FyrnyxWhat is your reason for not flipping to Linux?
What is your reason for not flipping to Linux?
LaGG_3 [he/him, comrade/them]You could always dual boot - have a secondary drive to ease into Linux and keep your Windows drive as you work on setting things up/functioning in Linux.
WhitebrowIsn’t mint based on Ubuntu?
Yeah! Once you get into linux you discover that in reality there are like 3 maybe 4 linux distros. Ubuntu is based on Debian and Mint is based on Ubuntu. And if you are knowledgeable enough then you just compile everything from source and it doesn’t matter if you’re running Fedora or FreeBSD.
The only thing a beginner needs to know is Linux Mint. I think any time anyone shows curiosity in trying Linux, it should be stressed that there’s a really simple and “safe” way to start, which would be through Linux Mint.
just make a vm of windows and use Linux for EVERYTHING else
None, we only use linux.
mesaAt the house yeah its the family computers. Haven’t had to reimage for years. The windows 10 old lap had to get reimaed after the last windows update blue screened it haha.
My PC is hooked up to my main TV as a gaming/home theater thing.
I think my setup is pretty cool, it’s synced up to my Philips hue lights, surround sound, the whole shebang.
For whatever reason, I assume some sort of DRM nonsense, the light sync doesn’t work through the hue sync box and I have to use the PC app
The Hue app doesn’t support Linux, and from what I can find the app doesn’t work right through proton/WINE/etc. there’s a handful of people trying to cobble together their own Linux hue sync apps but none of them seem like they’re quite there yet.
I’m pretty sure that with the advancements made in the last few years I can probably run just about any game or program I want (most of what I use aside from games is FOSS anyway) but I do still have a bit of a bad taste lingering in my mouth from trying to get games and stuff running on Linux over a decade ago.
Flyberius [comrade/them]I’m travelling atm AND bricking my laptop would be a disaster. That’s it
Almost 20 years ago I was living in China and my Mac’s hdd got corrupted. While I was able to restore the os I couldn’t get a copy of ms office anywhere - that’s when I switched over to saving everything as .rtf Wrote my dissertation in Nisus Writer Pro and still won’t fuck with any proprietary file format.
I’m lazy and haven’t gotten around to it yet
other_cat+1
I did flip my peripheral electronics, it’s just my main computer I haven’t changed yet. I made an attempt a while back ago but ran into enough snags, after already having a rough day, that I gave up and I haven’t tried again since. I’m pretty sure I know what the problem is, I just haven’t found myself wanting to sit down and burn the time it would take to install the new OS and get everything installed and tweaked how I like it etc. The latter part being a most-of-the-day project.
I will do it eventually though. I am sick of Windows. Now I just need to get over my fatigue and get off my ass.
For me, the snag is that I haven’t sorted through my files yet to decide what to keep
If you’re definitely making the hop, copy the whole windows file system to an external NTFS-formatted drive and then mount that and sort the files later haha.
You won’t be able to boot it as a backup, but the files will be there. If you have drive encryption you have to turn it off
well5H1T3I made the change about a year ago now. I saw the end of Windows 10 coming up and decided to install linux in a dual boot and try my best to use it exclusively for a couple months until I properly got used to it. You will need to accept that not every program you use on Windows will be available and you may have to try out a couple replacements before you find something that works for you. But most things have decent alternatives. Especially considering how much is done in a web browser these days, there aren’t too many programs I really miss from Windows (mostly 3D CAD and RAW image processing).
Also, note that the differences between distros is way overblown when it comes to compatibility, it is mostly just a case of whether your package manager has the packages you want available and how bleeding edge the packages your distro uses are. Debian based distros (e.g. Ubuntu and Mint) tend to use slightly older packages than ones that are rolling release like Arch which should theoretically be a bit more stable.
SanguineParI saw the end of Windows 10 coming up and decided to install linux in a dual boot
This is something I need to learn how to do - I’ve no idea how dual booting works, but I could do with learning. Did you have any good resources to help you, or did you already know how to do it?
