Trying to use Zorin. Wrong distro choice? Advice invited from Linux experts
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I have installed Mint a number of times and have not encountered anything like this, so there's definitely something wrong. I have no idea what it might be, but, if the problem recurs on the next install, post more information, including the make/model of the computer and its specs. If you can get a terminal open (try CTRL-ALT-T), take a look at the log files in /var/log/, particularly /var/log/syslog, /var/log/mintsystem.log, and /var/log/boot.log.
And I commend you on your tenaciousness.
I am surprised by what I stumbled across...don't know if you (all) will be also. That blank, greyed out menu (with fuzzy, blurred start icon and "menu") recurred again on the last try so I surfed around looking for answers. Found what seems to be right only by using different key search words. I asked where my start button was in Mint. One forum answer was there is no start button in Mint. That surprised me because everything I saw to date was a start button on the Mint bottom panel. Could it be that the latest version (17.1) really has no start button? Nevertheless I then concentrated on finding ways to get a traditional looking bottom panel with launch icons and lucked out by searching in Mint (gnome?) desklets...managed to configure a bottom panel with launch icons I wanted and a "menu" with menu icon button that displays a menu with everything I chose to include with the computer, connection, volume, and update buttons as well. Just finished sizing the panel and desktop icons this afternoon with default choices which are not as many as with windows software graphics but I probably could get other sizes with a terminal if I needed to.
Also found a printer installation that included my Canon MX920 series, it installed and is working. Don't yet know if all print jobs will be as good as with Windows installed software so wondering if I can install the MX922 with Canon CD's in Mint?
Also found a "backup tool" entry in the new menu so wondering if that will serve in place of my cloning effort...as you guys indicated, or should I proceed to use Clonezilla as we discussed.
Thanks for sticking with me, will be interested in your comebacks and opinions.
That backup tool is designed for when you are upgrading Mint - it isn't a cloning tool.
Often, laser printers are supplied with "unix" drivers - but these tend to consist of .rpm (Red Hat) packages.
However if you install a Debian type package, called "alien", you will find it possible to install many .rpm packages.
Note:- alien pulls in many other packages, so it can be quite big.
There are dozens of backup systems; but few cloning tools.
For a PC sized backup system, I like http://backup2l.sourceforge.net/
It runs itself without any user intervention.
There are much more complicated ways for Enterprise systems.
Cinnamon. At least I installed Cinnamon. But being that I don't fully understand how these distros are juggled around, edited, switched, changed, etc and how I have experimented with editing and configuration I'm not entirely sure what I have ended up with. In any case my update link says the system is "up to date".
I have installed Mint a number of times and have not encountered anything like this, so there's definitely something wrong. I have no idea what it might be, but, if the problem recurs on the next install, post more information, including the make/model of the computer and its specs. If you can get a terminal open (try CTRL-ALT-T), take a look at the log files in /var/log/, particularly /var/log/syslog, /var/log/mintsystem.log, and /var/log/boot.log.
And I commend you on your tenaciousness.
frankbell, I have hesitated to come back here, being so embarrassed with the trouble I have understanding related issues to my original inquiry post. I did install Mint as you know, and I should repeat what said before, when Linux booted after installing I did not have a desktop that any install tutor describes....only the default Linux Mint background with a greyed out menu field and nothing in it.
The only solution was to find a background choice by accessing distros and choosing a Mint Cinnamon background, rebooting, after which I then had an active menu field. Doing that I could then configure what I wanted using that new menu. I still don't know why my original Linux Cinnamon download could not install the actual Cinnimon desktop, but now here's the next difficulty.
I always wanted a "quick launch" bar as in windows where I could place any on (or) off line link and go there just by clicking it. Either Docky or Cairo Dock seemed my choices, and when I saw the cool Cairo Dock that's what I managed to install, and it worked well initially. I was able to install a "custom launcher" (a web page I like) with it's own icon I used stored in Linux pictures by using "edit". So when I clicked on that custom icon it bounced a few times and went directly to that web page.
However I made some Linux configuring mistakes elsewhere and had to reinstall Linux Cinnamon. Only this time after installing Cairo Dock that web page link does not work at all (the icon just bounces but no web page connection). I have no idea why since I did everything the same as before. Do you, or anyone else, know what I'm doing wrong? Or what went wrong?
Getting very discouraged and almost ready top go back to Windows.
Did you mean something like the attached screenshot - this is standard Mint Cinnamon, no Docky etc...
Don't understand your question. Your screen shot is what I could not get without going to themes and selecting cinnamon theme (not Mint). But that does not address the problem of my not being able to install a custom launcher in Cairo Dock that works (web page link).
