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Linux for home use? What OS do you use on your main PC? - Page 2
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Linux for home use? What OS do you use on your main PC?

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Comments

  • @desperand said:
    i hate desktop linux distro. Nothing conceptually changed since 2008. And this is awful.

    I would love to hear why you hate it so much. Which distro/s did you try, which desktop environment/s?

  • Always Debian since 2011 ;)

    Thanked by 2nocloud MannDude
  • nocloudnocloud Member
    edited March 2023

    @jlet88 said:

    @zako12 said:
    Windows on desktop, Linux on servers.

    I'd like to use Linux on the desktop, I have no love for Windows and all software I use has Linux builds (vs code, rider, davinci, vmware, docker) but I generally try it for a couple of weeks then switch back. Things you take for granted on Windows/OSX are not quite there on Linux, i.e. dual screens with different scaling, Wayland is improving this but it still has a long way to go yet. I've been testing it out every year since Mandrake 6 (1999), maybe on the 30th year anniversary it might be ready for me to make the switch full-time :D

    I used to feel the same, and I would try Linux then back to Windows, then back to Linux, then back to MacOS, then back to Linux, etc... for many years

    +1 i used to do that too with windows.

    Now i would feel the same if i used Windows for a week, I would just need to get back to linux asap.

  • @Carlin0 said:
    Always Debian since 2011 ;)

    Yer i love debian too. Might move back depending on how bookworm feels when it drops in a couple of months.

  • ArkasArkas Moderator

    Debian+KDE = heaven

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • For Debian lovers, also check out Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE), it's really outstanding: https://www.linuxmint.com/download_lmde.php

    I've tested it extensively and it's basically on feature parity with regular Linux Mint Cinnamon. Other than Debian sources vs Ubuntu sources, the differences are minor, I won't go into the details in this thread, but basically, I find LMDE to be equal to or better than regular LM. Right now, as I understand it, the LM team uses LMDE as kind of a "backup plan" in case they want to (or need to) split off the Ubuntu repositories entirely, but it's been really solid for years and IMO, LMDE could be the best Debian distro for desktops out there. It's really good. Sometimes I install LMDE instead of LM, and I love it. I might even be migrating entirely over to LMDE. And eventually, I hope the LM team will make LMDE the default version of Linux Mint, and then also offer MATE and Xfce on it as well.

    Anyway, there's a good distro option out there for everyone.

    Speaking of productivity on Linux vs MacOS vs Windows, I find my productivity took a hit when I initially migrated to Linux, like some others have mentioned, but in recent years, it reached parity, and then surpassed my productivity in Win/Mac.

    I'm so comfortable with so many Linux tools now, that I can get up and running on a bare metal machine, with all the tools I need, WAY faster than even on MacOS. Now, when I use Win/Macs, I find I'm missing a lot of the tools I'm used to, and I need to get back to Linux asap. :)

    And lately, I don't know about you, but I feel with each new release of Windows or MacOS, it feels more and more like Microsoft and Apple are creating an "appliance" and "subscription" kind of experience and relationship with the OS and OS developer, where I am slowly but surely losing my status as the true "owner" of the computer. From the Microsoft/Apple account sign-in approach from top to bottom integration, to the app stores, to the cloud integrations, to the payment information, to the telemetry and privacy information that is collected, and so forth. Goes on and on. It gets progressively worse with each big Win/MacOS update. While on the other hand, Linux puts me right back in the driver's seat. It's my hardware, my OS, my choices, my information. It's a reversal of the "appliance" and "subscription" trend, which matters to some people (myself included).

    Main thing with Linux desktop distros for any one considering it, is take a little time to explore the options. There are (arguably) WAY too many options, so it's an overload, I know. So take your time, enjoy the exploration, and you might just find the perfect combo for your needs. Maybe not, and that's fine too. Linux will still be waiting for you in the future if it doesn't work out this time.

  • @nocloud said:

    @komdsfojn said:

    @nocloud said:

    @komdsfojn said:
    Windows is the only option for PC gaming, Linux is the one to use for servers, macOS for everything else.

