Linux mint. Its just much more catered towards the community. And community uses it. Ubuntu is great as well for a base but mint gives an overall better package as a desktop os.
As a windows 10 user with Windows 11 impending, plus all the negative comments I see re Win11, I am thinking of Linux, so this video is very useful and timely.
I made the decision to migrate over to Linux even though there will always be some apps I will need Windows for. Microsoft is becoming far too tyrannical with it's software. I don't want a Microsoft account, I don't want spyware on my computer and I don't want to ditch my older computers just to run an operating system that is questionably better than Windows 10. Before you know it, MS will make users pay a monthly fee just to use Windows. Enough is enough!
Was there, done that. Went for LMDE, skipping the middle man. Debian is stable. I never was the mainstream person, always looked for my own ways. Ubuntu Mint is mainstream. I don't need to be there. Stability is more important for me.
@@Raptor-y9f you can have the best of both worlds. I run win11, local accounts only, from a usb on my Linux machine. There is a super fast usb 3.2 of Gen2 from Kingston, 1000MBs read speed, you don't notice a difference from having it installed on the main hard drive. It helps to limit the potential issues with dual booting from the same hard drive.
@@The_Penguin_City this mean that you working on your computer and suddenly power cut occurs and your all works and app you open lost in Linux mint but not in windows 10 any way to stop it in Linux please
I moved from Win 11 to Linux Mint this year. I didn't know about Ubuntu's screen sharing when I started moving to LM, so maybe I will give Ubuntu a try when I move a different computer. LM does come with a file sharing app instead(Warpinator) which works great. I am really glad I started the learning process of moving to LM. I never thought I would get to the point where I would be comfortable using a terminal window in parallel with the GUI, but I am. I intend to move the remainder of my computers to Linux this year.
I tried Ubuntu 24.04 and thought it was very slow to respond to commands. It even locked up a few times in which I had no choice but to reset it. I also tried LMDE 6 and really liked it. Unlike Ubuntu, it responds quickly and it only locked up once on me. Later, I discovered that it was a unstable nVidia driver that was causing it to lock up (at least I assumed it was). I do like to look and feel of Ubuntu 24.04 over the Cinnamon environment but that's not what's important to me.
Just started using EndeavourOS, been using Ubuntu for work and my old brick. My mum is currently on Ubuntu and she loves it. Mint has never crossed my mind
I started my Linux journey with Ubuntu but switched to Mint rather quickly. There is nothing bad about Ubuntu.. It's fantastic actually. I just like Mint better.
From my experience Ubuntu is great but Mint is just rock solid Linux. It's so fcking solid that this is even... Boring 😂 Today Ubuntu trying to force us to use SNAP. Mint give a choice to use flatpack or classic package which is a lot better. Also response time is much better in cinnamon.
A minor correction Ubuntu cinnamon is not the same as Linux mint. I tried it and the experience was totally in opposite direction than Linux mint. It's buggy after point releases with GNOME and cinnamon desktop apps causing conflicts and acts like a bloody Frankenstein. Linux mint and Debian edition are complete experience with minimal Gnome components and less headaches. Even upgraded from older version to newer version without any issues and really great. Would only recommend Ubuntu for dev environment and for normal usage Linux mint is the way to go. Nobara for gaming. Specific distros optimised for your workflow is the best choice.
Thank you for helping me to make this choice. I used to run Ubuntu years ago as my daily driver but shifted back to Windows primarily for games. My plan now is to switch back to Linux before Windows 10 goes EOL in October of 2025. I was deliberating between Mint and Ubuntu, bug given Ubuntu's long support life for 24.04 and its tools for remote desktop which I use a lot, you've guided me to stick with my old friend, tried and true Ubuntu.
IMO the short and concise answer to the question posed in this video: if you're running a server, Ubuntu is better, if you are running a PC, linux mint is better...
I used to use Ubuntu as my main Linux distro for desktop and servers, but have since switched over to Debian for servers and Fedora as my daily driver Linux. Snap and some of the questionable decisions Canonical has made is what got me to move away from Ubuntu overall. For Debian-based distros, I would go with Mint or Pop!_OS for people who want to get started with Linux, or Mint LMDE or straight Debian for power users. Since I have a number of servers at home, I would start to run out of the five free machines for Ubuntu Pro. It gets a bit pricey after that.
@@imeakdo7 AlmaLinux 8.3 released in 2021 and will get security updates through May 2029. AlmaLinux 9.0 released in April 2022 and will get security updates through May 2032. Ubuntu/Canonical has already put some common packages behind Ubuntu Pro subscription.
for Ubuntu - it has all those desktops and most folks think you can only use 1. Not true, with Ubuntu - you can load onto your computer 1 version, then load t an alternative desktop. for example, if you install Ubuntu with Gnome, you can load onto that the KDE desktop and/or XFCE and/or MATA ( etc ). when you login, you tell the login program which desktop to use. So I can login to OS and have GNOME running, then just logout and on the next login - tell t he login panel you want KDE. AFter login, you will be faced with KDE. Logout and login and tell it XFCE - and there you are. Or logout and go back to GNOME. I have been playing with Orange 5. and I have to select the flavor of ubuntu ( usuall gnome or just plain server ). install, load patches, then reboot. After you login - load the destop ( or more ) that you like. For me - mostly kde and cinnamon and MATA. then restart. From then on - just ling and tell it wich DM you want ( for me - listly cinnamon and kde )
I've distro hopped for sometime but kept coming back to Kubuntu, and right now I'm using KDE Neon for Plasma 6 goodness. I love that its just set and forget, the o/s doesn't get in my way and it just works.
Many people won't switch to Linux because they don't know if their game/application can be easily replaced or virtualized in Linux. How about a video about that?
My entire Steam library runs on Linux Mint. That was one of the reasons why I delayed switching to Linux. I can also run nearly all my older, non-Steam games under Wine.
Ubuntu seems to be one of the best distros for support, it's so widely used that whenever there is a problem you can usually find the issue resolved in a forum, and software suppliers usually provide command-line installation instructions specifically for Ubuntu which is not a luxury for every distro. What I like about Mint and Pop OS is that I get that same benefit of Ubuntu (I can usually feed off of the Ubuntu support and instructions), but without Ubuntu's bloatware, so they are less resource hungry, a better choice for rejuvenating an old laptop. Pop OS is nicer to look at but Mint is much more reliable and as a software Dev I had an easier time setting up Mint.
Always mint. Simple, minimalistic. Stable, less resource hungry. Although it is based on Ubuntu itself. I would definitely use linux mint based on Debian.
@@imeakdo7 > disabling global pip installation > cannot install .deb file by double-click anymore > shoving ubuntu pro to user's ass every time they can It's a mix of Linux and capitalism, that's what it is.
@@imeakdo7I mean its owned and majntained by canonical they promote google login and use geolocation acces and telemetry And after debian 12 got non free firmware support with flatpak Ubuntu is irrelevant
Used Ubuntu, moved to Linux Mint for about 2 years and moved back to Ubuntu and never changed since then. Ubuntu looks modern first of all, personally I have never had performance issues at all. I tried Fedora which is also good but not as good as Ubuntu to my opinion. Tried Elementary OS and Pop Os, but these never convinced me. And Ubuntu has a better hardware support. I have it on My laptop, desktop that I use for gaming with steam, and boy, it's simply a joy!
I've used Ubuntu before but the main reason I have stayed away from Linux was due to how some games get "finicky" as opposed to working out the box with Windows, has the issues improved or have you ran into any games you want to play but can't? (other that anticheat games but fuck those).
Thanks for the comparison between Linux Mint and Ubuntu. I noticed you pronounced 'mate' in 'Ubuntu Mate' differently-it's usually pronounced 'mah-tay,' like the drink. Just thought I'd mention it. Appreciate the content!
You aren't the first to mention the "correct" pronunciation. However, as I have said to others who mentioned it, any project, product, or organization that needs an explainer for how to pronounce its name, is just badly named, simply as that. It is spelled MATE, and that is how I pronounce it.
Ubuntu 10.04 and 16.04 were awesom. After 16.04, I shifted to Mint in 2018. In terms of storage I prefer deb. Snap takes lots of space. Snap would be ideal for machines that dedicated to run few apps.
I think one of the reasons to use a Linux distro is the ability to choose which versions of software and system programs that you want. By choosing Linux Mint, you have chosen to use versions of software that may be six months behind the latest version, and system programs that might be a year behind the latest version. In a sense, Linux Mint 22 is so 2023. But for most newbies that is fine. I think some people my find the word Ubuntu as unpleasant. Older people, and non-nerdy people just don't get all the weird names in the computing industry. If all you do is type simple letters with LibreOffice, then any of the distros intended for newbies will likely be similar. But some come with more wallpapers, and other programs in the repository. There are community based distros that have been around for over 10 years, like SparkyLinux. These or Those might have a newer kernel, or a rolling-version.
Tried both Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and Mint 22 LTS. I had not used Ubuntu for some time, but had some experience with Snap using Zorin OS 16 and 17. I don't honestly see the problem with Snaps and besides, Ubuntu supports Flatpaks and Deb packages as well. I have a Pro account with Ubuntu and 2 of my computers are added. I have a laptop running Zorin OS 17 and I absolutely love the way it runs...better than it ever did running Windows 11. But, to the point, I am really enjoying Ubuntu; it's stable, supports all my hardware well, and will be supported for the next 10 years. (At my age, that may last longer than I do.) I see nothing about Mint that will likely lure me away. Maybe another distro?
