There's More Distros in the Sea...

[comradekingu]

I think thats the answer to a good question. Technically it isnt the login screen, but it is what you want. (rather than running distros in your distro)

What you do is you go with manual partitioning, and set up a say 15GB space for each distro you want. Lets say 4 of those.

Then you use the rest of the disk as /home.

Each time you install a new one, you just use a vacant 15GB slot that you have set up, and point it towards the same /home in the installer without formatting.

That way you can share your config and setup and userfiles (/home) across all the distros.  And you can nuke a distro if you want.

When the bootloader comes up, (which will be grub2 unless you make amends) you can select among the installed distros.

 

[DatNOBoi]

I just thought for a second that there was the possibility of booting up each different distro from a login screen.

There's not much difference to choosing your distro from the grub screen.

True. A login screen looks prettier though.

I think thats the answer to a good question. Technically it isnt the login screen, but it is what you want. (rather than running distros in your distro)

What you do is you go with manual partitioning, and set up a say 15GB space for each distro you want. Lets say 4 of those.

Then you use the rest of the disk as /home.

Each time you install a new one, you just use a vacant 15GB slot that you have set up, and point it towards the same /home in the installer without formatting.

That way you can share your config and setup and userfiles (/home) across all the distros.  And you can nuke a distro if you want.

When the bootloader comes up, (which will be grub2 unless you make amends) you can select among the installed distros.

Oh! That's a neat idea! Never even thought of that before. Thanks!

 

[ShleeDragon]

Ubuntu is a mistake. Always.

 

[DatNOBoi]

Ubuntu is a mistake. Always.

Ain't a mistake for me thus far.

 

[DatNOBoi]

Okay, guys, gals, and developer robots alike. Here's something I'd like to address.

Y'know about the method of download for Linux that involves the command line? That within itself is not an issue, but the commands have to be some of the most damnest things ever.

I'm fine with going through the command line to get/install programs that aren't already on my computer, aren't in the Software Center/Synaptic, or already in a binary folder, but I wasn't expecting to have to know how to hack into Mt. St. Helens' secret doomsday device just to play games with a Playstation controller. C'mon now.

 

[WizardStan]

Eh? Whenever that happens it asks me whether I want to remove the conflicting package and even names it.

Yes, it was asking me if I wanted to remove libgl-nvidia in order to install libgl-mesa. If I said no, the upgrade failed because libgl-mesa was a dependency for... something. I could never figure out what. Eventually in order to finish the upgrade I just let it install libgl-mesa, which came with its own set of dependencies, and uninstalled libgl-nvidia which resulted in a lot of other stuff being removed too. I was eventually able to sort it all out with little problem but it would have been easier if pacman were a little more verbose about its updates.

 

[TrashyMG]

Y'know about the method of download for Linux that involves the command line? That within itself is not an issue, but the commands have to be some of the most damnest things ever.

What are you downloading? I can think of a half dozen commands to download various things from the web,ftp sites,git repositories.. etc.

Once you become friends with the command line you will find all that mouse flailing annoying.

 

[DatNOBoi]

Y'know about the method of download for Linux that involves the command line? That within itself is not an issue, but the commands have to be some of the most damnest things ever.

What are you downloading? I can think of a half dozen commands to download various things from the web,ftp sites,git repositories.. etc.


Once you become friends with the command line you will find all that mouse flailing annoying.

QTSixA, and just getting it was an experience. Here I am under the impression that I can just sudo apt-get anything I want, but not this time. I had to search for instructions on how to actually install this thing just to find the proper commands.

 

[TrashyMG]

QTSixA, and just getting it was an experience. Here I am under the impression that I can just sudo apt-get anything I want, but not this time. I had to search for instructions on how to actually install this thing just to find the proper commands.

So these instructions on their official page didn't work properly?

An Ubuntu PPA (from Intrepid to Oneiric) is also available.

Just add ppa:falk-t-j/qtsixa to your software sources, then reload the sources and install the package "qtsixa".

Or you can do all this by simply running these commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:falk-t-j/qtsixa

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install qtsixa

 

[DatNOBoi]

QTSixA, and just getting it was an experience. Here I am under the impression that I can just sudo apt-get anything I want, but not this time. I had to search for instructions on how to actually install this thing just to find the proper commands.

