Should I Move?

[Blue-Vision]

Yep, it's a "Downstream/Community" Distro based on Red Hat. Should be rock-solid and dependable for your needs, and has pretty good Documentation (read: as good or even better than Debian), the Driver Support is what's known as "LTS Model" (like the LTS Releases of Ubuntu, but more frequently updated for Enterprise needs), and the Security advisories are usually discovered first on Fedora/RH packages.

 

So, in short, Fedora is a slightly higher learning curve, slightly older packages versus something like Arch or even Ubuntu, but the stability and speed will be something you're not used to. Things "just work".

 

Having said that ... I found Fedora a little bit on the bland side, to be frank. I also found it to be "old school" in it's approach, and how it does things. Stuff that we take for granted on Ubuntu and Mint, and even Debian systems, Fedora will make ya work for it. Maybe this has changed -- it's been four years since I've tried it out -- but that's how I remember it being.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

1 hour ago, Unobscured Vision said:

Yep, it's a "Downstream/Community" Distro based on Red Hat. Should be rock-solid and dependable for your needs, and has pretty good Documentation (read: as good or even better than Debian), the Driver Support is what's known as "LTS Model" (like the LTS Releases of Ubuntu, but more frequently updated for Enterprise needs), and the Security advisories are usually discovered first on Fedora/RH packages.

 

So, in short, Fedora is a slightly higher learning curve, slightly older packages versus something like Arch or even Ubuntu, but the stability and speed will be something you're not used to. Things "just work".

 

Having said that ... I found Fedora a little bit on the bland side, to be frank. I also found it to be "old school" in it's approach, and how it does things. Stuff that we take for granted on Ubuntu and Mint, and even Debian systems, Fedora will make ya work for it. Maybe this has changed -- it's been four years since I've tried it out -- but that's how I remember it being.

You have any other suggestions? Other than the Debian family (Ubuntu, Mint)? I don't think I'm ready for Arch yet. What about PCLinuxOS, OpenSUSE, Slackware, Gentoo, Elementary, Zorin?

 

Edit: Actually, I'm just thinking, the hell why not? Why not use Arch? What i need to do is collect all my programs that I use, day in day out. Like gedit, usb image writer, archive manager, file manager, etc. And see if I can (I should, but..) get them on Arch. I can load all this up on my spare SSD drive. Once I'm comfortable, I can run it full time. Sound like a plan? I could even just clone the drive, too...

Edited August 17, 2016 by Mindovermaster

[Blue-Vision]

Uhhh ... well ... /ponder

 

Arch might not be the best choice for ya. You (like me) want something that's "just gonna work" without having to fuss around with it, paying attention to every niggling little detail that needs to be set up "just so" because the Devs won't assume a set of good defaults for their users. Fedora will do that for you -- and the learning curve isn't steep by any means. It's meant for Secretaries, Researchers, and such that need to get work done and don't have time to screw around with the system. Arch ... well, you'll spend three hours (average) getting things set up. And while it's doing that, you'll be "sitting in the dark, drinking coffee" without any guarantee that it'll even install the Bootloader properly. Not once has it installed correctly for me -- not once. 

 

Arch is for people who have the time to get it working and don't mind "the hard way".

 

Debian & Fedora is for people who work in Enterprise and don't have the time to mess around.

 

Mint & Ubuntu are for people who just want to use their Computers (mostly) without the complications.

 

It's all about what you need it to do.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

5 hours ago, Unobscured Vision said:

Uhhh ... well ... /ponder

 

Arch might not be the best choice for ya. You (like me) want something that's "just gonna work" without having to fuss around with it, paying attention to every niggling little detail that needs to be set up "just so" because the Devs won't assume a set of good defaults for their users. Fedora will do that for you -- and the learning curve isn't steep by any means. It's meant for Secretaries, Researchers, and such that need to get work done and don't have time to screw around with the system. Arch ... well, you'll spend three hours (average) getting things set up. And while it's doing that, you'll be "sitting in the dark, drinking coffee" without any guarantee that it'll even install the Bootloader properly. Not once has it installed correctly for me -- not once. 

 

Arch is for people who have the time to get it working and don't mind "the hard way".

 

Debian & Fedora is for people who work in Enterprise and don't have the time to mess around.

 

Mint & Ubuntu are for people who just want to use their Computers (mostly) without the complications.

 

It's all about what you need it to do.

huh, OK. I'll try loading up Fedora this weekend. I want to get away from Ubuntu/Debian. Ubuntu just isn't me. And Debian has that nagging problem....

 

 

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

On 8/17/2016 at 1:43 AM, Unobscured Vision said:

<snip>

*bashes head on desk*

 

WHY?! WHY?!

 

I try to install Fedora, OK, all good, go to look up how to install NVIDIA drivers. go through it, after second restart, where you take out the neveau drivers, the Nvidia install (In TTY1) doesn't want to play nicely. So, I just reinstalled Fedora again, same issue. Yes, I know it is the driver for my card.

 

I just went, the hell with it. Install Mint 17.3 (I despise 18) When I installed the drivers, after the reset, it gives me that same error. The only thing that fixes it is going into repair (sp?) mode and quickly go out of it, and I get a desktop.

 

So, REALLY, something isn't playing up here. Is it just my GFX? Can't be my CPU/HDD/RAM....

[Blue-Vision]

Which driver is it? The 364.19?

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

I was using 367.35. I'll mess with Fedora later.

