Linux Mint 9 (Isadora)
Whenever a new version of Ubuntu is released, a new version of Linux Mint soon follows. This time around it’s Linux Mint 9. Linux Mint 9 is based on Ubuntu 10.04.
I gave Ubuntu 10.04 a big thumbs up in my review, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of Linux Mint 9. So how does Linux Mint 9 stack up? Is it still “a better Ubuntu” than Ubuntu itself?
Read on to find out…
What’s New In This Release
There’s a lot of new stuff in this release and here’s some of what you will find in Linux Mint 9.
The Linux Mint Menu
The menu has been improved. If you turn on 3D effects, you can view a partly transparent menu. You can also now right-click on an item in the menu to edit it. You also have the option of changing the menu’s default behavior from showing what you looked at last to defaulting to your favorites. You can even right-click items to add them to your desktop and panel. I love the right-clicking features in the menu, it makes it very fast to change items or put them on your panel or desktop.
You can right-click an item on the menu to edit its properties.
Windows Installer
This release also marks the return of the Windows Installer (mint4win). I don’t generally run Windows so it’s not much use to me, but I’m glad to see it back for those who wish to use it.
The Windows Installer returns in Linux Mint 9. (Screenshot courtesy of LinuxMint.com)
New Backup Tool
Linux Mint has a new backup too. The new backup tool preserves your data and preferences. It also tracks the software you installed. When you go to upgrade to a fresh install of Linux Mint, the backup tool will restore your data as well as the software you had installed on your Linux Mint system.
You can also opt to restore your software selection on a different computer. The backup tool can perform incremental restorations and backups, and it can compress and archive “on the fly.” It also performs an integrity check on each file (but you can turn this off if you want to speed up your backup).
The new backup tool can backup and restore your data, preferences and software.
New Desktop Settings Tool
This release also includes a new desktop settings tool. The new tool has an improved appearance, and changes take effect immediately.
Remember those controversial changes Canonical made to the title bar buttons in Ubuntu? They were placed on the left instead of the right. This infuriated many Ubuntu users who claimed it was too “Mac-like.” Well Linux Mint fixes that too by giving everybody a choice in the matter.
The desktop settings tool lets you pick where you want the buttons, on the right or on the left. This is sure to soothe some of the intensely ruffled feathers of angry Ubuntu users.
The new desktop settings tool lets you place the title bar buttons on the left or on the right.
New Software Manager
The new Software Manager has been built again, from the ground up.
It’s essentially a blend of the Ubuntu Software Center, GNOME App, and the old software manager. The Software Manager interface is highly reminiscent of the Ubuntu Software Center. That’s not really a surprise given that Software Manager uses Webkit.
It features more than 30,000 packages, and you can read user reviews of each application. You can also post your own reviews. Applications are sorted by score, so it’s easy to see the highest rated software.
Software installations will run in the background. You can continue browsing through the Software Manager or shut it down.
The new Software Manager is an excellent addition to Linux Mint 9 (see the software section of the review for more screenshots and commentary).
Use Software Manager to add or remove applications.
Another item to take note of is the new, community website for Linux Mint users. The new site lets Linux Mint users share their thoughts about software, hardware and other topics. By registering for the site you will also be able to write software reviews that will appear in the Software Manager.
Visit the Linux Mint Community site to register to write software reviews.
On the next page, I’ll take a look at the hardware requirements and the install routine.
(21 votes, average: 3.57 out of 5)
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I love Mint… but 8 pages for this review?… Do you hate your readers that much? I understand ad income… but don’t make it irritating for us. No digg.
And the background Tuxes… lose them IMO.
Hi Shane,
The review is actually 7 pages. The last page is an image gallery. The reviews are set up to make it easy for people to hop to the sections they want to read. Some folks have no interest in certain sections of the review and prefer to skip to the sections that interest them.
Please note also that there are about 27 screenshots in this review. You do not want them all to load on one page, trust me. Even on a fast broadband connection, it would be very annoying.
