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General discussionAdamhm's Linux Mint Beginner's Guide(211 posts)(211 posts)
(211 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted January 07, 2020
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Engerek01: Benefits of having /home as different partition
* Root partition is protected from rest of the system. You (or a program) will need root privileges to change anything there so your Linux operating system will be safe.
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adamhm: This is the case regardless of where the home directory is located.
Are you sure about that part? In my virtual boxes, I use them in the same partition and the root the system files can be changed, renamed or deleted without the root access.
Posted January 08, 2020
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adamhm: This is the case regardless of where the home directory is located.
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Engerek01: Are you sure about that part? In my virtual boxes, I use them in the same partition and the root the system files can be changed, renamed or deleted without the root access.
100%. I never bother using a separate home directory on any of my systems, and to modify anything outside of my home directory requires root access. The only exceptions being things I've specifically changed ownership/permissions on to allow regular access (e.g. my HDDs)
Post edited January 08, 2020 by adamhm
Posted January 12, 2020
I've been using it for a few days and quite like it. So far, so good. Some things that could be done easily in Windows are more convoluted here, but vice versa too: a few things for which I had to jump through hoops on Windows can be done with a click.

So, two major things so far:

1) Would any of you here by any chance know a solution to this issue:
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=309375&sid=81edfe3451d426923a49eacfd4f994cb
It's the single thing which really messes up my experience so far. Having to scroll to the end if I want to run a program that starts with a letter from the end of the alphabet. Is there no way to display all programs at once? It doesn't have to be exactly like the classical windows menu, just a way that gives me a full list without scrolling.
If not, anything similar. Any workarounds, applets, third party tools, anything?

2) About installing programs. I've set up my installation so the 45GB partition is mounted as root, while the 130GB is mounted as /home, because I was under the impression that the root one will just contain the OS, while /home is where all the user's installed programs will go.
However, all programs installed from the Install Manager go to the root partition. I understand that it goes to /usr /lib /etc folders and so on, but this means that slowly but steadily my root partition is getting filled up, while my home partition has... nothing.
I've got only 30GB free on the root one, and I haven't installed any games yet. Once the games start arriving, at this rate I'll run out of space real soon.
Is there anything that can be done that doesn't involve reinstalling from scratch?
Posted January 12, 2020
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ZFR: I've been using it for a few days and quite like it. So far, so good. Some things that could be done easily in Windows are more convoluted here, but vice versa too: a few things for which I had to jump through hoops on Windows can be done with a click.

So, two major things so far:

1) Would any of you here by any chance know a solution to this issue:
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=309375&sid=81edfe3451d426923a49eacfd4f994cb
It's the single thing which really messes up my experience so far. Having to scroll to the end if I want to run a program that starts with a letter from the end of the alphabet. Is there no way to display all programs at once? It doesn't have to be exactly like the classical windows menu, just a way that gives me a full list without scrolling.
If not, anything similar. Any workarounds, applets, third party tools, anything?

2) About installing programs. I've set up my installation so the 45GB partition is mounted as root, while the 130GB is mounted as /home, because I was under the impression that the root one will just contain the OS, while /home is where all the user's installed programs will go.
However, all programs installed from the Install Manager go to the root partition. I understand that it goes to /usr /lib /etc folders and so on, but this means that slowly but steadily my root partition is getting filled up, while my home partition has... nothing.
I've got only 30GB free on the root one, and I haven't installed any games yet. Once the games start arriving, at this rate I'll run out of space real soon.
Is there anything that can be done that doesn't involve reinstalling from scratch?
For installations: it depends.
What you install from the system's repositories (apt-get install whatever) and from deb packages will install wherever the package says to install (likely placing different files at different locations in the system, whether it be /usr/bin, /usr/lib, /opt/programname, or somewhere else, depending on the kind of file and how the packager wanted it to be). GOG installers, and other third-party installers, will usually either ask you where you want to install whatever it is or just place it somewhere in your home folder (because they know normal users usually don't have write access to anywhere else). Then you have the various container solutions (AppImage, FlatPack, and some other one I forget) that don't really install applications at all, but instead just presents a single file (containing the entire application/game) that you can place wherever you wish.

