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My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

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Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#351

Post by advael »

Aaron2222 wrote: post #212
donatj wrote: post #82

I used Windows from about 1993 to 2006. In 2006 I was given a Mac Mini as a thank you for completing an unpaid internship. I fell in love with macOS and have basically been a macOS user since. At the start of the pandemic I bought a PC to game on. 16-core Ryzen, 64 gigabytes of ram. I'd been kind of pleasantly surprised with WSL and just general improvements in cohesiveness. It's still got that Windows jank under the…

Your CPU should have a TPM built-in. It's most likely just disabled in the BIOS (it was often disabled by default on motherboard BIOSes in the pre-Windows 11 days). Have a look in the BIOS for something labeled fTPM or Firmware TPM.

"You can only use our OS if you opt in to some malware that pre-empts the OS" - Microsoft having a normal one

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#352

Post by bravetraveler »

Caligatio wrote: post #192
et1337 wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, I still have no idea how to set the DNS server on an Ubuntu server in a way that won’t get wiped out on reboot. Is it resolv.conf? Nope, that’s generated by another tool. systemd-resolve? I think that’s getting closer… network manager? By the time I figure it out they’ll add another one to the pile.

The network config for out-of-the-box Ubuntu server has been stable for 6 years. You need to modify netplan's config: /etc/netplan/*.yaml (default is 00-installer-config.yaml). This renders volatile systemd-networkd configs in /run/systemd/network which, in turn, will configure systemd-resolved appropriately. If you've opted out of netplan, then you need to configure one of systemd-networkd or NetworkManager manually…

> I personally used to be opposed to netplan but I had to do some very esoteric network configuration which was super easy with netplan.

Unless it still insists on realizing all state or no state, I think I still prefer the things doing the work for/underneath Netplan

To your point, esoteric configurations. Netplan is all or nothing: done improperly, it can more easily break the whole house of cards.

It tries/applies everything... where the others allow more utility

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#353

Post by stavros »

bongodongobob wrote: post #217
slicktux wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re the ideal windows user…whatever that may be??

It's not fucking with core components that aren't supposed to be fucked with.

How is Dropbox now a "core component" of computers? Have we collectively lost our minds?

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#354

Post by kalleboo »

catach wrote: post #340
kjkjadksj wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The unfortunate side effect of valve supporting linux better is they seemingly gave up on mac os.

I suspect that the x86-64 to ARM transition had more to do with it.

And the corresponding deprecation of 32 bit which killed so many games

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#355

Post by globular-toast »

alliao wrote: post #338

Stallman for all his faults at least got this fundamental message right.. these software ain't free. When I was logging into my work the other day, using MS Teams it suddenly dawned on me that my younger self is very disappointed. There I was in the process of logging into work VPN, the teams app is actually scanning my face couple of times... and god knows what else.

I don't know why people even need to write the disclaimer "for all his faults". Who doesn't have faults? At least his fault isn't being a greedy capitalist like most of our "thought leaders". Oddly nobody ever mentions those faults, though.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#356

Post by phkahler »

The saddest thing I see about Windows is that most people (outside work) refuse to switch because they need Windows for gaming. Like really? With so many ways to play these days you let your video game addiction keep you on this invasive, user hostile piece of crap OS? Really?

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#357

Post by zargon »

blooalien wrote: post #313
oefnak wrote: post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

CAD software

I use Blender3D for everything I (as a total non-professional novice) would need 3D graphics-wise, but as I understand it, there are a few CAD options available on Linux, and several more that run fine in WINE for those who need more professional or proprietary options.

On Linux there's FreeCAD, SolveSpace, Dune3d and OpenSCAD in (subjective) decending order of capability. FreeCAD still suffers from the "topological naming problem", though there's a fork that helps with that and merging it upstream is an ongoing process.

I purchased Alibre Atom3d because it was the only non-subscription affordable package I could find, but it's quite disappointing and won't run in wine anyway due to the licensing rootkit it uses. So I end up using one of the above linux capable tools, depending on the needs of the model. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses and none is satisfying overall. I reach for OnShape for any design that is going to be open source, because it is a pleasure to use (even though it is web-based), but I don't make enough money from CAD to pay for a $1500 annual subscription.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#359

Post by globular-toast »

Amazing to me that people are still only just realising this a full 15 years after I made the switch. And I was by no means some kind of pioneer. I honestly don't think I'd still be doing computers if free software wasn't a thing. Get the shackles off and dump Microsoft for good! It feels great. Give it time and before long you'll start doing things that Microsoft/Apple etc won't let you do. Compute freely, my friends.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#360

Post by otherme123 »

msm_ wrote: post #175
rsanheim wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This illustrates just how ridiculously screwed up Windows is now. No one should have to resort to registry hacking or the many scripts or hacks available to regain control over basic UX, privacy, or usability selections. It is absolutely absurd.

To be fair, Linux configuration is not exactly straightforward in comparison to Windows. Dozens of obscure config files (each with a different syntax), stored in various random places in the filesystem, with the general expectation that every user should be able to run a terminal command once in a while to fix something. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Linux lover and user, but from an outside perspective Windows registry…

A sane program knows were to find the "random" configs: first, in cwd, then $XDG_CONFIG_HOME, then $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS. This is not exactly "obscure", you learn it soon and it's documented in every program.

The big advantage of this is that you can take your local config files and take it to other system. Can you do that with the Windows registry? Ironically, the only way to port settings in Windows is to have a .reg script and execute it, the thing you critisize.

And the Windows registry might be a single centralized config file, but config values are scattered through all the tree, and usually undocumented. E.g. this is a commonly recomended tweak:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop] "UserPreferencesMask"=hex(2):90,12,03,80,10,00,00,00

Can you tell what it does?

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