标签：#mint

Well...Well...Well... You’re probably tired of Windows, too—or maybe you just want something new , And you think Linux is an interesting option, you HAVE to read this What do I want to talk about? You have likely already heard the name of the best distribution for beginners, but I will list a few options for you to choose from to get started. (We'll talk more about choosing a distro in another post.) Linux mint (Cinnumon Recommended) Pop_!OS Ubuntu Zorin OS MX linux Choose one to get started. How do we use them for the first time? NEVER install Linux fully on your computer. You have two options: Virtual machine (recommended) Dual boot Dual-booting requires more complex steps—such as creating a bootable flash drive or partitioning the disk—but it leaves all the computer's resources available, allowing you to use the system normally. A virtual machine is like running Linux as if it were an application; however, it consumes more resources, so you need a more powerful computer. Installing them is simple, too—whether on a virtual machine or in a dual-boot setup. You can easily learn how to install it by watching a YouTube video and talking to an AI. Important note: For a dual-boot installation, be sure to check the internet connection, audio, keyboard, mouse, and display within the live-USB before starting the installation. And make sure the USB drive is in good working order and has at least 8 GB of space. Okay, I've installed it. How do I use it? First of all, the basic terminal commands. (on linux yo have to learn it , else you are NOT a linux user) Package manager All the distributions mentioned here use the apt package manager. If you are using a different distribution, search online to find out how to use its package manager. Knowing how to search is a skill in itself! (Discussing package managers would take too long, so I won't talk about them.) However, if you are using these distributions, you should know these commands for removing, installing, and updating. fo

When I started using Linux Mint , I spent quite a bit of time exploring small desktop customizations. One of the simple things I discovered was that Linux Mint Cinnamon lets you customize how the date and time are displayed on the taskbar. Instead of showing only something like: Sat Aug 22 07:10 PM you can change it to something that works better for you. For example: Sat, Aug 22 • 07:10 PM or: 22 Aug 2026 | 07:10 PM or even: Saturday, 22 August • 19:10 It is a small change, but it is a nice way to personalize your desktop. Where can I change it? On Linux Mint Cinnamon, right-click the clock/date area on the taskbar and open the calendar settings. You should find a Display section with an option called: Use a custom date format Enable it and you will see a field where you can enter your own date and time format. For example: % a % b % e | % I :% M % p The Cinnamon documentation provides a complete reference for these formatting codes. But what do these strange symbols mean? At first, the format looks a little confusing: % a % b % e | % I :% M % p Don't worry. Each % code simply represents a different part of the date or time. For example: Code Meaning Example %a Short weekday Sat %A Full weekday Saturday %b Short month Aug %B Full month August %d Day with leading zero 02 %e Day without leading zero 22 %m Month number 08 %Y Four-digit year 2026 %y Two-digit year 26 %H Hour, 24-hour format 19 %I Hour, 12-hour format 07 %M Minutes 10 %S Seconds 35 %p AM/PM PM %P am/pm pm %Z Timezone IST The complete Cinnamon reference also includes things such as week numbers, day of the year and fractional seconds. You don't need to remember all of them. Once you understand a few common codes, creating your own format becomes quite easy. My favorite date and time combinations Here are some combinations you can try directly in the Date format field. 1. Simple and clean % a % b % e % I :% M % p Result: Sat Aug 22 07:10 PM 2. More readable % a , % b % e • % I :% M % p Result: Sat, Aug 22

Background I started daily driving Linux back in 2019. The start of that journey was rough, and I still deeply appreciate the help I received in those early days from the old guard who kept me moving forward. Early on, I quickly found my home with Linux Mint and its Cinnamon desktop. As the saying goes, "You don't choose a Linux desktop; the desktop chooses you." Built on top of a stable foundation with a rich package infrastructure, Cinnamon provided a familiar experience that bridged the gap from Windows. It also afforded me excellent customization options right out of the box, such as configuring custom keyboard shortcuts or setting up auto-login startup scripts, while always getting out of my way. No adverts, no pop-ups, just a fast and efficient desktop environment. I won't lie, though: I distro-hopped multiple times just to see if the grass was greener. Through those escapades, I quickly realized I am definitely not a GNOME person; I do not like polyfilling my desktop experience with a suite of extensions. And as much as I appreciate KDE Plasma, I learned that with great customization comes great responsibility because it was far too easy for me to break my environment with just a few theme toggles. This is not a dig at those desktop environments; it just means I am not wired for that kind of experience. As I continued my Linux journey, my priorities shifted. I wanted a predictable operating system that could act as a trusted companion, both for my daily life as a software developer and as a casual user wanting to watch Netflix on the weekends. This is what made me appreciate Linux Mint even more. It featured a predictable release cycle, a stable package base built on Ubuntu LTS, and Timeshift to guard against system breakage during upgrades. However, two major friction points always bothered me: Stable but Stale Packages: Linux Mint's software is incredibly stable, but it is rarely fresh. For example, the okular package is consistently several versions behind