This page contains Summary Notes that I would use when going over how I load Mint 13 Xfce with someone else. If a system is 7 to 10 years old, then these notes cover how I would probably go about loading Linux onto that equipment.

These notes are rather extensive, because the more I worked with Mint 13 Xfce, the more I found that I needed to configure– to make this version of Linux something I would hand over to a novice user. To be blunt, I consider Mint 13 Xfce to be a “best compromise” … where it was the best 12.04 LTS Linux based distribution that I could find to refurbish really old hardware– and turn that into a system that was actually usable for home, school or home-office type uses.

That using this, even a 3.0GHz P4D computer with 2GB of RAM and an 80GB Hard Drive becomes a system I would use for my own daily needs. And if a really old (P4 era) laptop has “sound issues”– or some other old hardware related difficulties– this is the version of Linux that I can usually use to get that system to reliably “just work”.

As the page title makes known, these instructions are everything I go through after the Linux Mint 13 Xfce installer has run, and the system has rebooted at the end of that– to run this OS for the first time.

• The “quick check” that the Hard Drive is good only works properly after the 1st boot
  • Settings » Disk Utility → Select the Operating System Drive
    • Ensure this drive has the GREEN LED graphic & “Disk is healthy”
    • If “A few bad sectors” or AMBER/RED LED, then REPLACE the drive!

• The Mouse/Touchpad also needs to be configured to work in a more reasonable manner.
  • Settings » Mouse and Touchpad » Behavior → Increase Double Click Time to 350ms
    • TIP: Just click on the right side of the slider to increase the value by 100ms
  • Settings » Settings Editor » xfwm4 → mousewheel_rollup » double-click » toggle to FALSE
    • double-click on the text mousewheel_rollup to get the “Edit Property” pop-up
    • Then click once on “TRUE” to toggle the value to “FALSE” (then click the “Save” button)

• Set more reasonable Swap File usage

• sudo apt-get install gksu leafpad    # used to make text file editing easy
  gksu leafpad  /etc/sysctl.conf    # copy/past below into bottom of file

  # Decrease swap usage to a reasonable level
  vm.swappiness=10
  # Improve cache management
  vm.vfs_cache_pressure=50

• enable using a squid-deb-proxy server – if there is one on the local network

• sudo apt-get install squid-deb-proxy-client

  • Make certain “-client” is at the end of the above command! (Don't install a 2nd .deb server!)

• Install the DNS / WiFi Internet fix

• sudo dpkg-reconfigure resolvconf

  • answer “Yes” to the 1st question … “Prepare /etc/resolv.conf for dynamic updates?”
  • answer “No” to the 2nd question … “Append original file to dynamic file?”
  • press Enter for “Ok” to the “need to reboot” message

RESTART SYSTEM

• Remove the Ubuntu software repository that is no longer on the Internet from the Software Sources list
  • Settings » Software Sources » Other Software
    • select then Remove the packages.medibuntu.org Software Source

• Use the appropriate PPA's to update GIMP and LibreOffice to the current version. (GIMP 2.8 & LibreOffice 4.2)

• sudo add-apt-repository ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp

• sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/libreoffice-4-2

• Now command Linux Mint to use the above changes to the Software Sources

• sudo apt-get update

• do all Updates → The “Shield” icon in the bottom right corner (that will have a blue symbol in the centre)
  “Standard Answers” to use with the Mint Updater : (what I recommend using)
  • click ”Ok” to any additional changes pop-ups
  • click ”Replace” to any “Replace configuration file” pop-ups
• When the updates finish, the shield icon should have a Green Check, and Updates must be re-opened to run the below.
• Now set the Update Manager to check for updates only once per day!
  • top of window menu » “Edit” » “Preferences” » the “Auto-Refresh” tab
    • Change the time interval from 15 min. to 1 day

• load the Proprietary Video driver (if there is any) – then load other drivers only if they are needed.
  • Settings » Additional Drivers → let it search, then load drivers as appropriate

