Switched to Linux Mint: First Impressions

  • 2/10/2011
  • One-minute read

After several Ubuntu releases with Unity, Linux Mint offered a lighter desktop and sensible defaults for Java development. Cinnamon delivered a familiar workflow without extensive theming tweaks.

Immediate Wins

  • Hardware Support: Wireless, display hotkeys, and suspend/resume worked out of the box on ThinkPad hardware.
  • Package Selection: Mint provides curated codecs and developer tools that required PPA juggling on Ubuntu.
  • User Experience: The Mint menu and update manager simplify day-to-day maintenance for mixed technical/non-technical workstations.

Developer Setup Tips

  • Use mintupdate to apply security updates before installing language runtimes.
  • Install build essentials with sudo apt install build-essential openjdk-11-jdk git.
  • Snapshot the system using Timeshift so you can roll back if proprietary drivers misbehave.
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