New Installation

check system specs

Neofetch
To install:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:dawidd0811/neofetch
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install neofetch
run once to create config file. type neofetch
Go to $HOME/.config/neofetch/config (show hidden directory in Thunar file manager)
copy modified config file in usb over default file

Open terminal command to get hardware configuration (deprecated use neofetch above)
inxi -Fx
inxi -Fxz (hides mac addresses)

To get DDR RAM specs
sudo inxi -m

check network IP addresses (similar to windows IPconfig command)

ip route

Manual install partition

https://www.2daygeek.com/linux-mint-17-3-rosa-cinnamon-desktop-installation-steps-with-screenshot/#

fix terminal

show menubar
background to none (solid black)
make cursor blink

  open file manager
  Press Ctrl+H to unhide all hidden file and folders
  Browse to ~/.config/xfce4/terminal
  Open the file terminalrc in a text editor
  In the file search for the following line:
  MiscCursorBlinks=FALSE
  Set the value for this line to TRUE
  Save the file and close it

firefox v43 fix the following

blank screen at launch
dont remember passwords
change download folder
change search engine to google by clicking on magnifying glass
add ad blocker extension
clean bookmark toolbar and move unsorted folder outside

  limit storage at preferences -> advanced -> network tab 
  tick Override automatic cache management and set to 50mb

disable memory of URL bar

  type in URL bar about:config
  search term maxrich
  double click browser.urlbar.maxrichresults
  change value to 0

make new tab pages empty

  create new tab - press the +
  click gear icon on top right
  check show a blank page

change background to bubbles

copy bubbles to picture folder
LM menu - search Desktop app

disable power savings

LM menu - search Power Manager app
system tab uncheck lock screen when going for sleep
display tab put blank after, sleep after and turn off after all to never
if laptop, install xfce4-battery-plugin
fix task bar clock, battery and system load monitors

Apps to add / remove

Note: you may also uninstall via Mintinstall software manager

faster way to uninstall apps via Synaptic Package Manager

fix columns just to remove latest app
type name of application in "quick search" text box
right click application (ok multi select)
select "mark for removal" (will leave config and data files)
or select "mark for complete removal" (delete app + data)
click "apply button"

remove banshee (music player)
remove totem (media player)
remove transmission (bittorrent client)
remove pidgin (internet messenger)
remove hexchat (irc client)
remove gimp (graphics editor)

add ttf-mscorefonts-installer (arial, courier, times fonts)

   search for fonts in software manager, be patient takes a while
   also on usb

add pinta

   repository v1.3 buggy
   install v1.6 manually from terminal (tested working)
   sudo add-apt-repository ppa:pinta-maintainers/pinta-stable
   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install pinta

change screen saver

atlantis
xmatrix

Disable the mousewheel-rollup feature

LM Menu - Settings - Settings Editor (not Settings Manager!) - xfwm4
Double-click on mousewheel-rollup and set the value to FALSE (by clicking on TRUE).
Click on the "Save" button

Add to desktop shutdown shortcut

Right-click on the desktop and select "Create Launcher".
To Shutdown, set the command to xfce4-session-logout --halt
To Log out, set the command to xfce4-session-logout --logout
To display the generic logout dialog, set the command to xfce4-session-logout
Fill the out the other options as needed

simplify shutdown menu

To remove the suspend button:
xfconf-query -c xfce4-session -np '/shutdown/ShowSuspend' -t 'bool' -s 'false'

To remove the hibernate button:
xfconf-query -c xfce4-session -np '/shutdown/ShowHibernate' -t 'bool' -s 'false'

disable hibernate (all in one line)
sudo mv -v /etc/polkit-1/localauthority/50-local.d/com.ubuntu.enable-hibernate.pkla /

remove save sessions
rm -r -v ~/.cache/sessions/*
sudo mkdir /etc/xdg/xfce4/kiosk
gksudo gedit /etc/xdg/xfce4/kiosk/kioskrc
In that empty text document, copy/paste the following text:
[xfce4-session]
SaveSession=NONE
(note errors will show up in terminal - thats okay)
sudo touch /etc/polkit-1/localauthority/90-mandatory.d/disable-suspend.pkla
gksudo gedit /etc/polkit-1/localauthority/90-mandatory.d/disable-suspend.pkla

Copy and paste the following green text into that empty text file:

[Disable suspend (upower)]
Identity=unix-user:*
Action=org.freedesktop.upower.suspend
ResultActive=no
ResultInactive=no
ResultAny=no

[Disable suspend (logind)]
Identity=unix-user:*
Action=org.freedesktop.login1.suspend
ResultActive=no

[Disable suspend for all sessions (logind)]
Identity=unix-user:*
Action=org.freedesktop.login1.suspend-multiple-sessions
ResultActive=no

(note errors will show up in terminal - thats okay)
save then reboot

Disable windows snapping

LM -> Settings -> Settings Manager -> Window Manager Tweaks
on Accessibility tab remove tick for
Automatically tile windows when moving towards the screen edge

All instructions below require reboot

Disable wifi upon system start

gksudo gedit /etc/rc.local
sleep 30
rfkill block wifi
exit 0

reboot (dont, just follow next instruction the reboot)
check nothing is hardblocked
rfkill list all
if hardblocked, to get out type
rfkill unblock wifi

Decrease the swap use (important)

step1: Check your current swappiness setting:
Menu - Xfce Terminal
Type (use copy/paste to avoid errors):
cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness
Press Enter.
The result will probably be 60

step2: To change the swappiness into a more sensible setting, type in the terminal (use copy/paste):
gksudo gedit /etc/sysctl.conf
Press Enter.
Scroll to the bottom of the text file and add your swappiness parameter to override the default. Copy/paste the following two green lines:
(remove space in front of hash)

 # Decrease swap usage to a more reasonable level

vm.swappiness=10

step3: Save and close the text file. Then reboot your computer.
After the reboot, check the new swappiness value:
Menu - Xfce Terminal
Type (use copy/paste):
cat /proc/sys/vm/swappiness
Press Enter.
Now it should be 10.

Mouse debouncing

copy file and instruction in usb
http://blog.guntram.de/?p=16
https://launchpad.net/~tigerite/+archive/ubuntu/mint-xorg-update