confusion.....

[David H]

I am currently running linux mint 18 Sarah with the cinnamon desktop. It runs very well with only one issue to date. It seems impossible to set separate backgrounds on each of my 2 monitors without jumping through hurtles with gimp just to change out backgrounds. This caused me to go on a search for better options. One option was nitrogen. It is fine. It works the way I want it to with the exception of having to perform a setup of my wallpapers all over again with each startup/restart. No firm, working option has been found.
Before linux I was using Kubuntu with the Plasma 5 desktop. That was a comedy of errors. Each time I started the PC my backgrounds, panels, and widgets would be reset to any sort of configuration designed to irritate the user. Before that was (ugh) windows. Constant concern over malware and viruses with no sure AV to control it all.
I truly love, for the most part, the OS flavors from linux. All I wish to know is an app that will work with my current OS and not require that I reset the desktop before doing any work.
Any help would be most appreciated.

 

[Rabor]

Hi Dave,
I see you're having problems with understanding Linux. Linux is just the kernel, nothing more, the operating system. That's it. The various flavours as you call them are the various distro's written by different people to cater for different needs. These go on top of the Linux kernel, which is similar in function to the Windows BIOS.

Window is everybody's friend and nobody's friend. It tries to cater for all users on all sorts of different architectures (PC's from Dell, HP, Samsung and the like). The main difference in Linux to this is that you have to do the system maintenance work and the like on your own. This can be onerous, but the main benefit is that you have total control over your machines and can do the repairs as and when you like.

BUT, to do this, you will have to get rid of your Windows mentality. I am busy with exactly that task right now. This will also be your biggest task in talking to customers. Personally I have been looking at Gentoo for a long time, but their installation handbook was very confusing. Now I see the site has matured and they lead you in a sensible way to install it.

Get this at the gentoo home site.

The gentoo site has a lot of other information. I am not punting this distro, it will just give you a wide overview in how things Linux work. Get to know the distro's well from the bottom up. Then you can choose anything and advize well.

Another site I found just yesterday is IBM's site.

I am not punting any company. These people just have been in the game for a long time and it is the best discussion I have seen on Linux for another long time.

The one main thing you have to understand is that with Linux you do it ALL. The freedom of choice may be very confusing in the beginning, but it will be well worth your while. Be patient, educate yourself and it will come together. Google, do your homework so that you can prove it when you visit sites.

Since you are advizing others, do not just listen to what other boffs have to say. You do not have a bad attitude anyway, but build your own quality of information. Stand on your own feet. Linux is the ideal place for it.