Linux Mint project advises on Meltdown and Spectre

Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon boots quickly (even on a slow rotational disc), very stable (I have not noticed any program crash in the previous 3 days that I've been using it) along with the amount of responsiveness it's revealed is top-notch, likely matched only by a different Linux Mint! So far as the ending user-experience is worried, I would say it is the top 'Linux' distro for novices, it definitely knows how to please the end-user... welcome to the HecticGeek's review of Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon variant.
Few years back Linux Mint altered their launch plan. They now depend on the heart of Ubuntu LTS releases because the basis for their operating system. So far as I can see, this is working good for them. Since Ubuntu LTS (Long Term Support) provides maintenance & security updates up to five decades & it's based on a good base group by Ubuntu. This in tern provides Steam Mint programmers enough distance to 'breath' just a little and completely focus on what they do best: advancement of the amazing desktop shell & additional native Linux Mint user-applications.
Currently, both Linux Mint 18 Cinnamon (that I reviewed last year) and Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon are located on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. But, Linux Mint 18.3 relies on the up-to-date Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS. This is excellent news for me personally since the touch-pad of my Asus notebook had a significant problem with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (or at just about any distro that had a Kernel variation below 4.10) in which it refused to function after waking 'Suspend'. This was repaired in Kernel 4.10 that Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon features, blessed me I suppose .
With this particular Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon review I downloaded the 64-bit ISO (1.9GB). Aside from the kernel 4.10, in addition, it has X.org 1.18.4, Firefox 57.0, LibreOffice 5.1.6.2, GIMP 2.8.16, Rhythmbox 3.3, Timeshift 17.11 (photo based system restore utility), 'mintinstall' Software Manager 7.8.8 with numerous developments, along with Cinnamon 3.6. This launch is encouraged until 2021. Before I start the review, here is the hardware elements of this notebook that I was able to check it:
Intel Core i7-5500U, Hybrid GPU Setup (Intel Broadwell HD Graphics 5500, Nvidia 920M), 4GB RAM DDR3, Hybrid Permanent Storage Setup (Seagate 5400 RPM, 500 GB rotational disc along with a Kingston 24 GB SSD), Qualcomm Atheros AR9565 Wireless Adapter, Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller, Realtek ALC3236 Sound Card, LED Display (1366 x 768 resolution, 60 FPS/HZ). It is an Asus notebook (F302LJ-FN024H).
I have compared the performance information of Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon (Boot-up rate, Memory use, Power use, System responsiveness, shutdown delay...) using Linux Mint 18 Cinnamon and Ubuntu 17.10. I could have added Ubuntu 16.04 LTS information also, but that has been tested in my old Dell notebook which violates the role of assessing functionality, so I jumped it. Not only these three operating systems were analyzed on exactly the exact same hardware, they have been also installed to the specific same partition. Additionally, I made sure to delete information on the test walls (efi, boot and 'origin') working with the 'shred' control so I am left with a 'clean' system.
I tried to not tweak any settings prior to measuring the performance information (to maintain their precision as large as possible naturally). The only modifications I made were empowering the consumer auto-login whilst installing, and disabling the upgrade supervisors (both 'minstinstall' software supervisor and also the Flatpak update supervisor, more on these later) & welcome display on desktop startup. Additionally, I included 'system track' program icon into the panel for quantifying the memory utilization. In addition, this is crucial on several occasions and when potential this is something I do. The reason is quite easy. If I were to open it via the start-menu (by looking for it by browsing) that would have simply added few more megabytes into the memory intake reading consequently decreasing its accuracy.

The Installer

Linux Mint utilizes Ubuntu's awesome installer with no custom attributes, it is a remarkably common installer so that I will not go into the particulars. But after I was done using the partition installation the installer cautioned me for never having made a swap partition (a 'swap partition' is equal to what Microsoft Windows calls for the 'page document' that is a virtual 'RAM' that sits on your primary storage apparatus. Oftentimes, having one may help for preserving stability and functionality).
Beginning with 17.04, Ubuntu produces a swap file (a file, not a partition) mechanically while installing, but as Linux Mint 18.3 relies on Ubuntu 16.04.3 LTS, this attribute is missing. This isn't by any means a huge concern, after all you can always manually produce one fairly readily, but it would have been nicer to get it established mechanically. Aside from that, all went well.
I will bypass the GRUB and also the Boot-Logo since they have not altered, and, capturing them can also be somewhat hard.

