Growing Pains
 

Finally... got things running but...

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Linux Mint Mate Edition Install said it was done & to reboot.

I took out the DVD and was going to reboot but the install said it crashed.

Everything seems to be working well though.

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Not happy with color setting in Linux. Not as easy as in Windows.

Since it doesn't look like there's a Theme Editor out there it looks like I will have to copy something I kinda like and dig into the configuration files having no idea what I'm doing.

I'm using Mint-Y Dark but the search bar in some places like FireFox has dark text on a dark background.

There are so many settings in different files...

Some have HEX & others an rgb(r, g, b, ???), it's the ??? I don't know about.

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I'm new to Linux but not computers. I have a programming background so you don't have to sugar coat it.

I figured out how to configure my Logitech Trackman Marble Mouse since the control panel only has basic Mouse Settings but fairly decent Touch Pad Settings.

I can see room for improvement in Linux. But it's a whole lot batter than the last time I tried it. And anything is better than Win10!!!

The color scheme of TraditionalOk may not be to your liking, but it doesn't put light colors on light backgrounds or dark colors on dark backgrounds.

I use a modified TraditionalOk, which I call TraditionalOK_01. Changed the color of the title bar from the default blue (#86abd9) to dark green (#076e07) by replacing all occurrences of 86abd9 with 076e07 in ~/.themes/TraditionalOk_01/metacity-1/metacity-theme-1.xml.

I think gnome-themes will change the colors, or maybe gnome-color-chooser. Mate is essentially gnome2.

Did you try Mint Cinnamon yet? Its made to appeal to windows users and It is about as easy as it gets. And it has a nice win7 like, start menu. Mate is better than some but in my opinion harder to learn. I do like the Settings on cinnamon.

File types can be examined with the file command.

Mint Mate is very Windows-Like but it don't look like windows anymore except for the bottom pannel.

Got all kinds of other problems.

Terminal - turns out all the suggestions to type in here don't work.
I found out that Mint has it's own Root Terminal.

Mint Mate Menu is hard to configure.

The Screensaver can't be configured. No way to set picture folders. I hear that Gnome has moved all settings to the Lock Screen that I don't use.

VirtualBox is NOT behaving. Can't share folders or mount drives to share data with the VM.
This is really ANNOYING me!!!

It sounds as if you should try a different desktop distribution.

I'm confused because in your first post you discussed installing MINT and in your last post you discussed VirtualBox.

Perhaps what are you trying to do and what is your exact situation right now?

From what I can gather, you wish to find, or customize a desktop to appear just like Windows, or you are trying to find an equitable alternative.

Me not sugar coating it:

As one of the LQ members cites many times, "Linux is not Windows", and my addition is that we're not here to defend Linux against your perceptions of Windows.

Being a long time computer user myself, I've long since moved away from making customized desktops. I use the computer to do what I need it to do. The "styling" of it may be gone in a year or two. Since my desktop is filled with work windows, browsers, email, editors, file folders; whatever my background is, is irrelevant. Further, the only concern I have for color theme is that I can "see". If the default color scheme doesn't do that for me, then perhaps I have a vision problem. And seriously since people do not design default desktops for the main stream of people where it is difficult to see. On this subject (vision) If you have a special need, then you may, but you haven't cited this as yet. Also citing my long time experience with computers, my screen saver is "blank screen" and the system goes to low power and hibernate rather than show some visual candy.

Try another distribution, there are many. You can either live boot off of a thumb stick or DVD, or use VirtualBox. Suggest you try live booting since you do not seem to be getting good results with VirtualBox.

MINT!
 

Running MINT on my computer.

Installed VirtualBox to run WinXP.
Have loads of old stuff I could still use from XP.

Can't get VirtualBox communicating with Linux.
Says Guest Additions are not installed but they are!
Installed with the original package and later with the ISO I downloaded.
Still BROKEN!

Seems like everytime I try Linux...

Many years ago Red Hat.
A Red Hat version that was supposed to run in Windows.
Recently on another system Ubunu & later Mint.
Now the latest in Mint.

Overall it has been better now than before, but...

Seems like ALL Operating Systems are broken.
All programs are broken.

I don't blame the programmers because the hardware is changing so fast so only Micro$oft Windows will run and NO alternate OS's will.

Got it.

So perhaps either update your other new thread about virtual box: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ox-4175611493/ to included these details that you have MINT installed running VBox and are trying to run WinXP. Or please report that, that thread should be closed and continue here to resolve two issues:

• Getting VirtualBox within MINT running WinXP correctly
• Styling the desktop how you like

I have little to contribute for a VirtualBox solution. I boot different machines solely with a single OS, suited for what I want or need. However I do understand that a full install of XP may no longer be possible and thus a VM is your only solution there. Not something I'm much experienced with.

I uninstalled the whole thing.

Went to the VirtualBox web site & attempted to install from there.

Error: Dependency is not satisfiable: libqt5core5a (>=5.70)

I just checked, I have libqt5core5a 5.51.
Refreshed the package installer and that's as high as it goes.
Where the !@#$%^&*&!!! do I get 5.70?
Looks like the 'NEW' VirtualBox Package is BROKEN!

I find that Mint's Software Manager is a bit out of date as is the Package Manager.

Everytime I try Linux...
But I hate Win10 so much that I'll make Linux work.

I'll wait a fews days and try again.

Or else take the computer to my friends farm & try to install some 12g 00 Buck Shot.

I did take a hammer to a Samsung Galaxy Tablet after it updated itself to death.
I'm not afraid to KILL a computer.

I understand your frustration, however the descriptions you make about destroying a computer give me the impression that you leap in and maybe cause a lot of this frustration.

What version of Mint are you running? For instance I do not have Mint MATE, however I do have Mint Debian release 18.1.

Considering that you have MATE, this means you are running a desktop. Have you tried the Software Manager to install VirtualBox?

Bear in mind that this problem you cite probably has something to do with the version of Mint you do have and how compatible it is with the latest Virtual Box. Further, there are non-Qt interface versions of VirtualBox.

I wouldn't consider this a healthy approach.

• If the dark theme doesn't work, use a light one.
• If virtual-box isn't working, ask yourself, "Why am I running virtual-box in a OS I barely know?"
• If everything is overwhelming, and doesn't make sense, that's because it's overwhelming and doesn't make sense.

You didn't learn windows at the level you know today on the first day, week or even month.
Take time and tackle each problem on its own.

If I were to try and use windows and do everything I do in linux I would almost certainly become very frustrated.

https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads

First Steps - Virtualbox

It appears the latest virtualbox is too new for your system. I would install the one from the repos, and then try to get a VM working. I've never had problems with virtualbox. I disagree with some of the design features. But if you do it the way virtualbox tells you to, it should work.SpiceClientGtk missing