Liking Linux, need a PC now...

rb0321 · Feb 1, 2016

After using Linux pretty much exclusively on my 2009 core 2 duo iMac for a couple weeks now, I have to say I'm really impressed with it. First I tried Ubunutu, which I like, then Mint, which I also like, then KDE (AKA Kubuntu) which I'm using now. I'm running each separate version in it's own partition on the iMac now with OS X left in it's own partition.

Due to the amazing customization possible with KDE I'm thinking I'll stay with it for awhile. One thing readily noticeable is the much smaller 'footprint' Linux makes on the HD, which really speeds up downloading and installing it. Another major difference is the low use of RAM. All versions I mentioned use less than 1GB of RAM when loaded, about half (or less) what OS X uses. Loading and using software is faster compared to OS X, except for more intensive photo processing which is slowed down by the older CPU.

Photo processing has also been going well using available open source software, currently Darktable, Raw Therapee, GNU/GIMP and Hugin. In fact it's working so well (other than the old iMac hardware bottlenecks) that I'm looking into buying a new PC.

Came across an HP tower with an i7-6700 CPU @ 3.4GHz, 8MB L2 Cache, 12GB PC3 DDR3L-12800 SDRAM, 2TB 7200 RPM HD, with Intel HD Graphics 530. It also has a 27” IPS monitor thrown in that can be used as a second one - as I'd get a better one (higher res) for PP. I'd also put an SSD in it for system and programs. On sale now for $899, does this system look like a decent buy?

CAcreeks · Feb 1, 2016

rb0321 said:
After using Linux pretty much exclusively on my 2009 core 2 duo iMac for a couple weeks now, I have to say I'm really impressed with it. First I tried Ubunutu, which I like, then Mint, which I also like, then KDE (AKA Kubuntu) which I'm using now. I'm running each separate version in it's own partition on the iMac now with OS X left in it's own partition.

I might go with Mint KDE or Kubuntu because with wide-screen monitors, you want all your control area on left or right. Many Linux desktops almost require control panel on top or bottom.

rb0321 said:
Came across an HP tower with an i7-6700 CPU @ 3.4GHz, 8MB L2 Cache, 12GB PC3 DDR3L-12800 SDRAM, 2TB 7200 RPM HD, with Intel HD Graphics 530. It also has a 27” IPS monitor thrown in that can be used as a second one - as I'd get a better one (higher res) for PP. I'd also put an SSD in it for system and programs. On sale now for $899, does this system look like a decent buy?

Sounds like a good buy to me.

Is the i7 CPU gen6 Skylake? I am not sure yet whether Linux fully supports Skylake yet. I am fairly certain Linux supports Intel HD 530. You did not mention WiFi card or Ethernet, but Linux added support for some network cards only last December.

Gesture · Feb 1, 2016

Glad to see the interest. There's thousands of tutorials out there, but I found this fellow on YouTube.

Loading…

www.youtube.com

Short, to the point, first good explanation I have found for extracting and installing archive packages like Apache Open Office.

I've worked through several distros. Unfortunately, the user communities don't seem geared toward common sense needs (how to clone an installation; backupos; how do I empty caches; etc.), let alone printing.

With everyone focused on video these days, printing gets less interest I feel.

Linux needs basic practical applications like CCleaner on the PC; Cocktail on the Mac. Carbon Copy Cloner, etc. Every distribution forces Firefox on one; it can take work to get Seamonkey, Opera or Chrome installed, depending on the distribution.

The display isn't always perfect, but I have gotten VueScan to work in any Linux distribution I've tried.

Best.

rb0321 · Feb 1, 2016

CAcreeks said:
rb0321 said:

After using Linux pretty much exclusively on my 2009 core 2 duo iMac for a couple weeks now, I have to say I'm really impressed with it. First I tried Ubunutu, which I like, then Mint, which I also like, then KDE (AKA Kubuntu) which I'm using now. I'm running each separate version in it's own partition on the iMac now with OS X left in it's own partition.

Click to expand...

