Linux Mint 17 KDE Released

sfcrazy writes The Linux Mint team has announced the release of Linux Mint 17 KDE codenamed Qiana. It's based on KDE Software Compilation 4.13.0. There are notable improvements in Mint Display Manager (MDM). The multi-monitor display has improved and it allows a user to “configure which of the monitors should be used as the primary monitory by MDM.” Users can also define a background color or a background picture no matter what greeter they are using.

Comments

Bugger

[Rik Sweeney]

I only just installed Kubuntu 14.04 over the weekend. Can't be arsed to go through all that again.

Re:Bugger

[rubycodez]

are you pretty good with linux admin?

linux mint is built on ubuntu, so just point toward the proper linux mint kde 17 repository list (most of which will be same as yours) and apt-get update; apt-get dist-upgrade

then smooth out the rough edges.

I've done this plenty of times, but only do it if you're pretty handy and experienced with linux admin

Re:Bugger

[Hognoxious]

linux mint is built on ubuntu

Unless it's linux mint debian edition.

Updating?

[sremick]

I ditched Linux Mint as an option for my clients when I discovered that major updates required a complete, clean re-install. I switched to Xubuntu and have been perfectly happy. Since kicking Mint to the curb I haven't paid much close attention. Is this still the case with major version upgrades?

Re:Updating?

[Skarjak]

There is now a debian based "semi-rolling" release version. My understanding is that they package upgrades from Debian testing periodically. There is no reinstall needed.

Re:Updating?

[Blaskowicz]

They have just switched to Ubuntu LTS on the main editions. Well, Mint 13 is Ubuntu LTS already but this time they won't do versions based on 14.10, 15.04 etc. but will provide updates to the 14.04 based version in the form of Xorg, drivers etc. and certain software.
At worst the new model will be an optional reinstallation every couple years, with each major edition benefitting from Ubuntu's five-year term.

Re:Updating?

[rubycodez]

but you can do it, just not reccommended. I upgrade in place all the time. just point to new repositories and have at it. no big deal smoothing out any rough edges if you're a pretty good linux admin.

you'd of course make backup of client's system anyway, and have restored linux systems from backups successfully in the past?

Re:What?

[ArcadeMan]

It's not cynicism, I'm really curious why background color/picture is being listed as a feature at all. It's one of the first few basic GUI items that should be working. It's like telling me that, at last, the pointer really follows your mouse movements or that USB flash drives are finally working properly.

Re:Has MDM's power-sucking been improved

[Blaskowicz]

It makes me think of xscreensaver, often included when you install lxde on a row ubuntu box.. The thing apparently sucks up 100% CPU on old computers by design. I call it the screenwaster, but it's pretty sometimes.

In general screen saver / screen blanking is often a very sad affair in linux! You never know where the "correct" way to set the time out (or time outs) is, power management or screensaver options?, and then the options seemingly conflict or I don't remember what was set. Today after waking up I saw the monitor had spent entire night not going blank.
A few years ago it was worse as I had two screensavers installed and I toggled between about 10 minutes and two hours (so it doesn't kick off when watching a long Flash video)

Re:What?

[PrimaryConsult]

I haven't RTFA, but the 'greeter' is basically the login screen. I am guessing that certain non-default greeters caused issues with setting background pictures. As someone who usually logs in to tty1 and simply runs startx to get a GUI, I haven't much experience with or use for greeters...

Great!

[Watter]

KDE has always been my favorite environment. The consistency of things like hotkeys across apps and the ease with which they are changed is awesome. Dolphin and Konsole meet my file manager and terminal needs absolutely dead on and Linux Mint has been simplest to setup KDE distro for years. It's the only linux distro I can install and be 95% productive with after only about 10 minutes of customization - about 10 hotkey changes, and 5 app installations and I'm good to go.

Re:What?

[jones_supa]

I don't know what a "greeter" is supposed to be, but if being able to define a background color or a background picture is listed as a feature in 2014, it's not getting me interested in trying out Linux.

I'm sorry that you are modded down, but I certainly agree. Configuring a pretty background for the greeter sounds like a neat feature and I am grateful for the guy(s) who programmed it in, but it boggles my mind why it is mentioned as a major feature of the release. We're really scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

Re:Gas Simulator

[bluefoxlucid]

Yes, it is fully compatible with TacoBell.com.

Re:What?

[ArcadeMan]

And once again, my confusion comes from the habit of OSS developers to name things differently from everybody else just for the sake of being different. This is annoying and pointless.

Had the news been about "changing the background color/picture on the login screen", I would have understood immediately.