Linux @lemmy.ml BearPear @lemmy.world 2y ago

5 Things LINUX MINT Objectively Does Better Than WINDOWS 11

TLDW of this video from ChatGPT

The video highlights the following main points about why Linux Mint is considered better than Windows 11:

Start Menu and Customization: Linux Mint's menu is more organized and customizable than Windows 11's start menu. It offers three columns, resizable icons, and customizable labels.
Taskbar (Panel) Features: Linux Mint's panel is more flexible, allowing repositioning, resizing, and creation of additional panels. Applets enhance functionality, offering features like quick desktop access and window behavior customization.
Privacy and Telemetry: Linux Mint is privacy-focused, avoiding telemetry. Certain apps' telemetry can be manually disabled. Windows 11 is criticized for lacking privacy.
Bloatware and Pre-installed Apps: Linux Mint has minimal bloatware, including useful tools or open-source alternatives. Windows 11 can have cluttered start menus with unwanted icons.
Batch File Renaming and Management: Linux Mint's file management includes advanced batch renaming with insertion, removal, and case conversion. Windows 11 lacks similar features.
Security (Future Topic): Security is mentioned as a potential future topic, with Linux Mint considered more privacy-oriented than Windows 11. Discussions about security are acknowledged.

The narrator encourages viewer engagement and discussion on the covered topics.

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101 comments

"Objectively" 🤦🏻‍♂️
- Objectively is the new Literally
  
  Canonically
  
  Objectively, it is literally the new literally
  
  Literally objectively
- Everyday I get older that word losses more and more meaning
- I was like cool, finally a comparison without someone's opinion..... Ah, fuck
NOT BEING WINDOWS

NOT BEING WINDOWS

NOT BEING WINDOWS

NOT BEING WINDOWS

NOT BEING WINDOWS
"Objectively": Proceeds to give his opinion
- I thought it would be about ram/disk usage and how they display colours
  
  Or how on Linux you can bypass the cpu for instructions
I mean imo everything about Windows is terrible. But I don't think you're going to win (lol) anyone over with debates, at least no one who doesn't already complain about Windows. I think the main reasons people use Windows are:

Ubiquity (they use it at work, at the library, and at home)

Familiarity (it's what they grew up with)

Barrier to entry (the average person doesn't have to install windows. And even if they do it's a lot less painful than installing a Linux distro)

Gaming (this is sliding a little bit but many many people still install windows on a homebrew tower specifically for gaming)

Ubiquity will have a hard time changing as long as Microsoft continues to bastardize their own products for the sake of B2B relationships. Familiarity is a chance of history so that's kinda up to you to get your kids into what you like. Barrier to entry is a systemic issue with the Linux and FOSS communities at large and I genuinely don't see this changing anytime soon (and I'm not just speaking culturally although that's an issue too). And gaming, well we all know the Linux gaming community has been slowly but steadily growing for a while now, cue the steamdeck enjoyers
- For a lot of normal people linux just doesnt offer any advantages they care about. If you tell them it can do everything windows can do, the question "so why should i go through the effort of switching" remains. There'd have to be something they really want, that they can't get from windows.
  Though average users use mobile devices instead of desktops more and more, so I can see windows becoming mostly a thing that people use at work.
  
  Ya it's hard to sell it to someone when the conversation is basically "well if you spend several hours learning all of these tools then you can get it working the way your windows box works... Kinda"
- I love Linux, but I do generally consider it a special-purpose OS. Servers, embedded stuff, etc, I will always go with some flavour of Linux.
  
  But for a daily driver I do struggle imagining using anything other than Windows. Like sure, I could probably get all my games and CAD software working in a Linux OS. But I can easily grab Win10 LTSB and have everything just work. I have to make a living from my machine, and ultimately I just need it to work.
  
  If I was doing just web and office work, then it would be no harder really, but I've finally accepted that not everything should be a project!
  
  CAD software
  
  Well, not really. I couldn't get anything other than FreeCAD/LibreCAD to work on Linux. Blender is supposed to work but it gave me nothing but issues.
- Adobe software. Honestly they work, and work well.
- I mean imo everything about the windows is terrible.
  