 

Also, a frindgave me: http://rpmfusion.org/Howto/nVidia

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

I found this: http://rpmfusion.org/Howto/nVidia#GeForce_6.2BAC8-7

 

But it said I need to look at the Configuration page: http://rpmfusion.org/Configuration

And I couldn't run the .repo file. I couldn't find gpk file, either...

 

This is just odd, lol.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Update: I'm currently looking at ArchBang (I used to use CrunchBang, fork of Debian, but it dead now...) Has an easier installer. I remember using it several years ago.

 

And the NVIDIA install looks 1000x easier... Yeah, I have to "read the wiki", but it is easier.

 

I'm not a huge Arch fan, but I have used it before. I was testing it on my laptop. I'm sure you people on here can help me with that.

 

(Just like OrangeKiller helped me LOADS with Ubuntu/Debian)

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Update 2: I'm installing Archbang as we speak, but I looked around, and found something very very interesting... I had to run the OpenRC version. As the Systemd didn't want to work. Could this mean that Systemd is what's fricking me over? I read a LOT of problems with it... Could that be the bad apple, or am I just paranoid?

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Update 3: OK... F you, Archy bang... Wouldn't install. I tried looking up stuff on google, to no avail. Scratch that. I heard of another one I wanted to try. PCLinuxOS. So I downloaded that, burned to flash drive, put it in, ran fine in live install, then I reboot. Looks rather nice... *screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech* I couldn't run java. Openjdk wasn't in their repository. And, for some reason, It wouldn't allow me to read my one external drive. Say's I don't have permissions to it. So an hour after looking that up, I'm like, F you, too... Also installing the NVIDIA drivers were super sketchy...

 

So now I am back on Mint 17.3. Maybe it just needed a fresh install from my trouble above. IDeK, it, just, works....

 

Anyway, I know you told me long ago @Unobscured Vision, but how do you install the NVIDIA drivers?

 

I read up on this: https://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/176

 

Is that needed anymore? Notice the article was a year ago...

[Blue-Vision]

No problem, I'll walk ya through it.

 

First order of business, install all updates. Reboot. (Very important, because latest drivers need latest updates.)

 

Second, install Kernel 4.4.0-34. That's the latest 4.4 Kernel. I don't have any experience with the newer ones, so I'm sticking to what I know for now. We're just interested in getting a stable, working config at this point and that's what works for me. Reboot again.

 

Third, citing this article here (Webupd8.org), follow the instructions to add the Graphics Drivers Team PPA. An apt-get update later, then run the Driver Manager and install the Nvidia-364.x Driver (or whatever the recommended one is, it'll be around that version). Don't install the 370.x yet ... I haven't used it and I'm not familiar with its' behavior on 17.3 systems. Install the 364.x Driver, and when it's finished (and you've checked that everything is okay, including checking that Nvidia-Settings is installed too ...) go ahead and Reboot.

 

This should be all ya need to do. If it isn't, we'll explore options.  

 

And I apologize for not being available earlier. I've got a longtime friend who's in crisis lately, and I went to go visit her.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

No problem, man

 

How do I update to the latest kernal? says I'm running 3.19.0-32...

 

I also got all GFX drivers up. I updated it all, too

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

I installed the latest drivers, (but still waiting on the kernel) and rebooted, but it brings up a blank screen. The only way I can get in is by going into repair mode, and exit out of there, and it works fine. Don't ask...

[Blue-Vision]

Sorry for the late response. I'm one of the unfortunates that seem to be stricken with the mass Comcast outages the past few days. My replies will likely be few and far between until Comcast gets their crap together.

 

You install new Kernels using the Mint Update Manager, then View -> Linux Kernels. Pick the 4.4 Kernel I specified above, install it then reboot. Then reinstall the Nvidia driver, 'cause it won't work with 3.x Kernels. That's probably why you've been having trouble.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Np. mate.

 

I still get a blank screen. I am running 364 drivers. Any pointers here?

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

BTW, too... Mint needs better documentation... When I was looking up how to get NVIDIA drivers or kernel, I saw 10+ other ways to do it that sounded to farfetched. And were several years old.

[Blue-Vision]

Well, I got stuck doing a reinstall last night. Talk about [upset] ... yeah. Trying on Kubuntu 16.04.2 with the Nvidia-370 driver. Rebooting now. With all the internet trouble, it's taken 12 hours to get updates and the driver installed ... ugh.

[Blue-Vision]

Okay, the Nvidia-370 drivers are nice and fast. Using the 4.4.0-34 Kernel. Try that driver, and see how things go. I did it from the Terminal, simply sudo apt-get install nvidia-370 and nvidia-settings and it'll give you the right ones.

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Yeah, in the same dump. Blank screen... Was using 370, too.

 

I read around that I may have to blacklist the nouveau drivers. I'll look that up...

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Would it be potent to install Ubuntu? But install a new DE, as I hate Unity. Because as I understand it, Mint is "based off Ubuntu", not true 100% Ubuntu. Course 16.10 is right around the corner, too... Hopefully it is better than 16.04...

 

Now I think of it, would it be wise to try Debian Testing, at all? You know, not Jessie. Maybe that has a fix?

[Boo Berry]

Ubuntu GNOME, perhaps?

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

Will that help me with my previous problems? Or don't you know?

[Boo Berry]

Perhaps, I can't say as I don't have any issues installing and running Ubuntu, Mint, Arch, Fedora or Debian. 

[Mindovermaster Global Moderator]

I'd rather wait for Unobscured Vision

 

As he has the same GFX card as me.