Possibly because canoncial reccomends 32bit for desktop use?

Gonna try this on my Netbook Maybe dual booting with Windows 8.

*****
The thing I liked about Ubuntu was that you could upgrade right OVER the older version with no problem.

I have been using LinuxMint, version 8 for a couple of years and really like it, but would like to UPGRADE to version 11. However, I have read that you cannot safely upgrade version 11 OVER version 8, but need to uninstall version 8 before upgrading. Is this true? I am not all that savvy and that sounds like a LOT of work. What would you recommend?

lwc

*****

It's generally not a good idea to upgrade something more than a single version as a lot of changes will have taken place between them. Just back up your data, throw a CD/flash drive with Linux Mint 11 in, and install.

Linux Mint has a backup and restore utility. You could simply transfer your data to an external drive or another partition on your hard drive that you use already and then do a clean install.

Another alternative is bacula.

On the Mint site they recommend against upgrading either Mint or Ubuntu.

http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1144

Mint with LXDE

I agree. After all its better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it. Of course if you have a small hard drive and old system, then doing the smallest install would make sense. Getting decent hardware, however, is far better of a solution. There are also light weight desktops like LXDE, Xfce or even Fluxbox which give you a pretty decent set of basic tools without harming performance.

Ubuntu is still better than mint.

It would be nice if you could give us some reasons for your opinion, rather than just stating again and again that you think that *buntu is better than mint.

I dont really know why you even started this thread....

Edit- "Unity is Trinity" in your sig should probably be changed IMO. Unity is unity, trinity is a compeletely different desktop-

http://www.trinitydesktop.org/

I have problem to install chinese language packages in mint, it does not work.
In ubuntu, everything is ok.

I recommend Mint - easy as Ubuntu but less buggy.


A bit long post, so here's table of contents:

1. What is what
2. Difficulty level
3. Why have I started with Debian?
4. Why have I switched to Ubuntu?
5. Why have I settled in Mint?


WHAT IS WHAT
============
Debian = Debian
Ubuntu = Debian + easiness*
Mint = Ubuntu - bugs + addons

* GUI applications to run administrative/configuration tasks, which in Debian you usually have to do either in console or manually (editing config files or compiling software yourself).
my path: Debian -> Ubuntu -> Mint (read to find out why)


DIFFICULTY LEVEL (from my personal experience):
================
Debian - for semi-advanced and advanced users ("I'm hardcore")
Ubuntu - for beginners/lames ("I'm feeling lucky")
Mint - for beginners/lames ("Please don't hurt me...")


WHY HAVE I STARTED WITH DEBIAN
==============================
My friend installed Debian on all my machines so I used to use it. However, if something goes wrong you really really need to know what you're doing, your hardware specification, installed packages/drivers (and what's available out there incl. all pros and cones, compatibility, hardware support, etc.). Just to mention that I never managed to run Huawei USB dongle modem (Ubuntu on live-USB was coping with it with no problems at all), run laptop LCD and external monitor, and printing was always pain in the arse. Eventually, I damaged networking packages and wasn't even able to connect to home router via cable. Tried downloading missing packages, incl. all dependencies, at work and installing at home manually - no success. So I thought that enough was enough.


WHY HAVE I SWITCHED TO UBUNTU
=============================
Then I switched to Ubuntu - nice and user friendly. You won't need console at basic level of usage, although not afraiding of it, which I gained in Debian, helps. Ubuntu is made by commercial company Canonical, which tries to keep up with giants like Microsoft or Mac. Therefore they have, for example, regular frequent releases (unlike Debian). Pros: cute, user friendly, highly promoted, and some people even recognise when you say "I use Ubuntu". Cones: sometimes buggy - as everything, though. Canonical also tried to introduce their own GUI, I'm not sure what for because it's almost the same look-and-feel as Gnome 3 (no desktop as such, but bunch of clickable icons instead). Users didn't accept Unity, which I don't get because to me it is the same look and feel as Gnome 3, but they will do in Windows, which pisses me off!! Anyway, Canonical probably doesn't have enough resources to un-bug Unity and to develop it further, so in Ubuntu 11.10 went back to Gnome 3.x