  Maybe that's very subjective but I find that thought very hyperbolic. Windows generally is pretty good and for example have some nice features like complete system reset while preserving your files. Windows has some issues but so does Linux.
  
  I only use Linux on my gaming+work laptop because I enjoy the freedom and I feel Windows is overly intricate and more and more "commercial" but Linux has its rough edges.
TLDW of this video from ChatGPT

That's a lot of trust to blindly place in a GPT...
- I can confirm the results above. Nontheless, you are right.
But all 5 points can be said for all other distros running a DE.
- I'm guessing this video is for people thinking about switching to Linux from Windows. Mint is probably the best distro for most of them.
Instead of actual Linux discussions, every day there's a new "windows bad" circlejerk post.
- And every single one will be met with "I spend 80% of my pc time gaming, my games don't run in linux as good as windows, end of discussion".
  
  Also, comparing stuff to windows 11 is quite the low bar, 2 of those points don't apply to win10 and the 5th can be done with powershell and wsl1.0 afaik pretty fast. the 5th can be done in windows by running a python script too, and let's be honest, what is the use case of batch file renaming if it's not for programming? it's not a common issue.
  
  So basically, it's about privacy, bloatware and security. Bloatware can be uninstalled if you are a power user, and let's be honest normal users won't even dream about using linux.
  
  So yeah. I love it for work but it's lacking for my entertainment pc.
  
  I use batch renaming all the time, very little of it for programming. Media management, and general file organization are my most common uses. But there are plenty of third party free programs that let windows do this without the need for running python scripts.
  
  I've actually found the opposite, thanks to the lack of all the windows shit on my pc games seem to run smoother. I've had one game not run out of the box so far and I've played a fair few with either my PC or steam deck so far
  
  That said I don't play that many competitive games and I've heard their anticheats often prevent them from running on Linux
- “I switched to Linux today, my life is completely different!”
Ok. Now, change the audio bit rate in the GUI? You can try any Linux you like.

The Lack of functions in the GUI to configure Hardware devices is a serious problem for Linux. You can't Configure anything on your AMD graphics card, set sleep timeout of you wireless game controller, or enable HDR.

I'm currently having a good time in Arch but I'm frustrated that GUI controls for basic stuff is still missing. Most of this stuff has been in Windows for decades.

Rather focusing on the how customisable the desktop environment is, they need to focus on making Hardware configuration easier.
- Similar one, try to change mouse acceleration. The last couple distros I had tried were completely lacking any config option for that.
  
  There are already comments about how a GUI isn't needed or something like that, but Linux will never become remotely mainstream as a consumer OS with that kind of attitude.
  
  As in turn it off or on, or change the curve itself? The option to turn it off or on is in the main Settings -> Mouse and Touchpad page with GNOME 44, labeled "Mouse Acceleration." Which is, in my opinion, easier than Windows' obscure Windows 95-style pop-up for "additional mouse settings" and then "enhance pointer precision."
- Agreed. Last time I used my Wacom tablet on a Linux station, I had to type a bunch of commands every start up to get it to work in the correct aspect ratio because there was no GUI tool for that. Surely there's a way to register that kind of stuff for start up, but why do I have to figure this out ? I just need to get work done. Wacom tablets have been around for 30 years and are used by most of the digital artists out there, it's not some exotic peripheral. It seems like it should be easier
- How DARE you ask about GUI controls! But seriously I'd love to see more of it. It certainly would make on-boarding of windows users much easier. All the CLI functions scare most away. It seems like every time I ask about a GUI for something I get shot down hard. Like I understand why CLI is more prevalent, way easier to troubleshoot and instruct people across multiple distros. But if you want to grow the Linux community, ease of use to the broad public has to become priority, and I think GUIs is the best starting point for that.
  
  And having things built in would be a major help as well, instead of having to see if the software center has it, and then searching GitHub when it doesn't. Again, I get that some distros might have that, but that would be a niche distro for certain things. A nice GUI tool to adjust GPU parameters would be super (using coolero at the moment), a better audio device manager, gamepad device manager as well, task manager that's a little more user friendly.
  