    But have you tried Linux for gaming? I mean a modern distro like Nobara, which is already preconfigured. Even my xbox controller connected first time on this distro and after the fist run (where vulcan shader cashe runs) it runs about the same as windows. Some games run faster some slower but overall seems on par.

    I know there are still bugs, but seems worth the sacrifice imho.

    I guess I should rephrase it to Windows is the best option for PC gaming. Certainly there are games you can play on Linux, but it isn't ideal.

    You make it sound like there are just a handful of windows games that run on Linux.

    It depends what you mean by ideal. For me it's not ideal having a closed source OS.

    But I was kinda asking have you tried from personal experience. have you used steam with proton enabled, or lutris? have you ever tried a linux gaming distro?

    You know there are not many windows games that don't run on linux with proton enabled. I have yet to find one although i know there are some games that proton has not got to work. for the steam deck it's about 20% but the vast majority of those are due to screen size issues with the HUD/GUI or text on screen, so they would also not work if the steam deck ran windows.

    For proton compatibility on a full size laptop or desktop, the number is much much lower.

    I am not a gamer so I would actually go down the path you suggest here if I want to try a game.

    But I think that if someone does want the best gaming experience and best performance, Windows is the way to go. I don't doubt that Linux has gotten much better at running Windows games, but it's certainly not the best way.

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • ArkasArkas Moderator

    If you don't mind Gnome (I hate it) give Pop OS a try, it's actually good for a Gnome DE.

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • Windows ofcourse. Linux is for my VMs.

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • Been mainly using Fedora.

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • Dual boot: Windows 11 / Ubuntu 22.10.

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • JarryJarry Member

    Linux Mint xfce (with kvm/qemu for running win10-vm)...

    Thanked by 2nocloud Halo11
  • emgemg Veteran

    @jlet88 said: And lately, I don't know about you, but I feel with each new release of Windows or MacOS, it feels more and more like Microsoft and Apple are creating an "appliance" and "subscription" kind of experience and relationship with the OS and OS developer, where I am slowly but surely losing my status as the true "owner" of the computer.

    This ^^^^ ... Well said!

    I have been using macOS on Intel Macs as my personal desktop for a long time. At the time, Intel Macs could run nearly any operating system in popular use today. I run many different versions of Windows, Linux, and macOS in virtual machines on Intel Macs.

    I am not sure that my next computer will be a Mac. Apple switched to ARM, which leaves me with compatibility issues for my x86 virtual machines. The x86 Windows VMs have activated licenses and I would not want to lose them. If I stay with x86, that would mean moving to Linux, and then the Mac virtual machines won't run.

    I wish I had a crystal ball to know where personal computers are going. Will we see a split with significant percentages divided between x86 and ARM? Will Microsoft and major commercial software manufacturers be forced to build, test, sell, and support versions of their products for x86 and ARM simultaneously? Will they drive a migration to ARM or dig an entrenchment with x86? I do not know.

    Thanked by 2jlet88 nocloud
  • treesmokahtreesmokah Member
    edited March 2023

    used to run debian, but because i needed support for "bleeding edge" hardware and software i had to move to arch. both os are very nice, i wouldnt trust arch for prod(without really heavy customization), but it works amazing for a desktop/workstation. thinking of finally going gentoo, as i have a need for custom compiled software and have enough resources to not feel the compile time very much, the only thing that was stopping me going gentoo before was ass cpu and me not being interested to buy entire build server just for compiling my packages.
    debian rocks on servers.

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • Linux on servers, macOS for work computers. I wouldn't change macOS with anything

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • I use ZardOZ with Sean Connery environment.

    Seriously, use windows, it's easy, compatible, and there's good legal scrutiny over it for privacy and security.

    Thanked by 2NanoG6 nocloud
  • @davide said: ...and there's good legal scrutiny over it for privacy and security.

    Cleverly phrased. You get points for style. Are you a lawyer? ;)

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • @emg said:
    Will they drive a migration to ARM or dig an entrenchment with x86? I do not know.

