Help Me Test Drive Mint Please

[logan01]

We have lift-off, exiting the atmosphere, jettisoned the SRBs and are in space. So basically (for my mindset) it's like I have an OS working within an OS. Now I just need to figure it out, for example, where is it's Konsole? In the pic, what do those two msgs on top mean? Right now I'm doing this thread in Kubuntu.

[logan01]

Ok. I found Terminal at the bottom. I'm now in Mint Firefox. Can you explain GG's following input. I think it'll allow me to use the entire screen with Mint instead of the current cramped quarters feel I'm now experiencing. Oops. Can't copy from Kubuntu and paste to Mint. Hang loose a second. Here we go:

"I've installed VB from both the repository and from Oracle. Oracle's latest release is usually newer but the repository version is easier to install and is already customized and vetted for Kubuntu.

Since you are installing from outside the repository you will also have to download and install the VB extensions package for the version of VB that you downloaded. That process is more complicated than merely selecting VB and VB utilities from the repository and installing them. The necessary includes will also be installed automatically. The utilities/extensions allow VB to use your full display instead of just a 1024X780 window, if that big. It also includes other features. And, the repository packages have been tested and vetted to work with Kubuntu, like I said.
General rule for new Linux users: stay with the repository until you get a year or two of experience under your belt."

[logan01]

I'd still like to make a Mint stick. Perhaps try it out on another pc and of course on this one. What do you think? Is that command correct to you if my usb and file names are correct?

Create Bootable Mint USB:

Download Mint of choice.
Insert flash drive.
Open Konsole.
Enter the following since we know my usb is [sdb] and my new Mint iso file is [linuxmint-17.3-cinnamon-64bit]: sudo dd if=/home/richard/ Downloads/linuxmint-17.3-cinnamon-64bit.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M && sudo sync
Hit enter.
Stuff happens and is finished when I see my prompt?
Punch out of Konsole
Kill pc
Start pc with usb inserted
PC starts up and the GRUB screen appears showing multiple boot options. Find the usb drive, select it and hit return and it should boot to it.
If and when it boots, I'll get that window that gives the option of trying or installing Mint?
Take a Mint cruise and exit / shut down as normal Kubuntu
Remove flash drive if so desired.

[elijathegold]

That looks good. Remember to check the identity of the Key when inserted as they can change... Speaking as someone who overwrote their system disk, dd can be a tricky bastard!

[logan01]

That looks good. Remember to check the identity of the Key when inserted as they can change... Speaking as someone who overwrote their system disk, dd can be a tricky bastard!

Key?

[logan01]

First draft of the tutorial is available at my long unused blog. If you have any questions or need let me know and I can improve the post.

That tutorial draft is excellent and reaches users at my elementary level. The only mess up I did was trying to get the little drop down menu from the CD pic on the left (Empty) instead of the CD symbol on the right. Very well done. I'd make that a sticky here. The only issue I had with Firefox in Mint was it would log me out at time if I was hopping around the forum. No biggie. Mint looks pretty nice to me.

[elijathegold]

Key?

The USB doohickey

[elijathegold]

That tutorial draft is excellent and reaches users at my elementary level. The only mess up I did was trying to get the little drop down menu from the CD pic on the left (Empty) instead of the CD symbol on the right. Very well done. I'd make that a sticky here. The only issue I had with Firefox in Mint was it would log me out at time if I was hopping around the forum. No biggie. Mint looks pretty nice to me.

Thanks for the feedback. I made a couple of changes based on this thread.

Welcome to the insanely addictive world of easily trying out new distributions.

[logan01]

I am flat wore out. If not tonight, I'm doing the usb deal tomorrow. Can't stand to not * up my laptop. I greatly appreciate all your work and seeing me through this ordeal. Thanks a bunch.

[GreyGeek]

Is that Mint host taking up your entire screen, except for the top and bottom panels, or just part of it?

[logan01]

Just part of it. In the background (Mint host?) appears as though it's acting as a pseudo desktop with another window,Firefox, in front. Firefox couldn't expand larger than "Mint". As I was shutting it down, I saw it had buttons to size it to full screen and a few other sizes. Per your much earlier opinion, I downloaded Mint 17.3 KDE minutes ago. I'm putting each on flash drives.

[logan01]

First draft of the tutorial is available at my long unused blog. If you have any questions or need let me know and I can improve the post.

You really, really, need, for the betterment of mankind, a tutorial of installing rEFInd Boot Manager. Looks like a nice tool. Qqmike suggested it, provided links on its benefits and how to install. I laughed, I cried. Bless his heart. Couldn't you just see me trying that? Too funny.

[Nasty7]

I'm tired just reading this Thread lol, good work guys!

I know you have limited space on Kubuntu, so why don't you use Universal USB Installer on Windows that I linked you to? It is very simple and should work to Test Drive Mint, I use it all the time. Mint Mate would be the best choice imo for diagnostics as it works with most hardware and software, but try them all if you have the resources. If you like KDE then Mint KDE.

[GreyGeek]

You really, really, need, for the betterment of mankind, a tutorial of installing rEFInd Boot Manager. Looks like a nice tool. Qqmike suggested it, provided links on its benefits and how to install. I laughed, I cried. Bless his heart. Couldn't you just see me trying that? Too funny.

There is a subforum about UEFI assistance started by Steve Riley, MS Guru and Forum admin who is on a sabbatical:
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/forumd...EFI-assistance

See Qqmike's post: https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post378317
About a 1//10th of the way down the page are these links, but you'll want to read the entire post:

Installing rEFInd when you are booted into an OS (you only need to install it once, from any OS on your computer):

rEFInd
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post372221

rEFInd -- Rod Smith's pages (he is the author of rEFInd)
http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/getting.html

rEFInd: Make a live CD
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post376838

Credit and Disclaimer
Credit goes to SteveRiley. Disclaimer is that I didn't really look into this myself, except to see that it is used in discussions of pinning and blacklisting. In the first stanza entry, there is
Package: grub*
Pin: version 0.0
Pin-Priority: -1
I do not know if the wildcard * following grub will work in the file. However, in my example (below), I included plenty of other stanzas to cover everything, and the example worked fine on my system in several experiments. Relevant links to SteveRiley posts:
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post342730
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post351393
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...-and-dual-boot
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[logan01]

It just blows me away. Ya'll are so many light years beyond my skill level. Once my poor brain has cleared (ever?) I'll make the attempt. But I don't know how much storage this forum has to deal with that future HELP! thread. Thanks.