  I'm rambling and I don't want to sound like I dislike Linux. I made Mint my only OS on my laptop and two PCs in my house. I love it. I keep W11 on my gaming PC as a dual boot strictly for VR. That's all that's holding me back. I'm fine with CLI tools but I'd reeeeeeally like it if GUI tools became more prevalent.
- https://github.com/simonepalmer/pipewire-controller https://github.com/wwmm/easyeffects https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pipewire/helvum https://kx.studio/Applications:Catia https://github.com/cyber-sushi/pipewire-sample-rate-config https://github.com/rncbc/qpwgraph
  
  The first looks like it does specifically what you mentioned. I haven't tried any of these except Helvum, and I don't remember if you can change the bitrate.
  
  I don't have enough patience (or need) to use a GUI for stuff like this - wpctl is fairly comprehensive - but if it's something you need to do a lot I get the appeal.
  
  And, I hear what you're saying about hardware config tools. I maintain a cross-platform monitoring tool, and frequently get requests to support graphics cards; it's the most troublesome and difficult chore, because these devices all have bespoke APIs, and it's a PITA to support them - moreso because it's impossible to test the support when you don't have access to all of the hardware.
- Agreed. When I went home to put on some music to bang your mom too, it took me like 20 minutes to adjust to the optimal audio bit rate. It totally killed the mood.
- I know GUIs are important for being mainstream, but I also don't see the point of getting whole team of UI/UX designers to work on graphical settings option to change simple intiger value of system config.
  
  Changing audio bitrate is an option for advanced users. I open new tab in my text editor, fuzzy search the file and desired option in seconds and save, when in something like control panel is whole journey interrupting current workflow.
- Hey, you can edit config files in GUI 😄
Literally none of those are actually"objective"...
Security (Future Topic): Security is mentioned as a potential future topic, with Linux Mint considered more privacy-oriented than Windows 11. Discussions about security are acknowledged.

Is Wayland support finally actively worked on, or is it still postponed?
- According to a recent announcement by one of the devs:
  
  We also want to spend time on studying the pros and cons of Wayland and to assess the work needed in its potential adoption.
  
  In other words, they haven't even started yet.
  
  Big yikes. In that case, I wouldn't recommend Mint to beginners at all. Alone, the whole Sandbox concept of Flatpak needs Wayland to work properly. Wayland is the future, regardless if you like it or not.
  
  I think they are taking a careful approach since there are still apps out there that don't work on Wayland. For example TeamViewer.
  
  Personally I don't mind if they take their time to evaluate it, try it and see how best to integrate it. Rather than just rush in and break a whole lot of stuff.
Start Menu and Customization

Not to mention the Cinnamenu applet
- This is really nice. I've been using Mint for years and didn't know about it.
hi op, how did u get chatgpt to do that? I tried a free version from element/riot which I think is chatgpt 3.5 but it doesnt work 🤷
- It doesn't work automatically.
  
  Go to a youtube video There is an option to view the transcript of the video near to the description in three dot menu Copy the transcription and paste it into chatgpt.
  
  tx bud 👍
99% of the usage of "objective" on the internet is objectively incorrect.
Here is an alternative Piped link(s): https://piped.video/watch?v=5uY3u_xZDL0

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source, check me out at GitHub.
What is this "minimal bloatware" of Mint exactly?
- Probably libre office, honestly can't name anything else
- Free office suite, backup tool, file transfer tool...
- Compared to windows, not LFS or Arch. Considering it works well on 10 year old devices, either people concerned are using 20 year old hardware, or are a little too paranoid of "bloatware".
Security is mentioned as a potential future topic, with Linux Mint considered more privacy-oriented than Windows 11.

Security and privacy are not the same thing!
I found it mildly funny reading this, I've not been using vanilla windows 10 for quite a while, but have resorted to sticking plasters to get the same effects as mint (start10, fences, and powertoys). It's very true, out the box all that's baked into mint, and with the privacy etc.

I heartily miss Mint/Xubuntu, but am cursed with my interests being in game development and audio. :) one of these years...
I have tried lots of distros yet I am always going back to Windows.
1& 2: These are the kinds of things that appeal to people with OCD and enthusiasts with more time than work to do. And for the former, more customization can be destructive to productivity. Most people just want to sit down and either get work done or get their game open - not sit for hours customizing the interface.

