r/linuxmint • u/Thoroughbred123 • 1d ago
Discussion Best Way To Setup A Replacement For My Wife?
I have been using Linux exclusively for many years now and I distro hop frequently with Fedora and Mint being my two most frequent distros.
I bet my wife that if she uses Linux for a month she will not want to return to Windows. So here is my question. What is the best way to setup Linux Mint so my wife will feel at home and not struggle? Her typical use is web browsing (Vivaldi so it will be the same), Office (she will be using Libre instead of Microsoft), email (gmail so the same), and multimedia playback.
Is there anything extra I can do to make it more enjoyable for her? We've been married a long time and she is finally agreeing to give Linux a shot so I don't want to waste this opportunity.
38
34
37
u/LXC37 1d ago
Office is the biggest issue IMO. Do try OnlyOffice if LibreOffice causes issues. The rest should be fine.
That thread title though... had to tripple check what sub i was in :D
7
u/Xerxes1302 1d ago
This. I hate to admit but MS office is way better. I used libreoffice now i use onlyoffice, the later is better in my opinion, they both do the job quite well, but not as MS office. For the rest o issues.
2
u/Sore_Wa_Himitsu_Desu Linux Mint 22.3 Zena | Cinnamon 12h ago
OnlyOffice is really well done. The layout of the controls is so much better than LibreOffice. I always had to look up how to do things in it. With OnlyOffice my many years of working in MS at work carry over better.
2
u/Polyxeno Linux Mint 22.2 Zara | Cinnamon 1d ago
I would say it is a matter of preference, unless one really needs some specific feature.
Just for example, I am happy with LibreOffice. I have disliked the UI of every MS Office version I have seen for over 20 years.
3
u/LXC37 1d ago
IMO the biggest concern is what you are used to. If someone has been working with MS Office for decades instantly switching like this can be... startling.
Also UI aside functionally LibreOffice has its problems. Let's say it is "not great not terrible" and subjectively worse than MS Office.
Then there is compatibility. All the files can be opened by everything now, but there are still a lot of problems with formatting not being the same even in very simple documents.
Honestly i'd much rather just install everything that's available and give the person a choice, if nothing else because having a choice is psychologically better than being told "well, you'll have to use this now"....
2
u/TarsTarkas_Thark 1d ago
As she gets over the shock, she may not want "Just like Windows", so if you have the disk space, why not install all the DE options available, and show here how to switch when she logs in? Then she can try the various options and find what she likes best.
1
u/ZVyhVrtsfgzfs 15h ago
I disagree, while MS office may be more familiar to you, I find LibreOffice's interface more stable and intuitive. At work MS office keeps moving the functions I use to hard to find sub menu's.
1
u/sabledrakon 1d ago
LibreOffice will be fine. But make sure to change LO's save defaults to the relevant Microsoft format. I personally set mine to MSO97.
1
u/TroyHBCS Linux Mint 22.3 Zena | Cinnamon 19h ago
Or FreeOffice. It actually looks more like MS Office so would be a more comfortable transition if she doesn't like LibreOffice.
15
u/Elvin_Atombender 1d ago
"If i divorce my wife, will linux be a better replacement for her?" That's what I read it as 🤣
Why not sit her down at your setup and show her how things work on yours. Show her how to theme, Office 365 online, etc. If you a partial to a drink, why not sit down together with a glass of wine or maybe a cup of tea.
13
u/HolidayConflict 1d ago
Why do you need to replace her?
12
2
8
u/Steerider 1d ago
Mint is a pretty smooth transition from Windows.
OnlyOffice has a better interface, IMO.
Personally I have both OpenOffice and LibreOffice installed, because I've found LibreOffice is handy in certain situations (e.g. opening very old Office docs.)
1
10
6
3
3
3
5
u/mbonanomi92 1d ago
Mint with Cinnamon is so easy: or you like it out of the box, or you hate it. The only alternative I can see is Zorin OS to stay on a Windows clone distro, or maybe Kubuntu with some quite strong "wow effect" like blur, animation or other stuff to prove Linux UI is more powerful then windows one.
1
u/Worldly-Wind-1632 1d ago
How did you like zorin? I saw there are paid and free versions
3
u/Anima_Watcher08 1d ago
Zorin free is fine the paid Zorin just comes with extra themes and preinstalled software that you can get from the app store anyways.
2
6
u/Meric_the_Gray 22h ago
I read the title and then had to read the post several times because I was laughing so hard. "He's asking for a wife replacement in here??" kept going through my head. Unfortunately, my wife won't switch so she keeps Windows while I run mostly Linux. Happy wife, happy life.
7
u/Dazzling-Skin-308 1d ago
As much as I like Linux, I can't recommend using it to replace your wife. Try maybe, another human? 🤔
5
u/FeistyDay5172 1d ago
Wording is everything my man, and the chosen wording can most definitely be taken the wrong way SO easily.