RESTART SYSTEM

• Settings » Language Support
  • IF “Language support not installed completely” → select “Install”

• Install some Xfce Artwork, then some TrueType font packages for Linux

• sudo apt-get install xubuntu-artwork xfce4-artwork edubuntu-wallpapers

• sudo apt-get install ttf-mscorefonts-installer x-ttcidfont-conf ttf-xfree86-nonfree

  • “Tab” key then “Enter” key … “⇐” key then “Enter” key … to accept the Microsoft Fonts legal stuff.
  • When asked about /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic → press ENTER for No (the default)

• Install the Flash Plugin used by 12.04LTS (in past, took toooo long to get Mint-Flash updates)

• sudo apt-get install flashplugin-installer

• Enable seeing a startup screen, if things take a little longer to load.

• sudo update-alternatives --config default.plymouth

  • select mint-logo.plymouth (mint logo startup screen) ← “1” then “Enter” keys

• Uninstall XScreenSaver

• sudo apt-get remove xscreensaver xscreensaver-data

• Edit the configuration file, so Power Management works as expected

• gksu leafpad /etc/X11/xorg.conf    # copy/paste the below text into bottom of file

  Section "ServerFlags"
  	Option "BlankTime"   "0"
  	Option "StandbyTime" "0"
  	Option "SuspendTime" "0"
  	Option "OffTime"     "0"
  	Option "DontZap" "false"
  EndSection

• Create a script to make it easy to fix Xfce Desktop “Behaves Badly”

• gksu leafpad /Fix_Xfce_Desktop.sh    # copy/paste the following into this empty file

  #!/bin/bash
  # Fix the Xfce 4.10 Desktop "Behaves Badly"
  xfwm4 --replace
  exit

  sudo chmod +x /Fix_Xfce_Desktop.sh

RESTART SYSTEM

• Set the login screen to something with looks that provides a good first impression:
  • System » Login Window » Local → select “Elegance”

• Set the Desktop Apperances to something more reasonable
  • Settings » Desktop
    • Background → Images: Butterfly.jpg » Brightness: 10
    • Menus → uncheck “Desktop Menus” items
    • Icons → check ONLY “Home”, “Trash” & “Removable Devices”
  • Settings » Appearance
    • Style: → Clearlooks
    • Icons: → elementary Xfce

• Settings » Removable Drives and Media » Multimedia
  • Video CDs/DVDs Command: → vlc -f dvd:///dev/sr0

• Settings » Power Manager
  • General » When power button is pressed: → Shutdown
  • ON AC » Monitor
    • Switch off display… : → Never
    • Put display to sleep… : → 60 Mintues
    • Brightness: → Never (if this is even listed)

• Settings » Workspaces » Number of Workspaces: 2
  • Workspace 1 name → On Internet
  • Workspace 2 name → On this PC
• Panel » Panel Preferences » Items
  • Add “Workspace Switcher” & move it above “Indicator Plugin”

• Panel audio icon » Sound Settings » check/configure the “Alsa mixer” controls/settings

RESTART SYSTEM

• Add Firefox to the bottom panel (open program then drag & drop)
  • Set Firefox homepage to https://www.google.ca
• Change Firefox Search Engines back to Google (I use google.ca)
  • https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3682 → install the addon
  • https://www.google.ca → right-click in the (on-page) google search box » select “add to search bar”
  • about:config » select “I'll be careful” button
  • find line “keyword.URL” » right-click » Modify → https://www.google.ca/search?q=

• http://www.google.com/linuxrepositories/
  • download the correct .deb file & install Google Chrome
    • in Downloads right-click the .deb file » use GDebi Package Installer » Install this package
  • run Chrome → UNCHECK Make Google Chrome default browser → Start Chrome
  • run Chrome again → select “Don't ask again” button → “No thanks” link (below sign-in box to the left)
• download the correct .deb file & install the “Google Voice and Video Chat” Plugin
  • IF Firefox was left open on the above download page, a Google Hangouts page should come up once installed.