From Windows to Linux Mint

Linux Today

Linux is not a terminal-only operating system anymore. Modern distributions ship polished desktops, app stores, and applications for everyday use. You can get control, speed, and a clean desktop without subscriptions or constant upsells.

Why People Switch to Linux

Linux can feel faster, calmer, and more under your control than Windows.

The Main Reasons

• Control and calm: fewer nags, promotions, and service upsells.
• Performance: runs well on many older PCs without feeling sluggish.
• Familiar options: desktops such as Cinnamon retain the menu, panel, tray, and window-management patterns Windows users know.
• Modern software: browsers, office suites, media tools, chat, and productivity applications are readily available.
• Professional, development, and gaming support: native tools and compatibility continue to improve.
• Stability: updates and desktop behavior tend to be more predictable.
• Less lock-in: your files remain yours, and you can move again later.

Why Windows Feels Worse Now

For many users, Windows has become louder, more restrictive, and less predictable.

Common Frustrations

• Ads and upsells: promotions, recommended applications, and service nudges appear throughout the operating system.
• Forced sign-in and reduced control: local-account paths have become less obvious.
• AI features pushed too quickly: Recall-style features created understandable privacy and security concerns.
• Update whiplash: regressions and inconsistent interfaces erode confidence.
• Hardware requirements: TPM and CPU restrictions can label otherwise capable computers unsupported.
• Reliability and security concerns: rapid releases can create a “ship now, fix later” feeling.
• Strategic frustration: frequent changes of direction create long-term trust debt.

A Windows-Like Linux Setup Guide

This setup is written specifically for Linux Mint Cinnamon and organized for someone arriving from Windows. It does not merely install Mint; it configures Mint to provide a familiar, practical desktop.

This guide was created and tested with Linux Mint Cinnamon 22.3. If a newer stable release is available from the official Linux Mint download page (opens in a new tab), use that version, but expect an occasional label or menu location to differ from the 22.3 steps shown here.

The Setup Order

For the cleanest result, work through the guide in this order:

1. Install Linux Mint Cinnamon.
2. Configure Timeshift and personal backups.
3. Apply updates, drivers, codecs, and firewall settings.
4. Apply the Windows-like theme and desktop behavior.
5. Configure panel applets and everyday system preferences.
6. Install your applications, including office and email replacements.

Before You Begin

• Create bootable installation media (opens in a new tab).
• Back up every file you want to keep if the computer already contains an operating system.
• Check that the expected files are present in the backup, and open a few to verify they were copied successfully.
• For an external drive shared between Windows and Linux, a cross-platform filesystem such as exFAT is convenient.
• Cloud storage is another way to avoid local filesystem compatibility issues.
• Disconnect extra internal and external drives when possible. Leaving only the target installation disk connected reduces the chance of selecting and formatting the wrong disk.

Important: Before installing, copy the files you want to keep to another drive or cloud storage. Then open a few of those copied files from the new location to make sure they were transferred successfully. Also confirm that you selected the correct installation drive: choosing Erase disk and install Linux Mint permanently removes everything on that drive.

Install Linux Mint Cinnamon

1. Boot from the USB installer.
   • Mint opens a live desktop first.
   • At this stage, it is running from the USB and has not changed the internal disk.
2. Start the installer.
   • Double-click Install Linux Mint on the desktop.
3. Work through the installer.
   • Choose your language and keyboard layout.
   • Connect to the internet when practical.
   • Enable Install multimedia codecs when offered.
   • Set the timezone, user account, password, and computer name.
4. Choose the installation type carefully.
   • Erase disk and install Linux Mint removes everything on the selected disk.
   • Confirm the target by its model and capacity, not only its device name.
5. Consider full-disk encryption.
   • On installers that offer it under Advanced features, select the available LVM and full-disk encryption options.
   • Set a strong security passphrase. You will enter it during boot, so store it safely.
   • A recovery key is optional when offered, but it can be valuable if the passphrase is lost.
6. Choose login and home-folder options.
   • Single-user PC: You can use full-disk encryption with automatic login. You will still enter the disk-encryption passphrase when the computer starts, but Mint will then sign in to your account automatically.
   • Multi-user PC: You can still use full-disk encryption, but you may want to disable automatic login so the computer does not sign in to one particular account at startup. After the disk is unlocked, each person signs in to their own account.
   • Keyring prompts: On either type of setup, some applications may still ask you to unlock the keyring when they start or need a saved password. This is separate from unlocking the disk and signing in to an account.
   • The installer may also offer to encrypt your home folder. When full-disk encryption is already enabled, this creates an additional layer of encryption that can add complexity and reduce performance. It is usually unnecessary on a single-user PC, but someone sharing a computer may want it so their profile data remains encrypted while another user is signed in.

1. Snapshots and Backups

Set up recovery before customizing the desktop.

System Snapshots with Timeshift

Open Timeshift from the Menu.

• Snapshot type: choose RSYNC for a standard Mint installation.
• Snapshot location: use a separate drive or dedicated partition when possible.
• Timeshift creates a top-level timeshift directory on the selected destination.
• Choose a practical schedule that fits the available storage.
• Keep user home data excluded so snapshots remain focused on operating-system recovery.
• Create one manual snapshot immediately to confirm the configuration works.

