this post was submitted on 02 Jun 2026
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Linux Mint

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[–] Piatro@programming.dev 6 points 1 week ago

It's hard to say and depends on the audience. I'll assume we're going for absolute beginners to Linux. In my opinion (long time Linux user, very aware of the hardware I'm using), there's not good enough explanations for why some of those actions are necessary. The GPU driver one for example will be a bit alien to someone who has decided to try to keep their old laptop going through changing from windows to Linux. How do they know that they need the drivers? What will installing the drivers do/what effect will it have? What's a proprietary driver? What's open-source?

Actually this is something that bugs me in general about beginner-targeted Linux instructions, we tend to mention and encourage the use of things like "the open source driver" or similar without explaining what that means. Yes, we generally would prefer open source drivers, but in some cases they are significantly worse. Most people aren't ideologues, they just want their shit to work. Yes encourage people to use the open source driver, but don't tell them that's their only option. If they need their device to actually work they probably have to use a proprietary driver sometimes.

Instructions for specific applications like timeshift would benefit from screenshots. Yes the gui could change but it makes it easier for readers to see what is happening and determine for themselves if they've opened the correct application.

For the snapshots, firstly what even are they? What is timeshift? Why are you telling me to do these things? When do I need to do this again? How would I restore from a snapshot? I could suggest similar criticisms for most points.

Overall there are useful points here, just needs more justification or detail to flesh it out.

[–] adarza@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week ago

literally, none of it is necessary. it's just an opinionated guide for an initial set up.

mint already has functional, sane defaults that 'just work' for most users.

the post-install window that pops up in mint covers the things most users might want to do right away, like initial updates, setting up timeshift (which is nice but not absolutely 'required' to use mint), running the driver utility and so forth.

[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Generally speaking, it is one of the primary jobs of a Linux distribution, like Linux Mint, to pick good defaults. Lots of people recommend Mint, because the defaults are pretty good.
So, my immediate thought for articles that tell you, you have to configure stuff, is that they're overblown.

It's been a few years since I've used Mint, but from general Linux experience, I'd rate the "essential" tips like so:

  1. Apply all available updates and set up Timeshift: Sure, go ahead. Doing updates is obviously a good idea. And I believe, the Welcome screen after installing also tells you to set up Timeshift.

  2. Improve Update Manager: Have not looked at their recommendations in detail. I cannot possibly imagine that it's actually sensible. They even say themselves, that if you're new, just use the defaults.

  3. Drivers and full multimedia support: Sure, if something's missing for hardware/multimedia you want to use, then solving that is a good idea. But you'll find out, if something's not working in time.

  4. Optimize your Solid State Drive (SSD): Same as 2. I do not care what they recommend, it's probably useless.

  5. Install some useful tools and an extra media player: Do not see how this would be "essential". Feel free to, but don't need it.

  6. Optimize memory performance: Same as 2 and 4.

  7. Turn on the firewall: Yeah, can do that. Lots of other distros have the firewall on by default. Don't think it's uber-critical, since you need to actually have software running on your PC, which accepts network requests for a firewall to be useful at all, but yeah, this is the one tip which is legit.

  8. Install some useful extra fonts: Not essential. Useful, if you need to view/edit documents created by Windows users. I've never needed these fonts myself.

  9. Avoid 10 fatal mistakes!: From mostly just reading the headlines, I'd say 1, 2, 3 and 5 are reasonable tips to give. But yeah, massively overblown. You don't need to live in constant fear of making these mistakes. Even if something ends up breaking, you've set up Timeshift and can restore a backup. It's *fine*.

  10. Solve some known bugs: Again, only relevant if you run into those bugs.

In general, this whole webpage reeks of being AI-generated. No nuance for what's actually important, just this constant sensationalist tone.

[–] Flagstaff@programming.dev 3 points 1 week ago

I don't actually think it's generated, but yeah, it's being really nitpicky and convoluted. The Update Manager options, for example, are basically minuscule battery-saving improvements for laptops. Glad I'm not going nuts!

[–] warthunder1969@fosstodon.org 1 points 1 week ago

@Flagstaff Generally I have never done any of this. Other than maybe reducing swapiness when i have a system with loads of memory (like beyond 8GB)

[–] JayDee@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Bein honest, I didn't even know that LM came with a firewall till now

[–] Flagstaff@programming.dev 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Oh, it's in the welcome popup when you first install LM. Granted, I haven't tinkered with it, either.