It's been nearly a year since Linux Mint 11 Katya was released and it is now time to upgrade and move on. I moved to Linux Mint for an easier more stable Linux desktop experience. What I found in Katya was a beautiful system that was fun to use and easy to maintain. Maybe, a little too easy to maintain. Linux Mint is a great example of what the Linux desktop should be for the average user- stable and reliable functionality combined with the high speed and low maintenance of Linux. Ubuntu, even with its rough edges implements the newest features and functionality Linux has to offer and is the shining example of what Linux could be.
I find myself at a point where I'm behind on operating systems and would like to upgrade to the newest build of Linux Mint 12 Lisa. This is where I am running into problems with Linux Mint. The creators were smart enough to know a great experience requires a fresh install, and thus recommend backing up the old version and freshly installing the newest system. Now, you could change the repositories and force an upgrade but it requires a few hurdles and can seriously break your system. If Linux Mint is designed to be easy for users why force a complicated upgrade path? I went to Linux Mint specifically because I broke many systems testing various customizations and didn't want to deal with that kind of uncertainty and time wasted reinstalling.
This is where Ubuntu shines. Ubuntu's upgrade cycle is played a bit more fast and loose but moving from one iteration to another is a very easy process. I certainly cant complain about a free full featured operating system that updates constantly and upgrades to a new version every six month. Ubuntu has also been around for years and manages to improve with every release. They have pretty much got the process whittled down to a few button clicks. I am hesitant to go back to Ubuntu and risk breaking systems again and losing precious data but it has been nearly a year since I've used Ubuntu at all and with two iterations nearly passed I am excited to see how the newest features have been implemented in Ubuntu 11.10.
Looking Ahead:
With Ubuntu 12.04 Pangolin set to release in April, I may attempt to install the pre-release Alpha version and get ahead of the curve for the year. Running does have its disadvantages, but with a more stringent quality control system in place it seems like this could be a fairly pain free few months until official release day.
As usual:
- Follow me and my endeavors out on twitter, google plus, and on the opensourcenoob blog.
- Check out gameenthus.com and enthuslife.podomatic.com for a more audible version of my commentary.
Maybe Next time:
A retrospective look - a year with the Cr-48
Music:
Check out The Music Share Link Archive- I have started a compilation of mostly free random indie music albums and mixtapes from around the web. Feel free to add to the list if you have found something worth sharing.
The Music Share Link Archive