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Switching to Linux: Reclaim Your Freedom

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Re: Switching to Linux: Reclaim Your Freedom

#51

Post by CapricornNoble »

freeone3000 wrote: post #32
zb3 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Microsoft Office and games. No, not LibreOffice and Tux Racer. Not everyone will be as displeased with LibreOffice since not everyone uses MS Office professionally.. I'd argue further: for MOST people this is acceptable! > Wine has gotten a lot better compared to years past, but if you need/want Windows software you still need Windows. Not the case for PhotoScape for example (which was on the "required" list in thi…

ok, but what if you need something off-the-wall, like a scanner?

I'm running Void Linux + Brother ADS-1200 + Skanpage + paperless-ngx in Docker with almost no issues. I deliberately picked the ADS-1200 after poking around old HN threads for near bulletproof, reliable and well-supported scanners. If you already have a particular Windows-friendly scanner or printer and want to just switch OSes as seamlessly as possible.....yeah you'll probably have some frustrations.

Re: Switching to Linux: Reclaim Your Freedom

#52

Post by megous »

Except that for user freedom I think the best distro for Linux beginers would be somehting simple with good docs like Slackware or LFS, not the super-complex windows wannabe distros like Fedora or Ubuntu. It's much more welcomming, with very little ceremony around building and modifying packages.

Re: Switching to Linux: Reclaim Your Freedom

#53

Post by badosu »

allears wrote: post #3

Unfortunately, there aren't any Linux drivers for the audio hardware I use. The hardware replacement cost to switch to Linux would be prohibitive. I also would have a much narrower choice of audio and DAW apps.

I had a great time with bitwig as a daw, no idea about the hardware issue though

Re: Switching to Linux: Reclaim Your Freedom

#54

Post by __rito__ »

takoid wrote: post #28
rednafi wrote: post #22

I loathe macOS but stick with it mostly for the hardware. I use a beefed-up 16-inch M3 Max for work and a baseline 15-inch MacBook Air for writing and OSS work. I love the Air’s hardware and wouldn’t trade it for anything. Before switching to Mac, I was running a maxed-out 16-inch Dell XPS and enjoyed using Ubuntu and Pop!_OS on it. But the hardware just wasn’t there—the trackpad felt cheap, and the keyboard would cr…

I need a Windows laptop for work but really appreciate the exceptional build quality of my MacBook Air. I had a ThinkPad, but it creaked and didn’t feel nearly as solid. Are there any Windows laptops that come close to MacBook-level hardware quality?

I reay like the Asus TUF series in this regard. Except battery life and weight of course.

Re: Switching to Linux: Reclaim Your Freedom

#55

Post by DaSHacka »

megous wrote: post #52

Except that for user freedom I think the best distro for Linux beginers would be somehting simple with good docs like Slackware or LFS, not the super-complex windows wannabe distros like Fedora or Ubuntu. It's much more welcomming, with very little ceremony around building and modifying packages.

Missing the "/s"

Re: Switching to Linux: Reclaim Your Freedom

#56

Post by thastings »

Zamiel_Snawley wrote: post #31
1970-01-01 wrote: post #4

Linux in a nutshell: Just awful in a laptop, meh in a desktop, and first-class as a server.

In my experience, Linux works quite well on laptops that are intended to run it. I’ve only tried the System 76 Lemur Pro and the Framework 13, both of which worked smoothly. The Framework has better build quality, and I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to try a Linux laptop.

I can add that Linux is also pretty solid on Asus machines well, despite the company actively advocating for MS on their sites. I have an old G46, some i7-1065 Zenbook Flip, and a newish Zenbook with a 6800U. All of them running Debian 12 with GNOME or KDE, all hardware components supported. That also includes the sensors for tablet mode in the Flip! Also used to have an 8000 series Intel AsusPro something, same good support.

It takes around 1 to 2 years for the kernel to catch up on more stable distros, but I can wholeheartedly recommend Asus laptops for Linux use.

Re: Switching to Linux: Reclaim Your Freedom

#58

Post by dismalaf »

al_borland wrote: post #26
rednafi wrote: post #22

I loathe macOS but stick with it mostly for the hardware. I use a beefed-up 16-inch M3 Max for work and a baseline 15-inch MacBook Air for writing and OSS work. I love the Air’s hardware and wouldn’t trade it for anything. Before switching to Mac, I was running a maxed-out 16-inch Dell XPS and enjoyed using Ubuntu and Pop!_OS on it. But the hardware just wasn’t there—the trackpad felt cheap, and the keyboard would cr…

The other advantage I see to macOS is commercial app support. Like it or not, it can be a fact of life for many. Photoshop users don’t want to use GIMP. While Electron has made Linux on the desktop much more viable in this respect, there is are some key apps that macOS has where Linux is lacking. And of course there is also working between mobile and desktop, which macOS/iOS seem to do best. Part of me longs for the…

> Photoshop users don’t want to use GIMP.

I'm very curious, as someone who is a hobby photographer and takes photos on both a phone and a decent mirrorless camera... What normal person needs Photoshop and what's the use case? Like, the phone and camera both do a good job of creating jpegs, both can adjust lighting, colour, highlights, etc..., and there's specific apps for adjusting lighting of photos. I can't say I've ever wanted to do intricate photo editing as a non-pro, even as a hobbyist.

Do normal people actually use Photoshop? Am I missing something in my life?

Re: Switching to Linux: Reclaim Your Freedom

#59

Post by dismalaf »

Dalewyn wrote: post #20
zb3 wrote: post #19

Normal people will probably not read these long essays, but they might complain about their M$ OS getting worse.. and that is a great opportunity to present linux as the solution (because it is), you can then explain how programs they use will continue to work (it's 2025, they will in most cases) and how there's nothing to fear. For me, it actually worked! Of course I did offer some help just in case she got stuck or…

>you can then explain how programs they use will continue to work Microsoft Office and games. No, not LibreOffice and Tux Racer. Wine has gotten a lot better compared to years past, but if you need/want Windows software you still need Windows. You also only get one shot at convincing them, since first impressions are everything. A better argument might be recommending MacOS, at least Microsoft Office works just fine…

> Microsoft Office and games. No, not LibreOffice and Tux Racer.

It's not 2005 anymore... Most Steam games run on Linux via Proton. There's even a console that runs Linux.

Re: Switching to Linux: Reclaim Your Freedom

#60

Post by dismalaf »

1970-01-01 wrote: post #4

Linux in a nutshell: Just awful in a laptop, meh in a desktop, and first-class as a server.

Dunno, I've had no issues running Linux on laptops for the last 15 years. Had a ThinkPad, a cheapish Acer and now an MSI. All ran Linux flawlessly. My current MSI laptop even has a touchscreen, stylus and fingerprint reader. Everything works flawlessly.

I'd give this laptop to my grandma even. It's great to use. Gives me zero trouble, can't say the same for my wife's Windows laptop.

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