I might go with Mint KDE or Kubuntu because with wide-screen monitors, you want all your control area on left or right. Many Linux desktops almost require control panel on top or bottom.

CAcreeks said:

Came across an HP tower with an i7-6700 CPU @ 3.4GHz, 8MB L2 Cache, 12GB PC3 DDR3L-12800 SDRAM, 2TB 7200 RPM HD, with Intel HD Graphics 530. It also has a 27” IPS monitor thrown in that can be used as a second one - as I'd get a better one (higher res) for PP. I'd also put an SSD in it for system and programs. On sale now for $899, does this system look like a decent buy?

Click to expand...

Sounds like a good buy to me.

Is the i7 CPU gen6 Skylake? I am not sure yet whether Linux fully supports Skylake yet. I am fairly certain Linux supports Intel HD 530. You did not mention WiFi card or Ethernet, but Linux added support for some network cards only last December.

Good point about Skylake support, don't know about the WiFi or Ethernet either. I'll see what I can find out. Will probably try several distributions to see which works (best) on the system. There is a period for returning the PC so if there are a load of problems I may swap it for a previous gen system.

malch · Feb 1, 2016

Gesture said:
I've worked through several distros. Unfortunately, the user communities don't seem geared toward common sense needs (how to clone an installation; backupos; how do I empty caches; etc.), let alone printing.

For cleaning, take a look at:

sudo apt-get install bleachbit

and the "Janitor" function of:

Loading…

ubuntu-tweak.com

They both seem to work okay on Ubuntu/Mint with Cinnamon, Mate, Xfce and KDE.

This script also seems to work:

Loading…

community.linuxmint.com

For backups, CloneZilla seems to be an absolutely rock solid tool but you'll need to boot a CloneZilla system (or another distro with CloneZilla installed). The UI is also really ugly.

I have the bootable version of CloneZilla on a thumb drive. Also a custom Mint Xfce Live CD with CloneZilla installed on that.

Either works every time and handles everything. I can even backup/restore my Linux HTPC to a Windows share on my desktop. I've performed restores many times and they always work.

Gesture said:
With everyone focused on video these days, printing gets less interest I feel.

Haven't looked at printing very seriously. Sorry, but maybe someone else can help.

rb0321 · Feb 1, 2016

Gesture said:
Glad to see the interest. There's thousands of tutorials out there, but I found this fellow on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/user/ambujkumar1988/videos

Short, to the point, first good explanation I have found for extracting and installing archive packages like Apache Open Office.

I've worked through several distros. Unfortunately, the user communities don't seem geared toward common sense needs (how to clone an installation; backupos; how do I empty caches; etc.), let alone printing.

With everyone focused on video these days, printing gets less interest I feel.

Linux needs basic practical applications like CCleaner on the PC; Cocktail on the Mac. Carbon Copy Cloner, etc. Every distribution forces Firefox on one; it can take work to get Seamonkey, Opera or Chrome installed, depending on the distribution.

The display isn't always perfect, but I have gotten VueScan to work in any Linux distribution I've tried.

Best.

It's gone very well installing programs with each of the included software managers. Had to use Terminal commands to get the latest versions for all 4 of my main PP packages though. That was for all three of the Linux distros I tried.

Have had good luck printing with some packages but yes, it would be nice if there was a bit more focus on some of the finer points of day to day use. So far there has been very little for me to complain about, was even able to get my Apple mouse working well, although not with all the functions possible on the iMac of course.

My iMac has an Nvidia card and the included brightness utilities didn't work well with the installed sliders, some stayed on full brightness. Luckily an Internet search pointed to an already installed Nvidia utility that did the trick. Have used Firefox off and on in OS X and works fine for my purposes.

His Dudeness · Feb 1, 2016

rb0321 said:
Good point about Skylake support, don't know about the WiFi or Ethernet either. I'll see what I can find out. Will probably try several distributions to see which works (best) on the system. There is a period for returning the PC so if there are a load of problems I may swap it for a previous gen system

Skylake support already started with kernel 4.3, which has been released in 12 2015 and 4.4 is coming. Ethernet is painless in general. I cannot remember any trouble with that. With respect to WiFi most devices are supported. Sometimes you may have to copy a firmware file manually into a certain place on your hard drive. My experience is that Intel WiFi chips work quite well out of the box. So, don't worry too much about using current hardware!