@@ShaunakHub Thanks for that tip. I haven't looked into that. I have only used Snaps on Ubuntu derivatives when they are supported out of the box, as in Zorin or Mint.
I dropped Mint for MX Linux then moved to antiX 23 which is now my current fav distro. I'm obsessed with very low resource demand even on a very powerful system.
Ubunut killed it for me when they switched to that god awful desktop environment. Looks like it belongs on something with a touchscreen. The wasted of desktop space in the app menu is atrocious. I've tried rolling distros and while you get daily updates, there is something unsettling about living on the bleeding edge with your daily driver. That's why I finally settled on Mint. LTS means it is rock solid, with no surprises...at least for me, that's been my experience.
Don't have to watch the video. Linux Mint. Preferably LMDE. No Ubuntu in sight. Ubuntu was my first distro in 2007 but recently I find it awful, especially the default desktop environment.
@@itsjackson1156 LMDE is based on debian stable, which is fine unless you got brand new spanking computer with ultra modern graphics and such, then you want ubuntu based which is much more likely to have the latest drivers. debian stable lags behind, like way behind.
Yeah, not sure what was that all about. It works without any hassle. I'm accesing my desktop machine running Mint from macbook using M$ remote desktop. No issues whatsoever.
@@An.Individual hmm… even if it is, it’s really as simple as @andybarnard4575 wrote to install it on mint. A far cry from couldn’t get it to work or whatever the statement was.
@@esra_erimez Not sure exactly what you mean, but I have xrdp on a physical machine with no monitors and I access it remotely from my (Windows) laptop with 2 screens. The virtual desktop (optionally) uses all screens. I did try nomachine on other systems but prefer xrdp for ease of install and use with windows rdp client.
Ubuntu the original, obviously, I use it since 2008. Since 2009 I try other distros in VirtualBox and since 2018 I store all my data and VMs in OpenZFS. I keep also an eye on other distros in VMs, currently: Linux Mint 22; Zorin 7; Fedora 40; Manjaro; Debian 12; OpenSuse Leap 15.5 and Peppermint. I always use Xubuntu in a VM for email and social media and I still use Windows XP to play the wma copies of my CDs and LPs with WoW and Truebass effects. The huge advantage of a VM, I installed and activated XP in March 2010 and it survived 2 VBox owners; 3 desktops and 4 CPUs.
I have been using the new Ubuntu since April and it has been working alot better than afew years ago. I like the fact there is company behind with support/stability. If you don't like snap, don't use and just install flatpak, no big deal. Linux Mint I heard/read about being a good OS if you are coming from Windows, but what is the point if it is just Ubuntu anyways. Mint's Cinnamon desktop does it support Wayland?
@@michalsvihla1403debian doesn't work on new laptops while Ubuntu does, debian doesn't have a corporation backing it despite corporate support being necessary to become widely adopted like windows.
In the Ubuntu vs Mint, from what I've seen my impression is that - Mint focuses on the user having a nice, stable (both in the "does not crash" and "does not change often or suddenly") user experience - Ubuntu focuses on having features and compatibility, while trying to have a good user experience too (but not top priority I'd say). And what it does it tries to have solutions that work for both the server version / landscape and the desktopp casual user experience. There can be many things said about the different pros and cons of each. Gary did a pretty good job of giving examples for both. There are other examples too. I'd say that you can't go wrong with either one. And if something is missing, you can try the other one. I'd say to first try Ubuntu, since there's bigger chances of quickly finding out if you like it or not. And then possibly try Mint. I use Gentoo fyi. And wow that outro music took me by surprise. Not in an unpleasant way.
But I love Ubuntu's way of having change in user experience, as it let user experience the latest UI trends. Mint however, have become same old boring thing.
@@PankajDhande Some of us *like* the "same old boring thing". I switched to full-time Linux in 2000, starting with Mandrake and KDE. When Mandrake died, I switched to Ubuntu, which I've used on everything from Raspberry Pis to "obsolete" laptops and PCs to my current main desktop. I never liked Gnome (there's something fatally wrong with a UI that doesn't include Cancel buttons in its dialogs), and I didn't like the changes that KDE was making. So now I start new installs with Ubuntu Server, and add Trinity (a fork of KDE3) if the system has a GUI. I've had pretty much the same working environment for almost 25 years, and using it is almost as instinctive as breathing.
Ubuntu is easy to use for newbies as well, either original Gnome or Kubuntu KDE flavor. Classic Unity is also cool. And yes as u have stated Ubuntu leads and Mint follows which is sometimes more benefitial for Mint😉
I started out on Ubuntu but when they went with Gnome 3 I switched to Linux Mint. Haven't looked back since though I do like the XUbuntu version as well as the MATE version.
The beauty of Linux is its flexability. Linux fits your computing needs, whether that be production, development, gaming, security, and every day usage (web, email, etc...) It has light weight distros to bring life to "old" laptops and desktops. Debian/Arch/RHEL all have their own awesome uses.
I lasted about 10 minutes with a new install of Ubuntu.. Not for me.. snaps suck and it's bloatware. Mint is nice but a bit "debian stable" for some "must always have cutting edge for no obvious reason" users. Those I point to Manjaro ;) Mint has been my "mission critical" daily driver email and internet machine for over a decade now. Nothing wrong with it for ordinary everyday use.
Enterprise users are increasingly migrating to distros such as openindiana and linux. Why don't you discuss the release of the Framework laptop developers edition with RISC 5 and how openindiana and Solaris versions will benefit from this Framework development.
For a newbie who wants something easy to use, Mint is the way to go. If a person wants to have fun and likes to experiment and play then Ubuntu is the way to really get in to it. Personally I like them all, there are so many distros from which to choose.
It depends on the user, honestly. Linux Mint is a solid, boring distro with an equally solid and boring main DE in Cinnamon. I do mean boring in a good way. Ubuntu uses Gnome, which has more extensions and corporate support. I think both try to take choice away from the user, Ubuntu with Snaps and Mint with removing Snaps. Although you can change either one easily, although Mint artificially makes it harder by placing a file to block it. So it comes down to what you want in a DE more than anything. Now as far as spins go, Ubuntu hands down wins that. Way more options, including Cinnamon.
Have used both mint and Ubuntu, currently Mint 21.2. THINKING about going Ubuntu Pro which is how I got here. Still on the fence to switch. I will need to make changes to TQSL certs and so forth AGAIN but like the LTS 12 year thing. Maybe configure for dual boot unless that will prove to be problematic.
Generally am a Mint user, latest Mint 22 is a bit flaky atm though, tried it and rolled back to 21.3 on my main. Mint 22's 6.8 kernel has issues especially with the nvidia drivers, also XFCE panel had some odd differing icon sizes. If you use the commercial nvidia driver I'd recommend 21.3 for now. The faster speed of the Software manager is great though.
I would love to be able to go back to Linux Mint, however, their lack of support for KDE Plasma is a huge deal-breaker for me. I used Mint years ago all the way up until they dropped KDE support. I really love the idea behind LMDE 6, as opposed to pure Debian, but again, the lack of KDE support is a non-starter. I find it odd that LMDE 6 does not have that support, especially considering that Debian itself supports KDE Plasma 6 right out of the box. For now, I have to stick with Kubuntu 24.04, which in itself rubs me the wrong way...I really don't like Ubuntu as a company, and despise Snap. Hey Clem, if you happen to run across this comment, please reconsider adding KDE Plasma 6 support back to Mint...at least to LMDE 6, and I would be back in a heartbeat! 😁
So far I had bad experience with Linux Mint. Installed Linux Mint 21.3 first time and found Bluetooth broke. Was not able to connect anything. Posted the issue on Linux Mint forum but no one responded till now. Tried different solutions but nothing worked. Three days back installed latest Linux Mint 22 Wilma. This time Bluetooth got fixed. Was able to connect my phone but sadly Software Manager broke. Again posted this on forums and so far two guys responded and the solutions they provided didn't work. I like Linux Mint but issues these kind still keeping me away from using Linux. I have a Windows 11 laptop and I am trying to explore Linux on my old laptop. Looks like I have to give a try with Ubuntu and see how it works for me.
Small correction: The default Ubuntu desktop is more like the Mac desktop than the default Linux Mint, you said the default Linux Mint was more familiar for Windows and Mac users, true for windows, not so for Mac users. I personally prefer the default Ubuntu desktop, I like the dock placement so much so that after first using Ubuntu in 2005 i have since always moved the dock to the left of the screen on my Mac's, I also prefer the default Ubuntu colour scheme's over the mint colour scheme's, but I'll happily acknowledge both of these are personal preference and not a reason to say one is better or worse, I like Mint and what it offers and have recommended it to people, primarily people coming from windows. I'll also ask why one has to be better, I think it's better that we have a choice, something that neither Windows or MacOS gives us.
@@GaryExplains The Ubuntu task bar is more like the Mac dock than it is the windows task bar, the bar at the top of the screen on Ubuntu is more Mac like as well. Mac can have it's dock on the left (I know it's not default) Also the Super key to access apps not on the dock in Ubuntu is also more like Mac than Mint and windows where you use the "start" button to access an app menu. The show applications button on the Ubuntu dock is more reminiscent of Windows 8 than any other os though, but that's the only similarity I see between Ubuntu's Gnome and any Windows version, and Windows 8 would probably be the least used windows version.
I used Linux Mint for a few years with xfce, and was irritated by the search engine locking out google during an update. Then on the next update it crashed, LOL. So I installed Xubuntu, since I like xfce, and found it easy to install flatpaks. From a use point of view I really see no difference at all, but each require some tweaking to meet my needs. Both are good for beginners, and both are good for my daily work needs.
