Linux Mint Shakes Ubuntu, Replaces As The Top Distro

Linux Mint Shakes Ubuntu, Replaces As The Top Distro
Tue, 2011-11-08 03:39 by Swapnil Bhartiya

Yesterday we published about Linux Mint's secret project for Gnome users and Clem's claims that soon they will overtake Ubuntu. Seems like he spoke too late. Today Linux Mint has broken the 6 year old record and replaced Ubuntu as the most popular Linux-based distribution on Distro Watch. Linux Mint sits on top with 2199 and Ubuntu slides to the second spot with 2011 rating.

*www.muktware.com/sites/default/files/images/generic/Linux-mint-distro.png

What does it mean?
I doesn't necessarily mean that there are more Linux Mint users than the Ubuntu users. The ratings on Distrowatch only reflects the number of hits a particular page gets. Ubuntu has becomes extremely popular and is now widely used. A majority of Ubuntu users don't even visit the Distrowatch to find more about the distro. They upgrade to the newer version from the Ubuntu site itself.

Distrowatch reflects the number of visit of that page, which essentially mean that news users or the 'distro-hunters' who test and try new distros are clicking more about Linux Mint than on Ubuntu.

What is does reflect is that Ubuntu is facing some new challenges from users who are not vary happy with the whole Unity switch. Another reason is Gnome 3 which has yet to bring back all the functionality that a user would get. It will be interesting to see how users respond to Linux Mint when it switches to Gnome 3. Interestingly they will maintain a Gnome 2 version as well.

I do trust that Canonical will keep enhancing Ubuntu and keeping it as the world's third most popular operating system after Windows and Mac.

With Linux Mint users now have more reasons to ditch Windows.

Best of both worlds, should I say?

Source - Linux Mint Shakes Ubuntu, Replaces As The Top Distro | Muktware

Thanks

G

blame the unity

Distrowatch is NOT an accurate representation of the market share of Linux Desktop.
But hell yeah Ubuntu is being less favoured recently, thanks to piling up of bugs, power issues, boot up speed, and the Unity desktop.

Liverpool_fan said:
Distrowatch is NOT an accurate representation of the market share of Linux Desktop.
But hell yeah Ubuntu is being less favoured recently, thanks to piling up of bugs, power issues, boot up speed, and the Unity desktop.

Mint is slightly more conservative than Ubuntu which is going radical. Mint has kept its newbie userbase in mind. Ubuntu has forgotten the users of seems. Distrowatch figures mean little though. But mint will sooner or later overtake ubuntu

Krow said:
But mint will sooner or later overtake ubuntu

Ironically, Mint is based on Ubuntu itself.

Krow said:
But mint will sooner or later overtake ubuntu

No it won't. Ubuntu will get it right, sooner or later. Ubuntu always has the mainstream media attention, it will always be the top Linux distro.

gopi_vbboy said:
blame the unity

this

Well from a complete newbie mint is better for sure but I prefer ubuntu for obviour reasons.

Ah well, let's see. I think the Mint approach to its users is better than that of Ubuntu

I moved to Linux Mint yesterday and am not going back to Ubuntu. Ubuntu 11.10 now look to me more like a mix of win7, OS X and a million bugs. Worst thing is the placement of menu on the top bar and taskbar locked to the side with no option to keep it unhidden. 10.10 is the last perfect version of Ubuntu. 11.xx can go to hell.

^You should have waited for a bit. Mint 12 is just around the corner. Anyway, even I may not return to Ubuntu.

I am currently using Ubuntu 11.10 and I absolutely hate it. Current'y trying to use it with Cairo GLX dock. Both Unity and Gnome 3.0 are really bad and essentially unusable for whoever wants to "work" on their system. They make it really hard to multitask and work with several windows while working or projects. Now I am waiting for Linux Mint 12 to release so that I may install that. Working on Windows 7 till then.

baccilus said:
Both Unity and Gnome 3.0 are really bad and essentially unusable for whoever wants to "work" on their system. .

There's nothing wrong with Gnome 3. Use it for a week, rather than few minutes before calling it bad.
Gnome 3 has the best multitasking environment in fact.

And Linux Mint 12 is using Gnome 3 as well. For getting the Linux Mint experience, you can try Gnome Shell + MGSE in the distro of your choice.
*www.webupd8.org/2011/11/try-new-mint-gnome-shell-extensions.html

I am honestly in love with GNOME 3 + shell.

GNOME 3 is cursed. It puked on my desktop on the very first run.

JojoTheDragon said:
GNOME 3 is cursed. It puked on my desktop on the very first run.

Actually those were AMD drivers.

Its been a month since I installed 11.10
thanks to AMD drivers, I can't run GNOME 3 in its full glory
still waiting for some bugs fixes

If the situation remains same, I'll have to either plug in my old 9800gt or go for other Distros

For me, Fedora all the way. Ubuntu looks more like a windows OS rather than a linux based one, and so is mint.

But I would say, mint is always being under-rated as a flavor of linux.

Krow said:
^You should have waited for a bit. Mint 12 is just around the corner. Anyway, even I may not return to Ubuntu.

Mint 12 will be ready by May. I don't think it's 'around the corner'.

JojoTheDragon said:
GNOME 3 is cursed. It puked on my desktop on the very first run.

Liverpool_fan said:
Actually those were AMD drivers.

Piyush said:
Its been a month since I installed 11.10
thanks to AMD drivers, I can't run GNOME 3 in its full glory
still waiting for some bugs fixes

Install Fedora 16. Works fine.

Only a small fix needed for high fan speed/noise/temperature if you use a discrete GPU which I've explained in this post: FedoraForum.org - View Single Post - F16 ATI catalyst

V

The only problem I have with Mint is , I cannot connect my Tata Photon with it.

desiibond said:
Mint 12 will be ready by May. I don't think it's 'around the corner'.

No! Mint 12 RC is already here: Index of /pub/linuxmint.com/testing

It should be on the official website soon. The final release usually is here a week or two after the RC.

Virus said:
The only problem I have with Mint is , I cannot connect my Tata Photon with it.

Linux drivers don't work?

V

Krow said:
Linux drivers don't work?

Drivers ? For Photon ? I never found any drivers for photon

The instructions given in there website is for Fedora, and it works automatically in ubuntu and Fedora but...

Only it is not working in Mint. Any solutions pls. (offtopic, sorry!)

^^ post the problem in their website.