Timeshift can also include files from your home directory, so it is capable of preserving more than system files. For most users, however, it is better to keep Timeshift focused on system recovery and back up personal files separately. Anything created after a snapshot will not be in it, and restoring an older snapshot can replace included personal files with their older versions.

User Data with Backup Tool

Open Mint’s Backup Tool.

• Create a userbackup folder next to the timeshift folder on the backup destination.
• Run Personal data backup and select userbackup as the destination.
• Run Software selection backup to export a list of installed packages.
• The software list may be saved automatically to Documents/Backup.
• Because Documents/Backup can be excluded from normal personal-data backups, copy important manual exports to another backed-up location.

Recommended approach: use Timeshift for system recovery and Backup Tool for personal data and the installed-software list. Including personal files in Timeshift is an available option, but keeping the two roles separate makes restores more predictable. Mint’s Backup Tool only creates backups when you run it manually, so remember to use it regularly and after important changes.

2. Updates, Drivers, and Security

Update and Clean Up

Run the following after installation:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt autoremove -y

You can also manage updates graphically:

1. Open Update Manager.
2. Choose Edit → Software Sources.
3. Select responsive Main and Base mirrors.
4. Return to Update Manager.
5. Click Refresh, then Install Updates.

Install Recommended Drivers

Open Driver Manager. NVIDIA graphics and some other components may need proprietary drivers.

• Select the recommended driver rather than downloading one from an unrelated website.
• Apply the change and reboot when prompted.
• Secure Boot can prevent some third-party kernel modules from loading unless they are enrolled or Secure Boot is configured appropriately.

Install Multimedia Codecs

Check the Welcome Screen for multimedia codecs. If you installed them during setup, the option may not appear. Otherwise, install the remaining codecs from the Welcome Screen or the Sound & Video menu.

Enable the Firewall

Open Firewall Configuration and enable it with the standard desktop policy:

• Incoming: Deny
• Outgoing: Allow

3. Create the Windows-Like Look and Feel

This is the central part of the setup. The following theme, desktop, shortcut, clock, and applet choices are what turn a default Mint installation into the familiar Windows-like workflow this guide is designed to create.

Desktop Colors and Theme

Open System Settings → Themes.

In the simplified settings, choose:

• Style: Mint-Y
• Appearance: Dark
• Color: Aqua or Sand

Then open Advanced settings and set:

• Mouse Pointer: DMZ-White
• Applications: Mint-Y-Dark-Aqua
• Icons: Mint-Y-Sand
• Desktop: Mint-Y-Dark-Aqua

If one of these exact names is unavailable in a later Mint release, choose the nearest current Mint-Y equivalent.

Desktop Icon Behavior

Right-click an empty part of the desktop and choose Customize.

• Turn off Auto-arrange so icons can be positioned manually.
• Auto-arrange can be stored per monitor, so repeat this on each display.
• Adjust icon and grid spacing to taste.

Open Desktop Settings from this area:

• Enable Show desktop icons on all monitors if you use multiple displays.
• Enable Trash.
• Enable any Home, Computer, or mounted-volume icons you want.

File Manager Preferences

Open Files, also called Nemo, and open the View menu.

• Enable Show Hidden Files when you need access to dotfiles such as .config.
• Linux Mint displays filename extensions by default.
• Leave hidden files disabled during normal browsing if the additional system folders feel noisy.

Print Screen Like Windows Snipping Tool

Open System Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts, then expand System → Screenshots and Recording.

Swap the default shortcuts:

• Take a screenshot of an area: Print
• Take a screenshot: Shift + Print

Now Print opens area selection, while Shift + Print captures the full screen.

Windows-Like Date and Time

Click the date and time in the bottom-right corner of the panel and choose Configure.

Enable Use a custom date format, then set:

Date format: %x, %I:%M %p
Date format for tooltip: %A, %I:%M %p

Open System Settings → Date & Time and, under Format, disable Use 24h clock if you prefer a 12-hour clock.

4. Applets and Interface Tweaks

Grouped Window List

Open Applets, find Grouped window list, and click Configure.

Under Thumbnails, enable Animate thumbnails. This keeps application windows grouped on the panel and makes taskbar previews feel closer to Windows.

Corner Bar

Open Applets, find Corner bar, and click Configure.

Enable:

• Peek at the desktop on hover
• Blur effect

The far end of the panel now behaves more like Windows’ Show Desktop corner.

Menu

Open Applets, find Menu, and click Configure.

• Under Content, choose which shortcuts, categories, favorites, and session controls appear.
• Under Appearance, adjust the icon, label, and menu dimensions.
• Under Behavior, enable Use menu animations.

Pin daily applications to Favorites so the Menu functions as a useful Start menu instead of a complete package inventory.

5. System Settings and Preferences

Network

Open System Settings → Network → Wi-Fi, select the connected network, and choose Configure.

• Open the Security tab.
• Confirm that the expected WPA/WPA2 or WPA3 security type is in use.
• Choose whether the connection is stored only for your user or available system-wide.