As a Windows 10 user -> WHAT should I choose? Ubuntu 24.04 (5.7 GB ISO file) or Linux mint (with 2.7 GB ISO) Isn't Ubuntu24.04 better than Linuxmint22?
I had a slight issue with MINT, (which is my preferred version,) when I recently bought a new computer with a RYZEN chip set; because there were then known compatibility problems with the new chips had UBUNTU, (which I knew would run,) installed as a backstop. I've since installed the latest release of Mint, (Edge,) myself and it runs like a dream. For anything else there's there's alway the BASH terminal to use the underlying operating system commands which is more or less exactly the same for MINT and UBUNTU.
Ubuntu versions 20 and 22 were a bit buggy on my laptop. 24 seems to have stabilised it but I still have issues - some folders got turned to sym links then the sym links went into a reversible spiral and now Ubuntu can't find those folders and says those links are corrupted. It also slowed down. 20 and 22 also slowed down graphics / TH-cam dramatically, forcing me to upgrade to 23. This was on Pentium Silver processor
Mint, Ubuntu and Fedora are my favorites and I lean more towards .deb world of things off late. The biggest gripe about Ubuntu for me is the snap apps, not because of the reasons floating around the community but because of two things: 1. Lack of mouse cursor customization, 2. inconsistent window border behavior in KDE apps. Kdenlive is my go to video editor and the window border management for it and also the mkvtoolnix app, QT apps in general, is an eye sore. They defaults to kde plasma icons (the min, max and the close buttons) no matter how hard I try I can’t get it to gtk style. Sometimes it works sometimes it wont, kind of like a lottery. I love to use the mouse cursor in 24px size and the cursors available in that size are not respected by snap apps and the cursor always defaults to yaru when using snap apps. These two things especially the mouse cursor situation with snap apps is what pushing me in favor of mint. Other than the above two reasons Ubuntu gave a rock solid experience for me.
8:52 - I disagree with that. While there is a community, there is one person who has complete control and all the final decisions with Linux Mint, Clem Lefebvre...
I'm new to all this, although I ran mint for a few months a couple of years ago. I've got a new drive, and I'm thinking of dual-booting. Right now I'm looking at Arch - although mint and ubuntu (as well as others) are still on the table.
I'm building a new pc and annoyed that I'm going to have to use windows 11 when i was happy with 10. I've been thinking maybe I'll use linux for a while but now I'm kinda just planning on biting the bullet, clearing my windows boot usb and putting linux on it instead. Wasn't sure about ubuntu or mint, but I think that remote desktop will be the deciding factor for me
If you're gonna use Ubuntu because of upstream, just use debian. Snap sucks. Pre snap Ubuntu is just better. Yes you can disable snap, but at that point why use Ubuntu over debian?
@@aseeralfaisalsaad SNAPS use more resources, load slower, and have been proven by how Canonical handles them to be less secure. In fact Valve says DO NOT use the SNAP version of STEAM, as it has more bugs, is less secure, & is not an official package as they will never make a SNAP version of STEAM, so if something goes wrong, you're on your own, and don't complain to them about it. Also the Solus team is dropping anything to do with SNAPS, and SNAP App Armor because of the security issues. So yeah, those are more than good enough reasons for me to not use Ubuntu that forces them on it's users, or any distro for that matter which has SNAPS as their main, or only package option. SNAPS are crap!!!
@@aseeralfaisalsaad any package manager that uses bundled packages is slow. Both snap, flatpack packages is slower than apt. But snap is closed distribution while flatpack maintains an open distribution. So flatpack is better than snap. Still I would recommend apt for smaller package size and faster execution.
I have tried both, and prefer the interface and use of Ubuntu. That being said, one thing I wish I could do in Linux, and there probably is a way, is a feature of Windows where I can rename one file, and hit the Tab button and go bwtween files to rename if needed.
As a gamer considering Linux, what's the situation with Proton, Lutris, Heroic Games Launcher, etc? Do they work on all the most common distros (like Mint)?
Not a set answer... 3 things will happen with games on Linux, only 1 is good.. It will either run the same as windows, crippled compared to windows, or not run at all. Not the fault of linux as they have to reverse engineer a lot of stuff.
Repeat after me: Matt - eh. Not mate. Matt - eh. Like that word "matte" that is the opposite of reflective / glossy. That's how you pronounce MATE desktop environment.
@@GaryExplains Thank you for the reply! I had to search the emoticon as I couldn't understood the small graphic. And it said police lights from which I take that I'm a grammar nazi... which I totally am :D Cheers!
You could have the same argument for the pronunciation of Linux. I call it Lie nux because that is how it's spelt. If it's supposed to be pronounced Linnux it should be spelt that way 😇
I have switched lot many distros and settled on kubuntu, but kubuntu threw error if I try connecting my blutooth headphone, on mint it connects without any issues, seems I will stay on mint. Looks flawless.
I used Ubuntu + Cinnamon for many years and liked it much more than Gnome, which was quite hideous for quite some time, and KDE, which was better but too complex. I don't think I can install Mint (corporate machine), but also I now just connect remotely.
For a few years I used Ubuntu but couple of years back installed Linux MX KDE which is great. Oddly I do use Arch BTW but it was just a practice installation with XFCE that has worked well for a couple of years so I tend to use it quite regularly. On same disk as my MX KDE so all files shareable.
I'm glad you touched on Snaps and Canonical. Those are big turn offs for me. I also prefer System packages over flatpacks. It saves a lot of disk space.
In my humble opinion there are just 3 basic distros, the rest are forks and it is just a matter of personal taste. But that’s fine, anybody can find what suits their needs, taste and hardware.
I used the linux mint extensively. I love linux mint, because it is smooth as butter and cool like cucumber. but finally I learn flutter long back. because of flutter I will try the linux mint once. ubuntu is where I learn linux . hopefully, linux mint will be as good as linux mint. I will try ubuntu today and update you soon.
🎯 Key points for quick navigation: 00:01:07 *🐧 Linux Mint is a derivative of Ubuntu, which itself is based on Debian, offering a separate take on a well-established Linux foundation.* 00:01:34 *🛠️ Linux Mint versions rely on Ubuntu long-term support releases, ensuring stability and fewer frequent version updates, while still receiving security updates and bug fixes.* 00:02:15 *🎨 Linux Mint offers three desktop environments: Cinnamon, XFCE, and MATE, catering to different user needs and hardware capabilities.* 00:03:37 *🔄 The LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) aims to provide the same user experience without relying on Ubuntu, creating stability in case Ubuntu support wanes.* 00:05:24 *🤔 Despite Linux Mint's similarities, Ubuntu provides many flavors, ensuring a wide selection for users to choose from similar desktop environments.* 00:06:06 *🖥️ Linux Mint's Cinnamon desktop is noted for its ease of use, especially for users transitioning from Windows or macOS.* 00:07:14 *📦 A significant difference between Linux Mint and Ubuntu is the package management approach: Mint favors Flatpak while Ubuntu opts for Snap.* 00:08:08 *💼 Canonical, Ubuntu's commercial supporter, provides stable backing, though some prefer Linux Mint's community-driven model for more organic development.* 00:09:19 *🔄 Ubuntu's upstream nature means fixes and updates generally appear in Ubuntu first before trickling down to Linux Mint.* 00:10:49 *🛡️ Remote desktop sharing is simpler in Ubuntu compared to Linux Mint, with Ubuntu offering up to 12 years of security maintenance through its Ubuntu Pro program.* Made with HARPA AI
Mint would be better if they just dropped the ubuntu side and focus on debian. there will come a time where trying to fix all the ubuntu stuff for mint will be impractical for the devs, and imo too much work.
The question is, if it will be possible to exfiltrate system-relates Snaps in the the next Ubunt releases without affecting stabilty. For that reason, I have been using LMDE now for several years without any complaints.
@@rolandstrasser9839 case in point - i think it is only a matter of time until the devs drop this foolish endeavor and just focus on the Debian side - it would make Mint just that much better.
@@bertblankenstein3738 good , i mean they should still focus the previous releases until that version of ubuntu is EOL , to not leave the users just outright high and dry , but LMDE would be that much better served if that was the sole focus.
Gary, can you please explain about the Mint kernel updates. It seems a month doesn't go by without a kernel update, and I wonder why. I was under the assumption the kernel is the heart of the OS, therefore something you don't want to be messing with all the time. So why do they keep updating it so frequently? At the moment my understanding is that they are just adding details about a new printer or some hardware. Is that right? Do you think it's good to be updating it so much, or am I missing something important. What is your advice on updating the kernel? Also, if Linux is much less attractive to hackers why are there so many "security" updates for every little program? Why do they need updating so frequently? After all we've seen how much of the Windows updating regime has more to do with it uploading your data to Microsoft than "security updates" (cf. the guy who worked for Microsoft "Dave's Garage" being caught out tricking users into using his malware) -thx
All kernels get security updates. Mint is just applying security updates to whatever kernel you're using. If you're using 5.15, you're still using 5.15 after updates. Basically all desktop oriented distros that have an update manager apply security updates to the kernel.
@@motmontheinternet Sure, I get that. But why would I want to replace presumably the most important part of the OS just so some printer I don't own, and will likely never own, is added? And if it's for 'security' updates - I was under the impression Linux didn't get thousands of malware attacks all the time like Windows. Maybe I'm missing some vital piece of info, but what you say above, which I knew, doesn't explain it, for me at least. It seems like it's adding more chance of something not working. When it's happening so much it tends to become ordinary, not so important, and you're at the mercy of someone eventually slipping up.
