I'm Thinking Mint...?

[lamoxlamae]

After looking around, doing the quiz, reading the site and reading a few reviews, I'm thinking my next computer will run on Linux Mint. However, I have never extensively worked with any Linux at all and could use a little clarification on things before I make the leap. Please pardon any "Well DUH" questions; I've got newbness and a bit of Microsoft hangover.


1) In one of the pages about the differences between Linux and Windows it mentioned that new drivers mans updating the kernal. In windows something like this would erase everything. Can the kernal be updated without losing everything?

2) Can you have more than 1 account on mint? (ex: Owner, Billy, Guest...)

2.2) ...Can the accounts have different access levels? (ex: Admin vs user)

2.3) ...Is it possible for one account to run a program the others don't? (ex: Billy's account will load a video enhancer program on start up, but as I don't watch as many videos my account won't.)

3) How can I tell which themes/add ons will and will not work on my Firefox once I have switched to Mint?

4) One of the games that I would like to follow me on the transition does not work in Linux but supposedly works in WINE according to the manufacturer. Would WINE or something like it be available in Mint?

5) How hard is it to make your own theme in Mint? I'm very attached to a theme I have used for over a decade now and reproduce it in every computer I use. Can icons from windows be imported?


About the computer:
This will be a home computer in a multi-user household. It will be a brand new build starting from scratch with a few old personal files (videos, pictures, music, ect) making the leap. The computer is mostly used for internet, music/movies, light office work, art (GIMP!), and some games (most of which can run on Linux).


Thanks for the help and clarification!

[devils casper]

Hi and Welcome !

1) No at all.
2) Yes. As many as you like.
2.2) Yes 2.3) Yes
3) Most of add ons works fine. You can check details at add-on download page.
4) I am not sure but if your machine have internet access, it won't take more than a minute to install it. Package installation is very easy.
5) There are a lot of themes available at gnome-look.org. If you want to create theme yourself, check here. ( Mint has Gnome Desktop Environment and you have to develop GTK+ Theme for that. )

[oz]

1) In one of the pages about the differences between Linux and Windows it mentioned that new drivers mans updating the kernal. In windows something like this would erase everything. Can the kernal be updated without losing everything?

2) Can you have more than 1 account on mint? (ex: Owner, Billy, Guest...)

2.2) ...Can the accounts have different access levels? (ex: Admin vs user)

2.3) ...Is it possible for one account to run a program the others don't? (ex: Billy's account will load a video enhancer program on start up, but as I don't watch as many videos my account won't.)

3) How can I tell which themes/add ons will and will not work on my Firefox once I have switched to Mint?

4) One of the games that I would like to follow me on the transition does not work in Linux but supposedly works in WINE according to the manufacturer. Would WINE or something like it be available in Mint?

5) How hard is it to make your own theme in Mint? I'm very attached to a theme I have used for over a decade now and reproduce it in every computer I use. Can icons from windows be imported?

Welcome to the forums!

1) yes, kernel upgrades in Linux are generally a simple process
2) yes, you can have multiple accounts, and yes, they can have different access levels
3) most firefox themes indicate which versions of firefox they will work with
4) yes, WINE should be able to work with any Linux distribution
5) I've not tried porting a Windows theme to Linux, but feel sure it can be done with the right skill set.

[reed9]

1. Yes, you can upgrade the kernel without losing everything else. New drivers do not *necessary* mean a kernel upgrade, but in general, drivers are part of the kernel. Some distros, including Ubuntu/Mint, backport some drivers to their current kernels.

2-2.3. Yes and yes. Google "sudo" and "sudoers"

3. Most themes and addons are platform agnostic. The firefox addon page should say for a particular plugin if otherwise.

4. WINE is available in Mint.

5. It is entirely possible someone has already ported the theme you like. Otherwise, icons and themes cannot be directly transferred over. Themes are in large part dependent on the window manager/Desktop Environment in use. Mint defaults to GNOME, which uses metacity as a window manager by default, though many folks use compiz as their window manager. (The one will all the fancy effects, desktop cube, etc.)

EDIT: Beaten to the punch while typing.

[lamoxlamae]

Thanks for all the replies, tips and good links! I'll go check things out.

It's good to know that Mint can do all those things, even if I may be stuck learning how to make themes from scratch (yay- adventure!) if I can't find one I like. I hope that the transition will be pretty easy.

Also, thank you for the welcomes. who knows, maybe someday I can actually answer questions instead of asking them?