Ubuntu on Windows • Hacker News Board

Re: Ubuntu on Windows

#661

Post by paulnechifor » Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 6:22 AM UTC

andersen1488 wrote: post #542

13of40 wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I grew up a Windows user, and switched to OS X because of the unix-like command line environment that more closely matched the servers I was working with in my job environments. Out of curiosity, why would you not just go with a Linux desktop for that?

Linux on the desktop is awful, and anyone who says otherwise is in denial.

It depends on what you do. It's terrible for media things, but it's the best OS for programmers and I don't have to go along with every UI trend Microsoft/Apple are implementing this week.

Re: Ubuntu on Windows

#662

Post by ionelm » Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 6:23 AM UTC

anthk wrote: post #310

mcpherrinm wrote: post #306

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fortunately X11 is "network transparent" and there's X11 servers for windows. It shouldn't actually be that hard to make this work (though the perf will probably be pretty bad in a naive implementation). At very worst you could SSH to localhost and X11-forward to the same host -- but you can optimize that.

Nope, XMing works perfectly if you export the display to localhost (the default) and it's really fast, it even has GL support with MESA , with hardware acceleration.

It doesn't. It's outdated and not free. This should be way more known: https://sourceforge.net/projects/vcxsrv/

Re: Ubuntu on Windows

#663

Post by leo_mck » Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 6:24 AM UTC

michaelmrose wrote: post #515

leo_mck wrote: post #417

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I absolutely love the fact that windows download and install critical updates automatically for me. I would feel like a slave if I had to do it manually.

You kind of are a slave aren't you? After all you can only auto update microsoft and store apps. Other apps will either handle updates themselves probably with an annoying UAC prompt and possibly at inconvenient times when you actually want to use the apps. Some have processes that constantly sit in the background sucking up your resources to pop up annoying prompts to update application foo during which you must wat…

> "Meanwhile you are missing the fact that people don't want to avoid automatic updates to fix security holes."

You are right. My english is not very good and I did not read what OP wrote carefully about this. Maybe it was the silliness of the word "slave" being used like this that threw me off ;)

Those third apps updates can be annoying but I honestly cannot complain about all those problems you talk about, like processes sucking up resources, popups, and adware automatic installation on updates. I do not even see this happening with (very) non tech people around me. So I think it is a very suspicious argument. Even worst would be to suggest that those are problems are Microsofts blame. Maybe you get those adwares exactly because you think UAC is annoying. Can we blame Google when a user get a virus ridden app from a place other than the official store and ignore the OS warnings?

But if this is the reality, it is another good argument for the push for windows 10 update and the adoption of UWP. In fact, I think microsoft should push even harder for windows 10 updates, it is the right move.

Also, I think that the idea of maintaining a Windows machine updated with only the parts the user wants is hilarious. And I do not know who are those people you talk about. I love to test OS previews and I have never heard a person who already do not liked Microsoft for whatever reason make a big deal about a UI update (windows 8 "metro" mode was shit but easily ignored, windows 10 UI is better and amazing).

The more updates and innovation, the better. I am not afraid :)

Re: Ubuntu on Windows

#664

Post by qb45 » Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 6:24 AM UTC

drinchev wrote: post #371

noelsusman wrote: post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It kinda makes me regret my MBP purchase last fall. I really wanted a Surface Pro but I couldn't deal with developing on Windows.

No worries. Me and many others might buy it. I wouldn't regret though. Keep in mind that even /dev/random will not work on Windows 10

Why wouldn't /dev/random work? Doesn't sound like something impossible, considering that they already support /mnt/c.

Re: Ubuntu on Windows

#665

Post by lotso » Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 6:25 AM UTC

ssalazar wrote: post #527

Mafana0 wrote: post #445

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you name a single company that doesn't follow where the market is and try to monopolises it later? Plus, Windows is still the leader in the desktop and laptop market until today. They are facing some tough competition but "not leader in given market" is not true.

Uh, any company that sells niche or upmarket offerings of commodity products, for one. I.e. Apple, Tesla, a bunch of watch manufacturers. > Plus, Windows is still the leader in the desktop and laptop market until today. They are facing some tough competition but "not leader in given market" is not true. Their position in the server world is not nearly so secure, which is quite possibly what this move is meant to addr…

>Uh, any company that sells niche or upmarket offerings of commodity products, for one. I.e. Apple, Tesla, a bunch of watch manufacturers.

SMS to iMessage?

Re: Ubuntu on Windows

#666

Post by dang » Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 6:27 AM UTC

riotdash wrote: post #382

darreld wrote: post #367

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quite a load here. I switched to Mac for my personal development in 2001 but still used Windows at work. I have found over the last couple years that I have been migrating back to Windows for quite a few things. For me personally, I find the UI in Windows to be more productive and faster. The features Apple has been adding are not things I'm very interested in and I haven't been using my 2009 MBP for much anymore exc…

"Haven't had malware in years. Vista and Windows 8? Advertisements? Future shit and other awfulness you can't remember? Yeah those really sound like valid points." So do you have a counterargument(s) or was this just meaningless whining?

