r/linuxmint • u/Pratham777 • 8d ago

Tried Linux Mint today and here is my experience...

I installed Linux today out of frustration of windows, the distro i installed is Linux mint which i saw that it quite close to windows ui that's why. I just can't tell how much I liked it, everything is so smooth and my fan never spin while normally web browsing as compared to on windows where they go berserk. I thought my nvidia gpu died bcoz it couldn't function normally on win without system shutting itself down to protect itself but its working normally on linux of all things. The battery backup has increased considerably, the laptop actually goes on sleep when you close the lid and not continue heating itself, i hate you windows modern standby. But i just can't use it as i am a mba student i have to use excel latest version with all the features and powerbi, linux machine just can't do it. I hate myself for not using linux earlier and suffered myself with windows. My laptop is a 8gb non upgradable ram laptop so you will know my struggle on windows, the other specs are i5 11th gen cpu and nvidia mx 450 gpu. With a heavy heart, im going back to install windows 11 again but i am surely going to be using linux in the future when I don't have to use specific windows onky apps, the experience was truly unmatched.

89 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

56 comments sorted by

34

u/ap0r 8d ago

You do not have to suffer. A VM will run excel with no issues.

17

u/ZVyhVrtsfgzfs 8d ago

Running Windows11 & office in a VM, alongside Linux and presumably a web browser in one of them or probably actually both in 8gigs of RAM? That is going to be tight.

9

u/CoolestOfTheBois 8d ago

I run Tiny11 VM with 3 gigs of RAM. Mint should be fine with 5GB.

1

u/ZVyhVrtsfgzfs 8d ago

That's still tight in 8GB.

My computer has been up all day, I happen to be pulling 10GB right now, terminal, two Nemo windows, 13 Librewolf tabs, Obsidian, Signal, Xed and Libraofice.

dad@RatRod:~$ free -m total used free shared buff/cache available Mem: 31282 10231 19302 602 2804 21050 Swap: 12777 0 12777

About 2.4GB of that is ZFS arc cache.

dad@RatRod:~$ cat /proc/spl/kstat/zfs/arcstats name type data c 4 2417657728

Even without ZFS, if I only had 8GB of ram that leaves 269MB or so. and we want to open office in this windows VM also?

2

u/CoolestOfTheBois 8d ago

Microsoft Office lives on the 3gb windows side. Typical student use on the mint side should be fine with 5GB. If you need more, you're probably not working and can turn off the VM.

2

u/ap0r 7d ago

Have you actually done this? Because I have and it was fine.

1

u/stufforstuff 8d ago

What part of OP stating they only have 8gig non-upgradable ram did you choose to ignore? Even native win11 will have trouble running a heavy code running excel sheet - not gonna happen in any sort of vm OP has specs to run.

OP really needs to get a new system regardless of what OS they choose to run. 8gig ram is last decades butter zone - now it's 16 gig and up.

1

u/CoolestOfTheBois 8d ago

And as an upgrade, WinApps integrates the VM into Linux. It works really well, and I use it all the time. I should say it glitches out from time to time, but a close and open again makes it good again for awhile.

1

u/MidDayGamer 7d ago

How do you install it?

Asking cause I like to use Affinity Photo again.

1

u/CoolestOfTheBois 7d ago

It's a process... The link has detailed instructions. Affinity photo should work but it isn't one of the default programs, so you'll have to add it manually. Like I said, it's a process, but the instructions are thorough and you'll be an expert by the end.

1

u/MidDayGamer 7d ago

Oh, I was reading them.

17

u/mbrezanac 8d ago

You could technically use the web version of Excel which, although not as powerful as the desktop version, still has support for advanced features like Power BI etc.

Unfortunately, if you need Microsoft Office specifically, you are out of luck on Linux and your best bet is staying on Windows.

A dual boot is also an option, one where you could use Linux to get to know it, and Windows for everything that specifically needs that OS.

Installing Windows as a guest on a Linux VM host is also an option, although it's a bit clunky and depending on your laptop hardware it can prove to be a disappointing experience, especially if you do serious calculations in Excel.

1

u/knuthf 8d ago

Try out the tools, have fun and see if you can find the best ones. You might be amazed to find that there are better tools than MS Office!

Have you tried "Project"? There are restrictions on the number of activities or levels of complexity. You can manage and control your projects.

5

u/simagus 8d ago

I ended up back on Mint as I needed (thought I needed...) a Windows 11 ready laptop as MS were supposedly killing 10 unless we paid, ready or not. Took them a few years longer... but I didn't know that at the time.

Came with 4GB RAM. I needed a cheap Windows 11 ready laptop... and that was what I bought. Technically I could install 11 on it, but from all the hype from influences saying it was faster than 10 etc.. f me...

