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How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too

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Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too

#131

Post by rgomez »

squirrelicus wrote: post #126

It's funny. I recently switched from Linux after 10 years back to Windows. I ran Arch Linux for about 7 years. After systemd I spent years justifying why I used it even though it would constantly break and require a reformat more often than Win7 did. I went to Ubuntu, and it was marginally more stable. But even there, I was bitten too many times. Libicu upgrades breaking everything, updating packages breaks the packa…

Very sad. I jumped into the Gentoo wagon for similar reasons. And it's been working flawlessly for me since then.

Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too

#132

Post by rv-de »

Animats wrote: post #83

I've used Linux on the desktop for over a decade. Currently, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS on x64. It still sucks for the average user. The GUI is lipstick on a pig. As soon as anything goes wrong, it's back to the command line. You look up the problem, and there will be a dozen articles about it, all contradicting each other. Look up what it takes to create a desktop icon for something. (Hint: the top result in Google won't work…

On Linux Mint 19 with xfce desktop icons are absolutely no issue whatsoever. But who needs them anyway?

  - [Super Key]
  - First three letters of the program name
  - [Enter]
Boom!

Much faster.

Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too

#134

Post by andrepd »

bootlooped wrote: post #98
Animats wrote: post #83

I've used Linux on the desktop for over a decade. Currently, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS on x64. It still sucks for the average user. The GUI is lipstick on a pig. As soon as anything goes wrong, it's back to the command line. You look up the problem, and there will be a dozen articles about it, all contradicting each other. Look up what it takes to create a desktop icon for something. (Hint: the top result in Google won't work…

I have infrequently fooled around with Linux only a handful of times in the last 15 years. I recently installed it on my laptop but was disheartened to see how much you still need the command line to do some very basic things. Installing a program (not from the Ubuntu Software Center) and getting a launcher icon into the start-menu-equivalent took way too much time and Googling.

>Installing a program (not from the Ubuntu Software Center) and getting a launcher icon took way too much time and Googling.

I don't understand this. You can open the "App Store" and search and download programs. If, for some inexplicable reason, you don't want to use the Software Center, you can open a terminal and type "apt install [name]".

Surely this is easier than installing a program on Windows. What exactly is your issue?

Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too

#135

Post by andrepd »

squirrelicus wrote: post #126

It's funny. I recently switched from Linux after 10 years back to Windows. I ran Arch Linux for about 7 years. After systemd I spent years justifying why I used it even though it would constantly break and require a reformat more often than Win7 did. I went to Ubuntu, and it was marginally more stable. But even there, I was bitten too many times. Libicu upgrades breaking everything, updating packages breaks the packa…

If that's your problem why didn't you switch to a "just works" disto like Linux Mint, instead of windows?

Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too

#137

Post by sirwitti »

I switched to Ubuntu in 2006 and ~3years ago my girlfriend wanted to switch too (I did not talk her into it).

Yes there are problems, but for me the reasons to use linux (and firefox instead of chrome) are trust and politics.

Maybe it's just me, but I really dislike software preventing or forcing random functionality because google, apple, ms or even canonical want me to. In this respect linux is in my opinion the best option.

As for the "things should just work" argument some people use - part of it is probably still valid, but I think linux is in some respects (handling of updates, security, installation process,...) way ahead of windows for example.

Some anecdata on that: It takes ~5min when I need to do something on a windows or mac machine for me to get frustrated due to me not knowing UI details or the OS simply getting in my way (forcing updates on reboot for example). Maybe it's me, but then I'm working in web development for a while, so I suspect I'm of average intelligence.

The availability of professional software is a limiting factor in some areas (design and gaming come to my mind). But for development work I can't complain. The trend for web-based software helps too.

Think what you want about linux, all software has flaws - maybe we can get rid of some of them :)

Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too

#138

Post by AsyncAwait »

elteto wrote: post #110
TACIXAT wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel it's come a really long way. Maybe I'm just buying machines with supported graphics cards now, but I have not had any catastrophic failures since getting on 18.04.

That’s only 10 months...

Throwing another anecdote out there, I have an Arch install close to its 4th year of continuous operation without any major issues.

Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too

#139

Post by AsyncAwait »

y4mi wrote: post #106
jenscow wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For most of my "clients" I now install Ubuntu or mint when their windows installation eventually becomes beyond repair (usually through no fault of their own), or they think they need a new one. I tell them I can easily put it back to how it was if they don't like it... but they couldn't be happier. 9 so far. All they want to do is browse the web, and not have to fight with their computer at random points. I do pity…

For these people, Chromebooks would be best, I think... But I wouldn't dare suggest them with Googles track record of decommissioned services and devices.

The issue with Chromebooks is that you have to be fine with all your data being in Google's hands. Not for everyone.

Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too

#140

Post by izietto »

Animats wrote: post #83

I've used Linux on the desktop for over a decade. Currently, Ubuntu 16.04 LTS on x64. It still sucks for the average user. The GUI is lipstick on a pig. As soon as anything goes wrong, it's back to the command line. You look up the problem, and there will be a dozen articles about it, all contradicting each other. Look up what it takes to create a desktop icon for something. (Hint: the top result in Google won't work…

I installed Ubuntu 16.04 on my father's laptop (who is a really dumb user - love you dad) and we couldn't be happier

- Unity has one of the cleanest UI out there when you open no more than 5 applications

- he can't do any serious damage (he doesn't have admin permissions)

- that laptop has an Nvidia graphic card that runs smoothly with (unfortunately, Nvidia fuck you) proprietary drivers

Also, I have a desktop PC running Ubuntu with a 780ti and I can play at Dota max details with 120 fps (capped)

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