The Desktop

The desktop computer is pretty much equal to this one I found in Linux Mint 18. The desktop menu nevertheless, is slightly altered. The 'Show Hidden files' choice is gone and 'Organize Desktop by Name' & 'Maintain Aligned' works are transferred to the 'Desktop' menu, which also provides you access to several new choices too. I enjoy it.
The prior Linux Mint 18 I analyzed also featured a brand new theme called 'Mint-Y' that I really enjoyed. For whatever reason, it has been eliminated in this release, (or perhaps in 18.2, '' I do not understand) did I overlook something? I believe that it's time for a change so far as the look-n-feel of the operating system is concerned. Nevertheless, Linux Mint 18.3 features stunning looking set of backgrounds, I adore them!
Below screenshot reveals just a portion of those.
View 'progress' on the Taskbar
Another amazing new feature is that the new progress bars which are shown on the base task-bar. This is extremely useful whilst doing things such as copying documents.
Software Manager ('mintinstall')
The software supervisor has also gone through several significant changes. According to its developers, today it is 3 times faster (I believed an increase in its rate) and no more uses Webkit. Provided that browsing through applications, users no longer have to enter the password. It merely asks for the password for installing software packages, and popular applications are showcased by default.
Another readily noteworthy shift in the Software Manager is that the Flatpak integration (Flatpak, exactly like Snappy of Ubuntu, is not the same packing system for 'Linux' operating systems in which it enables programmers to release their applications as one bundle, together with its dependencies contained, so it is sure to run in almost any contemporary 'Linux' distribution. 1 drawback is that the size of this bundle can grow tremendously in comparison with conventional bundles).
While Flatpak & conventional ('deb') packs are stored and managed (running & upgrading) individually, the Software Manager easily incorporate the 'two worlds' together. By default Linux Mint 18.3 includes a high number of Flatpak packs, however you can manually insert resources that provide them too. I really, really enjoy these few yet important improvements which have landed on the Software Manager.
Installing proprietary 'deb' packages also functioned with no matter also. The main reason I said this because particular Ubuntu variations fought while installing proprietary bundles, so that I only checked it, just in case.
This release features a number of other improvements and a few new programs like 'Timeshift' (a photo based backup utility). To find out about such changes, please consult with this official Linux Mint 18.3 post.

Adobe Flash & Skype

I do not examine Adobe flash compatibility since the world wide web is slowly moving away from it. Nevertheless I'd set up Google Chrome (because that is what I like as an internet browser) and for what it is worth, HTML5.0 video playback was accommodated on sites I typically visit (like on YouTube).
I set up the latest Skype version (8.11.04) for 'Linux' and made 3 calls (one with movie feed, other two without movie). Video call lasted about 5-6 minutes, while the sound calls lasted for approximately 20-30 minutes each. Overall, everything functioned perfectly well. Yes the Skype program tray icon functioned perfectly too.