I rarely ever use my taskbar and start menu on Windows because I can hit the start key and type to find the thing I want. Linux can do that too, but you're focusing instead on finnicky customization. Most people have a cluttered desktop for a reason - nobody cares or has the time to properly organize their shit. I would suggest focusing on the real performance and productivity benefits of Linux.

3: The only people that care about telemetry are those that already hate Microsoft and already use Linux. Most Windows users couldn't give two shits that Microsoft uses their anomymized usage data to fix bugs and evaluate feature adoption. Also, the only way to avoid telemetry is if the only servers you ever access are in your basement.

4: I agree that Windows is really obnoxious about the bullshit they're putting on even base Windows install, but it takes me like 5 minutes to go through add/remove programs. You know what takes me longer than 5 minutes? Getting any non-standard hardware working on Linux, and even some software, and often because the base OS is missing something or has some box unchecked because a FOSS enthusiast has opinions.

5: Not enough people are aware of the fantastic set of freeware MS makes called PowerToys. PowerRenamer actually handles this gap for me. I feel like it should be included with windows but alas, some people would probably consider it "bloatware".

6: MS certainly has issues in this regard, but I'm curious to know how Linux Mint actually faires. Consumer-focused distros tend to benefit from their low adoption rate and don't get hammered by attacks like Windows and RHEL derivatives do. But I'll freely agree that most Linux distros tend to be more secure by default. That said, does it really matter to the average Windows user? No it doesn't. Because the biggest security issue for both Windows and Linux is actually the user - not an OS flaw. Even a default Windows environment is normally secure enough for most users.
While it's already been talked about, for no. 4, does anyone know a good batch renamer I can use with Arch/Gnome?

On Windows I had BulkRenameUtility which was really good.
- I think it's called bulker or smth like that
Point 4 is only true if you buy a pre built system. If you install the OS yourself there is very little pre installed.
- I suppose it depends on your definition of "very little" but I would say that for most Linux users, "Windows 11 can have cluttered start menus with unwanted icons" is definitely accurate.
  
  I did a fresh install of Windows 11 Home the other day and it had at least 10 apps that I manually removed right off the bat. Stuff like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, One Note, Xbox Live and a few freebie games were sitting front and center in the start menu, even though I had not agreed to have any of them installed.
- What you're seeing in the Video is pretty much what the start menu will look like after a clean install of Windows 11, minus Audacity and Chrome.
- Majority of people are buying prebuilt systems or laptops though.
This is all fine for some, but i am happy with most personalization options provided by windows 10. The only thing missing is the ability to close window by middle clicking on its taskbar item (common, we can already close browser tabs this way, it's common sense). In window i use a taskbar tweaker app and i wasn't able to find a similar setting for Linux.

Probably even more annoying is how linux desktop hijacks most hot keys. I use Pycharm and couldn't use any key combinations that involve ALT key because somehow Ubuntu thought that key should be dedicated to moving the window. I eas not able to find a place to disable it. This was back in (or before) 2018. I haven't really tried linux as a daily driver since then.
- Try EndeavorOS then.
EVEN MORE things Linux Mint does better than Win11:

Compiles linux kernels

Runs even demanding apps like systemd fast and smooth

Conforms with POSIX some of the time

Lets you configure everything with text files using 'ed' if you want to

Doesn't spy on you so much

Rarely shows you ads
- demanding apps like systemd
  
  Really?
  
  I know systemd is relatively bloated compared to other init system, but I don't recall it being exactly heavy or demanding...
  
  I do find it way too overly complex in the design of various of its many parts, but my comment there is what among my people would be referred to as a "joke".
Huh, I'm honestly shocked Mint is still a thing. It screwed me over so bad many years ago, I've been Windows ever since.
- Would you take someone complaining about being "screwed over" by Windows XP seriously? Your complaint about Mint falls into the same category.
  
  I'm not trying to convince you of anything. I was genuinely shocked that Linux Mint is still around. Haven't heard about it in years. You're free to not take that personal.
- Elaborate?
  
  He's referring to Mint gum. He choked on it.
  
  Details are fuzzy at this point, but I believe it was a series of updates that kept having issues and finally one update that completely screwed up the machine, and in trying to fix it I ended up losing some important data. I was pissed off and got an MS Surface, and I kind of loved it, so haven't been Linux since.

101 comments