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People keep flocking to Linux, not just to escape Windows

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Re: People keep flocking to Linux, not just to escape Windows

#151
post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Epic ragebait. > Win11 file picker is years ahead of some random file picker option available on linux First it would be nice to know why you would think this and maybe provide an example, second there are other file pickers. It should also be noted that you don't need one at all, but if you want one, there are so many options, try nemo > HiDPI Wayland > Multi monitor scaling polish What did he mean by that? Wayland…

I would like for Linux to be able to replace Windows. I run Linux on some of my computers with various levels of success. But even with Windows 11 being as annoying as it is and Ubuntu/Mint/Cachy/Fedora/etc having some really good points they are not as easy to use as Windows. Sure, web browsing is almost the same and simple home office tasks are close enough. But all of the complaints that GP has mentioned are valid…

> Windows file chooser is essentially small Windows Explorer and you can do almost everything that you can in the explorer while you are in file chooser mode. None of the Linux desktops have anything close.

I remember KDE copying that a few years after Microsoft introduced Active Desktop. That was, what, 25 years ago now?

Re: People keep flocking to Linux, not just to escape Windows

#153

Oh fuck. The assholes that thought Windows was perfectly acceptable until late 2025 are flocking to Linux. Maybe get a Macbook? Do you even know how bad Linux is? The video drivers don't work, bluetooth doesn't work, your laptop won't wake up from sleep, it's horrible. Go the fuck away. Linux is horrible. Windows is fucking awesome. Mac is OK. Linux sucks. Don't waste your time.

Wow, definitely one of the most unfounded opinions I've seen in HN in a long time. The video driver situation is stellar if you're on a recent kernel and not using hybrid Nvidia, but even that story is decent now. Bluetooth has worked reliably for me for years, and I appreciate being able to use SBC-XQ for my nice headphones, which is noticeably better than LDAC or AptX and not an option outside Linux. Not waking from sleep is usually a hardware problem these days.

Windows is a well documented hellscape of advertising, tracking, poor performance, and disregarding user will. Some people may pay to upgrade to a guilded cage from Apple, but trying Linux on the hardware you already have doesn't cost a dime. I've given Linux to multiple mostly tech illeterate friends now, and they are all happier and asking for less help on those systems. Amusingly, the help they've asked for wasn't even Linux specific and they would've asked the same things on Windows.

Re: People keep flocking to Linux, not just to escape Windows

#154

Desktop Linux is still clunky and apps break so often with updates, it's not ready for non-tech savvy users. I just don't have the time anymore to waste hours of my day to get apps working, when it just works on windows or mac.

Bazzite and other immutable distros are doing wonders to fix that. Have you tried one of them?

Re: People keep flocking to Linux, not just to escape Windows

#155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The exact same underlying software (Wine) that lets you run all of your windows games on Linux using Proton also works on MacOS using Crossover. I haven't found anything in my steam library that Crossover (wine with a nice GUI) hasn't handled on my Mac yet. I'm sure a bad game exists, but for most games it is seamless. I tend not to have unrealistic expectations like running AAA titles at high framerates on a mid-tie…

Interesting. I would imagine the experience would be pretty poor (compared to Linux), and that the state of Direct3D/OpenGL/Vulkan to Metal translation to not be very mature or performant.

It absolutely do runs worse than on Linux, it's not equivalent. Do not bother, especially not with newer games.

Re: People keep flocking to Linux, not just to escape Windows

#156
post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Epic ragebait. > Win11 file picker is years ahead of some random file picker option available on linux First it would be nice to know why you would think this and maybe provide an example, second there are other file pickers. It should also be noted that you don't need one at all, but if you want one, there are so many options, try nemo > HiDPI Wayland > Multi monitor scaling polish What did he mean by that? Wayland…

Anyone who has used rdp for more than a few hours knows how much better the experience is compared to vnc. Most things just work. In case someone needs touch screen support, there is no comparison. File picker has been a strength of Windows for quite a few versions. And the consensus seems to be that it is better than Mac's (based on my YouTube watch history). I have used various Linux desktops, and none of the file…

I concede that RDP is great (though Sunshine/Moonlight are worth the trouble), but that's been available on Linux for ages. It's hilarious that you're comparing features to GNOME-ecosystem apps. They are allergic to features. Dolphin from KDE would be a much better comparison for Windows Explorer.

