This is why Linux will never take over the desktop...

[mikeymikec]

re: I'm reminded of that expression: Linux is only free if your time is worthless.

With a decent distro, I honestly think it's the other way around these days: Getting Windows to help me be productive is far more work than with Linux, and Linux devs aren't conspiring to undermine my productivity.

 

[lxskllr]

and Linux devs aren't conspiring to undermine my productivity.

That's the biggest thing. A lot of proprietary software is an adversarial relationship. You buy software as a tool. Unhappy with the amount you paid to buy, companies try to screw you over by spying, or making the user a captive audience so they funnel more money into their company. A lot of it is fixable, but why should I have to hack around my software to keep it from screwing me. I read threads about people reverting ms's hostile behavior through registry hacks or addon software, and I just shake my head. I wouldn't, and don't put up with it. Fix it this time, and they find a creative new way of breaking it.

 

[you2]

That's the biggest thing. A lot of proprietary software is an adversarial relationship. You buy software as a tool. Unhappy with the amount you paid to buy, companies try to screw you over by spying, or making the user a captive audience so they funnel more money into their company. A lot of it is fixable, but why should I have to hack around my software to keep it from screwing me. I read threads about people reverting ms's hostile behavior through registry hacks or addon software, and I just shake my head. I wouldn't, and don't put up with it. Fix it this time, and they find a creative new way of breaking it.

I will note that over the years MS certainly has spent a fair amount of money generating reports (FUD) on why linux is bad or dangerous for corporations.

 

[WelshBloke]

Heh. I just logged into the Windows partition on a laptop at home just as I felt I needed to do some maintenance (my daughter has her schools account on that OS install)

Everything seemed fine. Then I thought that I'd install some software to design some key caps (I might make a thread about that, I very much need help with it) and Windows did that thing where the active window ends up mostly off screen without enough to drag it back and I can never remember the key combination to get the "move" option on right clicking in the taskbar so that wasted some time.
Then Windows decided that it was going to update and that was 15 minutes of my life gone!

That trope of "Linux is only free if your time is worthless" really ended up tickling my irony bone!


Couldn't get the software to design the key caps working in the end anyway plus the Adobe alternative software needs a subscription and credit card details even to run a trial version!

 

[manly]

haha PC World declared desktop Linux dead 15 years ago.

Desktop Linux Is Dead - Slashdot

digitaldc writes with this quote from PCWorld: "It kills me to say this: The dream of Linux as a major desktop OS is now pretty much dead. Despite phenomenal security and stability — and amazing strides in usability, performance, and compatibility — Linux simply isn't catching on with de...

linux.slashdot.org

 

[WelshBloke]

So my windows VM did a weird thing!
Been using it for awhile with a local account, tried to log in and it took me to the oobe screen that you get on set up and it tried to insist that I set up a Microsoft account. A couple of hard resets later it let me sign in with my local account so it was ok in the end.
Odd though.

 

[mikeymikec]

So my windows VM did a weird thing!
Been using it for awhile with a local account, tried to log in and it took me to the oobe screen that you get on set up and it tried to insist that I set up a Microsoft account. A couple of hard resets later it let me sign in with my local account so it was ok in the end.
Odd though.

If it was Win11, then I ctrl+alt+del'd, went into task manager and killed the process.

After that, settings > system > notifications > additional notifications: untick three boxes.

 

[WelshBloke]

If it was Win11, then I ctrl+alt+del'd, went into task manager and killed the process.

After that, settings > system > notifications > additional notifications: untick three boxes.

I don't have the patience for Microsofts bullshit nowadays and I just hit that "shut down guest" button!

 

[WelshBloke]

Looks like Zorin is the new Linux gateway drug!

 

[Indus]

Looks like Zorin is the new Linux gateway drug!

View attachment 132512

The more Microsoft tightens it grip.. the more Windows users will slip through their fingers!

 

[jmagg]

Just installed Mint on an ancient AMD with Radeon (Win 8) laptop for bro in law. Works perfectly for a 4gig ram and 5400 spinner. Fine for his needs.

 

[you2]

Just installed Mint on an ancient AMD with Radeon (Win 8) laptop for bro in law. Works perfectly for a 4gig ram and 5400 spinner. Fine for his needs.

It isn't mint but the linux kernel. While not perfect windows is so bloated and so poorly layered it is a pile of poop shit.

 

[jmagg]

It isn't mint but the linux kernel. While not perfect windows is so bloated and so poorly layered it is a pile of poop shit.

Um ok

 

[DRC_40]

How ironic reading this 8 year old topic. Due to the impending doom of Win10 and one of my boxes is still running a very capable 6th Gen i7, I converted it to Linux (Mint) and it's snappier than it's ever been. This is just a utility box maybe some word processing, internet browsing, some light photo/vid work and no reason to toss this thing because MS has to see a TPM chip. Linux can do anything and everything I need and this box will live on for many more years with Linux. Screw you MS

 

[Indus]

Just installed Mint on an ancient AMD with Radeon (Win 8) laptop for bro in law. Works perfectly for a 4gig ram and 5400 spinner. Fine for his needs.

going forward.. go with LMDE instead of basic linux mint.

