Goodbye Microsoft, hello Linux Mint!

[chrisp9au (Chris)]

Thank you Steve, I will get there, watching videos on YouTube etc.
I know there is a learning curve, it's just that it's uphill, and at 80 I really don't like steep climbs!

[AstralTraveller (David)]

Originally Posted by AstroViking

Because quite often there are things you cannot do through a GUI.

If your machine breaks and won't start the GUI, then you will need to know the CLI and what commands you need to fix it. (IMHO learning how to use 'nano' or 'vi' to edit files is a must.)

V.

The other thing is that, unlike Doze and Mac, there are many Linux GUIs and they are evolving. So anyone who want to give generic instructions needs to use the command line, even if most/all GUIs can do the job graphically. For example, every distro has a software manager but they are all different but typing 'sudo apt-get install <package>' works on every machine.

Perhaps one day GUI's will be able to do all jobs but atm I think you can't quite escape the command line. I tend to just copy and paste commands from sites I believe are reputable (I do read and try to understand the commands too!). So far, touch wood, I haven't broken anything by doing so.

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

while the title is about ending a relationship with adobe - its about linux - very entertaining (don't sit too close to the screen though!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm51xZHZI6g (worth watching til the end!)

[chrisp9au (Chris)]

Thanks Russell, but Adobe does not get a mention in this thread?

[chrisp9au (Chris)]

Well, 5 days in and I'm fairly happy with Linux Mint.
It's going a lot quicker than the insurers fixing our roof!

Just about all the software I need is now working, either in Linux or a Virtual Machine.
I've been using SkyTools V4 for many years and very happy with it.

I sorely miss the functionality of my Logitech MX mice and keyboards.

The 'SOLAAR' app allows me to pair them using the Logitech Unifying device,
but there is no way I can get Logi Options+ to recognise them.
So I can't get all my application customisation and settings setup.

I'm hooked up to the Telstra 5G network and getting very nice download/upload speeds.
It surprised me how much astro stuff I was doing online, I can continue with all of that, but now on Firefox
I really don't want to change my email address after all these years, but I'm trying out 'Evolution' to manage my emails.
Wish I could migrate all my old emails from Gmail, so I could get further away from Google.

Clementine is managing all my music, though I wish I could get 'Media Monkey' up and going.

So, happy to be well towards a full migration to Linux, but still a huge amount to learn!

[AlexN]

I use Linux a lot on my work laptop, its dual booted, because I'm a .NET desktop application developer, I need Windows... there is actually no getting away from my requirement for Windows.. the other thing is gaming... I may be 40, but gaming has been since i was 4, and will be a big part of my life for years to come, and I'll be so real, I've used Linux on my personal machines heaps over the years, but I literally can't be bothered... sure, Linux has a million benefits, but none of them outweigh 32 years of Windows muscle memory... and you can certainly pair Windows 11 back to strip out the bloat and the ai nonsense, that's all possible.. you can even disable updates without too much hassle if youre so inclined...

I have just built my new rig and installed Windows on it today, and I'm quite happy... performance is incredible PI benchmark is 4~5x faster than my previous dual xeon rig...

I understand the reasoning for Linux, and it's not that I don't know it, because for all the backend go code I write at work. I have to use linux because of my teams tooling choices, but I'm not about to make my personal computing experience even remotely frustrating or difficult. I don't get enough spare time to be in the pc anymore, the last thing I want is to have to fight 32 years of muscle memory just because I'm scared of ai or subscription licensing..

[chrisp9au (Chris)]

Understood!


There has been a fair bit of head scratching
My Windows PC has been sitting under my desk unused for 2 days now.
I'm pretty sure I'll stay on this path.

[DarkArts]

Originally Posted by chrisp9au

Wish I could migrate all my old emails from Gmail, so I could get further away from Google.

If you watch the video I linked in Post #2, there's a section on importing Gmail history/content into Proton Mail. Other e-mail services may have the same feature.

Gmail is a very reliable e-mail service with good security - its authentication and recovery options are very good - but, as I'm sure you know, it's extremely not private. Gmail parses every e-mail you send or receive and sells that data to a multitude of companies (ostensibly for marketing) as well as itself correlating your e-mail content with any other data gathered on you.

If you want more privacy: ditch Gmail. If you want a very reliable e-mail service that won't be hacked, costs nothing and don't care at all about privacy: stick with Gmail. Of course, you can do both with multiple e-mail addresses.

[chrisp9au (Chris)]

Originally Posted by DarkArts

You're welcome. You will enjoy having more power over your own machine; use it well, my young padawan.

I confess I had search for 'young padawan'

[DarkArts]

Originally Posted by chrisp9au

I confess I had search for 'young padawan'

[Yoda] Much to learn, you still have. [/Yoda]

[sharkbite]

Originally Posted by AlexN

I have to use linux because of my teams tooling choices, but I'm not about to make my personal computing experience even remotely frustrating or difficult. I don't get enough spare time to be in the pc anymore, the last thing I want is to have to fight 32 years of muscle memory just because I'm scared of ai or subscription licensing..

I Hear ya.

I dont go near linux for work, but i've been in IT for more years than i care to mention, so most issues are a quick google away from a fix.