His Dudeness · Feb 1, 2016

Gesture said:
I've worked through several distros. Unfortunately, the user communities don't seem geared toward common sense needs (how to clone an installation; backupos; how do I empty caches; etc.), [...] Linux needs basic practical applications like CCleaner on the PC; Cocktail on the Mac. Carbon Copy Cloner, etc.

What is your notion of cloning a system? I don't know any way that is as easy and more robust than cloning a hard drive or a partition using dd on the command line. For backup there are several tools (I'm using the good old dirvish). Most are probably based on the powerful rsync tool. What caches do you want to flush? For caches of system services (e.g. DNS or the package manager), there are dedicated commands. For applications more and more put their caches into the .cache folder in your home folder. You simply delete them. Or you find them in the .application-name folder.

So, actually basically every distribution comes with all that you need to maintain, backup or replicate your system. In fact, a lot of these sophisticated tools are command line based. There are probably also several graphical front ends for these tools, but once you are familiar with the power and elegance of a command line, you simply won't search much for graphical tools.

Gesture said:
With everyone focused on video these days, printing gets less interest I feel.

Well, printing is expensive, in particular when you have to do reverse engineering to make these proprietary devices work. Most consumer printers have quite a short life cycle, so there is probably very few interest in making such devices work. Office (laser) printers work well in general and out of the box. For photo printing, you should take a look at turbo print: http://www.turboprint.info/

rb0321 · Feb 2, 2016

His Dudeness said:
rb0321 said:

Good point about Skylake support, don't know about the WiFi or Ethernet either. I'll see what I can find out. Will probably try several distributions to see which works (best) on the system. There is a period for returning the PC so if there are a load of problems I may swap it for a previous gen system

Click to expand...

Skylake support already started with kernel 4.3, which has been released in 12 2015 and 4.4 is coming. Ethernet is painlessly in general. I cannot remember any trouble with that. With respect to WiFi most devices are supported. Sometimes you may have to copy a firmware file manually into a certain place on your hard drive. My experience is that Intel WiFi chips work quite well out of the box. So, don't worry too much about using current hardware!

Looking through a couple Linux forums I see there were issues early on but as you say, by December things had improved quite a bit. The latest post I ran across confirmed that 530 graphics is now supported. Thanks for the info.

Worst case scenario I'd use Windows (which I did at work anyway before retiring) until I got things sorted out. I'll keep Windows in a partition so I can use Lightroom until transitioning all the images I edited with it.

--
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rb00321/

Hank Pi · Feb 2, 2016

rb0321 said:
After using Linux pretty much exclusively on my 2009 core 2 duo iMac for a couple weeks now, I have to say I'm really impressed with it. First I tried Ubunutu, which I like, then Mint, which I also like, then KDE (AKA Kubuntu) which I'm using now. I'm running each separate version in it's own partition on the iMac now with OS X left in it's own partition.

Due to the amazing customization possible with KDE I'm thinking I'll stay with it for awhile. One thing readily noticeable is the much smaller 'footprint' Linux makes on the HD, which really speeds up downloading and installing it. Another major difference is the low use of RAM. All versions I mentioned use less than 1GB of RAM when loaded, about half (or less) what OS X uses. Loading and using software is faster compared to OS X, except for more intensive photo processing which is slowed down by the older CPU.

For the past couple of years I've used mostly Mint KDE, but recently switched my main graphics computer to Kubuntu as the KDE is more up to date. This was an issue with the latest versions of some software, in particular digiKam and Kdenlive if I remember it right. Something to consider.

Jim Cockfield · Feb 2, 2016

KDE based distros have the best applications for photography use (e.g., digiKam. Gwenview, showFoto). Those apps run under other desktops,too. But, they use KDE libraries so it's easier to install them with KDE.