Dual booting is easy as long as you have a second drive or can shrink your Windows partition to provide space for your Linux install (this can be done within Windows). Your distro installer should have a couple options during install, one of which should allow you to install it on a specific partition without touching your Windows partition. After you select that option it should install everything including a bootloader like GRUB or systemdboot that will allow you to select Windows or Linux on startup.
A warning about dual booting though, Windows doesn’t like to be installed alongside another OS, it may realize this and fuck with your bootloader resulting in a system that won’t boot into your linux install. You need to boot up a live CD and do something called “chroot” into your sytem to reinstall your bootloader. Its not actually that difficult but can be a pain to figure out the first time. discovery.endeavouros.com/system-rescue/…/12/
Thanks! Even all that sounds hideously complicated or danger-strewn, but I’ll try and have a look.
One thing I think I’d like to try is getting a dedicated external hard drive or SSD and running Linux entirely from that, so as not to mess with any of the main drives I already have. Or, better, get a separate machine altogether and keep an air gap between Windows and Linux, at least until I understand it a bit!
FriendOfDeSotoI’m only allowed to switch our old desktop to Linux now that Win10 support is running out. My partner objected until now and I chose to die on other hills. But now, when I have a weekend to spare, I can finally switch over to probably Ubuntu.
I have terabytes of games, shit internet and no patience for things that don’t just work immediately. I can only tolerated windows because I’ve already fixed it and I don’t have to keep fixing it anymore.
Who knows what will happen with my next gaming laptop though, if it’s fresh and empty I won’t have that excuse, although there is always ‘cbf’ to fall back on.
Lyra_LycanI use Endeavour and it’s near flawless because all the drivers are imstalled, Steam kmows when to use Proton, Heroic Launcher handles everything else. 6TB+ of games. All run. When they don’t it’s because of Epic Games’ login requirement. No crashes. No launch errors.
Compatibility my only concerns are modded games afaik. Forza I think has issues but I’m pretty sick of forza, anyway, fh5 gave me a ton of grief.
It’s literally redownloading everything. My internet is likely slower than the moon. Im not touching it without needing to start from scratch anyway, because it’ll knock my internet out for like a month.
TruscapeYou can back up your games using steam’s game transfer tool to another drive, then attaching that drive to the new install :)
It’s even designed for people with data caps
My data cap isn’t even the problem, hitting it is lmao.
Didn’t know the same game files worked though, good to know.
My Windows 10 PC is just as, if not more secure than any Linux machine on the planet.
But one of these days I’m going to have to actually power it on again and then I guess I’ll have to do something.
VanthPersonal: Linux with a secondary, occasionaly used box for things that only seem to work on Windows. Would just do a VM if I didn’t already have a spare hand-me-down box.
Work: I’m not fighting that battle. If they deploy Windows, I’m using Windows.
Going 100% Linux, even just in personal use, is still not feasible.
My wife has zero computer skills. Windows drove her mad. I put nixOS on it, asked what programs she needed for work/home (zoom, chrome, libreoffice, cups) filled the config in by copy paste, and ran the rebuild… She hasn’t bugged me in 5 years for anything.
ZorinOS is another install and use option. There’s no need for hacker CLI level stuff anymore
There’s no buildabear OS stuff in my industry. If I replaced the OS on my work laptop with Linux, I would 1) not be able to access anything, or 2) if I got access I might get arrested at worst and have a serious talk coming from HR for security violation at best.
What industry is that?
PlutoniumAcidEvery corporate setting ever.
Corpo says use Windows, you have to do that. Circumvent it and you are going to get fired. Even using a nonstandard browser, or whatever, can get you in hot water. Corpo protect their legal standing, workers are irrelevant.
Just curious, the corpo I first worked at had both Linux and windows. Other places, even with fully locked down world enterprise, have a form you can fillout to explain why you need something.
Current place has enterprise software ports for Linux or Windows.
So I was more curious what industry it was not the level of industry.
I’m in design and manufacturing aerospace systems/components. And before that, design and manufacturing of laboratory instrumentation. Both were similar: options were 1) default Windows build for engineering functions and 2) default Windows build for non-engineering functions, or 3) an act of god to get something else approved. Security, monitoring, retention, I’m sure were all reasons. Also just simplifying the number of builds IT would have to accommodate.