I can't change my shared PC's at home as my family would likely struggle and then i'd have to fix that :-(

My motivation is based on being a tightwad - the Lappie i have works perfectly fine - except that its not W11 compatible. I dont use it for anything but astro, and i ain't about to chuck it out because of the OS.
(i have actually found a way 'round that, but who knows when MS will get wise and disable that kinda stuff, and i had already stopped recieving updates on that machine)

Mint seems to be the most 'Windows-like' of all the distros ive tried, so i'm glad i found this thread!

[DarkArts]

Originally Posted by sharkbite

Mint seems to be the most 'Windows-like' of all the distros ive tried, so i'm glad i found this thread!

They're all Linux underneath. What's most 'Windows-like' about any distro is the Desktop Environment (DE). Linux is different to Windows in that you can choose from a variety of DEs, even though most distros will ship with a default.

Mint's default is Cinnamon. Mint also offers MATE, which is quite Windows-like itself but getting old - it is lighter on resources, though. You can install other DEs on Mint if you want and you can have more than one and switch between them.

Across Linux there are many DE choices: KDE and Gnome are both quite popular, and LXQt is efficient. And for the latest in DEs, for the Wayland window system, there's also Hyprland. Here's a brief explanation:

https://thelinuxcode.com/best-linux-...-environments/

I know people who eschew a DE altogether and "roll their own" by assembling a window manager, compositor, file manager, menu and other 'utility' apps themselves.

IMHO, it's best to use a DE that ships with the distro you prefer, to minimise workload. Mint with Cinnamon offers a quite functional, aesthetic and intuitive desktop that is conceptually similar to Windows.

[chrisp9au (Chris)]

Well, it's been quite a week!

The KISS principal has given me a huge nudge.
Everything Linux was going well, so I decided that I might be able to give myself more options...

Dual boot the PC so I can get some time and productivity with my Logitech MX M3 mouse and KEYS keyboard on Win10, no Google, Firefox!

Things went wrong rather quickly.

Created a Win10 partition on my 1TB SSD and tried to install Win10.
I have no idea what happened but I finished up with a dead SSD, no Linux, no Win10.

After a frustrating couple of days trying to get a bootable SSD on to which I could migrate my laptops Win11 system,
I've surrendered!

So, a fresh install of Win10 on a new SSD, get all the Win10 updates installed, then run Windows Update Blocker!

Then put a SATA drive in the PC and install Linux Mint on that.

Tomorrow...

[DarkArts]

My, you do seem to be making things hard for yourself. Did you trust Windows to play nicely with Linux? Oh dear.

Originally Posted by chrisp9au

Created a Win10 partition on my 1TB SSD and tried to install Win10. I have no idea what happened but I finished up with a dead SSD, no Linux, no Win10.

You might have overwritten the Linux bootloader when you installed Win 10 (Windows tends to do that). That's a recoverable error - boot from your original CD/DVD/USB (that you used to install) and repair the bootloader - I haven't done that in a few years, though, but I expect that still works. But, by now, I expect it's borked beyond recovery.

You say you have a 'dead' SSD? Not sure what you did there. Have you wiped it entirely and tried again? Boot into the live Mint image (from the Linux install CD/DVD/USB) and either:
(a) choose to install from scratch, selecting to wipe the entire SSD in the process; or
(b) use the Disks utility (or command line) to wipe the SSD manually.

Or, you can use the Disks utility to see some details and check diagnostics on the SSD. If the SSD doesn't show up in Disks, well ... have you unplugged it and plugged it back in again?

I usually advise against dual-booting these days because of the potential for such problems. If you must, however, then install Windows first so that Linux takes over the bootloader when installed later.

The Linux Mint forum is a better place to seek help on these issues - there'll be someone more up to date than me.

[DarkArts]

If only these poor users had switched to Linux:

Windows 11 update breaks File Explorer - among other glitches

[chrisp9au (Chris)]

Originally Posted by DarkArts

I usually advise against dual-booting these days because of the potential for such problems. .

I'm taking the safer course, Linux on a separate PC.

7,500+ views on this thread...?

[AstralTraveller (David)]

Originally Posted by chrisp9au

I'm taking the safer course, Linux on a separate PC.

Keep them in separate rooms too.

Originally Posted by chrisp9au

7,500+ views on this thread...?

You're an influencer Chris!

[chrisp9au (Chris)]

Originally Posted by AstralTraveller

Keep them in separate rooms too.

Yeah, we've got to stop these machines talking to each other, they might try to take over!

[DarkArts]

Originally Posted by chrisp9au

I'm taking the safer course, Linux on a separate PC.

Whatever works for you. The important thing is that you're (incrementally) moving away from Microsh*t.

In related news: 'Arrogance is astounding': Microsoft hikes subscription prices causing consumer backlash

If that makes you angry, well, don't get mad: get linux!

[AstralTraveller (David)]

Originally Posted by DarkArts

Whatever works for you. The important thing is that you're (incrementally) moving away from Microsh*t.

In related news: 'Arrogance is astounding': Microsoft hikes subscription prices causing consumer backlash

If that makes you angry, well, don't get mad: get linux!

I agree about getting Linux but, to be fair, LibreOffice and OnlyOffice are available for Win and Mac. And if users like them and get used to them on their present OS then moving to Linux won't be such a big jump.