XFCE is lighter weight to Gnome && KDE but is middle weight. It is highly customizable visually, and reasonably so functionally. Nothing Ubuntu is lightweight and ideal for old or low spec’s systems. Snaps and Flatpaks use more resources than traditional package management, however this is trivial on a modern machine. Lubuntu has shifted away from being a lightweight option and is now focused on being a blank canvas. For those unfamiliar with Linux and are not highly technical, the desktop environment will affect your user experience considerably. Gnome, KDE, MATE, Cinnamon, XFCE, LxQT, etc, are all desktop environments (DE) and different Linux kernel based OSes (often called just Linux but are distinct OSes) will pre-configure DEs a certain way. How customizable the configurations are depends on the OS and DE, they vary widely. Most of the Ubuntu’s and many other Linux kernel based OSes offer “Live Systems” that allow you to try them before installing. Some offer persistence, or the ability to save what changes you’ve made while “live”. I’d strongly suggest after installing an OS to stick with it, taking note of what you like and don’t like, while taking care to learn how to adjust it to your needs. This will make for a good reference point to compare to should you want to try something else. Pretty much everything in open source software has been created to fill some user’s need, or out of frustration with an option or lack there of. This has lead to considerable variety that can seem daunting to navigate. “Best” or “bad” in open source software are usually opinions based on preference and not measurable assessments of quality. Users have different values and needs. Unfortunately there is a vocal group of passionate users who do not appreciate the fact that most users use a computer to accomplish a task, indifferent of nuances in OSes or political/philosophical ideology of the developers. If you do your best to find an answer to a question, and document what steps you took should you need help, you’ll find the community very welcoming despite the vocal few. I certainly struggled trying to get oriented because I didn’t know how to describe a problem, much less what solution I needed. The most helpful Linux skill to develop is how to do proper web research. My journey started by putting Ubuntu 12.04 on a netbook. Now I’m mostly straight Debian or FreeBSD (FreeBSD is not Linux). I use MX Linux on laptops because it takes a total of 10 minutes to install and minimally configure to suite my tastes. Debian forks support most SBCs, of which I prefer DietPi for how configurable it is. I usually stick to RaspbianOS on Raspberry Pi, but DietPi for everything else. Armbian has Ubuntu and Debian releases, though one of the developers in that community who is still allowed to contribute sabotaged an OS when they weren’t happy about something and for that reason I don’t trust that community. Which is unfortunate because Armbian puts out some otherwise solid releases depending on the SBC being supported.
I use Ubuntu as it just benefits from having a larger herd, but there isn't really a better distro as there are many distros that focus on specific tasks. Nobara Linux if gaming and content creation is your thing could be deemed better than both Ubuntu & Mint.
@@GaryExplains From server to lite weight, rolling distro as opposed to scheduled the only weakness on display is your understanding of choice with Linux opensource from embedded to desktop you have compared 2 distro's one is ubuntu and another is a modded ubuntu which are both debian based. Even with Ubuntu there is core, server, mini and desktop and having streamlined OS is not a weakness just optimised systems and not bloatware.
2 programs I dumped yesterday. Ubuntu 22.04 and Vmware Workstation Player. Tired of fixing Ubuntu every time I want to use it. And the annoy factor of the free version of Vmware is beyond sensible and intolerable. Mint is fine and Manjaro is better and Virtualbox is working great.
Ubuntu 24.04 is the most useful of the Linux distro's around....and believe me, i have used many distro's. Mint, MX Linux PCLOS, Debian, Zorin etc etc...but, by far and away the new Ubuntu 24.04 is the best at this time. It is, i suppose, a very subjective view, but nothing like trying a live distro for yourself, then decide if it is for you.
I have used Mint for many years. Back when they used KDE . I also used Ubuntu occasionally. The last distros of mint have disappointed me. They have failed to fix the audio problems.The audio should work right off. I have audio problems not working starting with 21.3 then 22 problems . I shouldn't have to use other programs and try to understand all this other stuff. I should install it and have audio. This problem is distro wide not just me. When are they going to fix the problem. If Ubuntu can work on the same computer mint should work!
Last I read, Canonical had a trust fun to carry on with Ubuntu, should the commercial branch fail. Considering how many things their commercial branch is into, I can’t see it failing any time soon.
Hello professor.... I have a humble request... For watching 4k hdr content which budget processor should I buy... No editing no gaming just 4k hdr movies
Almost anything relatively modern shoul br able to run that. For real HDR you need a good monitor with very high brightness; some offer just the "hdr" label, not the true feature.
Slackware as a daily driver.... nice and stable. SalixOS... if i want a quick install of Slackware on a VM. Alpine for VMs and LXC containers that have a job to do. Linux Mint or Debian to see what is new in the world. Kali... cause its got a load of useful tools all ready to use. OpenWRT because its small and does the job. RaspberryPi OS because it supports everything a PI can do easily. Proxmox, TrueNAS, OPNsense..... because they are good at their jobs.
I still recommend Ubuntu, but GNOME is a bit alien to some people (I personally don't like it) so Linux Mint is a better option most of the time. Or best of all Kubuntu.
Ubuntu has done great things for Linux, but changing the whole desktop menu system was just idiocy.... There's no reason to force people to relearn 30 years of muscle memory for a sideways task bar... (Yes, i know you can change it, I'm a 20 yr Debian user. But the pointless change if desktop is totally off putting for anyone migrating from any other system. This is why Zorin is doing so well, it makes it as easy as possible for people to switch from Windows to Linux)
I've used Ubuntu for many years. Recently tried Mint to see what I might be missing and concluded that it isn't for me. No, not worse (or better). Read the other comments and it is evident that most of the commenters are Linux enthusiasts with a mindset akin to that of football supporters: they have chosen their team, and want to see it win. I've given many an old Windows computer a second life by installing Ubuntu, sometimes because a disk, or Windows, was beyond rescue. The owners, usually with no interest in computers other than using them for documents, email, photos and web browsing, have coped with minimal help from me. Ubuntu has become very good at 'just working' and sorting itself out. Snaps have done away with many software library version issues, and who worries about disk space for software nowadays? I submit that PCs and Windows have always appealed to tinkerers and 'tuners', and Linux can be tinkering on steroids. Luckily for those who just want things to work but can't afford Apple products there is a Linux for them now (Ubuntu), and a Linux for everyone else too, especially for those who spend more time under the hood than behind the wheel.
Mint for me. I never liked the standard Ubuntu environment, and the makers keep trying to sneak in Windows-like advertising. And I oppose the philosophy that the distro is named after.
![TEEDEE TADA - DIAMOND NARAKORN X LEGO LYKN [Special Dance Performance]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QgtZedFeumA/mqdefault.jpg)
Ubuntu is the reason i use linux mint, I started with ubuntu, learned abit about linux and moved to linux mint where i am until now. I respect ubuntu.
I run ubuntu now for the first time on an old imac i've always used windows for all my life why do you like linux mint more?
@@dodoebk4711 i think because ubuntu started using snaps and it slows the apps a lot
Linux mint. Its just much more catered towards the community. And community uses it. Ubuntu is great as well for a base but mint gives an overall better package as a desktop os.
As a windows 10 user with Windows 11 impending, plus all the negative comments I see re Win11, I am thinking of Linux, so this video is very useful and timely.
windows 11 is fine. but just give linux a try, you'll be surprised that it basically do like 99% of what you need
I made the decision to migrate over to Linux even though there will always be some apps I will need Windows for. Microsoft is becoming far too tyrannical with it's software. I don't want a Microsoft account, I don't want spyware on my computer and I don't want to ditch my older computers just to run an operating system that is questionably better than Windows 10. Before you know it, MS will make users pay a monthly fee just to use Windows. Enough is enough!
Was there, done that. Went for LMDE, skipping the middle man. Debian is stable. I never was the mainstream person, always looked for my own ways. Ubuntu Mint is mainstream. I don't need to be there. Stability is more important for me.
@@Raptor-y9f you can have the best of both worlds. I run win11, local accounts only, from a usb on my Linux machine. There is a super fast usb 3.2 of Gen2 from Kingston, 1000MBs read speed, you don't notice a difference from having it installed on the main hard drive. It helps to limit the potential issues with dual booting from the same hard drive.
@@D.von.N You may be able to create a local account for now, but MS is trying very hard to make that unavailable.
Switched to Linux Mint 21.1 back in July 2022... updating since and now running 22. It's a great fit for me, I love it.
Yeah, but Linux Mint is minty. Who doesn't like mint? It's very refreshing.
I'm sorry, but mint isn't really my cup of tea 😅
I agree
Hey I have problem in Linux mint cinnamon with auto session saving can you please assist me😢
@@PremAvnish Auto sesión saving?
@@The_Penguin_City this mean that you working on your computer and suddenly power cut occurs and your all works and app you open lost in Linux mint but not in windows 10 any way to stop it in Linux please
I moved from Win 11 to Linux Mint this year. I didn't know about Ubuntu's screen sharing when I started moving to LM, so maybe I will give Ubuntu a try when I move a different computer. LM does come with a file sharing app instead(Warpinator) which works great. I am really glad I started the learning process of moving to LM. I never thought I would get to the point where I would be comfortable using a terminal window in parallel with the GUI, but I am. I intend to move the remainder of my computers to Linux this year.
I tried Ubuntu 24.04 and thought it was very slow to respond to commands. It even locked up a few times in which I had no choice but to reset it. I also tried LMDE 6 and really liked it. Unlike Ubuntu, it responds quickly and it only locked up once on me. Later, I discovered that it was a unstable nVidia driver that was causing it to lock up (at least I assumed it was). I do like to look and feel of Ubuntu 24.04 over the Cinnamon environment but that's not what's important to me.
