Mint 13 and KDE: how to get?
 

Hi!

I want to install Mint the same way that I installed Debian 6.
WIth Debian I done these steps:
1. Install base system (without desktop)
2. Install x-window
3. Install minimal KDE and tools for building nvidia driver
4. Build nvidia driver.
And I got minimal KDE desktop.

Is this method applicable for Mint?
Does the Mint installer allow me to do this?
Is it possible to start with Mint13 installer (originally with Mate) and switch to install KDE instead of Mate?
Or some other ideas on how to get latest Mint with KDE.

Thanks in advance!

Hi there,

I don't see a reason why it should not. IIRC, there used to be a ready-made Mint KDE compilation for some of the previous versions, but I see that it's not available for Mint 13. Maybe later?

I don't think so. I guess you'll have to select Mint 13 with one of the available desktops (MATE, Cinnamon or Xfce) and do a standard install of that one. Once it's running, you can select the KDE package from the package manager (kde-full, I suppose) and install that as an additional desktop. After that, you should be able to select KDE from the Mint login screen.

Disclaimer: I never tried that procedure (and have no intention to do so, because I don't like KDE). But that's the way it should work. You know, theory ... ;-)

[X] Doc CPU

Mint is essentially Ubuntu, so you can basically follow these instructions (substituting KDE instead of IceWM): http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/minimal

OK, thanks for the replies!
I'm going to think ...

Mint 13 KDE is supposed be out with the stable release of XFCE. I last heard it should be within the next week or so.

Look here at comment 6 in which clem (lead developer of mint) has replied to a similar question on KDE;
http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=2077

Hope this info helps

Steve

Which Linux Mint to download?
So many choices.
Cinnamon (32-bit) Cinnamon DVD
Cinnamon (64-bit) Cinnamon DVD
Cinnamon no-codecs (32-bit) Cinnamon DVD
Cinnamon no-codecs (64-bit) Cinnamon DVD
Cinnamon OEM (64-bit) Cinnamon DVD
KDE RC (32-bit) KDE DVD
KDE RC (64-bit) KDE DVD
MATE (32-bit) MATE DVD
MATE (64-bit) MATE DVD
MATE no-codecs (32-bit) MATE DVD
MATE no-codecs (64-bit) MATE DVD
MATE OEM (64-bit) MATE DVD
Xfce RC (32-bit) Xfce DVD
Xfce RC (64-bit) Xfce DVD

Depends what you are looking for as they are all different desktop environments. Cinnamon and MATE are both Gnome 3 made to look and feel like Gnome 2 once did, KDE looks like windows, and XFCE is a lightweight desktop environment.

Is mate newer than cinnamon?

They are both roughly the same age. MATE is designed to make Gnome 3 look like Gnome 2 did but with the features of Gnome 3 and Cinnamon's purpose is to give a traditional desktop look but much modern look and include different features. I have MATE running as i preferred the old way but i have had Cinnamon installed before and it looks good.

So cinnamon is more like Gnome 3?

Gnome 3 with a traditional looking desktop i.e traditional menu as was in Gnome 2 but with modernized looks and features

I do not have enough screenshots to compare them, which one do you advice me to choose?

You don't have to choose because you can install both. For example, I am running Kubuntu (Ubuntu with KDE), but I have installed Gnome and XFCE, and I choose which one I want from the menu at the login screen.

Yeah that's true you can install both and try them out, that's the best way to choose, my preference is on MATE though purely because it's similar to the old Linux Mint that i liked.

Linux Mint usually includes most commonly used softwares like VLC, Adobe Flash, all sorts of multimedia codecs and of course with custom themes and Mint specific tools. These things will ease the additional work to be done on a new installation. Also, Mint usually includes the non-free drivers for some common wireless network cards.

With Ubuntu, once installed, additional software like VLC, Flash, multimedia codecs, etc needs to be installed separately.