hi! yes, I got your email but forgot to reply 😅 thank you! I was gonna look for yours but got neck deep into my latest project and it slipped my mind

No worries! It's at tabf5.com/stuff whenever you're free

have fun!! :)

I never knew Mint's firewall is off by default; if reminds me of the early version of Windows XP.

yep! it's the final step in the "First Steps" section of their welcome screen. I was more surprised that Debian 13 ships without any firewall at all. You have to install firewalld or ufw to change firewall profiles.

I think I'll add a part two to the "essentials" section, explaining sudo (and why you should take a second and think if anything asks for an admin password), and where to look for help and information. I.E., forums and documentation. Also how to communicate about your problem so someone can help.

It's so incredibly frustrating when you're new to something, you run into some intractable problem, and you have neither the know-how nor the words to even explain the issue, let alone find a solution. So knowing where to start might help at least!

Wait, my Mint install has a disabled firewall?? Oh shit

ooh omg thank you!! :D im always happy if it helps inspired ppl to make more indie sites/join in >:D

it involves running a windows program through WINE, which can be a bit involved for new users. They recommend using Lutris, a WINE frontend typically used for video games, since it's comparatively easy to set up. I think they'll handle the transition fine otherwise.

I may also write up an Intro to Linux with some basic explanations of stuff, links to resources, and all that. One specific friend will be the impetus for it, but it may help others too!

If WINE/Lutris doesn't work, I also heard WinBoat might work too

thank you!