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🆕 Software Suggestion | Linux Mint
Description
Name: Linux Mint Category: OS URL: linuxmint.com
Why I am making the suggestion
I tried to send you an email a few days ago, and recently got an "admin" email back saying that it kept bouncing (undeliverable). Not sure how to otherwise contact you, I'm therefore trying here. Sorry if I'm breaking etiquette or something. I'm not used to GitHub, and am not on all these socalled social media platforms.
This is the email I tried to send:
I have read over a bunch of your site again, and came over the OS section. I see that Ubuntu is listed as recommended, and Debian, but not Linux Mint. Is there a particular reason for that, something dodgy they do that I'm not aware of?
I have refused to use Ubuntu because they have some policies that haven't been good for privacy, or perhaps more generally. Admittedly I don't know if it's still present, but earlier there was some tracking based on searching in the system, for example after files, that then phoned home to Amazon for ad revenue or something like that. More recently they have made some changes that could put APT under assault, which is the central update system in Linux systems. The developers of Linux Mint wrote about it here, as explanation why "Snaps" are not allowed in Linux Mint: https://linuxmint-user-guide.readthedocs.io/en/latest/snap.html
Otherwise there are many similarities between the systems, as Ubuntu is based on Debian, and Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu.
My connection with the software
I use Linux Mint myself, but otherwise I have no connection with it, don't develop it or anything like that. Have posted a little bit on their forum when there are things I don't understand. No connection with Ubuntu either, except that I don't particularly like it due to privacy concern with some of their behaviours. Hence why I wonder why Ubuntu is listed as recommended, and why I wonder if Linux Mint are doing naughty things I'm not aware of.
- [x] I will keep the issue up-to-date if something I have said changes or I remember a connection with the software.
@Pangaea666 i think this is a "software recommendation". Please put "Linux Mint" in the title so that other users can find your issue.
The Linux Mint website and forums got compromised a few years back, which enabled hackers to distribute a malicious ISO file and gain access to the forum database. Otherwise, I believe they have a good track record and lots of people seem to like the OS, especially compared to Ubuntu. I can't say I'm a fan of the default appearance though, and the dated website is also a bit off-putting for new Linux users.
However, I do agree that it should be mentioned. The current Introductory Operating Systems section is a bit bizarre. Fedora shouldn't necessarily be recommended when there are better beginner distros. Pop!_OS gets loads of positive feedback (although it was bugged for me) and is basically just a better version of Ubuntu (also bugged for me). Then quite a few people like elementary OS, which is again another good alternative to Ubuntu. Zorin OS is very user friendly, although it unfortunately contains some anonymous pinging that's opt-out, so I can understand not recommending that. Solus is another potential recommendation, although the software availability is more limited, and it can't currently be easily installed when you have a new ish graphics card.
I personally believe that Ubuntu should be removed and replaced with Pop!_OS and Mint. Fedora is great but is a bit more intermediate so I would not recommend it to beginners unless they are more willing to learn.
