Long gone are the days when Linux was a simple black screen with a blinking cursor symbol. Current Linux could be like that
Appearance (or surroundings) of Kde. Or so
Environment Xfce. Or maybe that?
Mate. Or so?
Surroundings of Cinnamon.
All pictures look completely different, but at the same time, these are options for the appearance. And although all the names in all the pictures are written in English, the Russian language (with a very high-quality translation) appears after a few clicks of the mouse, which we will talk about below.
If you decide to install Linux, we recommend that you try the Mint version, which is based on Ubuntu, but unlike it, has a more mature interface. Anticipating questions, we immediately note that for the sample you do not need to immediately format the hard drive, erase all the necessary documents and look for how to access the Internet. Installing Linux Mint next to Windows is a fairly common occurrence, and system developers have taken it into account. Everything can be done gradually, in stages. In order not to look for a blank, we will put it from a flash drive. Installing Linux Mint from a flash drive is no more difficult than installing from a CD, except that instead of 4 GB of blanks, 2 GB of flash drive is enough for us, since the distribution itself takes ~ 1.5 GB.
Difficulty of choosing
When deciding to try Linux, a user who is not accustomed to the riches of choice will think: âAnd how will this Linux look like for me, and which one is better?â If we stop at Mint, the desktop of the main directions of development of the distribution is shown above. Everyone comes to a convenient working environment for himself in the process of use. For initial testing, Cinnamon is recommended - 4 picture One of the reasons for this choice is the flexibility of settings, the other is that Cinnamon was originally planned specifically for Mint. Finally, we can also say that the appearance will look great like Windows. Plus or minus is up to the user. Regardless of your choice - installing Linux Mint will go the same way, the differences will show up after the final reboot.
Having decided on the appearance, go to the official Linux Mint website and select the architecture (32 or 64) and the shell version in the Download section. The no codecs version is delivered without additional multimedia codecs, that is, they will still have to be installed for watching videos, listening to music, etc. The OEM version is not intended for elementary education. Click on the selected architecture. In the window that opens, we get brief information about the distribution, name, architecture, shell, and several mirrors for downloading. Pay attention to the data in the edition line - our shell is selected. It is also worth noting that if you want to use torrents - there is such a link too, but above the list of mirrors. Click on the selected link and wait for the distribution to download.
Preparing for installation. HDD
If we do not want to lose Windows files, we will need to allocate disk space for the new system. It is recommended to allocate approximately 15 GB. If you allocate less, problems may arise in the process. In principle, this step can be skipped altogether - the installer has a good program for working with disks, but for the first time we will go the standard way. Reduce one of the drives by 15 GB. Installing Linux Mint will require less, but, as we have said, it is better to have a stock. This can be done with any program, even built into Windows, but we use ADD - Acronis Disk Director.
The program works with disks in a graphical interface, visually showing sizes and on the fly recounting volumes. Please note that the work is not done on the C drive.
Any other than the boot, you can move as you like, making free space, before or after the data. If you make free space on data on drive C, then next time Windows will stop loading. After changing the section, go to the next step
Preparing for installation. Flash drive
On the official website of the distribution, it is supposed to install Linux Mint on a USB flash drive using the Universal USB Installer program, consider its settings. We insert the flash drive and run the program.
In the main window of the Universal USB Installer, we need to configure 4 points.
Step 1 - if our Mint is not in the drop-down list, we will choose Ubuntu.
Step 2 - specify the distribution file.
Step 3 - select the USB flash drive (look at âMy Computerâ, which letter was allocated to it, and select it here. Do not write anything else).
Step 4 - optional.
Next, choose whether to format or not (to the right of Step 3) and click Create. After a couple of minutes of waiting, we get the finished flash drive. Now is the time to go directly to the installation.