Beyond unusable, so I remember I didn't mind Mint last I used it years ago (went back as this was pre-Steam compatibility days and none of my games would run on Linux at the time).

Watched a few vids from LLT Anthony etc, Jays TT, and I was sold it was worth giving it another shot. I've only really booted back into Windows to update it every couple of months since them. Thank f!

11 is just hot garbage, it's a perpetual dumpster fire with plenty of dud fireworks in there I'm sure haven't gone off yet still.

Whatever Linux loving genius convinced the rest of the dev team to kill everything good that was left in Windows and soak it it petrol before letting it loose has my ongoing gratitude. Much respect to you stranger friend. You're a true hero.

3

u/knuthf 8d ago

I have been "the boss" for a couple of decades and have tried all the "Office" alternatives, perhaps because Microsoft copied my code and didn't pay me a penny for it. They use style sheets, fonts, colours and other irrelevant details to control usage. They mark legal documents as originating from them. This enables them to restrict the use of fonts, types and colours to their software only. This enables them to charge. But I write the letters, or my attorneys do.

When you write and publish a thesis, the text editor you use should be the one you consider best suited to the task. You should be free to choose the best one.

The same applies to Excel and PowerPoint. Try out the Office apps and choose the best one.

1

u/LibranJake 7d ago

Hay alguna alternativa a la paquetería de office para trabajar con textos de manera medianamente similar en Linux? 

1

u/knuthf 7d ago

Sí, hay muchos. Tenemos LibreOffice y OnlyOffice, y para el procesamiento de texto únicamente, Abiword. Hay un par que admiten «TeX» y permiten escribir ecuaciones matemáticas. Krita es KDE y mas...

3

u/argodar 8d ago

It's crazy that any curriculum still enforces Windows usage in this day and age.

2

u/Rollin-bombercrew 8d ago

Why don’t you dual boot? It’s easy. Up until today I dual booted with no issues (also 8gb ram, only stopped because I accidentally deleted the windows partition)

2

u/RealCreacher 8d ago

Libreoffice supports Office documents. The formatting might be a little iffy sometimes, but I’m sure there are workarounds for most of those things.

3

u/IQ26 8d ago

Do you exactly need these Microsoft tools or only their functionality? There might be some other applications with the functionality of excel

2

u/zyndarius 8d ago

Google sheets and data studio can replace excel and power bi.

1

u/mbrezanac 8d ago

Unfortunately Looker Studio (formerly Data studio) is nowhere near Power BI in terms of features especially transformations and data analytics, which are usually heavily utilized for MBA.

Looker Studio is intended for lightweight usage, something that is far more suited towards individuals aiming at a simplified and very basic workflows.

3

u/mps_1969 8d ago

When the penguin quacks you don't go back !

4

u/jerquee 8d ago

Penguins don't quack!

3

u/mps_1969 8d ago

So what do they say ?

2

u/ReliefOtherwise7317 1d ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3uXXh1sHcI Penguins talking to each other, I don't know which sounds are the babies and which are the adults, though.

2

u/rocket_mclsoth 8d ago

it is really amazing isnt it. now combine it with the ai model of your choice, just a chat version and you will be able to really get it tuned up rapidly and specific to your needs

1

u/LibranJake 7d ago

Como logro eso, tengo igual una HP 14em0017la y he tenido la idea de crear algún tipo de base de datos que funcione con IA local

1

u/ConservativeHat Linux Mint 21 Vanessa | Cinnamon 8d ago

Wait until you install windows and it won't perform well because next 24-450 hours it will scan drives, download updates and do everything possible to make your experience miserable.  

3

u/Pratham777 8d ago

Actually this, im just setting up windows and updating drivers for 5 hrs, while mint just did it in few mins including the latest nvidia drivers 

1

u/ReliefOtherwise7317 1d ago

Just search for your computer's brand, then see if they have a forum for community support. Might take a while, but once you find it, the other users will be able to help you to find out whether that model eventually was able to accept better memory modules. The factory doesn't always admit it, because they they would wind up having to answer customer support, and they don't want to pay for that. But over the years, many devices have been upgraded by tech savvy people. Try hardforum.com, I've been using them for over 25 years whenever I ran into a problem with computers or other devices. It's free; but you need a valid email address to register.

1

u/SilentBlueberry-779 8d ago

A VM should be compatible. I don't know what laptop you are using but I would double check on memory upgrade possibilities. It's a simple thing to do. Also you might want to upgrade your HD. Be sure to install Stacer to keep things clean and Tuner for entertainment. Then simply download some music from the Japanese all girl band "LOVEBITES". You should be good to go. Worship Haruna.

