I would like to, but I’m running Arch with Cinnamon, and that desktop environment only has an experimental version of Wayland implemented. I’ve tried it, and it’s too buggy to be used as a daily driver.

For my own learning and understanding, why does it take that long for GNOME on Arch?

Initially, it is quite bland, but I have already downloaded the Linux Mint themes and backgrounds, plus some other theme options that were recommended to me. So, in terms of themes, I’m okay with that.

As for the Wayland option, that is available as a selection in the Login Screen. I don’t use it very often, because it is quite buggy.

By “news”, I mean do we have any major updates, like improvements to the experimental Wayland support. From the link you shared, that minor update doesn’t really mean much to me.

Overall, pretty decent.

Interesting…for reference, let me share a screenshot of the first two results I get from Kagi.

Cool, I’m liking this new Mozilla already! …NOT!!!

Welcome, friend! Glad you decided to try out and stick with Mint. That’s the distro I used as my daily driver for at least 1.5 years. When you have a chance, do try out some of the other Linux distros, especially Arch!

I used to be in a similar position as you. I ditched Windows about 1.5 years ago, and I hopped around several distros for a while before settling on Linux Mint. About 2 months ago, i decided that I wanted to try out something new, not because Linux Mint wasn’t working for me, but just to see if there was something else that would be fun to learn about Linux. Today, I use Arch, and my DE is basically the Linux Mint Cinnamon DE.

Congratulations!

From what I heard, the Dell XPS 13 is one option to run a Linux distro, but it isn’t the only option. Should it not work for you, another alternative you could consider is the Acer Swift 3. That’s the laptop I currently own, and I run Arch Linux on it. I have not yet encountered any issues with it. Prior to running Arch, I have tried Linux Mint and Pop OS on it. I wouldn’t recommend Linux Mint on a laptop, not because it’s a bad distro (Linux Mint is quite good as a beginner distro), but because the Cinnamon DE isn’t great for laptops. The GNOME and Cosmic DE are more suited for laptop workflows.

I used Linux Mint for about 1.5 years before transitioning to Arch Linux. For me, the transition was to learn more about Linux and to try something new. Thus far, I’m really liking Arch. There have been a few issues that have popped up here and there, like getting Bluetooth devices to connect properly, but the Arch Wiki and forums often have the solution. You just have to spend time reading the articles or the forum responses.

As for other distros, I’ve tried Zorin, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Pop OS, and KDE Neon before settling on Linux Mint.

If you want something that looks and behaves much like the Windows desktop environment, use Linux Mint. If you want something closer to the macOS environment, use Pop OS.

An excellent choice to use Linux Mint! If my parents allowed me to switch their computers to Linux, I would’ve chosen Linux Mint as well for them. But, I probably wouldn’t give them the Windows 10 look.

Arch Linux has two online stores for purchasing merch:

Freewear

HelloTux

The Bottom Right

You’re absolutely right about PeerTube. However, given the recent decisions made by YouTube and its parent company on adblocking, I think we might see a surge in PeerTube content and development soon.

One thing I have noticed in the past year is that whenever Big Tech services become compromised or make controversial decisions, the Fediverse equivalent starts to bloom. I joined Mastodon and Lemmy earlier this year because of the controversies surrounding X and Reddit. Now that YouTube has done the same, I think we will soon see a “great migration” to PeerTube.

Just my two cents.

I made the switch to Linux about 1.5 years ago. Never looked back. I started with Linux Mint and have been happy with it ever since. Now, I’m learning about Arch Linux and trying to make that my primary driver.

FYI, you don’t have to get a Steam Deck to try out gaming. I’m sure your current distro would support that quite well. But, if you’re looking for something that is portable, then I definitely recommend the Steam Deck. Now is a good time to get one, since they released a refresh with an OLED screen. Also, the Steam Deck runs on Arch Linux, so if you’re ever interested in checking that out, then definitely get a Steam Deck.

It’s not my primary driver, but I would gladly choose KDE over Windows.

I’m already following The Linux Experiment. It’s great that there are other channels to consider!