As for the start menu, now, it was a long while ago since I switched to KDE.
Have you tried just starting to type the name of the application to filter the list? That's how I've launched applications and games since Windows Vista, and I still do the same now. I'm _fairly_ certain I used the same when I ran Mint and Cinnamon.
Post edited January 12, 2020 by Maighstir
Posted January 12, 2020
There was a menu program like that at least two or three years ago but I cannot for the life of my cat tell you what it was called. Simple Menu? Basic Menu? Why not search the repo with 'menu'?
Posted January 12, 2020
So... will 40GB (30 left now after system installation) be enough for those programs from repositories and others that insists on being installed on the root partition? I know the answer is: it depends. But from your experience how does it look? I do mostly gaming, and these are the ones I suppose that will take most space. I get from GOG and Steam. You said GOG installers allow you to choose the /home partition. How does Steam look?

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Maighstir: As for the start menu, now, it was a long while ago since I switched to KDE.
Have you tried just starting to type the name of the application to filter the list? That's how I've launched applications and games since Windows Vista, and I still do the same now. I'm _fairly_ certain I used the same when I ran Mint and Cinnamon.
I can. But having to reach for the keyboard and type will again take a moment or two, possibly longer than having to scroll. I know it's just a second or two, but it's annoying when you have to do it every time you run a game, especially after getting used to just going click->click->click on a Windows classic shell menu.

I might have to do a separate category like "Current Games" where I'll keep only the few/several games currently playing so there won't be scrolling there. Or I thought of not using the menu at all but creating a folder on desktop with links to all games Windows 3.x style.
But if anyone has other solutions I'm all ears.
Posted January 12, 2020
A quick check says 8 and 12GB used respectively for the system partition here but not a whole lot installed. I have cleaned out things I do not ever need but a complete office is present. Modified Mate resp xfce DEs.

I personally add the games I am playing currently to the favourites, just like I am doing on Windows 10 too. Not 100% satisfied with it but it works.
Posted January 12, 2020
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ZFR: So... will 40GB (30 left now after system installation) be enough for those programs from repositories and others that insists on being installed on the root partition? I know the answer is: it depends. But from your experience how does it look? I do mostly gaming, and these are the ones I suppose that will take most space. I get from GOG and Steam. You said GOG installers allow you to choose the /home partition. How does Steam look?

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Maighstir: As for the start menu, now, it was a long while ago since I switched to KDE.
Have you tried just starting to type the name of the application to filter the list? That's how I've launched applications and games since Windows Vista, and I still do the same now. I'm _fairly_ certain I used the same when I ran Mint and Cinnamon.
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ZFR: I can. But having to reach for the keyboard and type will again take a moment or two, possibly longer than having to scroll. I know it's just a second or two, but it's annoying when you have to do it every time you run a game, especially after getting used to just going click->click->click on a Windows classic shell menu.

I might have to do a separate category like "Current Games" where I'll keep only the few/several games currently playing so there won't be scrolling there. Or I thought of not using the menu at all but creating a folder on desktop with links to all games Windows 3.x style.
But if anyone has other solutions I'm all ears.
30GB left on / should definitely be enough. Steam and GOG both install games to your home directory by default (GOG's installer place games in "~/GOG Games/", and Steam in "~/.local/share/Steam/SteamApps/"). Games from Humble vary, as it's the developer who package everything, not Humble, but they're often just archives to extract wherever you wish.

And yeah, I can understand not wanting to switch between keyboard and mouse, I am on the keyboard most of the time, so it's easier just hitting the menu key and continue to type the name of whatever I want to launch than to reach for the mouse. But sorry, that's where my suggestions end as I'm not familiar enough with Cinnamon (and can't really be bothered to install Mint in a VM to mess about with it).
Posted January 12, 2020
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Themken: There was a menu program like that at least two or three years ago but I cannot for the life of my cat tell you what it was called. Simple Menu? Basic Menu? Why not search the repo with 'menu'?
Do you mean this?
https://www.florian-diesch.de/software/classicmenu-indicator/

I installed it, and yes those are exactly the type of menus I want. Problem is, It doesn't have the other items on it like Shutdown, Log Off, Recent Items. Also, it appeared in the "systray" area (I know it's called something else). I thought I'll move it to the bottom left, where the Start menu is and somehow manage by having both the normal Start Menu and this. Unfortunately I couldn't move it around, without dragging one more icon with it (really weird, I had no trouble with dragging other items by themselves). Finally after dragging here and there I somehow managed to make it disappear completely.

Now starting it does nothing. When I start through terminal, I get Errno 17 File Exists. followed by a path to a classicmenu conf file.