Ive know one person who managed to get a Linux box approved. It was so they could use a particular aerodynamics software package, iirc. IT made them keep it off network and would not support it in any capacity.
Interesting.
Up till about 2018 aerospace CAD/CAM/FEA had Unigraphics/NX and PLM software as a Linux option. For who knows why, they dropped the Graphical Linux version so we are back on Windows, and headless Linux for automation only. I’m hoping with Wayland maturing they will eventually bring Linux back because it was a lot more performant than the Windows version.
Was staying away from Linux for this reason. Last time I used it, it was brutal.
I just installed pop OS and everything works out of the box except for the faceID thing. But that was 10 minutes setting up another app and now it works.
The laptop performs so much better now than it did with window 11
I had the same experience with kubuntu, everything works, had one small awake from sleep issue with my NVIDIA 3060, fix was no harder than fixing a normal windows issue, no problems since, crashes less than the system did with windows.
roux [they/them, xe/xem]What’s keeping me from switching is that I switched about 12 years ago.
They said that their viewer was tested and designed to function mostly with Ubuntu and while it could work with other distros, it’s not to be expected to be smooth.
I can’t vouch for this particular software but from my experience with using Mint full time for the last 6 or so years is that regarding troubleshooting software, if a fix works on Ubuntu, it will more than likely work on Mint.
I use Mint at home. Having said that, I do still have a macbook for two reasons: work and music production. Yes, I know there are good music production tools for Linux. I’ve dabbled in Ardour before. But my workflow in Logic is already a well-oiled machine and I like how it has a ton of plug-ins that come with it out of the box.
At work its because all the tools work on it. That’s it.
Although there’s a minority that is moving to phone and Mac. And they are growing. Its interesting to see the transition last 2 years.
Linux Ofc
VR support, that’s it for me.
You’ll find some things are broken and janky in Windows and Linux. Just different jank you’re not used to. I have friends who complain about how they have to do weird workarounds for Linux and then turnaround and fuck with RegEdit. You get used to either given enough time.
then turnaround and fuck with RegEdit.
LOL, forgot about this. And they say they ain’t tech savvy enough
Man i wish Mint worked out of the box as well as virtually everyone on here says it does.
I am a former software engineer, and don’t want my home PC to be a hobby. I’m like 6 hours into trying to make my (simple) audio setup work on Mint Cinnamon and it’s intermittent at best. Never have even thought about it on Windows.
It is plug and play compared to Linux of old, it’s clearly come a long way. But it’s nowhere near as easy as Windows still, for anyone who isn’t trying to make this a hobby
That's exactly how I feel about it as well and largely contributes to my hesitation.
I read and hear how so many people just gush and gush about how Linux Mint or this distro just 'works out of the box'. What they don't tell you, is how they must have had to spend hours getting something to work. Like sure, Linux Mint or a more friendlier distro will work out of the box - if you do nothing but just browse online and maybe install/uninstall programs you may want or need from the software package manager.
But I have had my battles before trying to make things work on linux distros, like getting proprietary functions of a browser to work. Hell, I have even had to fight a little just to get a displaying clock! Like with its formatting from 24hr to 12hr, I'm not saying getting it to display or anything but I don't get this desire to default to a 24hr format. And I have had to fight at times to switch formats.
The point is, I or others should not have to spend more time than we need to, to get things to work when there is already an OS that readily does that without question. It doesn't make us dumb, it doesn't make us incurious or boring or uninterested in computers and technology. It's about patience and respect of time and if some Linux distro is not going to respect my time or patience, regardless of how welcoming it appears, then it is not worth swapping to.
What (simple) audio setup? Does it rely on proprietary software?
Nope. Motherboard SPDIF to (“dumb”) speakers. Can’t get the mobo SPDIF out to work in Mint.
I’m certain if I sink enough hours in I can figure something out but like 6 hours into troubleshooting this I decided I didn’t have the bandwidth to take 100% of my fun time away to do what feels like my job to me.
I’m sure you’ve spent a lot of time trying different things, this is what I found:
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In Linux Mint’s sound settings (Applications -> Preferences -> Sound), under the Hardware tab, choose a profile that does NOT mention anything digital or IEC. For example, select “Analog Stereo Duplex.” This can help PulseAudio avoid blocking the digital output and allow passthrough to work properly through ALSA.
