Experienced Linux Mint users?

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demarpaint

demarpaint

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I installed Mint 18.1 Mate 64 bit on my tower and I'm very happy with it. I'm curious if Cinnamon 64 bit will work on another machine we have here, or if I'd be better off with Mate.

Here are the specs on the machine in question: It is an old Dell Vostro 220 with 4 GB ram and a Pentium Dual Core processor. Will Mint Cinnamon 64 bit work with this machine? TIA.
 
Check out the website it will give you specs. Keep in mind Cinnamon is more processor and graphics intensive,but allows for more graphics options ie better hd and from what i've read better 3d support etc.
 
If you like Mate, I would probably stick with it. Cinnamon is most likely going to feel a bit slower on that computer. Have you ever tried Cinnamon on anything before? Because in my opinion Mate is way better than Cinnamon anyway. I would probably use Mate over Cinnamon even on a powerful computer.
 
Originally Posted By: ClutchDisc
If you like Mate, I would probably stick with it. Cinnamon is most likely going to feel a bit slower on that computer. Have you ever tried Cinnamon on anything before? Because in my opinion Mate is way better than Cinnamon anyway. I would probably use Mate over Cinnamon even on a powerful computer.


I tried it briefly and liked the looks of the OS better.
 
Cinnamon does not require a whole lot more CPU and RAM than MATE. What is **does** require a whole lot more of is 3D-capable graphics horsepower.

The nice thing about desktops for Linux is that you can try one out and if it is slow or otherwise not right for you, simply install another (not from scratch; just using whatever software manager you use for everything else) and choose it at your next login.

Cinnamon is definitely going to look nicer and is more modern in every regard. It is a fork of Gnome 3, while MATE is a fork of Gnome 2. If hardware performance is not an issue, I would expect both to be very stable; "stable" meaning "works without flaw". MATE is much more stable in the sense that it does not change over time very much, where Cinnamon is being developed rapidly.
 
Originally Posted By: uc50ic4more
Cinnamon does not require a whole lot more CPU and RAM than MATE. What is **does** require a whole lot more of is 3D-capable graphics horsepower.


That's what I found while I was researching this a few days ago. I was trying to decide if I wanted to switch to Cinnamon when I upgraded to 18.1.
 
As I mentioned the system requirements were the same, so I decided to go for it. I like it a lot more than Mate, so far it seems to be working well. I'll give it a few days, if I have to I can always switch back to Mint. Thanks for the replies!
 
Running Cinnamon now, can't tell any notable difference in performance. It definitely looks a lot more fresh and modern.


4GB RAM should be plenty, especially for everyday use. If you're really concerned about performance XFCE would be my choice.
 
remember you can turn the cool effects off. i like cinnamon so much more then Mate. it'll be fine. long as it's openGl able. make sure you get the correct driver for the grafix cardif it's not natively supported.
i don't even use many of the graphics features. and i have a bad arse computer.
give cinnamon a try. you can always install mate as well and boot what ever you want.
i think... as in may be wrong...
sudo apt-get install matedesktop

it's something like that.

as well if you have mate and want cinnamon, sudo apt-get install cinnamon,

then you can choose your session when at the login screen.

just as you can install any other desktop. once you have the base OS installed. the GUI is easy to change. even KDE and XFCE. all the same Linux install.

better yet, if you get a working desktop just use the software manager to install what other desktop you desire.

good luck though.. let us know know it goes.
 
No one seems to like Mate? I love how simple it is. I moved away from W10 because I didn't like all the eye candy.
 
Originally Posted By: Killer223
remember you can turn the cool effects off.

That is the important part. I didn't even use them when Gnome started with them. They're not needed, and they don't impress me, so what's the point?
 
Switched from Cinnamon to Mate on Linux Mint 17.3 and put Ubuntu Mate on my gf's eight year old laptop. After trying lots of distros, I like both Mate distros better than anything else I've tried. Of course these aren't powerful machines. May leave Mint for Ubuntu Mate 18.04 but in the meantime 17.3 works finel
 
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Let me ask how forum members consider Mint's not updating level 4 and 5 (and calling these dangerous) as valid?

Since I've been hanging out with the Ubuntu Mate forums, I'm getting more concerned by the Ubuntu community comments about the dangers of these partial updates. This was intensified after last February's backdoor attacks, although some of the original problems may have been because of WordPress, not Linux Mint exclusively.

Are other Linux Mint users concerned? It has me considering a move to Ubuntu Mate.
 
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As I've outlined before and elsewhere, I do have a couple concerns with Mint. Yes, I'm still happily using it, but in a couple areas, there does seem to be a bit of a lack of expertise and a bit of a muddling in progress. Generally, I tend to be in favour of rolling kernel upgrades. There is also a reasonable philosophy behind avoiding those. In any event, Mint might be best served by avoiding rolling kernel upgrades, given how some pretty basic things were bollocksed up for no discernible reason.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
As I've outlined before and elsewhere, I do have a couple concerns with Mint. Yes, I'm still happily using it, but in a couple areas, there does seem to be a bit of a lack of expertise and a bit of a muddling in progress. Generally, I tend to be in favour of rolling kernel upgrades. There is also a reasonable philosophy behind avoiding those. In any event, Mint might be best served by avoiding rolling kernel upgrades, given how some pretty basic things were bollocksed up for no discernible reason.


Think we're pretty much on the same page. I'll forgive them the screwup last February, but one more hack and I'm probably off to Ubuntu Mate which I have primed and ready to go on a thumb drive. Even without problems I'll reconsider when UMate 18.04 rolls out. By then the guts of 17.3 (based on U 14.04) will be four years old.
 
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I like it much better than Mate, but I have one occasional problem, and it's probably related to the Graphics card in the Vostro 220. Occasionally the system will freeze up, and I can barely see the program that was open, it's transparent, almost ghost like. In other words I can see through it to the desktop. When this happens the system locks up and I have to hit CTRL ALT and BACKSPACE, to force a re-boot. I have most of the "cool effects" turned off. I posted on the Mint Forum, to no avail. I thought it might have been a bad USB stick I had in the USB port causing the problem, but I removed the USB stick and still had the problem. Typically if I'm running a video that's when I'll have the problem. Only if I'm overworking the system. It only happens once in a while.

If I go into Driver Manager I get this message:

Unknown: Intel-microcode version 3.20151136.1 processor microcode firmware for Intel CPU.

Then there's a box checked saying Do not use the device.

No proprietary drivers are in use.
 
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