The joy of tinkering
Sort out roll-backs so you can customise Linux Mint with impunity and immunity (to problems).
Purveyors of historic issues of Linux Format may be able to correct this, but as far as our research can tell, the first mention of Linux Mint in our magazine came in the Distrowatch column of LXF094, when Mint 2.2 was released. Even back then Mint was notable for its out of the box experience, bundling codecs, Java and Flash plug-ins and wireless firmware, saving users from having to shoehorn those on there using fragile instructions from a random forum post.
That experience remains central to Mint, and though wireless hardware is well supported on most distros (and no one needs Flash any more), it still shines. Right from the Welcome screen in fact, which will invite you to set up backups using Timeshift, switch keyboard layouts, or send and receive files from another machine using Warpinator. Oh and there are minimise buttons on windows in Cinnamon – a trend fast disappearing on other desktops, but one which makes many a user feel at home.
Other desktops are going full steam ahead with Client Side Decorations (CSD, which allows applications to draw their own titlebars). This might allow programs to make best use of space and provide a coherent interface. Or it might make them look inconsistent, clumsy or other pejorative terms – it depends who you talk to. At any rate, Mint’s X-apps are refreshing in their avoidance of the CSD wave, and Mint’s huge fanbase suggests that they’re still doing all they can to keep users happy.
Sooner or later though, you’re going to want to change things up. It generally starts with changing your desktop background and Cinnamon theme. These are important, but also quite easy – easy enough that you don’t need us to tell you how to do them. What we’ll be doing is a little more earth-moving. Tectonic stuff like installing whole new desktop environments, swish display managers, maybe even switching to the Wayland display protocol. And while these aren’t without risk, Mint’s Timeshift program allows you to back up your system files (much like Apple’s Time Machine or Windows Restore Points), affording an easy way to undo any desktop mishaps.
Even if nothing goes wrong, it’s handy to be able to roll back to a cleaner system rather than unpick changes manually: see the walkthrough below. If you’ve already got Timeshift set up, take a manual snapshot now before pouring in all the packages over the page. Go on, you know it makes sense!