Keyring Password Prompts

Mint may ask for a keyring password before unlocking saved Wi-Fi, VPN, or application credentials. This is normal: the keyring protects secrets for your user session.

Your user account password and keyring password are separate credentials. You can set them to the same value simply to make the keyring password easier to remember, but changing one does not necessarily change the other. Mint may ask for the keyring password when an application first needs a saved credential, especially when automatic login is enabled.

Power Management

Open Power Management and configure:

• Turn off the screen when inactive for
• Suspend when inactive for
• When the power button is pressed
• Power mode

Laptop users should review battery and plugged-in behavior separately.

Other useful settings to review:

• Preferred Applications
• Startup Applications
• Screensaver and screen locking
• Sound input and output
• Displays, including layout, scale, resolution, and refresh rate

6. Applications and Windows Replacements

Start with the applications that replace the Windows tools you use every day, then add creative and communication software as needed.

LibreOffice as a Microsoft 365 Alternative

LibreOffice provides:

• Writer for Word-style documents
• Calc for Excel-style spreadsheets
• Impress for PowerPoint-style presentations
• Draw for diagrams and some Visio-style work

It opens and saves DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX files and works well for ordinary documents. It runs offline without requiring an account. Complex layouts, advanced macros, enterprise templates, and some fonts may not reproduce exactly, so test important documents before relying on the new workflow.

Thunderbird as an Outlook-Style Alternative

Thunderbird supports multiple accounts through IMAP or POP, along with folders, filters, search, spam controls, calendars, and tasks. It is a strong choice when you want email and scheduling in one local desktop application instead of several browser tabs.

Everyday Essentials

• Brave — web browser
• VLC — media player
• Okular — PDF viewer
• Bitwarden — password manager

Work and Creation

• Obsidian — notes and knowledge management
• VS Code — code editor
• VirtualBox — virtual machines
• GIMP — image editing
• Kdenlive — video editing
• Blender — 3D modeling
• OBS Studio — screen recording and streaming

Connectivity

• Discord — chat and voice
• Telegram — messaging
• FileZilla — FTP and SFTP
• Your VPN provider’s supported Linux client

Install software in this order when practical: Software Manager → official developer website → verified Flatpak → Snap. Check the author and official project link before installing.

Package rule: Both Ubuntu and Debian use .deb packages. For regular Linux Mint Cinnamon, a developer’s Debian/Ubuntu or .deb download is normally the correct choice. If separate Ubuntu and Debian builds are offered, choose Ubuntu for regular Linux Mint or Debian for Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE).

Avoid adding untrusted repositories simply to obtain one application; every repository becomes part of the update trust chain.

Windows to Linux Mint Cinnamon FAQ

What is the taskbar called?

It is called the Panel. It contains the Menu, application buttons, and notification area. You can move it to another edge or create additional panels.

Where is the Start menu?

It is called the Menu. It provides applications, search, favorites, session controls, and power options.

What is the system tray called?

The right-side icons are the Notification Area. This is where you find network, audio, updates, removable devices, and background applications.

What is Task Manager called?

It is System Monitor. It displays running processes, CPU and memory usage, storage, and network activity and can stop a misbehaving process.

What is File Explorer called?

It is Files, whose application name is Nemo. Its places sidebar, tabs, search, and right-click menus should feel familiar.

Where are Settings and Control Panel?

Most configuration is in System Settings. Individual panels such as Themes, Keyboard, Network, Power Management, and Applets can also be opened directly from Menu search.

VLC audio or video is skipping. What can I try?

Install current updates and test another file first. In VLC, open Tools → Preferences → Audio → Output module. Start with Automatic, then try the available PipeWire, PulseAudio, or ALSA output one at a time and restart VLC after each change.

Bluetooth audio sounds strange or does not work. What should I check?

Choose Headphones instead of Headset if you do not need the Bluetooth microphone. In Sound settings, select High Fidelity Playback, A2DP, or a high-quality codec such as SBC-XQ. Headset or telephony profiles enable the microphone but reduce playback quality.

If those profiles are missing, install updates, remove and reconnect the device, then check the active audio system:

pactl info | grep "Server Name"

• If the result includes PipeWire, install its Bluetooth support:

  sudo apt install pipewire-audio libspa-0.2-bluetooth

• If it reports PulseAudio without mentioning PipeWire, install its Bluetooth support and mixer:

  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install pulseaudio-module-bluetooth pavucontrol

Restart the computer, reconnect the device, and select the high-fidelity profile in Sound settings or pavucontrol. Use only the command for the audio system reported by pactl.

Final Thoughts

The goal is not to make Linux pretend to be Windows. It is to keep the familiar parts that make a desktop comfortable—the bottom panel, grouped applications, Start-style Menu, manual desktop icons, Snipping Tool-style shortcut, predictable clock, local office tools, and clear system settings—while gaining the control and calm that made Linux Mint attractive in the first place.

Follow the sequence in order: install carefully, create recovery options, update the system, configure the Cinnamon desktop, then add applications. The result is a Linux machine that feels recognizable on day one without giving up what makes Mint distinct.