where Windows will sometimes refuse to recognize or address Legacy components.

Here's some info on Mint/Cinnamon, but go to

and check out all 4 versions offered right now - MATE, Xfce and KDE for your own best match to whatever you'll be running it on.

Linux Mint 17.2 is a long term support release which will be supported until 2019. It comes with updated software and brings refinements and many new features to make your desktop even more comfortable to use.

New features at a glance:

Cinnamon 2.6
Software Sources
Update Manager
Language Settings
Login Screen
Better support for UEFI, NVIDIA and Optimus cards
System Improvements
Artwork Improvements
Other Improvements
Main Components
LTS Strategy

For a complete overview and to see screenshots of the new features, visit: “What’s new in Linux Mint 17.2 Cinnamon“.

Important info:

The release notes provide important information about:

UEFI Support
Solving freezes with some NVIDIA GeForce GPUs
Booting with non-PAE CPUs
Misconfigured Swap when using home directory encryption
Watching Flash DRM content
DVD Playback with VLC
Issues with KDE apps
Other issues

To be aware of issues and read about explanations and possible solutions related to this release, visit: “Release Notes for Linux Mint 17.2 Cinnamon”

System requirements:

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.

Notes:

The 64-bit ISO can boot with BIOS or UEFI.
The 32-bit ISO can only boot with BIOS.
The 64-bit ISO is recommend for all modern computers (Almost all computers sold in the last 10 years are equipped with 64-bit processors).

Upgrade instructions:

If you want to upgrade from Linux Mint 17.2 RC, simply launch the Update Manager and install any Level 1 update available.
If you want to upgrade from Linux Mint 17 or Linux Mint 17.1, please wait for a few days while we release a new version of the Update Manager to you. In the meantime, you do not need to download or to reinstall anything. We’ll make announcements next week when this is ready.


I LIKE THE DIRECTION THIS TOPIC IS TAKING.......... and I hope M$ doesn't!