What you are describing is not something I have ever heard you should expect from Mint. It sounds like something went bad on the install. You are probably going to be chasing your tail forever to fix symptoms as they arise. Just start over and my recommendation would be to go with Mate as it seems to be less buggy. Also, did you do a MD5 sum check and an integrity test before installing?
I agree that what I have is not something I should expect, not only based on all install instructions I have ever seen but every user recommendation I have reviewed. I've already chased my tail doing at least a half dozen reinstall and three fresh downloads from different sources. At this point I'm starting to pull my hair out. As for Mate, I've tried that too but it was so overall buggy I went back to cinnamon, and of course tried to use Gnome environment which I suspect worked initially, but no more probably because I see advice on the web and around Linux forums that Gnome is no used in Linux distros as it was just weeks or months ago. I suppose that could be a stability problem for all Linux distros overall, changing dependencies, configurations, upgrades, etc.
I have no idea what an MDS sum check is and how to do it, or an integrity test....ditto, and/or what they would tell me.
On the link to the Linux Mint download page below there is a link to the Mint User Guide in multiple languages.
Also, once you select which Mint you want from the options, Cinnamon, Mate, KDE or XFCE and you click on the link for either 32bit or 64bit, the page you go to shows the md5 sum. Copy that to a text file and after downloading just open a terminal and do: md5sum nameofmint.iso, obviously using the actual name of the iso. It will output an md5 sum which needs to be identical to the one on the site.
If you didn't get a Desktop on install, it was most likely a bad download, bad burn or a serious problem in the install. It would be surprising to get three or more bad downloads, particularly if you are downloading from the Mint site.
Tenacity will pay off, honest! Md5sum is a number usually supplied on the website you download from, possibaly on a different page. It is used to check the integrety of the iso you have downloaded using the md5sum command on the terminal.The k3b burner also displays the md5sum of the cd/dvd before burning.
Graphics on linux can be a pain, sometimes manifesting itself between an install and the first upgrade. I noticed there has been a recent upgrade to xserver-xorg-core which might make a difference to your situation?
Cairo-dock is a compiz related feature, compiz can play havoc with older graphics cards but if it worked on zorin...
Linux changing configurations being a problem is not likely to be the cause, details yes.
I only skimmed through the thread, so I apologise if I missed something, but in regards to the menu, I am curious; if the task bar is not working, does right-clicking the mouse open a menu? (That is more useful than a task bar menu anyway. At least I find it so.) (And if you get the task bar working and feel adventurous, try putting it on the top or side of the screen. Much better than the bottom.)
Also, just a general word of advice:
Quote:
I then concentrated on finding ways to get a traditional looking bottom panel with launch icons
Traditional? I advise you to stop trying to make any operating system look and "feel like" Windows. You will be discouraged after failing. Explore the new system for what it is, otherwise you will ensure your unhappiness. A different system will be different.
Randicus Draco Albus: Right clicking on the (non-working) task bar does open a menu field, but that field is empty and greyed out. Furthermore text or icons I see on that task bar are blurred and obviously inoperative. Don't really want to "feel like" windows. Just want to get a fully functional "quick" launch like windows....in other words a shortcut such as on the desktop proper that I don't have to double click on to launch the app and/or web page. Funny thing is when I try to edit Cairo dock (after the Linux install and installing the dock) I can put a web link shortcut on the desktop that works unlike the dock custom launcher that doesn't work. I like "different" Linux op systems especially because I have choices to configure and choose.
Fred Caro: I hope you're right about paying off. I'm just about at the end of my tenacity rope. Too old for experiments though I still like the challenges. But for me at this point in my puter life I need results more than challenges. Don't quite understand the meaning of your references but I'll try to check them out. Makes no difference to me what about Linux is a problem, only that something is a problem.
yancek: Okay, I think I understand that. Will try if I don't go bananas first. I can't believe I would get 3 or 4 bad downloads especially from all different sites. Also, the last download I did was from the Mint site. As for the burn I use Img Burn. Hard to believe that could do a bad burn...but serious problem in the install is a possibility (the puter DVD burner) except I tried different burners on two different computers. However I can suspect the actual install on my Dell puter where I'm doing all this. Just don't want to make any mistakes on my other puter (hard drives) that can't be fixed and would corrupt dual boots for example.
Thanks all. I'll try to stick with this as long as possible. But like I said, don't have a lot of time or resources. Not young and rich anymore.
Right clicking on the (non-working) task bar does open a menu field
I meant right-clicking on the desktop, not the task bar. With most GUIs that opens a menu that can often be customised. With DEs the right-click menu will also have an option to create desktop short cuts. I have no experience with Mint, Mate and Cinnamon, so can offer nothing else.
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