Hearing a Brit pronounce MATE phonetically seems to work 😀
Great info as always!
Every time he said "mate", I slammed my fist on the table and screamed "mah-teh". Not really. 😊
Just started using EndeavourOS, been using Ubuntu for work and my old brick. My mum is currently on Ubuntu and she loves it. Mint has never crossed my mind
I started my Linux journey with Ubuntu but switched to Mint rather quickly. There is nothing bad about Ubuntu.. It's fantastic actually. I just like Mint better.
From my experience Ubuntu is great but Mint is just rock solid Linux. It's so fcking solid that this is even... Boring 😂 Today Ubuntu trying to force us to use SNAP. Mint give a choice to use flatpack or classic package which is a lot better. Also response time is much better in cinnamon.
A minor correction Ubuntu cinnamon is not the same as Linux mint. I tried it and the experience was totally in opposite direction than Linux mint. It's buggy after point releases with GNOME and cinnamon desktop apps causing conflicts and acts like a bloody Frankenstein. Linux mint and Debian edition are complete experience with minimal Gnome components and less headaches. Even upgraded from older version to newer version without any issues and really great. Would only recommend Ubuntu for dev environment and for normal usage Linux mint is the way to go. Nobara for gaming. Specific distros optimised for your workflow is the best choice.
Thank you for helping me to make this choice. I used to run Ubuntu years ago as my daily driver but shifted back to Windows primarily for games. My plan now is to switch back to Linux before Windows 10 goes EOL in October of 2025. I was deliberating between Mint and Ubuntu, bug given Ubuntu's long support life for 24.04 and its tools for remote desktop which I use a lot, you've guided me to stick with my old friend, tried and true Ubuntu.
IMO the short and concise answer to the question posed in this video: if you're running a server, Ubuntu is better,
if you are running a PC, linux mint is better...
Thanks for saving my time.
I used to use Ubuntu as my main Linux distro for desktop and servers, but have since switched over to Debian for servers and Fedora as my daily driver Linux. Snap and some of the questionable decisions Canonical has made is what got me to move away from Ubuntu overall. For Debian-based distros, I would go with Mint or Pop!_OS for people who want to get started with Linux, or Mint LMDE or straight Debian for power users.
Since I have a number of servers at home, I would start to run out of the five free machines for Ubuntu Pro. It gets a bit pricey after that.
No distro will give you over 5 years of support for free
@@imeakdo7 AlmaLinux 8.3 released in 2021 and will get security updates through May 2029. AlmaLinux 9.0 released in April 2022 and will get security updates through May 2032. Ubuntu/Canonical has already put some common packages behind Ubuntu Pro subscription.
Commercial support is available for longer if needed. You may want to qualify that "No distro".
@@questionlp read the for free part.
@@imeakdo7 Alma and Rocky are free and you only have to pay to go beyond the 7-10 years of security updates.
for Ubuntu - it has all those desktops and most folks think you can only use 1. Not true, with Ubuntu - you can load onto your computer 1 version, then load t an alternative desktop. for example, if you install Ubuntu with Gnome, you can load onto that the KDE desktop and/or XFCE and/or MATA ( etc ). when you login, you tell the login program which desktop to use. So I can login to OS and have GNOME running, then just logout and on the next login - tell t he login panel you want KDE. AFter login, you will be faced with KDE. Logout and login and tell it XFCE - and there you are. Or logout and go back to GNOME. I have been playing with Orange 5. and I have to select the flavor of ubuntu ( usuall gnome or just plain server ). install, load patches, then reboot. After you login - load the destop ( or more ) that you like. For me - mostly kde and cinnamon and MATA. then restart. From then on - just ling and tell it wich DM you want ( for me - listly cinnamon and kde )
I've distro hopped for sometime but kept coming back to Kubuntu, and right now I'm using KDE Neon for Plasma 6 goodness. I love that its just set and forget, the o/s doesn't get in my way and it just works.
Many people won't switch to Linux because they don't know if their game/application can be easily replaced or virtualized in Linux. How about a video about that?
If it doesn't run on Linux then I do not need or want it (full stop).
@@Bonjour-World Shitnux
My entire Steam library runs on Linux Mint. That was one of the reasons why I delayed switching to Linux. I can also run nearly all my older, non-Steam games under Wine.
@@Bitute-h6x covfefe
@@Bitute-h6xa PC is lile a AC and it becomes useless when you open windows 😊
- Laxenta
Ubuntu seems to be one of the best distros for support, it's so widely used that whenever there is a problem you can usually find the issue resolved in a forum, and software suppliers usually provide command-line installation instructions specifically for Ubuntu which is not a luxury for every distro. What I like about Mint and Pop OS is that I get that same benefit of Ubuntu (I can usually feed off of the Ubuntu support and instructions), but without Ubuntu's bloatware, so they are less resource hungry, a better choice for rejuvenating an old laptop. Pop OS is nicer to look at but Mint is much more reliable and as a software Dev I had an easier time setting up Mint.
Always mint. Simple, minimalistic. Stable, less resource hungry. Although it is based on Ubuntu itself. I would definitely use linux mint based on Debian.
Ubuntu is the reason we are talking about Linux in mainstream media now. It's a great distro, has been the best for very long time
Ubuntu used to be good
@@balamah9273why isn't it anymore besides snaps?
@@imeakdo7 > disabling global pip installation
> cannot install .deb file by double-click anymore
> shoving ubuntu pro to user's ass every time they can
It's a mix of Linux and capitalism, that's what it is.
@@imeakdo7It is good. Idk what the other guy is talking about tbh. It's my daily driver for 8+ years
@@imeakdo7I mean its owned and majntained by canonical they promote google login and use geolocation acces and telemetry
And after debian 12 got non free firmware support with flatpak Ubuntu is irrelevant
Oh Snap !
🤣
Used Ubuntu, moved to Linux Mint for about 2 years and moved back to Ubuntu and never changed since then. Ubuntu looks modern first of all, personally I have never had performance issues at all. I tried Fedora which is also good but not as good as Ubuntu to my opinion. Tried Elementary OS and Pop Os, but these never convinced me. And Ubuntu has a better hardware support. I have it on My laptop, desktop that I use for gaming with steam, and boy, it's simply a joy!
I've used Ubuntu before but the main reason I have stayed away from Linux was due to how some games get "finicky" as opposed to working out the box with Windows, has the issues improved or have you ran into any games you want to play but can't? (other that anticheat games but fuck those).
Thanks for the comparison between Linux Mint and Ubuntu. I noticed you pronounced 'mate' in 'Ubuntu Mate' differently-it's usually pronounced 'mah-tay,' like the drink. Just thought I'd mention it. Appreciate the content!
You aren't the first to mention the "correct" pronunciation. However, as I have said to others who mentioned it, any project, product, or organization that needs an explainer for how to pronounce its name, is just badly named, simply as that. It is spelled MATE, and that is how I pronounce it.
Ubuntu 10.04 and 16.04 were awesom.
After 16.04, I shifted to Mint in 2018.
In terms of storage I prefer deb. Snap takes lots of space.
Snap would be ideal for machines that dedicated to run few apps.
I think one of the reasons to use a Linux distro is the ability to choose which versions of software and system programs that you want. By choosing Linux Mint, you have chosen to use versions of software that may be six months behind the latest version, and system programs that might be a year behind the latest version. In a sense, Linux Mint 22 is so 2023. But for most newbies that is fine.
I think some people my find the word Ubuntu as unpleasant. Older people, and non-nerdy people just don't get all the weird names
in the computing industry. If all you do is type simple letters with LibreOffice, then any of the distros intended for newbies will likely
be similar. But some come with more wallpapers, and other programs in the repository. There are community based distros that
have been around for over 10 years, like SparkyLinux. These or Those might have a newer kernel, or a rolling-version.
Tried both Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and Mint 22 LTS. I had not used Ubuntu for some time, but had some experience with Snap using Zorin OS 16 and 17. I don't honestly see the problem with Snaps and besides, Ubuntu supports Flatpaks and Deb packages as well. I have a Pro account with Ubuntu and 2 of my computers are added. I have a laptop running Zorin OS 17 and I absolutely love the way it runs...better than it ever did running Windows 11. But, to the point, I am really enjoying Ubuntu; it's stable, supports all my hardware well, and will be supported for the next 10 years. (At my age, that may last longer than I do.) I see nothing about Mint that will likely lure me away. Maybe another distro?
Snaps on Ubuntu is good, but it is not such a good idea on other distros, as there are some security issues when using snaps on other distros.
@@ShaunakHub Thanks for that tip. I haven't looked into that. I have only used Snaps on Ubuntu derivatives when they are supported out of the box, as in Zorin or Mint.
I dropped Mint for MX Linux then moved to antiX 23 which is now my current fav distro. I'm obsessed with very low resource demand even on a very powerful system.
It all depends on the purpose. Linux Mint is my go-to for my daily driver, while I have Lubuntu installed on my HP Stream for portability.
Ubunut killed it for me when they switched to that god awful desktop environment. Looks like it belongs on something with a touchscreen. The wasted of desktop space in the app menu is atrocious. I've tried rolling distros and while you get daily updates, there is something unsettling about living on the bleeding edge with your daily driver. That's why I finally settled on Mint. LTS means it is rock solid, with no surprises...at least for me, that's been my experience.
