LINUX Distro Installs

of this web-page author

A MENU of LINKS to
Detailed Descriptions
of the Installs



My preferred distro, circa 2021.

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This Linux Distro Installs Menu page

This page links to documentation on more than 7 Linux
'distro' installs - from 2009 through 2021 (and beyond?).

< Go to Menu, below. >
(Skip the following INTRO.)

INTRODUCTION :

After several years of experimenting with several different Linux 'distros' (from about 2006 to 2008), in 2009 I finally found a Linux distro (Ubuntu 9.10, 2009 October, 'Karmic Koala') that would allow me to migrate my 'main' home computer usage from a Microsoft operating system to a Linux operating system.

Around 2009-2010, I put Ubuntu 9.10 on several desktop computers. I also put Ubuntu (9.04 and 9.10) on several Acer 'netbook' computers.

After Ubuntu abandoned the Gnome2 'desktop' environment and Nautilus file-manager and started developing their 'Unity' user interface, I decided to try the Linux Mint distro which, even though it was based on Ubuntu releases, was still using Gnome2-Nautilus for a release or two. This was around the 2011 time frame.

    I really liked the Gnome2-Nautilus desktop environment. It made my 'workflow' --- in web page development and shell-and-Tcl/Tk script development--- flow smoothly.

The Gnome2-Nautilus environment was 'forked' (by a group of Argentine Gnome2 aficionados) to the MATE desktop environment with the Caja file-manager.

Linux Mint, although they started developing their own 'Cinnamon' desktop interface, provided a LinuxMint-MATE release with every LinuxMint-Cinnamon release in the 2011 to 2018 timeframe.

However, I did not like the LinuxMint-MATE releases, because elements of the Cinnamon interface were merged into the MATE environment, resulting in a slower and clumsier interface than the old Gnome2 interface.

An Ubuntu-MATE 'distro' was developed around 2014, and around 2015 it became one of the 'blessed' releases ('flavours') of Ubuntu.

I had a very pain-free installation of Ubuntu-MATE in 2018. I think Ubuntu-MATE will be my favorite distro in the future.

    Just in case I ever have to use LinuxMint-MATE on a desktop or netbook computer, I have documented a way of restoring the 'Top Panel' to the MATE desktop that has been 'gutted' by the LinuxMint folks.


Basis of the Linux Install Menu below:

I provided fairly detailed descriptions of the problems I encountered (and the work-arounds) in the several kinds of 'distros' that I installed.

I started out putting the install descriptions on two web pages --- for 'Ubuntu Installs' and, then, for 'LinuxMint installs'. But those web pages, after a few installs each, became quite unwieldy due to the lengthy descriptions. So some of those pages were 'forked' into other pages.

On some occasions, when I have wanted or needed to refer back to those old installs, I found that it was rather difficult to find a particular install among the long descriptions that were sometimes strung out on a single page --- and sometimes on their own page.

I was finding that it would be nice to have a chronological overview of my various Linux installs.

I decided to make this 'menu of Linux installs' so that I can quickly go to descriptions of any one of my past Linux installs.

Thusly ... the following menu.

MENU of Links to Linux Install Descriptions

(most recent installs first)

  • Ubuntu-MATE 20.04.2 LTS ('Focal Fossa') install
    on an HP laptop computer - 'HPlaptop02'
    (2021 June)

      This 'HPlaptop02' laptop is initially intended to be used for educational & game software to be shown to grandchildren.

      No major problems - like those with 'HPlaptop01'.

  • Ubuntu-MATE 20.04.2 LTS ('Focal Fossa') install
    on an HP laptop computer - 'HPlaptop01'
    (2021 April)

      This 'HPlaptop01' laptop is intended to be used with an Epson scanner --- to scan old photos & slides and a geneological book. The geneological book is in French and the plan is to use OCR software to translate to English.

      Overcame 2 major problems - bad-monitor-video & no-wireless-access.

  • Ubuntu-MATE UPDATE - 16.04.4 LTS to 18.04 LTS UPGRADE-install
    and DATA MIGRATION
    on an Acer DESKTOP computer - 'AcerDesktop1'
    (circa 2019 Oct)

  • Ubuntu-MATE UPDATE - 16.04.4 LTS to 18.04 LTS UPGRADE-install
    on an Acer netbook computer --- 'Acer6'
    (circa 2019 Mar)

      Notes may be provided here at a future date.

