From Win to Ubuntu to Linux Mint

I installed Ubuntu on an old laptop to fix my Sansa e280 last week.  A couple of days later I changed the distro to Linux Mint KDE 18.2 64bit UEFI.

It’s running great on that old HP laptop.

On Tuesday of this week I put that same iso on a DVD to dual-boot install Linux Mint on my good Desktop. I cleared an older hard-drive to hold the Linux install.

Installation was straightforward, except for the later boot into Windows being hours ahead on the clock, the well known dual-boot problem … so I ran a registry fix for Unix time on Windows. Now time is not an issue in this dual-boot.

The main hitch left was –no sound.

Smaller issues were getting the graphics how I wanted them. I use a 43″ 4K Sony Bravia with my Desktop.

On Windows it’s easier to set my resolution and zoom the stuff bigger to make it nice.

On Linux it isn’t as intuitive, and I found I have to go deeper changing fonts and sizes of font system wide, and in programs that allow it, like Amarok and Chrome Browser.  On Windows it does all flow from that little change of a slide bar, and it works well.

It can be done on Linux, just takes more fiddling.

Darkness on Linux is easier to attain.

On Windows, apps will go dark (or use whatever color you pick) with themes, but not Programs at all, only the title bar, for instance.

I prefer dark computer programs, windows, etc. because I just do. I mean I NEED them sometimes, I get light sensitive migraines and it’s painful to look at blue light, bright white, green, blue, etc. I would love a pair of Rose Tinted Glasses. It is a goal of mine to get some eventually.

All in all I just prefer the dark screens on computers, like now, I’m typing in Chrome on this web interface, and it is painful because I can’t get it dark in any pleasing way, and it’s a Migraine day.

–Sound

The sound took forever to implement, I’m not sure which thing I did that made it so but… it worked finally, yesterday afternoon. (Sound was a problem because of HDMI sound being the thing I needed.)

I’m trying to get Amarok working for me, it works, but I mean make it use my music how I want.

I couldn’t get it to stick to my second external drive music folder. It wasn’t putting it in the database and keeping it there. So I felt I had to copy it all to my Linux Music Folder and since then, indeed, it’s pretty solid. (I created a mysql database for Amarok before all this.)

One main thing to consider is in Terminal type ‘alsamixer’ then enter, and unmute everything, but where that is ….. down the line for the main soundcard  second item from the right. That’s what may have finally fixed my situation, but it wasn’t only that which I’d been doing, software, drivers, in and out my ears and eyes, I can’t say what I did. After the unmute it was some minutes later that sound started working. Not right away.

So now I have a couple of good Linux installs to log into. It feels good, much better than Ubuntu did. I know I’ll delve deeper and find something more challenging for me eventually.

Going back to Windows on this same machine makes me feel like the introvert I am in a large noisy crowd of people. Yeah, Linux is just what I need. Windows is what I HAVE to use because … oh so many dumb reason.

Windows may think it’s past it’s METRO phase, but it’s not. Too much of a dividing line between programs and METRO, and it bleeds into SETTINGS and finding those old settings  windows is getting harder with each new update Windows brings.

I don’t want METRO at all, really. Apps are stupid. I like apps on my Android phone and tablet. My laptop is a 2-in-one and I don’t like “apps” on there either.

I would like to get Linux on my Acer laptop, but it’s not going to be a simple proposition to get done. A tablet 2-in-1 with Linux has to be fully touch friendly to make the process natural (things like: not needing a mouse or keyboard to login, etc.) So dual-booting is in the same region of need, and difficulty with Microsoft Surface tablets is right where my laptop is for dual-booting. I don’t want to wipe Windows from my laptop. I need to keep it around on my main laptop and my Desktop. Dual-Booting is the only option.

Anyone wanting to try Linux would feel very comfortable in Linux Mint, the KDE option that I’m using is simple and arranged familiarly, like Windows a bunch, if that makes sense. But it’s definitely Linux.

I hate looking for fixes on Windows. On Linux is lovely.  I love using Terminal. My desire for devices to work, get them fixed, Linux is where things shine, I’m never going back to trying to live with only a live usb or dvd version. I will play and work on Linux and Windows from now on.