An Ode to Linux Desktop Users Everywhere • Hacker News Board

Re: An Ode to Linux Desktop Users Everywhere

#61

Post by digi_owl » Tue, Dec 06, 2016, 3:58 PM UTC

to3m wrote: post #20

staticelf wrote: post #10

I use desktop linux on my work computer, it barely works and I have some issues. Although it's red hat enterprise which is running a lot of old shit. I think using a friendlier distro like Ubuntu or Fedora would probably be a lot better and give a much better experience.

I use Ubuntu on my work PC. - had to buy a 2nd GPU to get 3 monitors to work - GPU driver won't drive my 2560x1440 monitor at the max res - popup volume control pops up every minute or so (and sound pops and stutters a bit each time this happens) - when waking from sleep, TTY works immediately, but GUI takes about 30 seconds to appear - something crashes on every boot, but it doesn't tell me what (I dutifully submit…

> - popup volume control pops up every minute or so (and sound pops and stutters a bit each time this happens)

Likely pulseaudio shit itself and got restarted by systemd...

Re: An Ode to Linux Desktop Users Everywhere

#62

Post by aruggirello » Tue, Dec 06, 2016, 3:59 PM UTC

module0000 wrote: post #29

wiredfool wrote: post #13

I think status quo is a good thing. Linux users don't want stuff to break for no good reason. I say this after reading the article, then hoping that the new kernel install doesn't bring back the video tearing/blinking when moving the mouse from screen 0 to 1.

At least we can downgrade our kernels without re-install-and-recover-from-time-machine though, but otherwise yea :)

Speaking of Time Machine, I use Timeshift to do backups on Ubuntu. It's a GUI rsnapshot-based tool, and will backup/restore the full system, including boot sector, so it's perfect for a desktop user. Backing up your machine(s) regularly is important, regardless of the number of kernel images you have available. Because sh*t happens. :)

Re: An Ode to Linux Desktop Users Everywhere

#63

Post by xgbi » Tue, Dec 06, 2016, 3:59 PM UTC

bfrog wrote: post #57

Linux as a desktop has come a long way. Most things Just Work now. I actually enjoy the experience a great deal more than either Windows or Mac at this point, and I'm no Masochist. Windows, Mac... plug a device in, install the driver through some lame wizard. Linux... plug the device in, it Just Works. Windows, Mac... software is out of date, go through dozens different wizards and CLI tools to update all your stuff.…

I'm not sure we have the same experience on Mac. Everything I ever plugged in there works, from Arduino to Androids to USB sound cards, DVBT/SDR tuners, webcams, or USB ethernet adapters, even my little USB scanner. I migght have had problems with Wifi, but it was usually the same in linux with the ndiswrapper dance. I even plugged a Social Security card reader (Frenchman here) in there and it was detected correctly as a serial adapter.

Re: An Ode to Linux Desktop Users Everywhere

#64

Post by reitanqild » Tue, Dec 06, 2016, 4:00 PM UTC

KDE Neon user here. As long as I work at a place that doesn't care then I guess it will be KDE for the next few releases.

Have left a partition with my Windows installation but as much as I think Windows 10 is a step forward, lenovo drivers or something still manage to drive me mad.

Build now takes 22-25 seconds compared to > 45 seconds.

Edit: Neon gives me the stability of Ubuntu as I remember it together with the beauty and (power user at least : ) usability of KDE 5.

Perfect? No.[0]

Nice? Fast? Easy to use? Yes, yes and yes.

[0]: (I sometimes run a sudo service networking restart or sudo service network-manager restart, but Windows used to either refuse to sleep or somehow restart in my bag, which destroyed my display last year.) Fast

Re: An Ode to Linux Desktop Users Everywhere

#65

Post by digi_owl » Tue, Dec 06, 2016, 4:00 PM UTC

cdevs wrote: post #16

Running kali and then mint is when I first had to experience all this hunting down the nomodeset option, ubuntu was fine but can flip out on wifi after standby which I think my first goto fix was Sudo ifconfig wlan0 down then Sudo ifconfig wlan0 up. Cheers to the crazy ones running a low ram hogging distro and less background processes so they can carry on a $200 i3 cpu / 4gig ram laptop for many years beyond windows…

Heh, i think the motherboard in the desktop i am typing this on is 10 years old soon. At least that seems to be the case based on the copyright year given for the bios on each boot.

Re: An Ode to Linux Desktop Users Everywhere

#66

Post by formula1 » Tue, Dec 06, 2016, 4:01 PM UTC

bfrog wrote: post #57

Linux as a desktop has come a long way. Most things Just Work now. I actually enjoy the experience a great deal more than either Windows or Mac at this point, and I'm no Masochist. Windows, Mac... plug a device in, install the driver through some lame wizard. Linux... plug the device in, it Just Works. Windows, Mac... software is out of date, go through dozens different wizards and CLI tools to update all your stuff.…

"It just works" isnt that accurate. Personally speaking, I recently upgraded from 14.04 to 16.04 ubuntu on my desktop only to have it stuck in some strange errors. 16.04 network manager is also quite a nuisance. On some networks it only provides a few http calls and drops everything else.

I still exclusively use linux os on all my computers because I am do ised to it now. Perhaps just ubuntu is poor quality nowadays (at least with 16.04) but linux desktop still has some ways to go

Re: An Ode to Linux Desktop Users Everywhere

#67

Post by digi_owl » Tue, Dec 06, 2016, 4:02 PM UTC

wiredfool wrote: post #13

I think status quo is a good thing. Linux users don't want stuff to break for no good reason. I say this after reading the article, then hoping that the new kernel install doesn't bring back the video tearing/blinking when moving the mouse from screen 0 to 1.

> I think status quo is a good thing. Linux users don't want stuff to break for no good reason.

Sadly Linux (user space) devs are stuck in CADT mode.

So while the kernel may behave, anything above is a constant, relentless, churn of code.

Re: An Ode to Linux Desktop Users Everywhere

#68

Post by swayvil » Tue, Dec 06, 2016, 4:05 PM UTC

I install Linux for impoverished, computer-illiterate old ladies. Debian, with the Mate desktop, specifically.

They like it because it's free, it just works, it never breaks, it runs fast on your old machine, it never gets malware and it doesn't waste your time and money with bullshit like Windows and Mac does.

Re: An Ode to Linux Desktop Users Everywhere

#69

Post by antnisp » Tue, Dec 06, 2016, 4:08 PM UTC

greydius wrote: post #56

> How else can you stare at an empty screen and know that you have to blacklist your video card driver? Or sit in silence while tweaking alsamixer on the command line? Or write bash aliases to reload your network driver kernel module each time your laptop resumes from suspension? The good old days! I've been a desktop Linux user for going on a decade. Yes, it used to be a mess. Something only someone with technical a…

I regularly have to $sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager.service after suspend on Ubuntu LTS :(.

Re: An Ode to Linux Desktop Users Everywhere

#70

Post by scandox » Tue, Dec 06, 2016, 4:08 PM UTC

I'm using Arch with the i3 window manager for the last 8 months. I've run pacman -Syu (equivalent of apt-get dist-upgrade) probably once a day that entire time. I've had exactly zero problems. It is amazingly smooth.

The setup was a mild chore and yes the laptop is UEFI and I am dual booting. But I can't remember the last time I used Windows, though I do remember it seemed insanely slow.

I often find myself doing something in the Terminal thinking: "This is objectively easier than filling in an online form". And when I see teenagers and geriatrics behind the counter at Dunnes Stores (Irish thing) using Terminal based stock control with flying fingers, I do think we've chosen a strange path. Then I shake my head and move along.