Re: People keep flocking to Linux, not just to escape Windows

#157

Oh fuck. The assholes that thought Windows was perfectly acceptable until late 2025 are flocking to Linux. Maybe get a Macbook? Do you even know how bad Linux is? The video drivers don't work, bluetooth doesn't work, your laptop won't wake up from sleep, it's horrible. Go the fuck away. Linux is horrible. Windows is fucking awesome. Mac is OK. Linux sucks. Don't waste your time.

Gave a relative of mine my old ThinkPad and installed Kubuntu on it which works great most of the time but I had a typical "Linux moment" a few weeks ago where I had to install Zoom but the official DEB has a linking problem (crashes at start) and the one from the repo (Snap I think) is buggy and can not join calls from a link. Thankfully the website worked but you have to manipulate the URL because some Zoom links don't show the "Join from the web" link. There was somehow no admin password set and the user was not a superuser (this was a stock Kubuntu install!) and there was no root password set so I had to first start the rescue system and do some shenanigangs there to re-add the user as superuser.

Then I had to plug in the LAN cable and the whole system just... froze and needed a hard reboot. I don't know Linux systems deteriorated so much because everything "just worked" ~10 years ago and it got way worse since that.

Re: People keep flocking to Linux, not just to escape Windows

#158
post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Epic ragebait. > Win11 file picker is years ahead of some random file picker option available on linux First it would be nice to know why you would think this and maybe provide an example, second there are other file pickers. It should also be noted that you don't need one at all, but if you want one, there are so many options, try nemo > HiDPI Wayland > Multi monitor scaling polish What did he mean by that? Wayland…

I would like for Linux to be able to replace Windows. I run Linux on some of my computers with various levels of success. But even with Windows 11 being as annoying as it is and Ubuntu/Mint/Cachy/Fedora/etc having some really good points they are not as easy to use as Windows. Sure, web browsing is almost the same and simple home office tasks are close enough. But all of the complaints that GP has mentioned are valid…

The GTK file picker, which is frustratingly the default even on most KDE installs, is the one that sucks. The KDE-native one would much more closely match the experience you're looking for.

VNC is highly dependent on implementation. Sunshine/Moonlight runs circles around RDP in terms of performance and includes audio. For situations where you need the extra functionality is RDP... You can just use RDP. It works just fine on Linux, especially if you're on recent KDE.

On-screen keyboards are admittedly a pain point, but I've usually seen people say nicer things about the screen readers than Windows. Probably lots of different experiences depending on implementation.

Re: People keep flocking to Linux, not just to escape Windows

#159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting. I would imagine the experience would be pretty poor (compared to Linux), and that the state of Direct3D/OpenGL/Vulkan to Metal translation to not be very mature or performant.

It absolutely do runs worse than on Linux, it's not equivalent. Do not bother, especially not with newer games.

Yes, it isn't as good as Linux in some cases. It hasn't stopped me from running Cyberpunk on a Macbook though. Nobody is under the impression that a Mac running a translation layer is going to be better than a purpose built machine running native code. But is it not worth bothering, at all? No, there are plenty of circumstances where Steam via Crossover is essentially unnoticable.

Really, though, if we are going to nitpick at "perfect or don't bother" level. Skip linux too, Windows beats both on equivalent hardware.

Re: People keep flocking to Linux, not just to escape Windows

#160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not toxic to not offer infinite support for a platform you don't have familiarity with. Just like if you are vegan it's not toxic to refuse to prepare a meaty hamburger. Yes, a toxic version of this exists, but simply refusing to do a thing isn't toxic.

So we compare living creatures killing with helping to setup a wi-fi.

If that's making it difficult for you to understand the comparison, I can select another. I think most folks could understand the analogy, but I'm happy to accommodate you if it's unclear.
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