I have a mixture of Kubuntu and OpenSUSE installs right this minute on laptops and desktops. But I'll probably end up moving all of them to OpenSUSE 42.1 "Edu-li-fe" soon OpenSUSE takes come getting used to, so expect a bit of learning curve. But, it's got a much better integration using btrfs as the root file system, with more reasonable snapshos and rollback features without a lot of customization like you'd want to do with a BTRFS file system with other distros like Kubuntu.

The OpenSUSE build services are also very nice, so you can easily find and download "one click" installs of newer versions of software than are included in the default repos.

As for hardware, I avoid HP computers. I've seen too many complaints about BIOS issues ,and have experienced them myself with an HP Laptop my wife's brother gave her. You could not pay me to use an HP computer. I also ended up compiling the wireless driver myself. Fun.

On the other hand, I've had great luck with Dell computers are fast as chipsets being compatible with newer linux distros.

No matter what you decide to go with, make sure that you have drivers available for sound, ethernet, wireless etc. (it's a good idea to search using google for a specific brand/model with linux in the search parameters).

I'd check the specs for that machine carefully, as often, cheaper models have lower wattage (e.g., 300 or 350 Watt) Power Supplies that are too weak to support anything other than a PCIe Bus Powered Video card. So, forget a nicer card unless you want to try and swap the PSU.

Often, included cheaper 27" monitors in bundles are only 1080P resolution, too (versus the preferred 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution you'd get in a 27' model that's better suited to photography. IOW, unless you want a 27' monitor that you are sitting further away from, there is no benefit to buying one with something like 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution since you can get 24" displays with that resolution (and for that matter, most users prefer 1920x1200 vs 1920x1080P in a 24: model).

You tend to see that a lot (27" displays with only 1080p resolution). They're cheaper, less useful displays, so they're often bundled with computers to make them seem like a better deal than they really are.

On the other hand, even though I would not consider purchasing an HP computer, HP printers are great with Linux, thanks to the HPLIP (HP Linux Imaging and Printing) project. More about it here:

http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/index.htm

With HPLIP, you get nice utilities to check ink levels. clean and align print heads, initiate copy, scan and fax features, manage print jobs, etc. -- all by clicking on an HP icon in your tray.

I'm currently using an HP OfficeJet Pro 8610. Very Highly Recommended (and it is currently the best selling printer on Amazon right now, too). I can print to it wirelessly (and do things like manage print jobs, check innk level, align heads, etc. etc. etc.) from Linux over wireless with no issues (at least not with any from Kubuntu and OpenSUSE distros with a KDE desktop). Listing for one:

http://www.amazon.com/HP-OfficeJet-Wireless-Printer-A7F64A/dp/B00J9E68B8

Warning -- this printer is huge and heavy (and "built like a tank"), so make sure you have room for one on a table, desktop, etc. (it's not a very compact printer).

Note that I also use Corel AfterShot Pro for raw conversion and image management (and it works with both raw and jpeg files. supports edit layers and more). . It's *VERY* fast. It's not free. but, the price is reasonable.

http://www.aftershotpro.com/en/products/aftershot-pro/

Make sure to install the latest updates to it (latest update published on January 20, 2016) See this page for them;

http://www.aftershotpro.com/en/support/updates/#tab_0

I'd download a a trial to see if you like it or not (and they have linux, windows and os x downloads available, and the same license key will work on more than one operating system, so that you can buy it once and use it in both your windows and linux installations if setup in a dual boot config). That's what I do (have both the windows and linux versions installed in different partitions on the same desktop that's setup in a multi-boot config).

--
JimC
------

malch · Feb 2, 2016

Hank Pi said:
For the past couple of years I've used mostly Mint KDE, but recently switched my main graphics computer to Kubuntu as the KDE is more up to date. This was an issue with the latest versions of some software, in particular digiKam and Kdenlive if I remember it right. Something to consider.

Been here with Mint Xfce and Xubuntu also.

Ubuntu is more up-to-date and bleeding edge. Mint (and Ubuntu LTS) less so but I've found them a tad more stable with fewer problems.