All three laptops in this house came with Windows but they all run Ubuntu with both open spurce and commercial software on them. Love it.
Sir thank you for covering this up. 🤟
Don't have to watch the video. Linux Mint. Preferably LMDE. No Ubuntu in sight. Ubuntu was my first distro in 2007 but recently I find it awful, especially the default desktop environment.
... Isn't Linux Mint Based off of Ubuntu?!
@@itsjackson1156pretty much
@@itsjackson1156 LMDE is based on debian stable, which is fine unless you got brand new spanking computer with ultra modern graphics and such, then you want ubuntu based which is much more likely to have the latest drivers. debian stable lags behind, like way behind.
10:40 - xrdp server runs fine on Linux Mint 22 and allows connections using rdp protocol so Im not sure what the issue is here. 'apt install xrdp'!
Yeah, not sure what was that all about. It works without any hassle. I'm accesing my desktop machine running Mint from macbook using M$ remote desktop. No issues whatsoever.
but RDP sharing is built into Ubuntu so isn't that more integrated?
@@An.Individual hmm… even if it is, it’s really as simple as @andybarnard4575 wrote to install it on mint. A far cry from couldn’t get it to work or whatever the statement was.
I'm using nomachine on a headless server. Does xrdp support virtual desktops?
@@esra_erimez Not sure exactly what you mean, but I have xrdp on a physical machine with no monitors and I access it remotely from my (Windows) laptop with 2 screens. The virtual desktop (optionally) uses all screens. I did try nomachine on other systems but prefer xrdp for ease of install and use with windows rdp client.
Ubuntu the original, obviously, I use it since 2008. Since 2009 I try other distros in VirtualBox and since 2018 I store all my data and VMs in OpenZFS. I keep also an eye on other distros in VMs, currently: Linux Mint 22; Zorin 7; Fedora 40; Manjaro; Debian 12; OpenSuse Leap 15.5 and Peppermint.
I always use Xubuntu in a VM for email and social media and I still use Windows XP to play the wma copies of my CDs and LPs with WoW and Truebass effects. The huge advantage of a VM, I installed and activated XP in March 2010 and it survived 2 VBox owners; 3 desktops and 4 CPUs.
I have been using the new Ubuntu since April and it has been working alot better than afew years ago. I like the fact there is company behind with support/stability. If you don't like snap, don't use and just install flatpak, no big deal. Linux Mint I heard/read about being a good OS if you are coming from Windows, but what is the point if it is just Ubuntu anyways. Mint's Cinnamon desktop does it support Wayland?
What's the point of Ubuntu if it's just Debian anyways?
@@michalsvihla1403But it is not. Debian uses, in some cases, way older packages/ libraries.
@@michalsvihla1403debian doesn't work on new laptops while Ubuntu does, debian doesn't have a corporation backing it despite corporate support being necessary to become widely adopted like windows.
In the Ubuntu vs Mint, from what I've seen my impression is that
- Mint focuses on the user having a nice, stable (both in the "does not crash" and "does not change often or suddenly") user experience
- Ubuntu focuses on having features and compatibility, while trying to have a good user experience too (but not top priority I'd say). And what it does it tries to have solutions that work for both the server version / landscape and the desktopp casual user experience.
There can be many things said about the different pros and cons of each. Gary did a pretty good job of giving examples for both. There are other examples too.
I'd say that you can't go wrong with either one. And if something is missing, you can try the other one. I'd say to first try Ubuntu, since there's bigger chances of quickly finding out if you like it or not. And then possibly try Mint.
I use Gentoo fyi. And wow that outro music took me by surprise. Not in an unpleasant way.
But I love Ubuntu's way of having change in user experience, as it let user experience the latest UI trends. Mint however, have become same old boring thing.
@@PankajDhande Some of us *like* the "same old boring thing". I switched to full-time Linux in 2000, starting with Mandrake and KDE. When Mandrake died, I switched to Ubuntu, which I've used on everything from Raspberry Pis to "obsolete" laptops and PCs to my current main desktop. I never liked Gnome (there's something fatally wrong with a UI that doesn't include Cancel buttons in its dialogs), and I didn't like the changes that KDE was making. So now I start new installs with Ubuntu Server, and add Trinity (a fork of KDE3) if the system has a GUI. I've had pretty much the same working environment for almost 25 years, and using it is almost as instinctive as breathing.
Ubuntu is easy to use for newbies as well, either original Gnome or Kubuntu KDE flavor. Classic Unity is also cool. And yes as u have stated Ubuntu leads and Mint follows which is sometimes more benefitial for Mint😉
I started out on Ubuntu but when they went with Gnome 3 I switched to Linux Mint. Haven't looked back since though I do like the XUbuntu version as well as the MATE version.
The beauty of Linux is its flexability. Linux fits your computing needs, whether that be production, development, gaming, security, and every day usage (web, email, etc...)
It has light weight distros to bring life to "old" laptops and desktops. Debian/Arch/RHEL all have their own awesome uses.
I lasted about 10 minutes with a new install of Ubuntu.. Not for me.. snaps suck and it's bloatware. Mint is nice but a bit "debian stable" for some "must always have cutting edge for no obvious reason" users. Those I point to Manjaro ;)
Mint has been my "mission critical" daily driver email and internet machine for over a decade now. Nothing wrong with it for ordinary everyday use.
If u machine lack of horsepower. Better go for mint.. stable, reliable , rock solid for most user.
What exactly is a bloatware In Ubuntu?
Enterprise users are increasingly migrating to distros such as openindiana and linux.
Why don't you discuss the release of the Framework laptop developers edition with RISC 5 and how openindiana and Solaris versions will benefit from this Framework development.
Openindiana? Didn't everyone switch to Linux?
For a newbie who wants something easy to use, Mint is the way to go. If a person wants to have fun and likes to experiment and play then Ubuntu is the way to really get in to it. Personally I like them all, there are so many distros from which to choose.
Can i install waydroid in mint? Or do i need Ubuntu?
i'm currently running xubuntu on my old laptop, but i have used mint cinnamon in the past and its been great.
It depends on the user, honestly. Linux Mint is a solid, boring distro with an equally solid and boring main DE in Cinnamon. I do mean boring in a good way. Ubuntu uses Gnome, which has more extensions and corporate support. I think both try to take choice away from the user, Ubuntu with Snaps and Mint with removing Snaps. Although you can change either one easily, although Mint artificially makes it harder by placing a file to block it. So it comes down to what you want in a DE more than anything.
Now as far as spins go, Ubuntu hands down wins that. Way more options, including Cinnamon.
I switched from "regular" Linux mint to the debian edition. Honestly can't tell the difference except LMDE is slightly faster.
Have used both mint and Ubuntu, currently Mint 21.2. THINKING about going Ubuntu Pro which is how I got here. Still on the fence to switch. I will need to make changes to TQSL certs and so forth AGAIN but like the LTS 12 year thing. Maybe configure for dual boot unless that will prove to be problematic.
Generally am a Mint user, latest Mint 22 is a bit flaky atm though, tried it and rolled back to 21.3 on my main. Mint 22's 6.8 kernel has issues especially with the nvidia drivers, also XFCE panel had some odd differing icon sizes. If you use the commercial nvidia driver I'd recommend 21.3 for now. The faster speed of the Software manager is great though.
I like the Linux Mint 22 Cinnamon on my I5 11500. It works great.
Other than the mispronunciation of "mate" a great video, thanks!
i bet youre a millennial
I would love to be able to go back to Linux Mint, however, their lack of support for KDE Plasma is a huge deal-breaker for me. I used Mint years ago all the way up until they dropped KDE support. I really love the idea behind LMDE 6, as opposed to pure Debian, but again, the lack of KDE support is a non-starter. I find it odd that LMDE 6 does not have that support, especially considering that Debian itself supports KDE Plasma 6 right out of the box. For now, I have to stick with Kubuntu 24.04, which in itself rubs me the wrong way...I really don't like Ubuntu as a company, and despise Snap. Hey Clem, if you happen to run across this comment, please reconsider adding KDE Plasma 6 support back to Mint...at least to LMDE 6, and I would be back in a heartbeat! 😁
So far I had bad experience with Linux Mint. Installed Linux Mint 21.3 first time and found Bluetooth broke. Was not able to connect anything. Posted the issue on Linux Mint forum but no one responded till now. Tried different solutions but nothing worked. Three days back installed latest Linux Mint 22 Wilma. This time Bluetooth got fixed. Was able to connect my phone but sadly Software Manager broke. Again posted this on forums and so far two guys responded and the solutions they provided didn't work. I like Linux Mint but issues these kind still keeping me away from using Linux. I have a Windows 11 laptop and I am trying to explore Linux on my old laptop. Looks like I have to give a try with Ubuntu and see how it works for me.
Small correction: The default Ubuntu desktop is more like the Mac desktop than the default Linux Mint, you said the default Linux Mint was more familiar for Windows and Mac users, true for windows, not so for Mac users.
I personally prefer the default Ubuntu desktop, I like the dock placement so much so that after first using Ubuntu in 2005 i have since always moved the dock to the left of the screen on my Mac's, I also prefer the default Ubuntu colour scheme's over the mint colour scheme's, but I'll happily acknowledge both of these are personal preference and not a reason to say one is better or worse, I like Mint and what it offers and have recommended it to people, primarily people coming from windows.
I'll also ask why one has to be better, I think it's better that we have a choice, something that neither Windows or MacOS gives us.
Small correction: macOS doesn't have the task bar on the left.
