OK, I have had to switch from Slackware to Mint KDE for reasons given here:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...99#post4975099

(Short version: It's what the locals are 'buying' from me.)

Note: I have been running Slackware since February and still regard myself as something of a novice. I get by but there is much I do not know. I am not claiming Slackware made me a Linux expert overnight. But I can handle 'technical.' I have read the slackbook and understood it.

Now, the clear advantage to Mint in terms of installing is Synaptic versus Slackware's – "Build it yourself" approach. I am try as much as possible to download using syanptics script generation and installing via dpkg afterwards so I can keep my own sources on DVD's. It will make installing base software for future users (who are in a pending queue) quicker and easier. Most users are limited to 3G modems. Ouch! Even I do not have wireless at home.

However, one thing Slackware allowed was versatility. I had Libreoffice 3.3.1 and 4.01 installed on one machine, co-existing quite happily. It appears Mint does NOT like this! Openoffice and Libreoffice are at war and my attempt to install openoffice killed synaptic stone dead. OK, I was testing at the time and just re-installed. It was a controlled experiment. I learnt that breaking packages in Mint is not cool and hard to get out of.

Because I am unfamiliar with Mint (Debian in general) I am unsure how far I can mix and match packages. Yes, you can ask, "Why does he want an old version of a package when he can have the latest?" There are lots of reasons including innate curiousity and just seeing what I can get away with! Also, I often end up supporting old machines so I expect older versions of S/W to appear. One user is on Mint 15 and is running Libreoffice 3.5. I often ended up being 'legacy support' in my Windows days – pushing old machines and old software that bit further. It was fun.

So, general questions I think:

What can I get away with in Mint? Or, rather, what should I avoid doing?

Can I force apparently 'conflicting' packages to co-exist? Can two versions of the same S/W co-exist?

What hints and tips are there for me to avoid trouble with installation? I know... just use the packages on Synaptic but sometimes sources call to me...

When I have settled into new contract and switched users over I'll give a 'sales' list! Please be gentle. I really am getting a lot of interest in Linux here! This could spread!

BTW, glad to get Kdenlive installed via Mint. I spent days trying ot get the dependencies in Slackware for Kdenlive to align and never managed it.

Thanks in advance.

About as much as with any other distro, depending on how much effort you're willing to put into it.

I've been known to take executables from one distro and plop them into /usr/bin or /usr/local/bin for use on another.

You can grab deb packages (and any dependences) from third party repos or versions of Debian or Ubuntu other than those upon which your version of Mint is based, and install them. Sometimes they work, sometimes they confilct with Mint dependencies and totally mess up the system when installed.

You can also compile source code yourself, configuring it to install in a location that does not conflict with anything in Mint. That should work as well in Mint as it does in any other distro, provided you have the proper dependencies installed.

I've done all of the above at one time or another, either with Mint or another distro. As a novice, if you're trying to ensure that things just work, don't do any of the above. As a novice, if you're trying to see what you can get away with, just do it and see what happens, but be prepared to deal with a totally borked system.