Having the choice is a Very Good Thing I think.

malch · Feb 2, 2016

Jim Cockfield said:
KDE based distros have the best applications for photography use (e.g., digiKam. Gwenview, showFoto). Those apps run under other desktops,too. But, they use KDE libraries so it's easier to install them with KDE.

I've been playing with Mint KDE in a VirtualBox. I've been able to configure things the way I like without much difficulty and it's really quite nice.

However, starting the desktop after logging in seems horribly slow (maybe 12 seconds or so). That's an age compared to Xfce.

Is this a VirtualBox issue or should I expect the same on a bare metal install? Any tips for speeding it up? I'm finding it quite frustrating.

rb0321 · Feb 2, 2016

Hank Pi said:
rb0321 said:

After using Linux pretty much exclusively on my 2009 core 2 duo iMac for a couple weeks now, I have to say I'm really impressed with it. First I tried Ubunutu, which I like, then Mint, which I also like, then KDE (AKA Kubuntu) which I'm using now. I'm running each separate version in it's own partition on the iMac now with OS X left in it's own partition.

Due to the amazing customization possible with KDE I'm thinking I'll stay with it for awhile. One thing readily noticeable is the much smaller 'footprint' Linux makes on the HD, which really speeds up downloading and installing it. Another major difference is the low use of RAM. All versions I mentioned use less than 1GB of RAM when loaded, about half (or less) what OS X uses. Loading and using software is faster compared to OS X, except for more intensive photo processing which is slowed down by the older CPU.

Click to expand...

For the past couple of years I've used mostly Mint KDE, but recently switched my main graphics computer to Kubuntu as the KDE is more up to date. This was an issue with the latest versions of some software, in particular digiKam and Kdenlive if I remember it right. Something to consider.

Had tried Kubuntu 14.04 but wasn't crazy about it so went back to Ubuntu 14.04 primarily. Was going back and forth between Ubuntu and Mint to get a better feel for them but kept coming back to Ubuntu.

Then I installed Kubuntu 15.10 to check it out the other day and have been impressed so far. It's nice to have more flexibility. Have digiKam loaded in Ubuntu 14.04 where it seems to work fine, haven't tried Kdenlive yet. Will check it out. Thanks.

Jim Cockfield · Feb 2, 2016

malch said:
Jim Cockfield said:

KDE based distros have the best applications for photography use (e.g., digiKam. Gwenview, showFoto). Those apps run under other desktops,too. But, they use KDE libraries so it's easier to install them with KDE.

Click to expand...

I've been playing with Mint KDE in a VirtualBox. I've been able to configure things the way I like without much difficulty and it's really quite nice.

However, starting the desktop after logging in seems horribly slow (maybe 12 seconds or so). That's an age compared to Xfce.

Is this a VirtualBox issue or should I expect the same on a bare metal install? Any tips for speeding it up? I'm finding it quite frustrating.

It's probably virtualbox. I've had issues with the newer KDE desktop with it, probably due to the way it's defaulting desktop effects requiring graphics resources.

I've made a number of tweaks (moving up video memory slider, enabling 3d graphics etc.). But, I have not found a great solution with VirtualBox yet. Chances are, the latest VMWare Workstation Player 12.x would work a lot better with it, since it has better graphics support now from what I've seen reported about it. I still have older releases installed without the new graphics features. So, you'd have to try it to find out.

Loading…

my.vmware.com

rb0321 · Feb 2, 2016

Jim Cockfield said:
KDE based distros have the best applications for photography use (e.g., digiKam. Gwenview, showFoto). Those apps run under other desktops,too. But, they use KDE libraries so it's easier to install them with KDE.

I have a mixture of Kubuntu and OpenSUSE installs right this minute on laptops and desktops. But I'll probably end up moving all of them to OpenSUSE 42.1 "Edu-li-fe" soon OpenSUSE takes come getting used to, so expect a bit of learning curve. But, it's got a much better integration using btrfs as the root file system, with more reasonable snapshos and rollback features without a lot of customization like you'd want to do with a BTRFS file system with other distros like Kubuntu.