@@GaryExplains The Ubuntu task bar is more like the Mac dock than it is the windows task bar, the bar at the top of the screen on Ubuntu is more Mac like as well. Mac can have it's dock on the left (I know it's not default)
Also the Super key to access apps not on the dock in Ubuntu is also more like Mac than Mint and windows where you use the "start" button to access an app menu.
The show applications button on the Ubuntu dock is more reminiscent of Windows 8 than any other os though, but that's the only similarity I see between Ubuntu's Gnome and any Windows version, and Windows 8 would probably be the least used windows version.
It is on the left of the screen. How is that like one on the bottom of the screen? 🤦♂️
I used Linux Mint for a few years with xfce, and was irritated by the search engine locking out google during an update. Then on the next update it crashed, LOL. So I installed Xubuntu, since I like xfce, and found it easy to install flatpaks. From a use point of view I really see no difference at all, but each require some tweaking to meet my needs. Both are good for beginners, and both are good for my daily work needs.
Debian. 😂😂😂 No yadda yadda added by some distro folks. Just plain and functional Linux that can do everything what Mint and Ubuntu can do.
As a Windows 10 user -> WHAT should I choose?
Ubuntu 24.04 (5.7 GB ISO file) or Linux mint (with 2.7 GB ISO)
Isn't Ubuntu24.04 better than Linuxmint22?
I had a slight issue with MINT, (which is my preferred version,) when I recently bought a new computer with a RYZEN chip set; because there were then known compatibility problems with the new chips had UBUNTU, (which I knew would run,) installed as a backstop.
I've since installed the latest release of Mint, (Edge,) myself and it runs like a dream.
For anything else there's there's alway the BASH terminal to use the underlying operating system commands which is more or less exactly the same for MINT and UBUNTU.
Ubuntu versions 20 and 22 were a bit buggy on my laptop. 24 seems to have stabilised it but I still have issues - some folders got turned to sym links then the sym links went into a reversible spiral and now Ubuntu can't find those folders and says those links are corrupted. It also slowed down. 20 and 22 also slowed down graphics / TH-cam dramatically, forcing me to upgrade to 23. This was on Pentium Silver processor
Mint, Ubuntu and Fedora are my favorites and I lean more towards .deb world of things off late. The biggest gripe about Ubuntu for me is the snap apps, not because of the reasons floating around the community but because of two things: 1. Lack of mouse cursor customization, 2. inconsistent window border behavior in KDE apps.
Kdenlive is my go to video editor and the window border management for it and also the mkvtoolnix app, QT apps in general, is an eye sore. They defaults to kde plasma icons (the min, max and the close buttons) no matter how hard I try I can’t get it to gtk style. Sometimes it works sometimes it wont, kind of like a lottery.
I love to use the mouse cursor in 24px size and the cursors available in that size are not respected by snap apps and the cursor always defaults to yaru when using snap apps.
These two things especially the mouse cursor situation with snap apps is what pushing me in favor of mint. Other than the above two reasons Ubuntu gave a rock solid experience for me.
Really helpful video.
BTW mate, it's pronounced Ma-tay (as in the spice).
Cheers!
Glad you liked it... but...🚨
8:52 - I disagree with that. While there is a community, there is one person who has complete control and all the final decisions with Linux Mint, Clem Lefebvre...
I'm new to all this, although I ran mint for a few months a couple of years ago. I've got a new drive, and I'm thinking of dual-booting. Right now I'm looking at Arch - although mint and ubuntu (as well as others) are still on the table.
I'm building a new pc and annoyed that I'm going to have to use windows 11 when i was happy with 10. I've been thinking maybe I'll use linux for a while but now I'm kinda just planning on biting the bullet, clearing my windows boot usb and putting linux on it instead. Wasn't sure about ubuntu or mint, but I think that remote desktop will be the deciding factor for me
If you're gonna use Ubuntu because of upstream, just use debian. Snap sucks. Pre snap Ubuntu is just better. Yes you can disable snap, but at that point why use Ubuntu over debian?
How is snap worse than flatpak or app image?
@@aseeralfaisalsaad SNAPS use more resources, load slower, and have been proven by how Canonical handles them to be less secure. In fact Valve says DO NOT use the SNAP version of STEAM, as it has more bugs, is less secure, & is not an official package as they will never make a SNAP version of STEAM, so if something goes wrong, you're on your own, and don't complain to them about it. Also the Solus team is dropping anything to do with SNAPS, and SNAP App Armor because of the security issues. So yeah, those are more than good enough reasons for me to not use Ubuntu that forces them on it's users, or any distro for that matter which has SNAPS as their main, or only package option. SNAPS are crap!!!
@@aseeralfaisalsaad any package manager that uses bundled packages is slow. Both snap, flatpack packages is slower than apt. But snap is closed distribution while flatpack maintains an open distribution. So flatpack is better than snap. Still I would recommend apt for smaller package size and faster execution.
Ubuntu has the "non-free" repos for stuff like Windoze fonts and closed-source codecs.
I have tried both, and prefer the interface and use of Ubuntu. That being said, one thing I wish I could do in Linux, and there probably is a way, is a feature of Windows where I can rename one file, and hit the Tab button and go bwtween files to rename if needed.
As a gamer considering Linux, what's the situation with Proton, Lutris, Heroic Games Launcher, etc? Do they work on all the most common distros (like Mint)?
Not a set answer... 3 things will happen with games on Linux, only 1 is good.. It will either run the same as windows, crippled compared to windows, or not run at all. Not the fault of linux as they have to reverse engineer a lot of stuff.
Very cool video. I use arch btw
Repeat after me: Matt - eh. Not mate. Matt - eh. Like that word "matte" that is the opposite of reflective / glossy. That's how you pronounce MATE desktop environment.
🚨
@@GaryExplains Thank you for the reply! I had to search the emoticon as I couldn't understood the small graphic. And it said police lights from which I take that I'm a grammar nazi... which I totally am :D Cheers!
The guy that made MATE is from South America and has put it on the record it's pronounced "maté"
Repeat after me, mah-tay
@@quackmandoo Any project, product, company, or organization that needs to explain how to pronounce its name, is badly named.
You could have the same argument for the pronunciation of Linux. I call it Lie nux because that is how it's spelt. If it's supposed to be pronounced Linnux it should be spelt that way 😇
I have switched lot many distros and settled on kubuntu, but kubuntu threw error if I try connecting my blutooth headphone, on mint it connects without any issues, seems I will stay on mint. Looks flawless.
Or just used Debian (preferably with KDE) directly and avoid those who sponge off it.
I used Ubuntu + Cinnamon for many years and liked it much more than Gnome, which was quite hideous for quite some time, and KDE, which was better but too complex. I don't think I can install Mint (corporate machine), but also I now just connect remotely.
For a few years I used Ubuntu but couple of years back installed Linux MX KDE which is great. Oddly I do use Arch BTW but it was just a practice installation with XFCE that has worked well for a couple of years so I tend to use it quite regularly. On same disk as my MX KDE so all files shareable.
been using mint for my server since v18. its awesome
Recently I noticed Ubuntu will update my Dell firmware, something i wasn't expecting.
on Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS currently. I wanted the Mac OS look witch is exactly what Ubuntu is.
I'm glad you touched on Snaps and Canonical. Those are big turn offs for me. I also prefer System packages over flatpacks. It saves a lot of disk space.
In my humble opinion there are just 3 basic distros, the rest are forks and it is just a matter of personal taste. But that’s fine, anybody can find what suits their needs, taste and hardware.
Do tell... what are these 3 basic distros?
Can one load both Linux Mint 22 and Ubuntu 24.04 in partition on the same Desktop ? Will they give any issues.
I used the linux mint extensively. I love linux mint, because it is smooth as butter and cool like cucumber. but finally I learn flutter long back. because of flutter I will try the linux mint once. ubuntu is where I learn linux . hopefully, linux mint will be as good as linux mint. I will try ubuntu today and update you soon.
🎯 Key points for quick navigation:
00:01:07 *🐧 Linux Mint is a derivative of Ubuntu, which itself is based on Debian, offering a separate take on a well-established Linux foundation.*
00:01:34 *🛠️ Linux Mint versions rely on Ubuntu long-term support releases, ensuring stability and fewer frequent version updates, while still receiving security updates and bug fixes.*
00:02:15 *🎨 Linux Mint offers three desktop environments: Cinnamon, XFCE, and MATE, catering to different user needs and hardware capabilities.*
00:03:37 *🔄 The LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) aims to provide the same user experience without relying on Ubuntu, creating stability in case Ubuntu support wanes.*
00:05:24 *🤔 Despite Linux Mint's similarities, Ubuntu provides many flavors, ensuring a wide selection for users to choose from similar desktop environments.*
00:06:06 *🖥️ Linux Mint's Cinnamon desktop is noted for its ease of use, especially for users transitioning from Windows or macOS.*
00:07:14 *📦 A significant difference between Linux Mint and Ubuntu is the package management approach: Mint favors Flatpak while Ubuntu opts for Snap.*
00:08:08 *💼 Canonical, Ubuntu's commercial supporter, provides stable backing, though some prefer Linux Mint's community-driven model for more organic development.*
00:09:19 *🔄 Ubuntu's upstream nature means fixes and updates generally appear in Ubuntu first before trickling down to Linux Mint.*
00:10:49 *🛡️ Remote desktop sharing is simpler in Ubuntu compared to Linux Mint, with Ubuntu offering up to 12 years of security maintenance through its Ubuntu Pro program.*
Made with HARPA AI
Mint would be better if they just dropped the ubuntu side and focus on debian. there will come a time where trying to fix all the ubuntu stuff for mint will be impractical for the devs, and imo too much work.
