How it feels being a linux geek: (Why yes, I do run Mint, BTW.)

Debian based all the way through.
But my biggest problem still persists with choosing the right distro, which has the best balanced option when considering these features?:
out of box experience
cutting edge gpu drivers
stability
beeing able to serve as headless server os

we need that bell curve meme with mint at both ends
- As if anyone likes to go to an ancient kernel on free will after living on snapshots of mainline for some time..
- You mean Ubuntu at both ends?
  
  nope
- Arch in the middle.
  
  Nope. Gentoo in the middle
- I started my bellcurve with Redhat in the 90s, Arch in the teens and I'm back at Redhat (Fedora).

ah yes finally! can we start saying "I use Mint btw"?
Because I use Mint, btw.
- LMDE ftw
- I use Mint, btw. Really.
- I use Tumbleweed btw, therefore, I am in fact superior to you in every way.
  
  Tumbleweed bros for the win
  
  I'd answer you with a copypasta if I could just remember which one was the one with arch superiority but replace everything with mint :(
- Hell yes! Scream it from rooftops with your menthol laced breath. The celestial calendar fortold that 2025 would truly be the year of the linux ™ the time is now!
  
  It will be glorious! I have to give lemmy and Valve a lot of credit for this. Made the move half a year ago and honestly it has been such a fresh breath of (minty) air.
  Just saw a big article on a major local news paper about support for Windows 10 ending soon and they mentioned linux mint as an alternative for most people who simply only use their browser on a PC since that is what a big portion of people actully do on a PC.
  
  The year of Linux happened a long time ago. I assume you mean the year of Linux on desktop, in which case yes, it's been foretold.
- As an EndeavourOS user I say yes. Make it like a fun custom name tag!
  
  Great idea, hope we get community user tags in lemmy!
- I do it too! Mint gang!

That's illegal! Only us big brain Arch users are allowed to say BTW! /s
In all seriousness, I'm just glad Linux is in such a good place nowadays and I was able to switch to it full time for the past few years. Much easier to get into than my first attempt in college a over decade ago.

Been on nothing but Linux since the 90s when OS/2 died

Linux Mint, my beloved ❤️

Since I switched a few weeks ago I understand to urge to tell everyone about it even if they don't want to hear.

Bring Me The Horizon: "CAN YOU HEAR THE SILENCE?"
Me, with mild-to-moderate tinnitus: boy I sure wish I couldn't

I use Mint DE btw. :-)
- Whoa. Seeing it written that way, and without the L(inux) in front, had me misreading it as "Mint Desktop Environment" and not "Linux Mint Debian Edition". Super weird, especially since I've been on LMDE since v4.
- LMDE gang ( ◠‿◠ )

i tried mint on an old laptop for a little while and it was nice. i'm thinking of adopting linux for daily-driving when windows 10 stops being supported entirely. But i'm considering going with Bazzite when that time comes, maybe...
- Why not make the move now while you have win10 to fall back on?
  Obligatory: Mint was the best balanced distro I foind.
  
  i appreciate the encouragement ^_ you know, maybe. I'm haunted by this fear (I try to tell myself it's an irrational one) that attempting to get into linux now would mess things up for me and that i'd end up stranded and unable to get back but ... mint is admittedly VERY APPROACHABLE... hm. Maybe I can drop by staples and buy a spare thumbdrive, put a mint boot image on it, and try it on my battlestation today.

And, for apparently the first time, I wonder. Does Linux Mint refer to the plant/ingredient, connecting obviously with Cinnamon desktop, the green theme, and inviting variations called Linux Peppermint and Linux Spearmint? Or does it originate from being Linux, in Mint condition?
Perhaps, we can all pretend it's the second one, and instead of *I use Mint, btw," our catchphrase can be, "I mint Linux, btw."
- Your comment made me curious and I tried looking for an answer. I found this forum post from 2008 asking basically the same thing. https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=17953
  The founder Clem answered:
  Why the name MINT??
  Long story... I was writing articles/tutorials for linuxforums.org for a while and I eventually decided to publish them myself, so I needed a .com and I thought of a name. Mint is cold, it's short, it's fresh, it's easy to type and to remember and in English it even means "cool", "good condition", "perfect" etc... I also liked the way Linux was associated with the poles, the penguins, the ice.. the way a pristine kernel was called "vanilla"... and so Mint was kind of close to all of that. Great name, no particular meaning... just a series of nice subjective associations I guess.
  Clem do you like Mint?
  It's my favorite non-alcoholic drink. If you ever go to Paris on a sunny day do order a "Diabolo Menthe" :wink: I also love the smell of Mint and the flavor (especially with lamb)
  
  Thanks for doing the research!
- Pretty sure I’ve seen the mint leaf used before and the color green is used in the logo and theming.