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Use alsamixer in a terminal to select the motherboard’s sound device and ensure SPDIF outputs are enabled and not muted. Sometimes SPDIF is muted by default.
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In terminal, run gstreamer-properties and set Default Output to ALSA with the digital device as the output. This bypasses PulseAudio and can solve passthrough issues.
I have never had an issue and I’ve ran mint on dozens of PCs, laptops, audio outputs. Perhaps this is something to do with hardware or something proprietary. Even certain cords your connecting with. Mint and especially LMDE based on Debian is and has been the most flawless experience even on old hardware and current I have ever seen.
I dislike Ubuntu backends and find their support eventually introduces some breakage and prefer the stability of Debian but the polish of mint is top notch. I’ve used external speakers, headsets, TVs, monitors, and even blue tooth on mint to nearly never having an issue. Aside from having to select which output I want the sound to go to.
I find this odd especially given your using “dumb” desktop style speakers.
Distro choice makes a huge difference and it depends on your use case.
Not quite sure what you meant by you’d be SOL if things break?? If you mean with Linux then it’s best to go immutable distro, or opensuse, or nixOS, something where you can rollback your system at the next boot and it’s all back to normal.
I love NixOS but it’s clearly not a good distro to suggest for a first time on Linux.
I found it super straight forward if you know how to seach the package web page and copy paste to your config.
But you are right, the average Windows user won’t be Editting configs.
My machines are OpenSUSE. But for my wife, who has zero computer skill, I installed nixOS with the apps she needed for home and work and she has had zero* issues in 5 years, because it just works.
- the only issues have been file management because she gets flustered with folders for her outgoing monthly documents, and wants every file in one folder…which is fine if your remember to rename them all by month and year, but gets messy when you don’t.
Yes, because you wrote the config and she didn’t need anything fancy. Could she write or update the config by herself, or even upgrade?
Between channels and flakes, the old and new CLI, the lack of documentation of a lot of options…
I mean I love it and wouldn’t go back but it was a difficult journey, at leat at the beginning. Even today I sometimes find myself having to go read the code because the documentation is lacking.
She couldn’t deal with windows UX, so no she wouldn’t be configginganythinfg, OPs concern was things breaking, and nix is awesome for that, with the rollbacks if something did
nebula42VR. Even my valve index, which is supposed to be the best supported on linux, has been nothing but hell on earth to try and get running. I remember reading about envision and if i can get that to work on arch, and the performance is acceptable, i might switch over to it sometime after windows reaches EOL.
Envision
Envision# Envision GitLab repository Envision is a graphical app that acts as an orchestrator to get a full Monado or WiVRn setup up and running with a few clicks. Do not use Envision for WiVRn directly unless you absolutely need it to access experimental patches. See WiVRn as WiVRn has it’s own GUI much more suited to itself than Envision and may be installed via Flatpak, AUR, or Fedora repos. Envision constructs a working runtime with both a native OpenXR and an OpenVR implementation (provided by xrizer or OpenComposite), for games or other client applications. Please note these OpenVR implementations are incomplete and contain only what’s necessary to run most games for compatibility.
Because my PC is an entertainment box. I don’t want to turn it into a problem to solve.
Also, Nvidia.
Also, Nvidia.
Was waiting for this to pop up LOL
If you are on a market for a Linux-first laptop, AMD is the way. I mean, yes, Nvidia is far better now than half a decade ago, but still, the hoops you have to jump? FUCK YOU NVIDIA
What hoops? Installing the NVIDIA drivers is pretty straight forward.
Until you tryna upgrade that laptop 😂
AdaI’m on Linux everywhere at home except for my lounge family PC. It runs windows and Linux, but boots in to windows by default. That way when my kid or friends/family are using it, it’s familiar to them, but when I use it, I can boot it in to linux.
It’s not even true dual booting. Rather, they’re each installed on their own dedicated drives, and I jump in to the bios to boot from Linux when I need it. It means they don’t really even have to coexist and break each other’s installs