![]() FFmpeg can be used to convert media files from one format to another. With the proliferation of devices such as smartphones and digital cameras, almost everyone needs to work with a wide variety of audio and media file formats. Introduce the new users to the Software Manager or Software Center app in the distro so that they can explore and install applications on their own.Īnd just to demonstrate how powerful FOSS can be, open GIMP and show users how to add filters such as drop shadows to an image. The command ushare -c path-to-shared-directory will turn the specified directory into a DNLA media server share. If the user would like to share local directories with DNLA media devices (PlayStation or WD TV), then type sudo apt get install ushare to install ushare. In most cases, LAN locations of other computers and devices can be accessed using addresses in the format smb://.x/share_name/directory_path. The Samba client package adds support for Windows shares in the Caja file manager. sudo -apt-get install artha ark clamtk mirage inkscape arista audacious easytag ripperx winff bluefish rapidsvn meldĭosemu wine samba smbclient wvdial gnome-ppp After that, you should install regular software packages that will be useful. Īfter the OS is installed and updated, you may have to install proprietary drivers for the graphics card. You can also tell the user that for simple admin tasks, the admin shell can be accessed by typing su. Tell the user to log in to the default account only for troubleshooting. Even though admin permissions are available only with sudo, it is best to create a desktop account for the user. The default account in Mint/Ubuntu is an administrator account. Default installations of Linux can look so drab or intimidating that many new users will simply revert to the familiar comfort of their old OS. ![]() As mentioned earlier, first impressions are the best. You might also want to add icons of important programs to the panelthat of the browser, email client, the Mate terminal and screenshot, and Pluma (the text editor).Īll these simple enhancements will greatly improve the usability of the desktop and will prove extremely valuable when you are providing support over the phone or by email. Other things that you might want to add to the panel would be: Many new modern alternatives do not have this simplicity and force users to scramble all over the screen. The GNOME 2-style main menu is neatly organised – all software programs are available under Applications all important storage locations (important home directories, bookmarks, network locations, etc) and recent documents are under Places and all settings and administrative tasks are under System.įrom one corner on the desktop, it provides you with complete control over the entire system. Go ahead and get rid of the Main Mate Menu, and add the old GNOME 2-style Menu Bar. The original GNOME 2 style has been made optional and surprisingly described as a custom menu bar. The Linux Mint Mate desktop uses a custom main menu. In contrast, the Mate desktop offers all the usability and accessibility benefits of GNOME 2, and looks great with the Nimbus theme. It relies on extensions to provide settings and features that are considered basic in GNOME 2. Like Windows 8, GNOME 3 seems to favour visual bling at the expense of features. Mate is a fork of the GNOME 2 desktop manager. This article recommends Linux Mint with the Mate desktop. Mint comes in two flavours – Cinnamon and Mate.įigure 1: Add Gnome2 Menu Bar to panel Figure 2: Gnome 2 menu Another thing to note before downloading the ISO file is the desktop manager. The 32-bit version will not be a good choice as the OS would then be not able to access more than 3GB of the system RAM. ![]() When downloading the Mint OS ISO file, select the 64-bit version. ![]() DEB packages also make it easy to install and uninstall Linux software programs. As Mint is based on Ubuntu (which, in turn, is based on Debian), it uses the DEB package format, and thus benefits from the many software repositories with DEB packages. You could however choose whichever distribution you are comfortable with. In this article, I would recommend Linux Mint. You need to add additional software, configure the system for the best combination of convenience and aesthetics, and provide the new user with simple tips and tricks to be self-sufficient. When building a Linux system for a Linux newbie, it is important that you go beyond the default installation.
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