WHY HAVE I SETTLED IN MINT
==========================
Having read that Ubuntu is buggy, I experimented with few various Linux distributions, incl. Fedora, and noticed Mint. Likewise Ubuntu, it is based on a solid Debian fundation with all it's pros (i.e. package management system). But here is the predominance: Mint developers wait 3 months from Ubuntu release, so that major Ubuntu bugs are fixed. Then add some extras i.e. Mint Menu (very very nice), proprietary software (i.e. Flash, which was always pain in the arse in Debian), slightly different skin - mainly green, and release it as Mint. Mint developers were probably not sure whether the concept of clickable icons with no desktop as such - Gnome 3 / Unity / and soon Windows 8 (apparently Microsoft is always behind) - is the way forward. Therefore they decided to stay with Gnome 2.x - both in Mint 10 and 11. As Gnome 3 has proven to be liked by users, Mint 12 features Gnome 3 + MGSE, and MATE. MGSE (Mint Gnome Shell Extension) is a desktop layer on top of Gnome 3 that makes it possible for you to use Gnome 3 in a traditional way i.e. to actually use Desktop. Of course you can disable MGSE. MATE is an extras which allows you to use either Gnome 2 or Gnome 3. On the top, the default search engine is DuckDuckGo.com which doesn't interfere in your privacy as google does. Of course, you can easily install other search engines too!

Yes, some will say, that they don't want all this extra crap (software). But for me: I want a Linux OS based on Debian, that I don't have to spend time to make it working, and I can brag with to my friends so that I can actually promote Linux. If somebody needs flexible and clean OS, go for other distributions. Simple.

So, overall, Mint is my choice and I strongly recommend.

Fair enough, if you need chinese language support. That dioesnt make *buntu 'better' than mint for a lot (most?) users out there.

BTW, have you tried letting the mint devs know about your problem?

Depedns on who you listen to.

*warning! the following written by someone who admits a bais against canoncial*

IMO its for several reasons- control, propaganda, and commercialisation.

Control- canoncial had a major argument over what should, or should not go into gnome. It was about that time that they started what would grow into unity (and that is also part of why unity and gnome 3 are at least superficially similar).

Propaganada- now you have canonical (and saint shutleworth) harping on about how they are using 'real, professional designers' to help make unity. They can also go on about 'meritocracy'- in this case as a justification for not implementing changes that users have requested (sorry, but you arent a designer, your opinion doesnt matter when we have professionals telling us how unity should work).

Commercialisation- due to the canonical contributor agreement canonical are free to make closed source versions of unity.

I feel sure that the canoncial 'plan' for unity was "take over more of the linux ecosystem, and if/when a big closed source company approaches (eg, media players, moblie phones, tablets) us for a version of unity, we can sell them a nice, closed source version".

Canonical dropping unity? About as much chance of that happening as ubuntu moving to KDE.

1 members found this post helpful.

Sorry, I edited my post before seing your reply.

Anyway, fact: Linux is free, which means you can make it close. That was the original founders/fathers idea, remember? And if that helps promoting Linux then I'm for it. Try to convince Microsoft to develop Windows for free and then we can talk about commercialism, control, propaganda, etc.

Canonical does a fantastic job with promoting Linux among unenlightened lamers who will pay £££ for stuff, that you can get for free, and then WON'T SHUT THE F*CK UP about
how cool their new tablet or a "smart" phone is! Of course, ignoring everything, even my demonstration how cool Ubuntu/Mint is - obvious choice here is to show Compiz.

But to me, the choice between Mint and Ubuntu is that Mint tends to be less buggy - at least that's what I read If there are more significant reasons, then even better!

I don't understand what you mean. Did you mean to say "closed"?

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. That's my understanding of the word "freedom" - you're free to make something non-free. But I might be wrong.