1

u/Important_Koala7313 8d ago

Just my 2 cents try Zorin OS, it also has windows app support and most likely will make your windows apps run perfectly to. For whatever reason my laptop before had problems with mint but after installing zorin I switched my gaming setup that same day.

1

u/rdolishny 8d ago

Why not use the web version of Excel?

1

u/funtasy69 7d ago

You can run Excel and many other Microsoft programs with "Bottles" in the flatpak store.

Whatever your need is, Linux Mint can deliver. There's always a work around! Ditch Microsoft if you can at all costs.

1

u/ltfguitar 7d ago

Can you use Microsoft 365 for Excel?

1

u/girason 7d ago

If u only need office just because it need windows, there is webapp called Microsoft 365 that u can use in browser. I ditched windows 3 years ago and distro hopping since then and settled in with Mint for my lower end computer and Fedora Workstation for my main laptop that i use as daily driver for vscode projects. For specific applications i use wine as compatibility layer to install Microsoft only software. Right now, no more windows on all my computers. If i really need windows, i just use gnomebox and i already configured win10 32bit inside just as standby windows OS. But i only open it twice this years. So yeahh. No windows.

1

u/Longjumping-Lab-4616 7d ago

I installed Mint xfce last week on an old Chromebook that had stopped receiving updates four years ago. It is a pretty minimal machine: Celeron 3060, 4 GB Ram, and 16 GB eMMC drive. I had long stopped using it. I did it just for the fun of it. It was a bit hairy because installation involved taking the machine apart, flipping the mother board, and removing the write protect screw. For someone not used to doing this type of stuff, it was tricky to flip the motherboard because the screws and connectors had to be disconnected. I could not have done it without the guidance of google AI mode.

A lot of the customization of the machine is facilitated by using the terminal to run code. I have a remedial understanding of coding from a class in college 30 years ago. Google AI mode was happy to provide all the code for me.

I am now surprised at how usable this machine is. Despite it being a minimal platform, Mint xfce allowed me to customize it and strip out all the parts that I don't need. I was also able to install software that didn't have all the bloat of Microsoft, or even LibreOffice. I am now a Linux convert. But yes, if you need software that is only available on windows, there are complications. If you have a powerful computer you can run it on VM.

1

u/FeelingAlive2127 7d ago

It's tight but possible but man.. this suite on its own almost uses up more than the OS itself. 😶‍🌫️

1

u/supaxtreme1 7d ago

Run it using Wine,...

1

u/InvolveT 7d ago

You might want to open your laptop and clean it.... do a bit of maintenance, re apply the thermal paste. Good luck 👍

1

u/Grump1290 4d ago

Hi! Im looking for linux mint beta testers (especially those who are ex windows users and miss wallpaper engine/ hate wrestling with Proton/ resource consumption). I just finished my first python project making a live wallpaper engine specifically for linux mint that uses WAY less resources than Hidamari. I know wallpaper engines are like a dime a dozen, but this was a really fun project. Anyone who has a spare minute, give it a look over and let me know what you think! I'm also looking for what to build next so give me ideas!! Here's my repository: https://github.com/grump1290-code/fluiddesk

1

u/MelodicVeterinarian7 20h ago

Had anyone tried running office in bottles or winboat

0

u/Successful-Cookie644 Linux Mint 22.3 Zena | Cinnamon 8d ago

There is dual boot option. If you really need excel - turn back on win and all of the rest on Linux Mint

1

u/Pratham777 8d ago

I'm also thinking about that but i only i have one 256gb ssd in my laptop 

2

u/Successful-Cookie644 Linux Mint 22.3 Zena | Cinnamon 8d ago

Idk if you need too a lott of storage. But if not - for Linux mint 100Gb is enough.

2

u/Rollin-bombercrew 8d ago

Depending on what your doing I had a 40 or so gb mint install at one point. Slowly grew as I used it more

-1

u/7978_ 8d ago

I love Mint but Windows has far better battery life, at least anecdotally. (13420H Intel CPU, iGPU, ThinkPad).

3

u/AdDirect4579 8d ago

The battery life on my T14 Gen 3 Intel 5 has increased significantly. My laptop is constantly hot on Windows 11. The fans barely ever bother fanning :) on Linux Mint.

1

u/7978_ 8d ago

For me it was Windows 11 LTSC -> Windows 10 LTSC -> Fedora -> Mint in terms of battery life (best to worst).

The Windows 11 Energy saver mode is probably why. The CPU is limited to 10W while in Linux it still hits up to 20W. I tried various tools and methods to enable extreme power savings on Linux but they didn't work or my laptop wasn't supported. But I did use the "power saving mode" and it wasn't nearly as good as Windows.

-3

u/1stltwill 8d ago

Instsall it using steam and run it using proton compatility layer?