So these instructions on their official page didn't work properly?

An Ubuntu PPA (from Intrepid to Oneiric) is also available.


Just add ppa:falk-t-j/qtsixa to your software sources, then reload the sources and install the package "qtsixa".


Or you can do all this by simply running these commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:falk-t-j/qtsixa


sudo apt-get update


sudo apt-get install qtsixa

I actually got those commands from a random YouTube video when I tried searching for installation instructions. I didn't find the official site.

They worked though, so I'll get over it.

 

[mcobit]

You will have to live with things not being easy sometimes.


Just wait until you experience the joy of compiling stuff before you can use it


Ah wait... I think that's fun actually...

 

[Pickle]

Ah wait... I think that's fun actually...

i play gcc all the time, what your best score?

 

[Yoyobuae]

Compilers should come with a minigame to play meanwhile they compile your stuff. :lol:

 

[DatNOBoi]

You will have to live with things not being easy sometimes.

True.

 

[F_Slim]

I actually got those commands from a random YouTube video when I tried searching for installation instructions. I didn't find the official site.

Seriously? It's the first result if you just google for "QTSixA" :blink:

If you want to survive under Linux, you definately need to work on your Google-skills!!

 

[_wb_]

I think it's usually pointless to discuss in terms of distros in general when you are really talking about default window managers or installers or package management systems or stuff like that. It makes more sense to discuss apt vs rpm or Gnome vs KDE etc.

 

[DatNOBoi]

I actually got those commands from a random YouTube video when I tried searching for installation instructions. I didn't find the official site.

Seriously? It's the first result if you just google for "QTSixA" :blink:

If you want to survive under Linux, you definately need to work on your Google-skills!!

Lol not bad!

I actually don't use Google outside of Google Maps; I use IxQuick.

Speaking of which, now I know why it wasn't the 1st result. I looked up 'how to install QTSixA' instead of just typing it in, and that YouTube video popped up early.

 

I think it's usually pointless to discuss in terms of distros in general when you are really talking about default window managers or installers or package management systems or stuff like that. It makes more sense to discuss apt vs rpm or Gnome vs KDE etc.

You're right. It is useless unless you're trying to get used to actually using it.

...okay, that came off as kind of snide, which I didn't mean for it to, but you get my point.

 

[rygD]

Once you become friends with the command line you will find all that mouse flailing annoying.

This.  As long as you kinda know what you are trying to do it might be easier and quicker from the command line.  Recently I had a few tasks I only know how to do from the CLI, unless I wanted to spend 100 times longer doing each step from the GUI.

If you want to survive under Linux, you definately need to work on your Google-skills!!

Also, RTFM.  These 2 things are typically very true when it comes to computers in general.  Always look for a more reliable source than a random YouTube video.

 

[DatNOBoi]

I can actually compare using the command line vs. the mouse in Linux right now with installing something as an example. This is assuming that the files aren't in nice, little binary packages.

GUI (the way just about every end-user uses their computer) :

-Download something using either a bittorrent client, Software Manager, or web browser.

-Find the directory it's in

-Extract it with the archive manager

-Somehow manually install it (haven't tried doing that).

Command line (This is assuming that all commands are known, there's no problems regarding dependencies, and the user knows where the file is downloaded to) :

-Download something through the command line

-Open the directory in the command line

(If file is compressed, extract it with the command line)

-Install the file with the command line

Basically, the command line reduces all of those steps to a single interface, which is nice if someone's willing to learn (which I am). Just don't ask most end-users to switch to Linux just to force them to learn how to use the command line. Does Linux Mint try to circumvent this? I know it's a non-issue, but I'm just asking.

 

[TrashyMG]

Basically, the command line reduces all of those steps to a single interface, which is nice if someone's willing to learn (which I am). Just don't ask most end-users to switch to Linux just to force them to learn how to use the command line.

Well for me I grew up with computers before Windows was a thing, It wasn't until the mid 90's when I started using it and I didn't like it since it ate up valuable hard-drive space that could be used for games. In the late 90's I got a job that required using a lot of Unix based systems and it got me interested in Linux at home.. So for me dealing with the command line is something I was familiar with most of my life.. I can see how some are a bit overwhelmed by it.

Does Linux Mint try to circumvent this?

Not that I know of, I mean most distributions now are fairly easy to new users.