It's even better and one update every 2 years is plenty for most people instead of constant updates.

Current version of LMDE is LMDE 7.

 

[jmagg]

going forward.. go with LMDE instead of basic linux mint.

It's even better and one update every 2 years is plenty for most people instead of constant updates.

Current version of LMDE is LMDE 7.

What are the benefits of LDME? I've stuck with basic Mint, the updates install automatically and I personally havnt had any problems although my software needs are minimal and a non gamer.

 

[Indus]

What are the benefits of LDME? I've stuck with basic Mint, the updates install automatically and I personally havnt had any problems although my software needs are minimal and a non gamer.

LMDE stands for Linux Mint Debian Edition.

Debian is the most stable version of Linux. They spend 2 years testing everything and only push out stuff that will not crash or create problems for users. That's why it is loved and used by 40 million people and servers because those people want stability and zero surprises.

Normal mint is based on Ubuntu and others like Arch or Fedora are more cutting edge modern but just like any game one patch brings bugs, then the next few try to fix it. That's why people give up on linux, something breaks and they can't or don't know how to fix it. And that is why all other versions of Linux only have like 3 million users.

Debian or Linux mint Debian edition will save you so many headaches because it just works.

 

[jmagg]

LMDE stands for Linux Mint Debian Edition.

Debian is the most stable version of Linux. They spend 2 years testing everything and only push out stuff that will not crash or create problems for users. That's why it is loved and used by 40 million people and servers because those people want stability and zero surprises.

Normal mint is based on Ubuntu and others like Arch or Fedora are more cutting edge modern but just like any game one patch brings bugs, then the next few try to fix it. That's why people give up on linux, something breaks and they can't or don't know how to fix it. And that is why all other versions of Linux only have like 3 million users.

Debian or Linux mint Debian edition will save you so many headaches because it just works.

Thank you for that, I'll give it a go if this basic Mint ever gives me sheit.

 

[biostud]

LMDE stands for Linux Mint Debian Edition.

Debian is the most stable version of Linux. They spend 2 years testing everything and only push out stuff that will not crash or create problems for users. That's why it is loved and used by 40 million people and servers because those people want stability and zero surprises.

Normal mint is based on Ubuntu and others like Arch or Fedora are more cutting edge modern but just like any game one patch brings bugs, then the next few try to fix it. That's why people give up on linux, something breaks and they can't or don't know how to fix it. And that is why all other versions of Linux only have like 3 million users.

Debian or Linux mint Debian edition will save you so many headaches because it just works.

I was thinking Debian + KDE for an old i5-2400S with 16GB ram and 1TB SSD

 

[manly]

Just installed Mint on an ancient AMD with Radeon (Win 8) laptop for bro in law. Works perfectly for a 4gig ram and 5400 spinner. Fine for his needs.

You must not like bro-in-law. 😭

/s

 

[Indus]

I was thinking Debian + KDE for an old i5-2400S with 16GB ram and 1TB SSD

Should work fine..

I use one for a i5-3470, 16GB RAM and 128 GB SSD.

 

[Indus]

Thank you for that, I'll give it a go if this basic Mint ever gives me sheit.

Yeah it's one of those automatic updates that broke my wife's system and it wouldn't even boot up.. so I gave her LMDE as she didn't want to learn everything again.

Till today (4 years later) she has never noticed the difference. It's basically linux mint.. but under the hood it's debian, not ubuntu (like with the normal linux mint).

 

[jmagg]

Yeah it's one of those automatic updates that broke my wife's system and it wouldn't even boot up.. so I gave her LMDE as she didn't want to learn everything again.

Till today (4 years later) she has never noticed the difference. It's basically linux mint.. but under the hood it's debian, not ubuntu (like with the normal linux mint).

I can see the benefit. Ill do that in the future. Just because my install hasnt broken does not mean others wont.

 

[Rigg]

LMDE stands for Linux Mint Debian Edition.

Debian is the most stable version of Linux. They spend 2 years testing everything and only push out stuff that will not crash or create problems for users. That's why it is loved and used by 40 million people and servers because those people want stability and zero surprises.

Normal mint is based on Ubuntu and others like Arch or Fedora are more cutting edge modern but just like any game one patch brings bugs, then the next few try to fix it. That's why people give up on linux, something breaks and they can't or don't know how to fix it. And that is why all other versions of Linux only have like 3 million users.

Debian or Linux mint Debian edition will save you so many headaches because it just works.

As far as I'm aware, LMDE is not based on the Debian stable branch. Pretty sure it uses the Debian testing branch. Not that would necessarily be a bad thing though. Debian stable is pretty conservative for a desktop system. The packages are generally really outdated. Especially at the end of a release cycle.

 

[Zepp]

As far as I'm aware, LMDE is not based on the Debian stable branch. Pretty sure it uses the Debian testing branch. Not that would necessarily be a bad thing though. Debian stable is pretty conservative for a desktop system. The packages are generally really outdated. Especially at the end of a release cycle.

apparently it used to be based on Debian testing but is now based on Debian stable.

Sparky linux is one of the main distros I know of that uses Debian testing