Linux has changed so much that there's no way to generalize about it.Originally Posted by Whirlwind06
Linux has changed so much that there's no way to generalize about it.
#RESIST
I find most Linux installs to be way quicker and easier than Windows, and I have had plenty of driver issues with the latter.
The nice part about Windows is you can buy a packaged system that works out of the box. Just like a Glock or a 1911, add some external accessories or install more software, and you may mess up a perfectly working PC. That's been the beauty of the tablet and smartphone products, it's a lot harder to mess them up compared to a PC.
-Seconds Count. Misses Don't-
I am presently learning to live in Linux and it does seem that networking is a little fragile periodically. On an Ubuntu-based distribution, running 'sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager.service' seems to correct whatever the issue is the majority of the time, but I'm still learning the idiosyncrasies and I'm sure there are better solutions available than "turning it off and turning it back on again". I'd be curious to hear the thoughts of the various Linux gurus that are wandering around the board.
I think this is an apt analogy. These days it seems like your options for a desktop / laptop are limited to:
A) Paying the Apple tax and asking Cook & Co. for permission to use hardware you technically own;
B) Submitting to constant telemetry and letting Microsoft handle most problems most of the time (...mostly); or,
C) Accepting that Linux has fleas and that you'll have to scratch your own itches.
Linux is definitely the future though, and I think LL's suggestion of using an emulator on Windows is probably the best solution for most people.
"Sapiens dicit: 'Ignoscere divinum est, sed noli pretium plenum pro pizza sero allata solvere.'" - Michelangelo
Well not sure if this was @LittleLebowski 's intent but, I was going to say using a virtual machine is a great way to try it out first, get used to commands, the menu system, etc. and get a feel for the OS without worrying about breaking something. Then once you feel more comfortable, you could do an actual install. Long-term, I wouldn't just use it in a VM as that sort of defeats the purpose unless you're using something like a "hypervisor" but, that's a whole other ball of wax.
Even better, though a bit of added cost. Go buy a used Dell Precision desktop off Craigslist, Ebay, or Newegg. $100-150 can get you a decent one from 5-7yrs ago that's more than sufficient. Very common, and usually the hardware of the Precision models is well-supported since they're more business-grade. Have that second computer on the side so you can start with an actual install while still having your other functioning computer. Worst case if you screw it up, just reinstall your choice of Linux distribution.
I think a lot of what intimidates people about Linux up front has to do with concerns about the unknown. Stuff like managing hard drives, adding new hard drives, opening and closing programs, dealing with errors or unexpected situations. Basically, fear of breaking things. I say, break them at will in a VM, gain a bit of confidence, then move to a proper hardware install. :-)
Administrator for PatRogers.org
I honestly don't think Linux nor Windows are the future for personal use. It's all going to be Android or IOS, maybe some form of Windows embedded. Yes, I'm aware that Android is Linux based.
#RESIST
Lab is Linux-based. But my personal machines remain Mac. For trouble free and ease of integration, Mac is tough to beat. Really OSx is just "high functioning" or "low functioning" Linux depending on your level of use. It's a UNIX-based system with architecture and code that is just a little fancier than Linux.
The place where I find Linux excels is when building enterprise grade systems on the cheap. Which is basically our lab. We're currently running four racks with enough processing and video cards to make a crypto miner jealous. But we use it for data processing and digital imaging. Still, there is nothing in the suite of image processing tools that works as well as stuff available for Mac.
Yep, I agree.
When most people use an internet browser for most of the day-to-day things they do.
What's it's running on doesn't make much of a difference. The current trend seems to be software as a service with very thin desktop clients or web apps.
Back when I managed a DevOps team (side gig to my job as a SOC manager), everyone ran Linux VMs under VirtualBox.
I haven't run Linux as a primary machine in ages, but the Linux VMs I run on my VMWare server at home all "just work".
Chris
Maybe the CCP does not approve of Ubuntu running on their hardware...Just finished up my annual attempt to switch to Linux failure.
This year it was Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on a Lenovo "all in one".
Did a dual boot install and was up and running with zero issues and liking it for about a week.
Then I restarted the computer to use Windows for some specialized software, no problem.
Restarted again to use Ubuntu and my wired ethernet is no longer working and for some reason there's no wireless option.
Both the wired and wireless work perfectly in Windows.
Literally nothing changed on the machine except a restart.
WTF?
It's 2021 and it's still a royal pain in the ass to get on (and stay on) the Internet with Linux.
I also love the "just Google your issue"... so you're saying I need a second non-Linux machine so I can troubleshoot and fix my Linux machine? Ya... No.
I guess I'll go back to spyware Windows and try again next year.
The one thing about having software that data mines you... the company has a vested interest in making sure the data mining pipeline actually works.
I'm quite familiar and comfortable with both Mint and Ubuntu. I've used both off and on every year going back many, many years.
I usually use them until they bug out for the goofiest reason, usually network/Internet related.
I'm also familiar with OSX and had Macs for a few years, no proof but I'm pretty sure Apple and Microsoft are both data mining everything they can get away with on the down low.
Not interested in using a VM. The more layers of software, the more potential exploits, bugs and resources hogged.
Today I ordered a System76 Meercat to use as a dedicated, supported Ubuntu machine.
Hopefully I'll have better long term stability with a machine built from the ground up to be Linux compatible.
I'm trying to get away from Microsoft before the next big Windows update turns my machine into a full blown snitch.
"For a moment he felt good about this. A moment or two later he felt bad about feeling good about it. Then he felt good about feeling bad about feeling good about it and, satisfied, drove on into the night."
-- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy --
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