Linux Mint 12 released - A Peacemaker?

I am now downloading Linux Mint 12. I have heard some say that it is still a release candidate. That RC is in the title. Make sure when you go to the mirror go to the STABLE folder, then 12 and then download the appropriate iso. It won't have RC in the name at all.

I'll wait and see how MATE pans out. The GNOME 3 extensions Clem and co created don't give me what I want, not even close. I don't have to do anything re upgrading my desktop until April 2013.

I'm currently running Ubuntu 10.10 and dependency hell is starting to become a real issue for me.

Major versions of repository software are getting rather old.

A case in point: the version of alsa-plugins is too old for compatibility with the latest Wine 1.3.33 handling underun. So I either have to work the alsa version in by hand or upgrade to *something*.

I did give Kubuntu a good go, but I just found KDE 4.7 SO annoying. It just doesn't work the way that I do.

I tried Linux Mint 12 RC and MATE it does look promising. It kinda feels a bit like Windows 95 which is a plus for me. I would certainly prefer it to be more like the default Gnome 2 installation desktop though.

It's just so darn irritating that me (and many others) really do like the Gnome 2 desktop and we want to stick with it.

If you like/don't mind/can put up with eye candy in the way of Docky (therefore compiz) then you might want to look at Pinguy OS. When Ubuntu went with Unity and I saw the writing on the wall I looked for something else. I tried the 11.04 release of Pinguy which used Gnome 2.3 and ended up liking Docky.

Well, now they have released 11.10 with Gnome 3. But, they have used Docky and a menu and enough extensions that it is almost exactly like the 11.04 release. I have the new one running on a test system and so far it's looking pretty good for me.

If you don't like the flashy stuff, you won't like it I guess.

I upgraded to Ubuntu 11.10 on desktops and Mint 12 on a laptop. The gnome classic (without effects) in both cases works OK. The panel applets I used to use in gnome 2 have been ported (invest and weather) and actually work better than gnome 2.32 in Ubuntu 11.04. The menus are not as nice and the theming isn't very pretty as little attention has been paid to fallback but it is a tolerable solution for me as an old gnome 2 fan.

On the laptop I tried Mint 12 and the gnome-shell with MSGE is OK providing you install an additional extension to put icons in the panel available here:

http://intgat.tigress.co.uk/rmy/extensions/index.html

The relevant extension is called Favourites in Panel. My productivity is almost back to gnome 2 and Mint 12 certainly looks and feels much slicker which while an apparently superficial consideration can be important for long stints at the computer (less irritation more candy)

MATE is not ready yet imo. The menus and fonts still suck.

Just my 2c

I just downloaded Lubuntu (de-auto-corrected on edit) 10.04 (based on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS)... Nice,... a couple of tweaks & it was running Cairo-dock & Compiz, like I do on regular Ubuntu 10.04... I think I've found my new desktop...

@JaseP

You downloaded Ubuntu 10.04 based on Ubuntu 10.04? :)

It can be done cabreh.

Lubuntu... D@mn auto correct!!! I'll fix it...