Live cd
Installing Linux Mint from a flash drive is no different from installing from a DVD, except perhaps for speed. Therefore, after the download is complete, we will get a Live-system that is fully functional, except that it has not yet been installed and (most likely) is in English. You can work in it, test it, usually everything works right away, just slower. In this mode, no files on the hard disk are changed, deleted, but the files you created on this system will not be saved either. The system has a full set of software - you can go online (though it works if you hadnât accessed directly from Windows before), read Word files, even watch a movie. It works, but slower. But before proceeding with the installation, be sure to configure the Internet. You will need to install some packages. There is an icon in the tray for this. Usually depicted as two forks interconnected. Right-click on it - change the connection and then DSL (for most modern options for connecting to a network PPPoE, PPPtP, ADSL, etc)
Install to disk
Click on the âInstall Linux Mintâ icon to start the installation. The installation will prompt you to select a language (there is Russian), ask you about the Internet connection, state how much it may need, and if you have a laptop, it will inform you that you need to connect it to the network. The next step will be the breakdown of the hard drive. We will talk about him a little lower. Otherwise, installing Linux Mint is not much different than installing Windows.
Partition formatting for Linux
At this stage it is necessary to dwell in detail, since there is no general concept of partitions, letters, disks in Linux. The file system is most easily represented as a tree. Root, trunk, branches. Each new section in the system will become one of the branches. Such a branch will be the home partition, disk D will become such a branch, etc.
During installation, the wizard will offer three options: âReplace Windows (remove it)â, âInstall next to (do not take risks)â and âAnother optionâ. So we need it. We select it with the arrows - press Enter.
Obtained earlier 15 GB need to be divided into three parts. 8 + 2 + 5, respectively, system + swap + user files. Then, if you do not need a swap file, the middle section can be deleted, and attach the space to the user section. Double click on the free space, the window that appears is shown below. With the exception of the mount point and the field with the size, the rest of the parameters are shown in the picture.
It may not be possible to change the type of the new partition - it doesnât matter. For the system in the upper field we put 8192 (this is MB), the mount point is â/â. We agree with the changes. We select the remaining free space - 2048 MB. Here we select the field where it says "EXT4", change it to the "swap section". Mount points are not necessary. Plus, select the remaining free space and repeat the steps, as was done above for the system, except for the mount point. In the list, select "/ home".
As a result, instead of free space, you will have 3 new sections - â/â, â/ homeâ, âswapâ. The markup is finished. Click "Install Now."
Download new system
After installing and removing the flash drive, the system will reboot. Linux Mint after installation starts in the English version. Let's make her Russian.
Click on the button "menu" - "Control center" - "Languages".
Linux Mint after installation
In the new window, the Install / remove languages ââbutton will allow us to add Russian.
Click âAddâ and in the new window select âRussuan, Russiaâ, then at the bottom of the âInstallâ window.
The window has closed, and in the previous one there is a button âInstall language packsâ. Click, wait until it is installed.
Now we close all the windows one by one, checking that âRussuan, Russiaâ is selected. We are overloaded. If everything was done correctly, a window appears on the screen prompting you to rename the home folders. The menu button is renamed in manual mode.
Further customization
The initial setup of Linux Mint after installation is widely described on the Internet. There are a lot of points, but here we will consider one - how to change the main menu that is unusual for us. Cinnamon developers offer several variations of the main menu, even in the form of Win7. Let's try to install. Right-click on the bottom panel - select "add new applets" In the window that opens, do as in the figure below.
We put a checkmark to the right of the selected item, wait until it is installed and get the menu, as in Windows.
Drivers
Unlike other editions, Cinnamon almost immediately picks up all the equipment found correctly. And if you are not going to play toys, work with complex packages, the question of drivers can not be bothered. However, there are times when Wi-Fi, for example, is not found after installation. This is where installing Linux Mint drivers helps. We go to it through the "Administration" menu. First, the system will look for possible drivers. Then it will give a window as in the screenshot below.
If there are drivers, they will appear in the list. You just have to select the one you need, then click âActivateâ at the bottom of the window (not active on the screen). Wait for the installation and reboot the system. After a reboot, the driver usually activates without problems.
A few words in conclusion
There is a saying: "The devil is not so terrible as he is painted." The same can be said about Linux. Recently, many people began to use Linux, which previously was difficult to teach how to use Windows. âLinuxoid,â as the users of this system are called, knows one good rule - if you donât know what, find a manual on the network. Manuals exist for all occasions. Do not forget about it.