Testing Linux Mint’s Live Environment

With the DVD or USB boot media ready you can now test Mint in a Live Environment

before deciding to install it. A Live Environment is a functioning version of Mint that’s

running from the boot media as opposed to running off your computer’s hard drive.

UEFI BIOS

The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is used to identify hardware and protect a PC during its boot-up process. It replaces the traditional BIOS but can cause issues when installing Linux Mint.

Step 1

Insert your DVD or USB flash drive into your PC and, if you haven’t already, shutdown Windows. In this instance we’re using the USB boot media but the process is virtually identical. Start the PC and when prompted press the appropriate keys to enter the BIOS or SETUP; these could be, for example, F2, Del or even F12.

Testing Linux Mint’s

Step 2

There are different versions of a UEFI BIOS, so covering them all would be impossible. What you’re looking for is a section that details the Boot Sequence or Boot Mode. Here you have the option to turn off UEFI and choose Legacy or disable Secure Booting. Mint does work with UEFI but it can be a tricky process to enable it to boot.

Testing Linux Mint’s

Step 3

With UEFI turned to Legacy mode, there are now two ways of booting into the Mint Live Environment. The first is via the BIOS you’re already in. Locate the Boot Sequence and change the first boot device from its original setting, usually Internal HDD or similar, to USB Storage Device for the USB media option; or DVD Drive, for the DVD media option.

Testing Linux Mint’s

Step 4

Alternatively use the Boot Option Menu. With this option you can press F12 (or something similar) to display a list of boot media options; from there, you can choose the appropriate boot media. Either way, you can now save and exit the BIOS by navigating to the Save & Exit option and choosing Save Changes and Exit.

Testing Linux Mint’s

TESTING MINT

With the UEFI BIOS side of things behind us, it’s time to see what the Linux Mint desktop has to offer, albeit in the test, Live Environment.

Step 1

Linux Mint now boots up and you are taken directly to the Mint default desktop; we have the Cinnamon mainstream version in the screenshot here. You can see three icons on the desktop: Computer, Home and Install Linux Mint.

Testing Linux Mint’s

Step 2

Along the bottom of the desktop is the Mint Panel and the Mint Menu. Click the Menu and it displays the core applications along with a search bar and various icons lined up down the left-hand side. These are quick launch icons that will change to the more recently used apps as you use Mint.

Testing Linux Mint’s

Step 3

The three icons to the bottom of the quick launch strip indicate the session options: Lock Screen, Logout and Quit (shutdown Linux Mint). Just above the Lock Screen icon is Files, clicking this will launch Nemo, the Linux Mint Cinnamon file manager.

Testing Linux Mint’s

Step 4

To the far right of the Panel, you can see several icons; these indicate the current logged in user account (which is Live Session User at present), active network connections (where you can adjust or setup your WiFi or wired internet connection), volume controls, time and date, and All Windows, which when clicked displays all opened apps.

Testing Linux Mint’s

Step 5

There are also some quick launch icons on the Panel next to the Mint Menu: Show Desktop, which will return you to a blank desktop while minimising all open apps; Firefox web browser; the Terminal command line; and Nemo file manager. You can use any of these in a live session but anything stored won’t be saved on quitting.

Testing Linux Mint’s

Step 6

Before you install Mint, you need to make sure you have an active Internet connection. If you  have awired, Ethernet connection, and it’s not already plugged into the computer, do so now. If you’re using Wi-Fi, click on the network connection icon in the bottom right of the Panel, find your router id and enter the details.

Testing Linux Mint’s

Share this post