I uninstalled and installed again but nothing changed.

Which brings me to my next question: does uninstalling and reinstalling a program from the Program Manager keep its settings? Is there no way to uninstall a program completely?
Posted January 12, 2020
Does the basic Mint live cd come with an official guide? I had a quick look but there doesn't seem to be one bundled with it which is strange.
Posted January 12, 2020
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ZFR:
It looks like the one I used a few years back but not totally sure it is the same. I disabled the standard menu. Messing around with things are bound to break things sometimes and then you have to learn how to fix or reformat and reinstall.

Settings are usually kept when uninstalling, at least that is my experience, but the settings are somewhere, you just need to find the folder and delete it to get a clean slate. Sorry, have to go cook dinner now.
Posted January 12, 2020
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ZFR: I've been using it for a few days and quite like it. So far, so good. Some things that could be done easily in Windows are more convoluted here, but vice versa too: a few things for which I had to jump through hoops on Windows can be done with a click.

So, two major things so far:

1) Would any of you here by any chance know a solution to this issue:
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=309375&sid=81edfe3451d426923a49eacfd4f994cb
It's the single thing which really messes up my experience so far. Having to scroll to the end if I want to run a program that starts with a letter from the end of the alphabet. Is there no way to display all programs at once? It doesn't have to be exactly like the classical windows menu, just a way that gives me a full list without scrolling.
If not, anything similar. Any workarounds, applets, third party tools, anything?

2) About installing programs. I've set up my installation so the 45GB partition is mounted as root, while the 130GB is mounted as /home, because I was under the impression that the root one will just contain the OS, while /home is where all the user's installed programs will go.
However, all programs installed from the Install Manager go to the root partition. I understand that it goes to /usr /lib /etc folders and so on, but this means that slowly but steadily my root partition is getting filled up, while my home partition has... nothing.
I've got only 30GB free on the root one, and I haven't installed any games yet. Once the games start arriving, at this rate I'll run out of space real soon.
Is there anything that can be done that doesn't involve reinstalling from scratch?
For the menu, there is something like that for cinnamon.

https://cinnamon-spices.linuxmint.com/applets/view/281

You can use it by "Right clicking on the panel(somewhere in the middle) >> Applets >> Download"

45GB for root is way too much. You won't be installing everything there. I install my programs under "home/.local/share" . Steam games are also installed there by default.

Note that folders starting with (.) means they are "hidden" in Linux. So to be able to see the ".local" folder, you need to "Show hidden files"

Finally, if you need to re-size those partitions in the future, you can always boot with a linux usb and then use Gparted to resize the partitions. I used to do that a lot in my old disk and even tho I never had any problems, it is advised to back up any important data before doing that.
Posted January 12, 2020
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Engerek01: For the menu, there is something like that for cinnamon.

https://cinnamon-spices.linuxmint.com/applets/view/281
Thanks, but I already found this. It's not the type of menu I want. It also puts all the menu items inside and you have to scroll (you can see the scrollbar in the shortcut); it doesn't expand them like the classic menu. Unless there is a setting I'm not seeing.

Thanks for the info regarding partitions.
Posted January 12, 2020
Looks like there was such a menu some time ago, but gone now.

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=124319
"... has an expanding menu for applications ..."
Posted January 13, 2020
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Themken: things are bound to break things sometimes and then you have to learn how to fix or reformat and reinstall.
Now it includes Timeshift, So much easier, fortunatelly didn't needed yet...

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ZFR:
I'm also a mouse heavy user although I keep all the shortcuts on the desktop and taskbar.
Have Classic Shell setup to scroll in "all programs" instead the big list but the categories on the Linux Mint menu itself makes find stuff so fast...After a few times I actually ended prefer thw Linux Mint start menu than Classic Shell itself, except the right click on the menu thing (Win 8.1 and 10)
Also the search box on Linux really finds what you need instantly, not like that Windows aberration.

Onboard is a very nice on screen keyboard, should you choose to use one (this message was typed with virtual keyboard on Windows, yes I'm lazy to grab the physical keyboard).

The 45Gb is usually more than enough, most Software manager program are very small, some way smaller than Windows counterparts. Blender is probably around 100MB to download.
Pages:
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5
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9
10
11
15
This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionAdamhm's Linux Mint Beginner's Guide(211 posts)(211 posts)
(211 posts)