hpr-knowledge-base/hpr_transcripts/hpr2295.txt

Episode: 2295
Title: HPR2295: MX Linux
Source: https://hub.hackerpublicradio.org/ccdn.php?filename=/eps/hpr2295/hpr2295.mp3
Transcribed: 2025-10-19 00:58:33

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This is HBR episode 2195 entitled MX Linux and is part of the series Hardware Upbrains.
It is hosted by Tony Huma, Tony H1212 and is about 9 minutes long and Karima Cleanflag.
The summary is, show about my latest Linux distro find.
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Hi there, it's all in HPR London.
This is Tony Hughes and the UK.
I noticed that the queue has a couple of gaps in the next week or so, so here goes again.
Apart from my last show, I've recently done shows on current Linux distros suitable for older hardware,
but with a modern lock and feel and fully featured with the latest software available.
As you're probably gathered by now, if you've listened to the other shows and a big fan of Lenovo, older laptops.
My main Lenovo is an X230i i3 with a 2.5GB CPU and an 8GB RAM and 120GB SSD.
This previously under Linux 17.3 running on it.
And that's the running Mint 18 and upgrade to 18.1 for several months on my desktop.
I decided to upgrade to 18.1 on the X230i.
I completed the install and on the first boot after install.
The boot time for some reason had risen from about 40 seconds, so over two minutes.
I suspected at the time that it might have been a problem with the install, so I had another go, as you did.
But with the same result, add a quick Google around and can't find any issues reported on the net.
So, resulted to install in Linux Lite, which based on Ubuntu 16.04 as is mint 18, but the problem persisted after the install.
Despite having the Lenovo X61Ss with SSDs installed with its Lite and their boot time being around the 40, 50 second mark with the same distro.
So, I couldn't understand the problem.
So, I had another look on the web, but still couldn't find any reports on this issue with the X230i.
So, I put a post on one of the Facebook communities that I'm on out there.
So, to have a look, see if they'd had any problems.
The Facebook community concerned is called distrohoppers, and I got a response back from one member to try a distro called MX16.
So, I went online, had a look, typed in MX16 and got to their webpage, and found out that it's a joint venture from the anti-X and former Memphis communities.
And it's based on Debian Stable, which is Jesse, and has the XFCE desktop environment.
Which actually I quite like.
So, downloaded it, and rather than putting it straight onto the Lenovo, decided to install it into a virtual PC using virtual box to see what it looked like and fell like.
The install's fairly easy-friendly, although one of the problems I have with it, if you're a new user, you might have a bit of an issue when it comes to asking you where to load the Master Boot record or MBR.
Because if you don't understand those terms and what it's about, you might not know where to put it, but apart from that, it's a fairly straightforward install.
On install, there's a fairly good selection of software that you'd need, including a full install of Libra Office.
You get Firefox, Thunderbird, the Gimp, and for adding any software that you can't find, that isn't currently installed.
You've got Synaptic Package Manager to install stuff from the repos.
MX have also included the ability to install Codex, fairly simply.
They have a welcome screen that comes up, and it asks you if you want to on that screen, if you want to install additional Codex.
And when you press on that, you get the Codex options, and you also get to options to install video drivers and stuff, if you've got specialist video card installed.
There's also their own package manager, more of a software centre, that you can install some of the popular applications that you might want to.
And again, you can access that from the welcome screen.
If you've disabled that, you can access it from the menu. It's easy to just type welcome into the search and it comes up with the welcome screen.
When I was installing it as a virtual machine, I checked out G-Party to see what the installer comes up to.
I'd only created an 8GB hard drive, and on install and update, G-Party reports using about 4.6GB after install.
And by default, any installs are one gig swap, despite the VM having two gig of RAM allocated in virtual box.
So that's quite good, it bodes well for older hardware with smaller hard drives and less RAM, etc.
So that's good to know.
Anyway, I like the look of it, I decided to give it a go on the X230i.
The install went okay, and lo and behold, boot after install was back to around 40 seconds.
So I've updated the install, installed the packages that aren't in there by default that I use, things like audacity, scratch and a couple of other things.
And I've also installed it onto the X61s that I use that did have when it's light on it.
But I like the look and the feel that it's quite a little bit better than when it's light, and it does work just as well on those.
So have you been using it, and it works flawlessly, I'm really happy.
Since I installed MX, I found out from a member of the makerspace look that I go to, that he'd experienced the same problems with Ubuntu 1604 bass systems.
And when he'd installed them, they'd crippled the SSD boot time.
So it isn't something that's unknown, although I couldn't find anything about it on the internet.
Anyway, I like MX, so when it comes to reinstalling the old desktop I've got here, which is quite a powerful bit kit, currently running Mint 18.1 like I said.
It's the only PC that I don't constantly change the OS on because I like to have at least one stable PC around that.
But I think I'm probably going to go over to MX on it if I don't have any major problems with it over the next year or so when it comes time to reinstall in it in a couple of years' time.
As I say, it's quite a big deal for me because I've been a Mint user for over five years, and I quite regularly make a little donation to them because of the fact that I've used it quite a lot.
And it's been my main go to OS for installing on machines for other people that have asked me to install Linux for them.
So I'll probably continue to do that for other people because I know the OS and I know it's really faultless as far as working for new users.
But for me own use, I might go over to MX full time on my desktop as well.
Will MX stop me distro hopping? No chance. I like trying out new things.
That's why I've got the number of laptops kicking around that I have.
So I've got spare hardware to try new Linux stuff.
But it's still good to have something stable around when you need it.
Hence sticking with Mint for so long on the desktop.
Anyway, I thought I'd give you an update and fill a slot for the show queue.
But it's goodbye from me to any user in Blackpool in the UK.
And hopefully speak to you again soon. Bye!
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