The OpenSUSE build services are also very nice, so you can easily find and download "one click" installs of newer versions of software than are included in the default repos.

As for hardware, I avoid HP computers. I've seen too many complaints about BIOS issues ,and have experienced them myself with an HP Laptop my wife's brother gave her. You could not pay me to use an HP computer. I also ended up compiling the wireless driver myself. Fun.

On the other hand, I've had great luck with Dell computers are fast as chipsets being compatible with newer linux distros.

No matter what you decide to go with, make sure that you have drivers available for sound, ethernet, wireless etc. (it's a good idea to search using google for a specific brand/model with linux in the search parameters).

I'd check the specs for that machine carefully, as often, cheaper models have lower wattage (e.g., 300 or 350 Watt) Power Supplies that are too weak to support anything other than a PCIe Bus Powered Video card. So, forget a nicer card unless you want to try and swap the PSU.

Often, included cheaper 27" monitors in bundles are only 1080P resolution, too (versus the preferred 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution you'd get in a 27' model that's better suited to photography. IOW, unless you want a 27' monitor that you are sitting further away from, there is no benefit to buying one with something like 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution since you can get 24" displays with that resolution (and for that matter, most users prefer 1920x1200 vs 1920x1080P in a 24: model).

You tend to see that a lot (27" displays with only 1080p resolution). They're cheaper, less useful displays, so they're often bundled with computers to make them seem like a better deal than they really are.

On the other hand, even though I would not consider purchasing an HP computer, HP printers are great with Linux, thanks to the HPLIP (HP Linux Imaging and Printing) project. More about it here:

http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/index.htm

With HPLIP, you get nice utilities to check ink levels. clean and align print heads, initiate copy, scan and fax features, manage print jobs, etc. -- all by clicking on an HP icon in your tray.

I'm currently using an HP OfficeJet Pro 8610. Very Highly Recommended (and it is currently the best selling printer on Amazon right now, too). I can print to it wirelessly (and do things like manage print jobs, check innk level, align heads, etc. etc. etc.) from Linux over wireless with no issues (at least not with any from Kubuntu and OpenSUSE distros with a KDE desktop). Listing for one:

http://www.amazon.com/HP-OfficeJet-Wireless-Printer-A7F64A/dp/B00J9E68B8

Warning -- this printer is huge and heavy (and "built like a tank"), so make sure you have room for one on a table, desktop, etc. (it's not a very compact printer).

Note that I also use Corel AfterShot Pro for raw conversion and image management (and it works with both raw and jpeg files. supports edit layers and more). . It's *VERY* fast. It's not free. but, the price is reasonable.

http://www.aftershotpro.com/en/products/aftershot-pro/

Make sure to install the latest updates to it (latest update published on January 20, 2016) See this page for them;

http://www.aftershotpro.com/en/support/updates/#tab_0

I'd download a a trial to see if you like it or not (and they have linux, windows and os x downloads available, and the same license key will work on more than one operating system, so that you can buy it once and use it in both your windows and linux installations if setup in a dual boot config). That's what I do (have both the windows and linux versions installed in different partitions on the same desktop that's setup in a multi-boot config).

CAcreeks · Feb 2, 2016

malch said:
Hank Pi said:

For the past couple of years I've used mostly Mint KDE, but recently switched my main graphics computer to Kubuntu as the KDE is more up to date. This was an issue with the latest versions of some software, in particular digiKam and Kdenlive if I remember it right. Something to consider.

Click to expand...

Been here with Mint Xfce and Xubuntu also.

Ubuntu is more up-to-date and bleeding edge. Mint (and Ubuntu LTS) less so but I've found them a tad more stable with fewer problems.

Having the choice is a Very Good Thing I think.

Found a 2-part study of memory use by Linux desktops:

https://l3net.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/a-memory-comparison-of-light-linux-desktops/

https://l3net.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/a-memory-comparison-of-light-linux-desktops-part-2/

Unfortunately this is an old study, but it shows KDE is the most bloated of Linux desktops. I believe Cinnamon is smaller now than it was in 2013 - smaller than Mate, possibly smaller than Xfce.