  • Ubuntu-MATE 16.04.4 LTS ('Xenial Xerus') install
    on an Acer netbook computer --- 'Acer6'
    (2018 Sep 05)

      With rather detailed notes on boot-menu-tailoring and on additional 'apps' installed.

  • Ubuntu-MATE 16.04.4 LTS ('Xenial Xerus') install
    on an Acer DESKTOP computer - 'AcerDesktop1'
    (2018 April)

      Notes may be provided here at a future date. The install of 16.04 on this desktop computer was similar to the install of 16.04 on Acer netbook 'Acer6', described above. See those notes.

      I was pleasantly surprised that this install-to-disk went very smoothly on this computer with UEFI boot software. There was no need to 'turn off' the 'Secure Boot' feature.

  • LMDE (LinuxMint Debian Edition), 2012april version, 'Live' Install
    on an Acer 'netbook' computer
    (2012 December)

      This 'live' install was NOT followed by an 'install to disk'.
      This install was to investigate an install on a computer with the new UEFI boot software.

      I have netbooks 'Acer6', 'Acer7', 'Acer8', 'Acer9', on which MS Windows 8 or above were pre-installed. I will probably install Ubuntu MATE on at least two of those --- and perhaps give one or two, with Linux, to friends.

  • LMDE (LinuxMint Debian Edition), 2012april version with MATE-Caja (plus Nautilus)
    on an Acer 'netbook' computer --- 'Acer5'
    (2012 June)

  • LinuxMint 11 ('Katya') Install with Gnome2-Nautilus
    on an Acer 'netbook' computer --- 'Acer4'
    (2011 November)

  • Ubuntu 10.10 ('Maverick Meerkat') Install with Gnome2-Nautilus
    on an Acer 'netbook' computer --- 'Acer3'
    (2010 December) (I gave this computer to a friend.)

  • Ubuntu 9.10 ('Karmic Koala') Install with Gnome2-Nautilus
    on an Acer 'netbook' computer --- 'Acer2'
    (2010 November)

  • Ubuntu 9.10 ('Karmic Koala') Install with Gnome2-Nautilus
    on a Cyberpower desktop computer
    (2010 October)

  • Ubuntu 9.10 ('Karmic Koala') Install with Gnome2-Nautilus
    on a 'home-built' desktop computer
    (2009 October)

  • Ubuntu 9.10 ('Karmic Koala') Install with Gnome2-Nautilus
    on a Dell desktop computer
    (2009 October)

  • Ubuntu 9.04 ('Jaunty Jaguar') Install with Gnome2-Nautilus
    on an Acer 'netbook' computer --- 'Acer1'
    (mid 2009)

      I overlaid the horrible 'Linpus' Linux that came on this netbook. Linpus was a offshoot of Fedora Linux.

      Leading up to this first Ubuntu install, I had done installs of other, non-Ubuntu Linux distros in the 2006 to 2009 timeframe, as described on this 'Acer1' page --- Xandros, Mandriva, Mepis.

Bottom of this web page --- a
MENU of LINKS to Linux Install Descriptions.

To return to a previously visited web page location, click on the Back button of your web browser, a sufficient number of times.

OR, use the History-list option of your web browser.

OR ...

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Page history:

Page was created 2018 Aug 26.

Page was changed 2018 Sep 06.
(Added the Ubuntu-MATE 16.04 'Acer6' install menu link.)

Page was changed 2021 May 14.
(Added the Ubuntu-MATE 'HPlaptop01' install menu link.)

Page was changed 2021 May 18.
(Renamed the Ubuntu-MATE 'HPlaptop01' and 'Acer6' install-menu link files to indicate UM-release.)

Page was changed 2021 Jun 10.
(Added the Ubuntu-MATE 'HPlaptop02' install-menu link.)

Page was changed 2021 Sep 04.
(Added some ComputerSpecs, SeaMonkey, Thunderbird links below the 'AcerDesktop1' Ubuntu-MATE 18.04 UPGRADE-install link.)