Author of the article here. I just noticed that it had been posted on Hacker News. Thanks to se7entime!
How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too
211–220 of 232 posts
Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too
#212Earlier quoted context omitted.
Installing a program on Windows that's not on the App store: With installer: - Download installer - execute installer by double clicking on it Without installer: - Download .exe - (Optional) Drag'n'drop .exe to some random folder - Right click .exe and select "Create desktop shortcut" All of that is way more intuitive for a regular user than entering even one string of text in a terminal. People aren't trained to ent…
There's a significant piece of information omitted from those instructions: From where do you download the installer? How do you know the source you are downloading it from is the official one? And there's the dreadful download pages with ads that look like download buttons, which are more obvious than the real one. Also, don't forget to inspect every option of the installer to ensure you're not allowing the installa…
I agree the download process is boring and risky, but that's a process users are familiar with. At no point does this make them think "that's all over my head" (even if they end up with malware).
I'm not saying the approach is superior in all points, I'm pointing out how much more intuitive it is for the average person.
And I was specifically talking about software that's not in a pre-installed repository. The different GUI app stores are pretty much equally easy to use.
Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too
#213Earlier quoted context omitted.
Installing a program on Windows that's not on the App store: With installer: - Download installer - execute installer by double clicking on it Without installer: - Download .exe - (Optional) Drag'n'drop .exe to some random folder - Right click .exe and select "Create desktop shortcut" All of that is way more intuitive for a regular user than entering even one string of text in a terminal. People aren't trained to ent…
Correction: - Open browser - Type program name - Navigate maze of adware, crapware, and ad-ridden websites, download the stuff you want from "softpedia" or a similar dodgy website; somehow miraculously download the actual software instead of a virus. - Open .exe - Navigate installer While in Ubuntu/Linux Mint: - Open the software center - Type program name - Click Install See?
The different GUI app stores are pretty much equally easy to use. The problem is when you want something that's not in it.
Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too
#214Talks a lot about privacy, but adds Google Analytics to his website.
I didn't even know that was running. I'm going to remove it.
Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too
#215The fact that he gets the name of MS's office suite wrong tells me perhaps he isn't all that bound to MS turf in the first place...
I'm not, really. Before they moved to the crowd (I refused to follow them there), I used to be an Office expert. I knew the software inside and out. I still use Word 2007. But no, I never did install Office 365 (I see my mistake now!).
Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too
#216That guide is way too long and convoluted to successfully win over any regular Joe or average Amanda. For example the recommendation to learn about partitioning and stuff is "funny". Just install Linux Mint 19, accept the suggested partitions and be done already.
It's not meant to win over an average Joe. It's meant to maybe win over the sort of people who read my blog--technical or semi-technical, intelligent in any case, capable of thinking outside the box...
Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too
#217If you are thinking about Linux, this is pretty much the worse approach possible. My advice would be to switch to open source applications first, to ensure that you will have a suite of software that meets your needs and that you will be able to transition your data. If the switch looks viable, spend some time using your chosen distro on live media, to ensure that it will work with your hardware. If the live media do…
Did I suggest that people follow my precise route? I'm not sure I did. I was just reporting how I did it.
Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too
#218Earlier quoted context omitted.
Use OnlyOffice. It uses the Microsoft xml formats internally and I've found it work miles better for compatibility than Libreoffice. Plus it looks nicer :) you can install it as a snap.
I'm surprised that the desktop software is AGPL. When I first looked at the website I initially thought it was proprietary... Github Link: https://github.com/ONLYOFFICE One question though: What desktop UI API are they using? Is it using the native APIs, or using Electron under the hood?
No idea but definitely javascript. My Nextcloud server uses OnlyOffice in the browser so I can edit my documents like with Google Docs or Office 365. It's the same code I'm sure in the browser and on the desktop.
Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too
#219>1. Pick a distro. >2. Put the distro on a thumb drive or DVD so you can boot to it from there. >3. Create a partition big enough for the Linux distro. >4. Install the Linux distro in the partition. >5. Configure Linux so you can use it on a daily basis. I think there's a critical step missing from this list, which applies to the 'non-techies' reading the post. (At first I wasn't going to post this, thinking that the…
Good point.
My support person was my 12-year-old son. ;-)
Re: How and why I transitioned to Linux, and how you can too
#220The author says he switched because of “Then came 2018, with its stunning revelations and outrages by Facebook, Apple, Google, and others. With privacy and free speech—in short, digital autonomy—deeply under threat” Comparing Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple is apples to oranges. What did Apple do that threatens customer privacy and free speech? You don’t need to switch to Linux to stop using Facebook and Twitter...
Apple wants to store your data in iCloud--I don't wanna. I don't trust them.
Apple is happy to learn a lot about you. Hence the feds can learn a lot about you through them.
But most important to me is this wretched speech by Tim Cook: https://www.macrumors.com/2018/12/03/tim-cook-adl-keynote-sp...
What a censorious tool. Soured me on Apple for, probably, ever.