A Minty-Fresh Linux Distro

February 24, 2007 - Reading time: ~1 minute

Recently I heard about a fairly new distro of Linux dubbed “Linux Mint.” It’s an Ubuntu-based derivative whose claim to fame is the inclusion of many “non-free” codecs and drivers. This adds convenience and reduces the hassle of post-install configuration. In a typical scenario, one installs a flavor of Linux and then spends time configuring package repositories to enable the playback of DVDs, MP3s, Flash plug-ins, and various other multimedia types. This inclusion of non-free software comes with varying degrees of ease (or difficulty!) depending on the disto in question.

To be honest, I have not yet tried this distro, but am downloading it now. I feel that it holds promise – I enjoy Ubuntu for its ease of use, but I always set up the Automatix package to assist in the installation of many non-free software packages. If Linux Mint provides the same ease of installation/use as Ubuntu yet reduces the amount of time spent post-installation, I think we have a winner on our hands provided that software updates are provided in a timely fashion.

Linux Mint is new, so time will tell. Perhaps I’ll post a review after getting acquainted with this “minty-fresh” distro.