Thanks for the feedback though, I hope you’ll reconsider a digg in a future review.
Didn’t I read Mint could be launched on top of Debian PPC? Where’s your review Mac-man? Don’t you have a G3 or G4 PowerPC in a closet somewhere? I got my G4 tower for only $25.00 without an OS or RAM and had to find an old Ubuntu 6.0 PPC Live CD to see if it was a lemon at that price. Luckily, I had the right PC100/PC133 RAM that worked in it. Of course, without Flash games and my favorite Firefox Extensions, I searched out Tiger OSX for it, but with less software than my Windows or Linux computers…it’s in the closet as back-up.
Thanks for the review of my favorite Mint and Puppy Linux, let me guess you like the one that looks like a Mac.
Now I’ll find out if my Intel dual-P3 650 MHz slot1 computer can run the new Mint. Funny last time I had to run the KDE version on it and my Gateway P4 I had to go Gnome because the KDE wouldn’t load, now it has KDE added though.
Joan in Reno
Hello Joan,
I parted with my PPC Mac Pro ages ago. I gave it to my friend Katherine and it promptly died! She claims she had nothing to do with it, but I suspect foul play. That Mac Pro was fine, I never had a problem with it but shortly after she got it, it died.
Hmm. I suspect malicious intent on her part.
Installed Mint 9 after work today while I made cookies. It’s that easy to install. So far no complaints. Everything works how I want. I did a clean install but for my netbook I’m going to try out the upgrade instructions from the Mint blog. Mint is by far my favorite but Puppy is a close second. This version of Mint feels faster but it could just be me. It definitely feels faster than Windows 7 on the same computer.
One small complaint I have with mint(and really the reason I use ubuntu instead) is the menu. I hate the new menu style used in kde4, and mint. I like how kde4 is so easy to switch to the classic version by simply right clicking on the menu and choosing classic. I think mint (or gnome) should make this option available.
@david
Left click on panel, add either: main manu, or menu bar, whichever you like, then left click on mint menu icon, remove.
Then you have classic menu in either variation and move it around the panel as you like.
While on the subject of panels, I see that annoying bug with new panels going invisible when added is in the final version.
Otherwise I’m testing it on a partition and it looks fine. Will try it some more and then decide if I’ll use it.
Nice review! Finally, a holistic one! Very true about prism. It needs to be integrated with mint by default. It’s usually one of the first addons I install in firefox.
Based on the information I see here, both in the review and in the comments section, this version is at least worth a look in a Virtualbox OSE session. It doesn’t, however, good as it is, sound like my kind of distribution.
I am totally set when it comes to my every day systems: I have three really solid ones in sidux as my cutting edge, rolling release system. It’s definitely not for the average consumer, but it’s just right for me, cutting edge, yet easy to maintain with fast, flexible, customizable tools.
Then there is antiX, a light desktop system that can run live, from SSD media, CD, DVD, or disk, and though it uses Debian Testing repos by default, it has commented out entries for Sid and Stable, and it has admin tools that allow you to customize it into whatever you want. So I have the light, flexible arrangement as well.
Then finally, I have the really boring, but completely stable SimplyMEPIS environment. Available in both KDE 3.5.10 (Version 8.0.15) and KDE 4.3.4 (Version 8.5) forms, backed by a Stable Debian binary tree, this is a simple, extremely stable system.
Mint may have it beat on fancy features, but no way is it beat on simplicity and stability.
At the same time, for the average Linux user, this release seems to be a great alternative to the recent Long Term Support (LTS) release from Ubuntu 10.04. To me, this one, for such users, ought to get more points even than Ubuntu. Easy to install, easy to use, and easy to modify. Those are my three criteria for simplicity, and that’s why, even though I have my own personal favorites, I want to give this one a good look.
I am suspecting that for most routine Linux users, Mint is likely to be one of the most appropriate systems to use, and based on early feedback, that certainly seems to be the case. I will weigh in later with more once I actually get to test this most current version.
There are hundreds of Linux distros out there, and Mint is certainly one of them.