Mint/Cinnamon Installation on Dell Optiplex 390: Windows Not Full Screen, Colors Bleeding Right

This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to install Cinnamon desktop environment on a Dell Optiplex 390 machine running Linux Mint, with a focus on resolving issues related to the Windows not displaying in full screen and colors bleeding right.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the installation, ensure your system meets the following requirements:

• A Dell Optiplex 390 machine
• Internet connection
• Minimum 2GB RAM and 10GB free disk space

Installing Linux Mint on Dell Optiplex 390

If you haven't installed Linux Mint on your Dell Optiplex 390 yet, follow these steps:

1. Download the Linux Mint ISO image from the official website:
$ wget https://download.linuxmint.com/stable/isos/latest/linuxmint-20.1-cinnamon-64bit.iso
2. Create a bootable USB drive using a tool like Rufus:
$ rufus.exe -e linuxmint-20.1-cinnamon-64bit.iso A:
3. Reboot your machine and press F12 to enter the boot menu, then select the USB drive to boot from it.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Installing Cinnamon Desktop Environment

After installing Linux Mint, you can install the Cinnamon desktop environment using the following steps:

1. Open the terminal:
$ sudo xfce4-terminal
2. Update the package list:
$ sudo apt update
3. Install Cinnamon:
$ sudo apt install cinnamon
4. Log out of your current session and select the Cinnamon session from the login screen.

Resolving Windows Not Full Screen and Colors Bleeding Right

If you encounter issues with Windows not displaying in full screen or colors bleeding right, try the following solutions:

Solution 1: Installing Intel Graphics Driver

Install the Intel graphics driver using the following steps:

1. Open the terminal:
$ sudo xfce4-terminal
2. Add the Intel graphics PPA:
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:graphics-drivers/ppa
3. Update the package list:
$ sudo apt update
4. Install the Intel graphics driver:
$ sudo apt install xserver-xorg-video-intel
5. Reboot your machine.

Solution 2: Installing MESA Drivers

If the above solution doesn't work, try installing MESA drivers:

1. Open the terminal:
$ sudo xfce4-terminal
2. Install MESA drivers:
$ sudo apt install mesa-utils mesa-vdpau-drivers
3. Reboot your machine.

Solution 3: Configuring Xorg.conf

If none of the above solutions work, try configuring the Xorg.conf file:

1. Open the terminal:
$ sudo xfce4-terminal
2. Create a backup of the current Xorg.conf file:
$ sudo cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak
3. Edit the Xorg.conf file:
$ sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf
4. Add the following lines at the end of the file:

 Section "InputClass"
 Identifier "Keyboard Defaults"
 Option "XkbOptions" "terminate:ctrl_alt_bksp"
 EndSection
Section "InputClass"
Identifier "Mouse Defaults"
Option "Protocol" "Auto"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5"
EndSection
Section "Device"
Identifier "Device0"
Driver "intel"
Option "DRI" "true"
Option "AccelMethod" "uxa"
EndSection
Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
Option "DPMS" "true"
EndSection
Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Device0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
EndSection

By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to install Cinnamon desktop environment on your Dell Optiplex 390 machine running Linux Mint and resolve issues related to Windows not displaying in full screen and colors bleeding right.

References

• Linux Mint Installation Guide
• Manual driver installation on Linux Mint
• Configuring Xorg.conf on Ubuntu