Performance Replies

As I mentioned previously, I had been cautious to not tweak big configurations to maintain the truth of the dimensions high. I forgot to say, as always, after installing the LM 18.3 Cinnamon, I boot up to the newly installed operating system 5-6 days to let things settle down (like one time program wizards to be carried out with their job). This is something I do when viewing any 'Linux' functioning system. I then took roughly 5 samples of Boot-up Times, Memory Usage & Shutdown Delay for coming up with ordinary values. I just took a sample for calculating the energy use since the program I use to compute it takes care of all and it is highly accurate. Additionally, I conducted the System Responsiveness test double (more on this later). So let's dive into the specifics.
Boot-Up Times
I use the timer program of my Android cellphone whilst quantifying the Boot-Up times. I began to quantify as soon as I hit Enter in the GRUB prompt and quit measuring when the desktop is loaded. I don't always wait until all of the programs on the system tray (for example) are loaded. If I feel as the desktop computer has reached a condition where I will begin using it (like the file manager or start apps), I quit measuring. And on most 'Linux' distributions, from the time that I cease measuring, the background is completely loaded anyway.
Linux Mint 18.3 is slightly quicker than Linux Mint 18 (5.4 percent), however in contrast to Ubuntu 17.10 it is 21.8% quicker.
Memory Utilization
Before I start up the machine track application the desktop includes, I make certain you wait 10-12 moments, even after the background is completely loaded. This is usually useful because typically Update supervisors (when you can, I disable them out of running because they have a propensity to alter the memory usage readings, even though you can not disable them in some specific distributions) are implemented with a particular delay, therefore their memory utilization can also be contained by the time that I quantify the memory Utilization.
Since you can readily see, Linux Mint 18 is incredibly lean on memory utilization where Linux Mint 18.3 consumed 75.6 percent more memory. In comparison to Ubuntu 17.10 though LM 18.3 is slightly thin (3.7 percent), nothing remarkable.
CPU Usage (Idle)
After the machine is in a 'idle' state, which means that the end-user isn't utilizing the pc and there aren't any currently running user programs, then the CPU usage should fall somewhere around to zero. But in these states, because of bugs in software applications, or operating systems which were struck by viruses or viruses, badly optimized operating systems, can keep swallowing the CPU at large values. Not only that degrades performance, on a mobile computer, like on a notebook, this may result in short battery life too.
However, as you can see, Cinnamon 3.6 did a fantastic job while in an idle state. Just the 'system track' program used 1 percent of total CPU power here there, and the remaining software depart the CPU alone. Quite wonderful.
Power Usage (Idle)
Concerning power use (again, once the machine is in an idle condition), Linux Mint 18 has been the very efficient in comparison to Linux Mint 18.3 it utilized 3.8 percent Watts of less electricity (nothing important, though). Another two scored fairly much on precisely the exact same degree.
Here is the first output of 'powerstat' (that is the utility that I use to measure electricity use) for Linux Mint 18.3:
There aren't many tools you can utilize to further decrease the electricity use and produce your own 'Linux' working system as power efficient as you can so that you may find the most battery run-time from your 'Linux notebook'. 1 such program is 'TLP'. I enjoy it for the simplicity. You put in it (and input 'Yes' or 'Cancel' to get a question or 2, if requested during its setup) and it is going to use all of the hardware optimizations mechanically (input this command to install it on Ubuntu based distributions: sudo apt install tlp). I re-measured the energy use after installing it below is your screenshot of the output signal 'powerstat':
After installing 'tlp', the energy consumption was cut by approximately 24 percent!
When the battery was fully charged, together with the display brightness set around 17-20 percent, Wi-Fi switched ON and connected to the wireless router (Bluetooth has been switched OFF), I managed to utilize the notebook for approximately 3 hours and 5 min.
Now in the event that you compare this to the battery run-time of Ubuntu 17.10 (I really don't have the amount from Linux Mint 18), Ubuntu 17.10 scored a remarkable 4 hours and 36 minutes. However, the circumstance were somewhat different on Linux Mint 18.3. Not only I had been writing this post on it using 6-8 browser tabs opened (with a few multimedia files playing in the background), but I was running Virtualbox along side it using my USB hard disk linked to the notebook because that is where Virtualbox guest operating systems have been set up.
Given the workload, I am fairly happy here.

Hardware Recognition & Stability

Hardware recognition was superb. Mint managed to automatically configure all my hardware. I never had any problems at all. Display brightness|Wireless adapter's say etc were restored to the previously put condition every time I loaded the backgroundcomputer, and as pointed out at the start of the Linux Mint 18.3 inspection, my touch-pad was likewise worked flawlessly well.
But like most 'Linux' distributions, Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon does not send with proprietary hardware drivers, like the official Nvidia GPU drivers that is essential have if you've got a gambling 'Linux notebook'. But installing such motorists is fairly simple, since Mint contains the (GUI) utility Ubuntu provides you. Everything that you need to do would be to start it and if these drivers are available on your own system then it is going to show them and you simply need to click on them and they will be mechanically installed. So far as the end-user is concerned, I favor the motorist GUI of all Linux Mint 18.3 over Ubuntu 17.10 since this one just does something, giving you the capacity to set up proprietary drivers, and just that. However, in Ubuntu 17.10 that utility is recorded in a tab below 'Software & Updates' GUI.
Yes it is a fact you don't need to become a 'Linux' specialist to figure out things, it is just that matters (even the small things that matter) from Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon are far more improved. Small improvements like these (such focus on information could be seen on other programs like Software Updater in LM 18.3. I have pointed out these within my Linux Mint 18 inspection, therefore that I will not go over it ) thing in regards to end-user friendliness.
It is because of a lot of the subtle improvements I predicted Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon the top 'Linux' distro for novices (you will find for yourself, should you attempt it).
I have also run the machine on the proprietary driver of my Nvidia 920M for approximately 5-6 hours, everything was fantastic. I watched plenty of YouTube movies in Google Chrome and couple multimedia documents (such as a picture) from VLC, no problems at all.

