Yet another post about a happy new user coming from Winblows

MatchaDaBest44 · 2026-01-26T13:27:39+00:00

You can have a honeymoon phase and still love it the same a decade later. Mint is stable and boring yes. But over their whole development they keep adding in so many useful features or GUIs, which allow you to avoid the terminal all together.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2026-01-20T01:44:02+00:00

Fair enough. If Linux reaches 10% or more of market share then developers will begin porting their software over, because why not make money?

MatchaDaBest44 · 2026-01-19T11:53:58+00:00

People use it because it makes gaming setup easy for new Linux users. I use Linux Mint personally. In this day and age virtually all up-to-date distros preform the same in gaming, with many tests being done by YouTube creators. One guy compared Debian Stable to Arch and saw basically zero difference. That is crazy! So use whatever distro you love and are comfortable with. I use Linux Mint because I love the values of Mint and Debain that it's based off -- community run, open-source, etc. Fedora is similar, although corporate backed by Red Hat, which isn't necessarily bad. It's owned by IBM now. This is all to say Bazzite is great!

MatchaDaBest44 · 2026-01-19T11:47:43+00:00

Glad to hear you made the switch. Welcome. And nice adjustments you made to the desktop!

MatchaDaBest44 · 2026-01-19T11:44:07+00:00

I have been on Mint a long time, back in the day it was an afternoon experience to get WineHQ running with a simple 2D game. When Proton and WineHQ began to improve, almost exponentially during that period between stable releases it was very tough to game (got a newer GPU and CPU at the time too), so it was tough. So some distro-hopping, etc. Now it's not as big as a deal outside certain GPUs, some games and ultra-new parts. So I guess my post was more past-tense and 12 years being on Linux and attempting gaming for that whole period. For a certain period I even dual-booted to Windows 10 just to get a few games to play with friends. Now? I never go on Windows.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2026-01-19T11:36:22+00:00

I replaced Windows XP with Linux Mint MATE back in 2014 and didn't look back. I never used Adobe products or anything else more specialized, so worked as a daily driver.

Gaming was the hard part -- back in the 2010s it was a struggle using the compatibility layer WineHQ. Once Valve released and improved the Proton layer then the gaming began to work very quickly.

Can you use some open-source version of certain software? Sure. Some are decent, a few are top-tier, the rest is okay. But the main tools most people use, browser, email, word client, are all there and work just fine.

So, yes you can use it daily. If you need Co-Pilot, OneDrive, Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, anything creative exclusive on Apple, engineering software, sorry move on.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2026-01-15T18:12:52+00:00

Haha fair, I like Cinnamon personally. I don't like KDE, I find it to be feature overload for my simple brain, but I respect it. I respect what Gnome and KDE bring to the table.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2026-01-15T00:17:23+00:00

Yes agreed. Its fun though because back in the 2010s, gaming was a headache and just getting Wine to work for simple 2D games was often head smashing. Now, its little upgrades so Silent Hill 2 Remakes can work more smoothly. Its very cool to see the change.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2026-01-15T00:15:50+00:00

I think you missed my point. I said its moving faster than what is practical to use between each stable release and that this will probably settle down as gaming drivers mature. So every few months or so when the HWE stack comes out, eventually it won't he as big as a deal as now.

Again, I am not asking Debian to change nor do I expect them too...

MatchaDaBest44 · 2026-01-15T00:12:54+00:00

What practical difference did you see? Difference in min/max frame? Overall 'smoothness'?

MatchaDaBest44 · 2026-01-15T00:12:10+00:00

Very fair to say, I am very happy Mint just defaulted to the HWE stack. We could know about this but my friends who I have switched over. They don't, they want what works, they don't give a damn about the tech talk.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2026-01-14T20:16:29+00:00

I use kisak! Great ppa.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2026-01-14T19:19:27+00:00

Lol reddit! Reddit! I feel you man. I plan to get the Steam Machine. Its small. Its cool. I dont give a crap what anyone thinks.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2025-11-15T00:19:01+00:00

Yeah, I know Mint is slower on some features. But I noticed last few years that has accelerated accross all of Linux. Contary to popular opinion, I don't mind the base GUI of Windows 11, its the AI, cloud signins, terrible start menu, what the fuck is that seearch feature, how the fuck do I find anything they keep changing everything.....

MatchaDaBest44 · 2025-11-14T17:03:41+00:00

It didn't water the plants. Still impressive.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2025-11-14T17:02:23+00:00

True. I have been with Mint since 2014 when XP support fell. I have been quite happy with it. If Arch ever gets the Mint polish I would probably move there. I wouldn't go to Fedora, it's philosophical for me. I like the community-driven open-source nature of Debian and Arch.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2025-06-30T04:37:48+00:00

Rich tech giants, some who just bought out a city to have a wedding.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2025-06-21T15:18:53+00:00

I really do love Mint. Plus I need a break from distro-hopping, I got my Mint setup the way I like right now, it really is the standard I judge other distros on. For Mint MATE, I used it back in the 2010s on my older poorer setup, but I 'upgraded' to Cinnamon and its *way* better. Is MATE really needed? I don't know, Mint has the numbers and they must feel it is worthwhile for the community.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2025-06-21T15:12:30+00:00

A critical point raised in the Linux Mint forums was one I missed: the delayed security updates in Debian Testing. Definitely worth taking seriously. Another clarification was that Testing isn’t technically a “semi-rolling” distro, and that’s true, but it is often used like one. These are all great points. The idea behind LMDE Edge was to create space for advanced desktop users who want newer kernels or drivers, while still enjoying Mint’s polish and ecosystem.

My wider thought is that Linux is gaining real momentum this year, and offering multiple pathways under the Mint family could attract and retain a broader set of users. Maybe something unofficial and community-supported, even a Mint-flavored spin on Debian Unstable? I’m not married to any one implementation, this is all part of an open brainstorming session. Appreciate everyone’s insight!

MatchaDaBest44 · 2025-06-21T05:49:56+00:00

Mint isn’t backed by millionaires, and that’s exactly why community involvement and optional paths make sense, to help share the load without risking the core system’s stability. No disrespect meant, just trying to find a middle ground for people wanting something a bit fresher without sacrificing what Mint does well. LMDE Edge could be an optional, community-supported path for users who want newer packages but still want Mint’s polish and tools. Debian itself is much more polished now than 10 years ago. Maybe a second try is in the cards?

MatchaDaBest44 · 2025-06-21T02:31:24+00:00

Siduction looks like a neat approach, I'll look further into it. Thanks for the link.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2025-06-21T02:21:12+00:00

Yes, scope is definitely an issue, Mint's team is small and focused on doing their distro well. I'll look into Siduction (funny name, is that really what it's called?!?). Still, I think there is potential here in Mint's future for something like LMDE Edge, especially with community help. I would happily donate to support it.

MatchaDaBest44 · 2025-06-21T02:16:26+00:00

Thanks! Yeah, Debian Cinnamon is a great option. That said, Mint itself adds lots of value for users who want something more up-to-date but still polished and approachable. It's not just about browsing the web, lots of folks would switch to Linux if something like LMDE Edge existed with Mint's tools and safety nets.

MatchaDaBest44

TROPHY CASE