OK this may be my first encounter with the enshittification of OneDrive - I know it only from the online cloud storage that you have to actually acitively save stuff too.
Appears that microsoft has it as default storgae so everything saved on hard drive of laptop is also backed up to their cloud.
And this onedrive storage is "full" after we downloaded full google photos* backup yesterday. So I can't do anything here even though the laptop itslef has a goood 150 Gb free on the hard drive.
Swearing is starting to happen. 3/n
*another world of pain I won't go into here.
Also slightly annoyed with both myself and husband for 1) allowing this situation to occur in first place 2) not being fully aware of the implications of the hasty decision to buy a windows based laptop in first place.
OTOH, we're reasonably knowledgeable on IT issues. What chance does average member of public stand?
4/n
Windows laptop is so gummed up it's taking minutes to react to simple search in the directories. And I can only conclude onedrive is the issue here, possibly also #EndOf10? I have disconnected the wifi while I try to run the backup.
So far the linux mint download to USB drive from danish hosted mirror site has been the easy part! 5/n
Update, disconnecting wifi connection has not made windows laptop run faster. The "Fast access" part of windows filefinder is now running even slower...
I only want to check my backup to an external hard drive has worked!
6/n
Well backup went faster than expected but looks like mint download did not. Trying that again now...
AT least I'm being productive in between times...
8/n
Ok the second time worked - and the file has been verified. Thank heavens I have my own linux machine. Would be a nightmare to do this on Windows I suspect...
Now to make the bootable drive.
It's at least 6 years since I did this last time. Crumbs.
9/n
Ok, resolved some etcher problems - ubuntu is fast with this stuff - seems to be flashing the bootable driver now.. 🤞
Also found some very cool photos from a trip 10 years ago and some ideas for new projects, also about 7 yeasr old on the USB stick - so that's a win.
10/n
Moment of truth time - I have a bootable usb stick. Etcher was veyr fast I'm pretty sure the backup of the laptop worked. But teenager may be about to hate me forever.
Let's see... 🤞
11/n
Well I'm in the BIOS finally. Man I'd almost forgotten this existed...
An LM logo has appeared, but now it's all gone dark... 😬
Oh wait I do believe we are live...
It's time to Install linux mint
Teenager has just suggested some of the programs, which I was under the impression were via the browser, may need to be on desktop.
This might mean Wine I guess?
And probably some kind of microsoft office install? I was hoping to get away with libreoffice..
Anybody have any experience with wine?
I will in any case have to contact the IT support at the school I think. I hope I am not the only parent doing so with the #EndOf10 .
Meanwhile, over on the laptop, the Linux Mint is installed (in danish even) and seems to be restarting without the USB
holding breath here...
🤞
13/n
Right tea break time - then we can start optimising the desktop and all the programs as well as moving over the files.
I guess that is where we will start to run into different problems.
This linux install is taking a lot longer than I'd hoped (which was probably unrealistic to be fair), but has been pretty smooth so far (once we left microsoft world at least)
14/n
WELL.
We have a newly installed @linuxmint version on an old #EndoOf10 laptop.
All user files have been moved across (will require some organisation still, and that alone will be a shock to a GenZ used to just dumping stuff on the cloud - honestly the desktop looked like my parents... 😱 ).
Most important programs are there (I had to explain difference between program and app along the way too).
And overall it's been a pretty positive learning experience for both of us. I have had to compromise on a few things and teenager has a few programs installed that I'd rather not - but let's see this as a gateway out of #BigTech if at all possible...
There will be a few more follow up points I suspect but thanks all for your friendly encouragement and helpful hints so far
15/n
And that's a wrap - the newly refreshed laptop has been handed over to teen with most of the packages functional. Thanks for following along on this @linuxmint installation journey with me and thanks to all #linux maintainers, forum contributors and FOSS advocates around keeping the system running.
👏 WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU!👏
The final judgement won't be clear until Monday when the first log in at school happens but hopefully it will be successful, or the IT support is going to have to deal with some very salty comments (from me).
16/16
FIN
@Ruth_Mottram wait, there's a difference between "program" and "app"? I've been using them interchangeably
(Admittedly "program" isn't really used for programs that run on smartphones, or for web applications, but they are still totally programs)
Ruth Mottram
CryptoMoose
Neville Park
El Duvelle