The question is, if it will be possible to exfiltrate system-relates Snaps in the the next Ubunt releases without affecting stabilty. For that reason, I have been using LMDE now for several years without any complaints.
@@rolandstrasser9839 case in point - i think it is only a matter of time until the devs drop this foolish endeavor and just focus on the Debian side - it would make Mint just that much better.
I do believe that with Mint 22 they are starting to move away from the Ubuntu dependence.
@@bertblankenstein3738 good , i mean they should still focus the previous releases until that version of ubuntu is EOL , to not leave the users just outright high and dry , but LMDE would be that much better served if that was the sole focus.
There is a mint version based on Debian and not Ubuntu.
Ubuntu is more user friendly, I saw some offices uses their Old PC that runs Ubuntu on it. Kinda rocks
Gary, can you please explain about the Mint kernel updates. It seems a month doesn't go by without a kernel update, and I wonder why.
I was under the assumption the kernel is the heart of the OS, therefore something you don't want to be messing with all the time. So why do they keep updating it so frequently? At the moment my understanding is that they are just adding details about a new printer or some hardware. Is that right? Do you think it's good to be updating it so much, or am I missing something important. What is your advice on updating the kernel?
Also, if Linux is much less attractive to hackers why are there so many "security" updates for every little program? Why do they need updating so frequently? After all we've seen how much of the Windows updating regime has more to do with it uploading your data to Microsoft than "security updates" (cf. the guy who worked for Microsoft "Dave's Garage" being caught out tricking users into using his malware) -thx
All kernels get security updates. Mint is just applying security updates to whatever kernel you're using. If you're using 5.15, you're still using 5.15 after updates. Basically all desktop oriented distros that have an update manager apply security updates to the kernel.
@@motmontheinternet Sure, I get that. But why would I want to replace presumably the most important part of the OS just so some printer I don't own, and will likely never own, is added? And if it's for 'security' updates - I was under the impression Linux didn't get thousands of malware attacks all the time like Windows. Maybe I'm missing some vital piece of info, but what you say above, which I knew, doesn't explain it, for me at least. It seems like it's adding more chance of something not working. When it's happening so much it tends to become ordinary, not so important, and you're at the mercy of someone eventually slipping up.
The Cinnamon desktop just seems like little more than an answer to the question "what if KDE, but GTK?".
Thanks Gary, your analysis was definitely ON POINT!
XFCE is lighter weight to Gnome && KDE but is middle weight. It is highly customizable visually, and reasonably so functionally. Nothing Ubuntu is lightweight and ideal for old or low spec’s systems. Snaps and Flatpaks use more resources than traditional package management, however this is trivial on a modern machine.
Lubuntu has shifted away from being a lightweight option and is now focused on being a blank canvas.
For those unfamiliar with Linux and are not highly technical, the desktop environment will affect your user experience considerably. Gnome, KDE, MATE, Cinnamon, XFCE, LxQT, etc, are all desktop environments (DE) and different Linux kernel based OSes (often called just Linux but are distinct OSes) will pre-configure DEs a certain way. How customizable the configurations are depends on the OS and DE, they vary widely. Most of the Ubuntu’s and many other Linux kernel based OSes offer “Live Systems” that allow you to try them before installing. Some offer persistence, or the ability to save what changes you’ve made while “live”.
I’d strongly suggest after installing an OS to stick with it, taking note of what you like and don’t like, while taking care to learn how to adjust it to your needs. This will make for a good reference point to compare to should you want to try something else. Pretty much everything in open source software has been created to fill some user’s need, or out of frustration with an option or lack there of. This has lead to considerable variety that can seem daunting to navigate.
“Best” or “bad” in open source software are usually opinions based on preference and not measurable assessments of quality. Users have different values and needs. Unfortunately there is a vocal group of passionate users who do not appreciate the fact that most users use a computer to accomplish a task, indifferent of nuances in OSes or political/philosophical ideology of the developers. If you do your best to find an answer to a question, and document what steps you took should you need help, you’ll find the community very welcoming despite the vocal few.
I certainly struggled trying to get oriented because I didn’t know how to describe a problem, much less what solution I needed. The most helpful Linux skill to develop is how to do proper web research. My journey started by putting Ubuntu 12.04 on a netbook. Now I’m mostly straight Debian or FreeBSD (FreeBSD is not Linux). I use MX Linux on laptops because it takes a total of 10 minutes to install and minimally configure to suite my tastes. Debian forks support most SBCs, of which I prefer DietPi for how configurable it is. I usually stick to RaspbianOS on Raspberry Pi, but DietPi for everything else. Armbian has Ubuntu and Debian releases, though one of the developers in that community who is still allowed to contribute sabotaged an OS when they weren’t happy about something and for that reason I don’t trust that community. Which is unfortunate because Armbian puts out some otherwise solid releases depending on the SBC being supported.
I use Ubuntu as it just benefits from having a larger herd, but there isn't really a better distro as there are many distros that focus on specific tasks.
Nobara Linux if gaming and content creation is your thing could be deemed better than both Ubuntu & Mint.
I wonder why there aren't multiple variants of Windows or macOS for each of the different specific tasks?
@@GaryExplains You know exactly why and try not to be so childish...
The point is that you shouldn't need to pick a distro that focusses on specific tasks. I am not being childish but rather pointing out the weakness.
@@GaryExplains From server to lite weight, rolling distro as opposed to scheduled the only weakness on display is your understanding of choice with Linux opensource from embedded to desktop you have compared 2 distro's one is ubuntu and another is a modded ubuntu which are both debian based.
Even with Ubuntu there is core, server, mini and desktop and having streamlined OS is not a weakness just optimised systems and not bloatware.
Not a power user buy any means, for browsing and word processing, Mint is great. I started with Ubuntu but gave up when they switched to snaps.
2 programs I dumped yesterday. Ubuntu 22.04 and Vmware Workstation Player. Tired of fixing Ubuntu every time I want to use it. And the annoy factor of the free version of Vmware is beyond sensible and intolerable. Mint is fine and Manjaro is better and Virtualbox is working great.
I like the people that make Mint. Clem and everyone.
Ubuntu 24.04 is the most useful of the Linux distro's around....and believe me, i have used many distro's. Mint, MX Linux PCLOS, Debian, Zorin etc etc...but, by far and away the new Ubuntu 24.04 is the best at this time. It is, i suppose, a very subjective view, but nothing like trying a live distro for yourself, then decide if it is for you.
I have used Mint for many years. Back when they used KDE . I also used Ubuntu occasionally. The last distros of mint have disappointed me. They have failed to fix the audio problems.The audio should work right off. I have audio problems not working starting with 21.3 then 22 problems . I shouldn't have to use other programs and try to understand all this other stuff. I should install it and have audio. This problem is distro wide not just me. When are they going to fix the problem. If Ubuntu can work on the same computer mint should work!
Use alsamixer in terminal. Sometimes ALSA doesn't switch the sound to the right card, etc. At least that's what I would try.
Last I read, Canonical had a trust fun to carry on with Ubuntu, should the commercial branch fail. Considering how many things their commercial branch is into, I can’t see it failing any time soon.
Mate is named after the South American drink - pronounced MAH-tay
Hello professor.... I have a humble request... For watching 4k hdr content which budget processor should I buy... No editing no gaming just 4k hdr movies
Almost anything relatively modern shoul br able to run that. For real HDR you need a good monitor with very high brightness; some offer just the "hdr" label, not the true feature.
Slackware as a daily driver.... nice and stable.
SalixOS... if i want a quick install of Slackware on a VM.
Alpine for VMs and LXC containers that have a job to do.
Linux Mint or Debian to see what is new in the world.
Kali... cause its got a load of useful tools all ready to use.
OpenWRT because its small and does the job.
RaspberryPi OS because it supports everything a PI can do easily.
Proxmox, TrueNAS, OPNsense..... because they are good at their jobs.
I still recommend Ubuntu, but GNOME is a bit alien to some people (I personally don't like it) so Linux Mint is a better option most of the time.
Or best of all Kubuntu.
Ubuntu has done great things for Linux, but changing the whole desktop menu system was just idiocy....
There's no reason to force people to relearn 30 years of muscle memory for a sideways task bar...
(Yes, i know you can change it, I'm a 20 yr Debian user. But the pointless change if desktop is totally off putting for anyone migrating from any other system.
This is why Zorin is doing so well, it makes it as easy as possible for people to switch from Windows to Linux)
I've used Ubuntu for many years. Recently tried Mint to see what I might be missing and concluded that it isn't for me. No, not worse (or better). Read the other comments and it is evident that most of the commenters are Linux enthusiasts with a mindset akin to that of football supporters: they have chosen their team, and want to see it win. I've given many an old Windows computer a second life by installing Ubuntu, sometimes because a disk, or Windows, was beyond rescue. The owners, usually with no interest in computers other than using them for documents, email, photos and web browsing, have coped with minimal help from me. Ubuntu has become very good at 'just working' and sorting itself out. Snaps have done away with many software library version issues, and who worries about disk space for software nowadays? I submit that PCs and Windows have always appealed to tinkerers and 'tuners', and Linux can be tinkering on steroids. Luckily for those who just want things to work but can't afford Apple products there is a Linux for them now (Ubuntu), and a Linux for everyone else too, especially for those who spend more time under the hood than behind the wheel.
I don't like Start Menus or anything that looks like Windows.
Mint for me.
I never liked the standard Ubuntu environment, and the makers keep trying to sneak in Windows-like advertising. And I oppose the philosophy that the distro is named after.