Please stop posting uncivil and unsubstantive comments to Hacker News.

Re: Ubuntu on Windows

#667

Post by more_original » Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 6:29 AM UTC

takeda wrote: post #233

Surprised I don't see anyone else mentioning this. This looks to me like typical Microsoft strategy that they utilized a lot 25 years ago. 1. when not leader in given market, make your product fully compatible with competitor 2. start gaining momentum (e.g. why should I use Linux, when on Windows I can run both Linux and Windows applications) 3. once becoming leader break up compatibility 4. rinse and repeat Happened…

> 2. start gaining momentum (e.g. why should I use Linux, when on Windows I can run both Linux and Windows applications)

Remember OS/2 2.x? It could run Windows 3.x binaries, including GUI programs. The result was that noone wrote programs for OS/2. Windows programs would run both on Windows and on OS/2, so why write another one for OS/2?

Why should anyone port Linux programs to Windows now? Just write for Linux and it will work both on Windows and on Linux. So now you actually have more reason to target Linux.

Re: Ubuntu on Windows

#668

Post by copperx » Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 6:29 AM UTC

osweiller wrote: post #410

takeda wrote: post #233

Surprised I don't see anyone else mentioning this. This looks to me like typical Microsoft strategy that they utilized a lot 25 years ago. 1. when not leader in given market, make your product fully compatible with competitor 2. start gaining momentum (e.g. why should I use Linux, when on Windows I can run both Linux and Windows applications) 3. once becoming leader break up compatibility 4. rinse and repeat Happened…

HN had a huge influx of developers who predominately (or only) work on the Microsoft platform, and it has been readily apparent in the stories that rise to the top, and the dominant reactions (e.g. cynical takes are quickly transparent. Exaggerated "this changes everything!" comments rise to the top). This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does heavily slant the coverage and slant of the conversation. And as you…

> Soon they incorporated an expensive licensing program that third party apps had to use to interoperate with MSN Messenger, endlessly doing technical fixes to block third party access.

I remember this clearly as if it was yesterday, because I tried and failed to build a Messenger-compatible client. They defended exclusive access to the API fiercely.

Their attitude seems so petty now in retrospect.

Re: Ubuntu on Windows

#669

Post by copperx » Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 6:34 AM UTC

supertastic wrote: post #422

takeda wrote: post #233

Surprised I don't see anyone else mentioning this. This looks to me like typical Microsoft strategy that they utilized a lot 25 years ago. 1. when not leader in given market, make your product fully compatible with competitor 2. start gaining momentum (e.g. why should I use Linux, when on Windows I can run both Linux and Windows applications) 3. once becoming leader break up compatibility 4. rinse and repeat Happened…

Even more surprised that no one seems to recall that they did exactly this back in the day. There was a version of the NT4 kernel that could run Unix programs. "Great, the program selection of Unix with the stability of windows!" people sneered, but still there was a market for it.

They even marketed NT's POSIX compliance as a great feature.

Re: Ubuntu on Windows

#670

Post by riotdash » Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 6:37 AM UTC

city41 wrote: post #588

jupiter2 wrote: post #384

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you for mentioning this! Really bothered by all the positive comments, especially coming from savvy HN users. Gave this a long look and my main beef is that I couldn't possibly do anything on a Windows Machine in its' current state. Linux isn't just about running apps - there's a philosophy behind the system. Users first! As long as Microsoft continues to disrespect the rights of users in regard to privacy, dat…

I think a key point that is being missed here is most of the people excited about this probably run OSX, not Linux. OSX has long been the "'Linux' for people who don't really want to run Linux" (not really meant as an insult, I'm typing this from OSX right now). Apple is just as proprietary, commercial and anti-competitive as Microsoft here. FWIW, this excites me because it potentially means I can go from two machine…

"Apple is just as proprietary, commercial and anti-competitive as Microsoft here."

The big difference is that Apple actually doesn't fk their users in the ass.

People always complain how Apple products are so expensive etc. but you know that's how they make money and they actually invest in to the privacy and security of their users (good example: the FBI case)

I will happily keep on paying high price for the Apple products in the future too as long as all of my personal data is not being broadcasted to hundreds of spy servers, as long as random ads are not being slammed to my face while I'm developing and as long and I AM in the control of the OS and not the other way around. Maybe some people enjoy being slaves to MS but at least some people wanna decide THEMSELVES how their hosts-file work and when their computer should restart to install the updates.

I'm sorry but Microsoft has been, is and most likely will be horrible company in the future too. Unless they completely stop this BS and start to respect their users and keep it that way I can't believe any rational developer considers MS platform as an option.