Inherited a Laptop with Linux Installed

[null_ID]

I agree that the battery has likely just gotten old and/or wasn't looked after. I have noticed that even when shutdown and sitting unused for a few days, the next time I turn it on, the battery percent has dropped noticeably even though it was turned off.

The battery would be easy to replace, it is "external" and has two sliders to loosen and remove it. But the laptop is so heavy, with a 15-inch screen and built solid (I think it's a business model) and weighing much, much more than my Laptops 1 & 2.

So the battery issue I will ignore and only run from the power at home. I am seeing it as an opportunity to see what all the fuss is about Linux, and maybe learn something.

About the Linux Mint, I will stay with that because I have no reason to switch. It runs smooth and nothing has happened yet to make me think that the experience will be better (or easier) with a different Linux. But I will look into upgrading to a newer version of Mint.

Occasionally, I read replies here saying something like "Oh, you're running Windows, that's why you have poor performance or some other issue." So it will be interesting for me to see how Pale Moon works on it. 

Ma'am, consider the Fluxbox-version of MX Linux. This variant is light on resources, while providing you with full access to Debian's software repository, meaning easy software installs and a robust, reliable code base that hasn't failed me yet. Version 23 has, of course, more up-to-date code base than the Mint you have now, and as an added bonus, Steve Pusser now officially supports all of your Pale Moon needs with his .deb-builds that specifically target MX Linux.

Also, consider learning how to dual boot variants of Puppy Linux. If you do this, you'll come to appreciate the benefits of being able to run a full desktop environment completely from RAM. You'll gain an additional layer of protection against malware. If you catch something, just power down the machine and let the whole RAM-session flush. Now you're clean again. Being able to run a system "live" will also enable you to do easy disaster recovery in cases of corrupt/borked installs, where the main OS will no longer boot. It'll be a learning experience. That hardware is still so relatively fresh, putting Fluxbox MX Linux on it will literally take it to the moon.

[null_ID]

Lucky for me that I made the switch to a web-based image editor because now I don't need to waste time searching for something to replace Paint.net on my Linux laptop. I just keep using Photopea, like I was yesterday on Windows.

Krita. 'Nuff said. You could try their official AppImage.

[suzyne]

Ma'am, consider the Fluxbox-version of MX Linux.

Also, consider learning how to dual boot variants of Puppy Linux.

I appreciate your enthusiasm and tips, but I don’t fall into the demographic who wants to try out different versions of Linux. I am only using this laptop with Linux Mint on it because that is what it came with. If it had Windows 10, I would be quite satisfied and not looking to put Linux on it. Sorry, but for me the OS of a computer is just a way to run the apps I want to use, and not a hobby.

Steve Pusser now officially supports all of your Pale Moon needs with his .deb-builds

I am not sure why I would want a different Linux version of Pale Moon anyway, when the one from here is the most up-to-date and is working fine?

[suzyne]

Linux Mint Update Messages

Some messages during the update. In the second pic, I am thinking to myself, I have no experience to know if I should choose No or Yes, so I just pick yes and hope for a good outcome. I think it all worked in the end, but reading screenshots like these is disorienting when there is little indication of what to do to resolve them. (My internet connection is fine.) If I want to actually understand the severity of what I saw, and what needs to be done, if anything, I guess a visit to DuckDuckGo is the way to go? Which I will do when I have the time, as I am not asking for answers here!

Screenshot from 2024-12-12 10-14-44.png (71.78 KiB) Viewed 242 times

[Night Wing]

@ suzyne

Looks like the repository for Chrome is on Google's end and there is something wrong with it. Chrome is not in the Mint repository. If you look under Internet in the Mint menu, see if the Chrome browser is there. It may or may not be.

For reference, the Mint menu is named the Whisker Menu. Looking back at your screenshot, the Whisker Menu is located on the Panel at the bottom of your laptop's screen at the far left corner of the screen with the white colored initials "LM". Right above the WM launcher is the word, "Done" so this will help you find it easily.

If you start to get used to Mint and you like it, don't be put off by those error screens. If you need help, the Linux Mint Forums is the best place for help and it is better than using the Google search engine.

The Mint Forums is where I went to ask for help when I first started using Mint on an everyday basis along with dual booting Windows 7. All you have to do is register and become a member. The members on the Mint forums are friendly and very helpful for newcomers coming over from Windows. And I am a member on the Mint Forums site using the same username and owl avatar just like you see here on this Pale Moon forums site.

For future reference, the link to the Mint Forums site is below.

https://forums.linuxmint.com/

If you decide to become a member of the Mint forums, if you need help, sometimes it will involve the members there asking for your system's full information. Remember the Update Manager's shield? Again, with your screenshot, to the left of the shield is the Systems Report launcher icon. Left click on it and the Systems Report window will open.

To the far left of the window will list three items. Left click on the one that says; "System information" and it will list lots of information on that laptop. When the info appears, there will be so much info, you will have to scroll all the way down to the bottom of that window to see all of the info.