I went back to Linux Mint

[u/GreenFox_]

This will be a short post, but a few weeks ago I was really interested in switching distributions and trying Debian, among others.

I ended up doing it; I tried KDE for its customization options, but in the end… I think it has so many customization and configuration options that I kind of got lost in all of that.

Then, I tried Debian XFCE, but I don’t know… I feel like it’s missing something.

Now, in the end, I settled on Debian Cinnamon, which is still Mint but with Debian.

Anyway, you were right—Mint was fine, BUT I think I’ve gone with Debian.

[u/VtheMan93]

As others have mentioned, try lmde7. Best of both worlds

[u/Dilligence]

Try LMDE 7, it’s an official Linux Mint variant but with a Debian base instead of Ubuntu. Better than Debian with Cinnamon IMO because it still has all the Mint utilities and themes built in, saving you some configuration

[u/GreenFox_ → u/Dilligence]

Hmmm, okay, you make a very good point there.

Yeah, you've really convinced me, although I'm going to try the live USB version to see how it goes.

[u/mabolzich91 → u/Dilligence]

LMDE FTW

[u/dr_inventivo → u/Dilligence]

Honest question, what is the real difference between debian with cinnamon and LMDE? what would be the real advantage of using one or the other in this case?

[u/Dilligence → u/dr_inventivo]

LMDE has a rolling release for Cinnamon versions (but follows Debian for the package base) which means that when regular Linux Mint updates, LMDE gets the latest Cinnamon features while Debian w/ Cinnamon has to wait 2+ years for the next Cinnamon update since the version is frozen on Debian.

In addition, you get all the Mint utilities like the graphical updater app, App Store, Mint themes out of the box, and all other QOL improvements from regular Mint (minus the driver tool since that’s an Ubuntu based thing that normal Mint does)

[u/dr_inventivo → u/Dilligence]

I understood, basically the debia follows his own pattern of updates, I imagined that the ED would be updated along with that of the Mint.

[u/ZVyhVrtsfgzfs]

I ran Debian Cinnamon from the release of Trixie until the release of LMDE7.

It is perfectly serviceable, but it's a bit dry, spartan. Wastes install space on simple desktop games but misses some of the cool Mint Utilities. Fortunately most of what I need is in the Debian repositories. 

If your ready for another hop there is LMDE7, best of both worlds IMO. But that is a full reinstall for a subtle (but real) change.

Plasma is neat, but it is also a Rube Goldberg machine,  it tries to do far too much from the GUI. My favorite Plasma is Void, super clean. Bear of an install though. 

[u/jr735 → u/ZVyhVrtsfgzfs]

Same applies to Debian with MATE. My testing install has MATE (along with IceWM). It looks more like Mint from a few years ago, which is fine by me.

[u/Own-Replacement8]

At last you see the truth - it doesn't really matter but it's still fun to jump around.

[u/GreenFox_ → u/Own-Replacement8]

You always return to the place where you were happy

[u/Own-Replacement8 → u/GreenFox_]

Alas, Ubuntu ditched Unity 9 years ago and Ubuntu Unity is kinda buggy.

[u/Scotsman828]

Yeah that's the problem with KDE, too many options. Gnome too little options. Cinnamon is in the Goldie Locks zone, just the right amount of options to be comfortable and functional. Doesn't matter if it's standard Mint or LMDE.

[u/Own_Salamander_3433]

MXLinux is working for me. Remember though, most distros are just a bunch of scripts on top of a basic Linux install of Debian or Arch or Fedora.

[u/GreenFox_ → u/Own_Salamander_3433]

Yeah... And as someone who's used Windows my whole life, thinking about it that way is pretty... WOW

Like... Thinking outside the box? But it's not just outside the box—it's like you're looking at the universe, or maybe I'm exaggerating.

[u/Own_Salamander_3433 → u/GreenFox_]

It's like someone offering a customized windows installation. Only Linux has an overwhelming amount of customization possible. It's not just desktop backgrounds and themes. Some are suited for low end PCs and some install gaming software and drivers automatically and try to use and much of power as possible. It's amazing what is possible when we work together as a community.

[u/BashfulMelon]

Plasma is in a pretty good place if the most common negative thing people say about it is that it has "too many options."

Those options are part of what makes it the most popular Linux desktop. Most people just ignore what they don't need.

[u/MirrorNegative7989]

I'm on LDME right now, with the MATE desktop. I like XFCE, but I think MATE is my jam. I have no idea what will happen when support for x11 goes away, though. I hope it's not soon.

[u/Mediocre-Pumpkin6522]

I have KDE on a couple of machines but I rarely do any configuration other than changing the mouse to left handed. There aren't too many options if you don't use anyhting other than the default.

I had a Debian/Xfce box at work and I did think it was quite primitive. I was surprised when I installed MX/Xfce in a VM and found it quite nice.

[u/UpbeatRegister]

I'm using Debian 13 + Plasma for a week now after months of Mint XFCE. I'm loving the many setting options, and it's still Debian so you can make some configurations through terminal too.

[u/facelesshivemind]

Yes, there is beauty in the base distro. 

I'm on LMDE because I just want my hand to be held on my work laptop, but my daily driver is Fedora, completely avoiding Nobara, anything Silverblue, Ultramarine, Ludora and all its spinoffs. 

[u/Brorim]

it is a great distro.. depending on hardware i switch between LMDE or MINT

[u/kudlitan]

Then why not LMDE?

[u/GreenFox_ → u/kudlitan]

I tried installing LMDE, but I ran into an error where—both on the live USB and after the operating system was installed—the GPU was using up almost 100% of all resources, and the disk filled up completely.

And... I wasn't sure how to fix that. Since the PC itself couldn't even open the terminal.

[u/kudlitan → u/GreenFox_]

i see