    Good question, but these three things are for sure: that with each passing year, they will continue to turn YOU into the product, your licenses (that you used to own) into subscriptions, and your computer into an appliance.

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • @jlet88 when everybody moves to linux, the NSA will move too.

  • @davide said:
    @jlet88 when everybody moves to linux, the NSA will move too.

    They're already there. They're everywhere. If you care about them, then open source is the only way to go. Windows is an open book to them.

    Thanked by 1MannDude
  • HostWildHostWild Member, Host Rep
    edited March 2023

    @nocloud It's depend on your skill or requirements, Generally we use Windows Server 2019 as primary system :smile:

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • davidedavide Member
    edited March 2023

    I've read that police forensics don't have tools to inspect the filesystem of dragonflyBSD due to the minuscule userbase. The crowdier the place, the merrier the overlords.

    Besides, there's an ongoing process of shittification in linux due to the influx of peasants.

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • jlet88jlet88 Member
    edited March 2023

    @davide said:
    I've read that police forensics don't have tools to inspect the filesystem of dragonflyBSD due to the minuscule userbase. The crowdier the place, the merrier the overlords.

    Besides, there's an ongoing process of shittification in linux due to the influx of peasants.

    On the contrary, with open source, the "crowdier" the place, the more eyes that can scrutinize the source code and test the vulnerabilities, either on purpose or inadvertently. And there is no such thing as real security through obscurity by itself. It can be used as a "layer" of a security approach, but not as a primary method, and definitely not as an exclusive approach to rely upon. Most security experts discourage security through obscurity without other security layers. This is easy to confirm, you don't need to trust me, just go look it up.

    The opposite of security through obscurity is the combination of security by design, architecture, technique, and open security, which is the bedrock of good open source design.

    In other words, the more people who use Linux, the harder it will be for three-letter agencies to find exploits with it, for example. On the other hand, with Windows, which is proprietary, and Microsoft, which is known to cooperate with three-letter agencies even without even a warrant, you can expect they have exploits that run deep and are actively used in the US and abroad.

    But hey, I'm not trying to convince anyone. People can use what they want, it doesn't matter to me.

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • emgemg Veteran

    I have often wondered whether the empirical data bears out the idea that open source software is more secure. Large firms like Microsoft and Apple have vast resources to address security bugs through many methods. They have learned much over time.

    I understand the theory that "more eyeballs" on the code increases the chances of finding and squishing bugs, but skill, time, process, and automation must also factor into it. It is not obvious to me that even the most popular open source projects are getting enough properly trained eyeballs spending enough time reviewing the code and how much access they have to the best tools, procedures, and widespread deployed base of users to achieve a comparable level of security in their code.

    I am not saying that one approach is more or less secure than the other. I am saying that I have yet to see convincing evidence either way.

    If you respond to this comment, please cite sources and include links to the details.

  • Debian workstation, Ubuntu on laptop.

    Been using Debian, Ubuntu, or a variant at home for the last 9+ years now.

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • Manjaro used to be my go to Linux desktop experience but have sense switched to Arch because Manjaro keeps messing things up, between bad upstream commits and breaking AUR compatibility.. I made the leap and didn't look back. things like btrfs snapshot and timeshift give me greater flexibility and reliability when on my workstation.

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • davidedavide Member
    edited April 2023

    I'm serious, someone should work in designing a ZardOZ OS.
    Check out the movie by all means. It's interesting that a movie set far in the future doesn't portray any computers or OS'es, just good old gods and brainwashed believers. Give a pile of guns to the believers, as ZardOZ does, and what you get is the Italian financial policemen from the other LET thread: the killing meat-bots.

    I watched that masterpiece years ago on a Debian laptop.

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • Debian 11 running on WSL2.

    It used to run stable, but I have been facing issues with it getting stuck and failing to boot since the recent 1.1.3 update of WSL.

    Thanked by 1nocloud
  • Windows 100 percent!

    Thanked by 2nocloud Ympker
  • 1q11q1 Member

    @LTniger said: Debian and just terminal curl to browse websites and read html source.

    are u rms?

    Thanked by 1nocloud
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