Stability

As previously mentioned, equilibrium is top-notch! I have not seen a single program crash up to now.

Method Responsiveness

This is an evaluation that I've designed to have a feeling of the responsiveness of a working system. I usually copy a document (1.5GB -2GB) in just two areas of this consumer's 'Home' folder. Then the moment the file copy operation is under way, I attempt to play a multimedia document (typically a 720p movie in VLC, yes on most scenarios, I must manually install it manually) then I attempt to start some applications by hunting from the main-menu or the start-menu (if this performance is accessible). When all that's happening, I attempt to open a place which includes reasonably high number of files/folders (e.g: / /usr/bin) in document manager. I then observe the next.
If the video player managed to play with the multimedia document without a lot of interruptions, and when the majority of the programs were opened prior to the document copy job completed, if document manager managed to start the place (I do not seriously be aware of the 'test' due to now the process is under heavy strain, however when had been opened successfully, it is a big 'also') and while this is occurring, when the sensitivity of the cursor wasn't majorly lost, I believe that working system for a reactive one. It's also worth noting for you this test has been run on the considerably slower (5400 rpm) SATA drive, not on the quicker SSD.
So how can it move into Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon?
VLC was never managed to perform with the multimedia file before the file copy task completed. But the majority of the programs were opened, a few more memory hungry kinds like LibreOffice (such as the document manager that was launching the '/usr/bin' directory) opened using a readily felt delay. It was surely not elite, particularly given the reality that VLC was unable to play with the multimedia document in time. But, I then assessed which I/O scheduler (the utility which regulates input/output surgeries of the hard disk) was in use, it had been 'CFQ'. I knew from experience it had been 'CFQ' but that I was quite impressed with the overall operation of Linux Mint 18.3 below 'CFQ'. Since Ubuntu 17.10 for example, was quite unsatisfactory whilst working under the shadow of 'CFQ'. If it was not for VLC, I would have given Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon 4 stars, since even under 'CFQ' it was great.
However, I've been in a position to completely reverse such unsatisfactory results under lots of 'Steam' distributions while analyzing my laptop simply by altering the I/O scheduler into 'deadline'. I did this in Linux Mint 18.3, reboot the notebook and re-ran the exam.
How can it go this time?
(Notice: Above picture is only an example)
Absolutely magnificent!
VLC managed to play with the multimedia record speedily and all of the programs (such as the document manager) managed to open up themselves until the file copy was completed. I really opened up plenty of programs in Linux Mint 18.3, more than that I did in Ubuntu 17.10. I implemented GIMP that's quite disc bound while launching, and it had been just Cinnamon was hoping to start GIMP that the VLC playback was disrupted, but that just occurred once and lasted just for a portion of a moment! In Ubuntu 17.10, VLC playback has been interrupted at twice (states my notepad) however there wasn't any GIMP at Ubuntu 17.10! The start-menu's capability to discover applications extremely fast, even under such disc stress, is very striking. I have noticed this with in virtually all Linux Mint's Cinnamon variants I have reviewed up to now. As stated initially, such excellence can only be gotten in Cinnamon in Linux Mint within my expertise. If I needed to give it a score, I would give it 4.8 stars from 5. She is a keeper!
Shutdown Delay
Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon managed to shutdown 27% quicker in contrast to Linux Mint 18, although in comparison to Ubuntu 17.10 it had been 14% slow. However, why should you care, it is effective at shutting down in 5 minutes.

Closing Words

Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon has gained some 'burden' compared to this Linux Mint 18 Cinnamon I reviewed this past year. So yes it is memory foot print has improved by 75 percent that is much. But again, this is over the assortment of average memory utilization of contemporary GNOME3 desktops that I've reviewed, so no it is no 'anomaly'. Additionally, though the memory footprint has improved, Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon nevertheless boots quickly (22 percent in comparison to Ubuntu 17.10), energy efficient, exceptionally secure & exceptionally responsive. Last but not least, it includes a set of advanced end-user applications which are beginner friendly.