P.S. I don't find KDE's gwenview any better than geeqie (bad name) from SourceForge. And GIMP does not use KDE libraries.

from op. cit. article part 1

Hank Pi · Feb 2, 2016

CAcreeks said:
Found a 2-part study of memory use by Linux desktops:

https://l3net.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/a-memory-comparison-of-light-linux-desktops/

https://l3net.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/a-memory-comparison-of-light-linux-desktops-part-2/

Unfortunately this is an old study, but it shows KDE is the most bloated of Linux desktops. I believe Cinnamon is smaller now than it was in 2013 - smaller than Mate, possibly smaller than Xfce.

KDE is not a "lightweight" desktop, but on a computer likely to be used for photo editing it is fine. Being able to use the latest KDE applications such as digiKam and Kdenlive make it worthwhile. Mint Xfce is a good choice for low-powered computer such as netbooks. My wife and I just donated a couple of Asus EeePCs to a public school in a remote village in the Philippines. I tried Cinnamon at first but switched them to Xfce which loaded much faster.

rb0321 · Feb 2, 2016

CAcreeks said:
malch said:

Hank Pi said:

For the past couple of years I've used mostly Mint KDE, but recently switched my main graphics computer to Kubuntu as the KDE is more up to date. This was an issue with the latest versions of some software, in particular digiKam and Kdenlive if I remember it right. Something to consider.

Click to expand...

Been here with Mint Xfce and Xubuntu also.

Ubuntu is more up-to-date and bleeding edge. Mint (and Ubuntu LTS) less so but I've found them a tad more stable with fewer problems.

Having the choice is a Very Good Thing I think.

Click to expand...

Found a 2-part study of memory use by Linux desktops:

https://l3net.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/a-memory-comparison-of-light-linux-desktops/

https://l3net.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/a-memory-comparison-of-light-linux-desktops-part-2/

Unfortunately this is an old study, but it shows KDE is the most bloated of Linux desktops. I believe Cinnamon is smaller now than it was in 2013 - smaller than Mate, possibly smaller than Xfce.
P.S. I don't find KDE's gwenview any better than geeqie (bad name) from SourceForge. And GIMP does not use KDE libraries.

from op. cit. article part 1

Interesting graph, wonder if much has changed since then. Makes sense KDE would require more with all the features/customization it brings. Coincidentally, I've had Kubuntu crash on me a couple times this morning, while making some simple desktop changes most recently. Guess ver 15.10 still needs some work, or I suppose it could be my older system.

Ubuntu uses the Gnome 3 desktop (I think) so is a bit lighter. Seems to work better on this older iMac anyway so will use it primarily for now.

--

Bob

Explore Bob’s 898 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

Austinian · Feb 2, 2016

Hank Pi said:
Hank Pi said:

Found a 2-part study of memory use by Linux desktops:

https://l3net.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/a-memory-comparison-of-light-linux-desktops/

https://l3net.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/a-memory-comparison-of-light-linux-desktops-part-2/

Unfortunately this is an old study, but it shows KDE is the most bloated of Linux desktops. I believe Cinnamon is smaller now than it was in 2013 - smaller than Mate, possibly smaller than Xfce.

Click to expand...

KDE is not a "lightweight" desktop, but on a computer likely to be used for photo editing it is fine. Being able to use the latest KDE applications such as digiKam and Kdenlive make it worthwhile. Mint Xfce is a good choice for low-powered computer such as netbooks. My wife and I just donated a couple of Asus EeePCs to a public school in a remote village in the Philippines. I tried Cinnamon at first but switched them to Xfce which loaded much faster.

I've been very pleased with the stability of Mint KDE, running in a VM. Nowhere near the latest cutting-edge stuff (I have an experimental Manjaro 15.12 install for that) but it's handled most of my browsing and all of my email needs without a problem of any kind.

Liking Linux, need a PC now...

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