Bellicose Bumpkin

I’ve been playing around with several Linux distributions on my old Dell D600 laptop. Initially I threw Ubuntu 9.1(Karmic Koala) on it but had problems with the desktop freezing every time I started up an application. I got around that by putting on some alternate desktop environments that I’d been wanting to play around with including XFCE, Fluxbox, and IceWM. Shortly after getting it installed, the disk died so I figured I’d try out some other Ubuntu related distributions. I tried Kubuntu – a KDE based(versus Gnome) based distro. I tried out my old favorite Mepis Linux and last but not least Linux Mint 8 Helena. There are great reviews of Linux Mint out there. This is not one of them. This post is to help others with freezing issues related to Dell D600 laptops and Ubuntu-based distributions.
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Linux Mint is also Ubuntu based but includes proprietary codecs and a highly customized theme that looks very different from Ubuntu. With Linux being an open source operating system, most distrubutions do not include any proprietary software. Most users will expend some effort to get support for playing mp3, windows media files, quicktime, and encrypted dvds. Mint includes all that.
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My install had the same problems as most of the Ubuntu 9.1 based distros I’ve been trying lately – it froze. This freezing issue seems to be related to Compiz and probably the X driver for the laptop’s video card – an ATI Mobility Radeon 9000. Selecting the OEM install got me through the installation problem – but still had the freezing issue when starting all or most applications. That was solved by right clicking on the desktop and setting the desktop effects to “none”. You lose some of the spiffy effects on the desktop but actually get a more responsive desktop. The D600 is getting a little long in the tooth and doesn’t have the horsepower for overly flashy desktop effects.
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Linux Mint has an interesting looking desktop – quite different from the Ubuntu and Redhat based distributions I usually run. My first impression is very positive – it is an attractive environment and feels very responsive. It will be getting a good workout here at home – particularly with the kids. They’ll be using it when the main computer (Windows XP) is occupied. My 8 year old was using it last night to watch a Star Wars/Clone Wars episode he missed and to browse for Star Wars Legos on Amazon. So much for Linux being too difficult to use.