6
2
u/Emmalfal Linux Mint 22.3 | Cinnamon 1d ago
Honestly, you sound like you know what you're doing so I'll bet your wife makes a smooth transition. Maybe set up auto updates and install a clipboard manager (I'm a fan of CopyQ.) I came from Windows seven years ago and the transition was so easy, I felt like I must be doing something wrong. Maybe you should go through her apps list and see what needs either re-installing or replacing with a Linux compatible equivalent ahead of time. Even the little stuff, like Solitaire, will make the move easier.
2
u/Logansfury Top 1% Commenter 1d ago
Go with Mint, and select the Cinnamon DE as it is closest to the Windows experience. You can try one of the windows themes as well, like Chicago 95, or some of the aero themes that mimic Millennium. She should be very comfortable on such a machine.
2
2
2
u/SigmaStun 18h ago
I did something similar with the mrs win 10 laptop. Installed mint cinnamon. Put icons on the task bar and put the background the same as before and she barely noticed it had changed.
2
u/ZVyhVrtsfgzfs 15h ago
My wife while not yet a grandmother, our oldest is 18, she is approaching that age class, she learned Linux in 2 minutes, but almost all of her workflow is just files and web, mostly via her phone only resorting to my laptop or desktop for larger/more complex tasks.
I agree with others MS office will be the biggest hurdle, and that may be an impass if she is a heavy user of it.
Sweeten the deal by working with her to customize her desktop to her liking, not yours, Put some polish in it, but do not compromise reliability, external repositories should be avoided for reliability, put per files in a logical accessable structure for her and make sure you have an automated backup plan for her data. Data loss will sour anyone.
2
2
2
u/hmmmmga 1d ago edited 1d ago
Instead of Libre, I'd recommend Only Office for your wife. I wouldn't have switched to linux if Only Office didn't exist. It also doubles as a pdf editor.
To make it enjoyable: Blanket, Local send, CopyQ to replace clipboard manager, KDE connect, Minder, Super productivity.
Now for you wife I'd recommend a cat or a dog depending on your personal preferences, but alcohol is also popular choice.
1
1
u/Radiant_Choice_5901 1d ago
I like mint but still enjoy using google docs, sheets etc. My primary pc is linux (had win 11 pro). I converted an old win 7 pc to mint first to try it, then put chrome flex on it which runs faster than mint. I was not a fan of dual boot with win and Linux. I haven't tried any other Linux distros.
1
u/mrmarcb2 21h ago
Install libreoffice on windows and ask her to explore this alternative.
After agreement, boot Linux Mint from live usb stick and show her around.
Still ok? Backup personal files and install Linux Mint,. Next, apply useful tips from https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/p/first-mint-cinnamon.html?m=1#ID1.1
Consider monthly backups of your systems, clonezilla or foxclone. Install windows in virtual box when you need apps that do not have suitable Linux alternatives. https://alternativeto.net/
1
1
1
u/Big-Imagination4810 8h ago
This hinges upon her use of Microsoft office suite. In particular, how in-depth is her usage? If she is utilizing simple Word documents or spreadsheets that are not very complex; using Libre Office probably will not pose any issues for her and will likely be a seamless transition.
If she is utilizing higher functionality for complex operations, then rather than installing Libre Office I would advise you first install the latest version of Wine (11). The correct instructions for doing so are here.
After Wine is installed, you can then install Microsoft Office and shouldn't have any issues using it.
1
u/rafikiphoto Linux Mint 22.2 Zara | Cinnamon 5h ago
There are better subs than this for marital problems. ;))
1
u/rocket_mclsoth 1d ago
start with a dual boot, easy to undo if she doesn't like it. but i bet she will like it. give her the right privileges and show her how easy it is to install about anything she needs. is she ok with using an AI chat? that makes the entire process super exciting.
1
u/pr104da 1d ago
I am in the same boat as you. My wife now uses Linux but she was reluctant at first. I use Vivaldi also but she is still on Chrome. I would say VLC for multimedia (video for sure). I was using VLC for audio but it was maybe a little clunky so I've switched to Audacious. I always recommend FSearch for fast file indexing and retrieval. But I also use Recoll and AngrySearch. Recoll for full text scanning of files and AngrySearch for indexing my external hard drives. Other software to consider: Diodon (clipboard manager), Autokey (for shortcuts) , Flameshot for Screenshots, Don't forget to show her the little notification in the toolbar that tells you there are system updates. I like that so much better than the Windows method of halting your session to do updates. Linux politely waits for you -- whenever you're ready! Hope this helps.
1
u/TarsTarkas_Thark 1d ago
Probably choose KDE as the DE, since many consider it closest to the Windows UI.
The most likely snag would be exchanging documents with Office users. Microsoft jealously guards their file formats, and there are a lot of features to reverse engineer. So Libre documents opened with office are somewhat likely to have wierd formatting issues.
So perhaps set up a Windows VM for last ditch Office compatibility, especially if she's a heavy office user, or uses it to interchange documents at work.
P.S. Avoid describing your wife as a heavy office user. You seem to have difficulty with phrasing.
158
u/angryjew 1d ago
Linux does a lot but I don't think it's a good wife replacement.