Today is a good day to try Linux.
(maybe best to start with Mint or Ubuntu? At least that’s how I did. They have a “live” version you can try out before committing to it)
Chris Titus’ windows utility will decrapify Windows quite a bit, including removing telemetry, copilot and much more stuff for those unable/unwilling to move to Linux.
For those a bit more adventurous he provides a Microwin install image creator that tweaks a standard ISO to be as light as possible, removing as much crap as possible during install, making install un atended, and creating a local account.
Dear Micro$lop: Quit trying to make it happen
Windows 10 kept throwing up full screen ads for whatever bullshit they were trying to get me to sign up for while also telling me my computer wasn’t good enough for Windows 11.
And that’s how I ended up with Mint on my desktop and laptop a couple months ago.
I have to use Windows for work, but my personal machines are Linux and macOS at this point, and I have zero intention of buying another windows license.
Just moved my parents onto Mint, they were hesitant at first but now doing great. MS is digging it’s own grave.
My 80 yr old mother got a laptop recently, W11. I downgraded to W10 LTSC, and dual boot with Mint, and ran Chris Titus’ win util to decrapify. Two weeks later she had allowed windows to trick her into upgrading to W11 again.
She’s been using computers since the 70’s, and owned PCs since the DOS era, but she just doesn’t want to bother with anything but using her PC in autopilot mode. Couldn’t care less about exploring Mint.
I also just replaced Windows 10 with Mint recently. I did sadly buy Windows 11 proper at some point for my new office PC, which thankfully has been okay after I turn off the copilot shit. And I’m stuck with it until a few programs get some Linux support.
But regardless, I sure won’t be buying anything more from Windows.
I’m not sure what your use cases and performance requirements are, but Windows works great in a VM.
I rarely use it, but I happened to fire it up today and after updating it I got a full screen ad to start backing up my computer to their shit.
In capitalist USA the computer own you… Or something like this?
In Soviet Linux, you own PC
In American Windows, PC own you
Oh? Who would have thought? I sometimes wonder what kind of limbo people live in that this hasn’t been the clear picture for most since Windows 7.
Social inertia.
Yeah, led like sheep by the illusion of convenience. It is sad.
I’ve been reading all over the place how people are finally becoming more aware of the lack of privacy, but I scratched that as me always seeing this because I mostly interact in privacy and security related environments.
However, the least likely person I know to be concerned about these factors is my brother, as he’s all about convenience and ‘glamour’. Well, he called me on Sunday to ask me if I suggested that he flashed “that operating system you use on your phone” (GrapheneOS) on his device, and asked if I knew what proton was 🤣 only to mention that he had found that and was in the process of dropping gmail. Imagine my surprise when this guy is calling for this.
What I’m trying to say is that, if my brother is suddenly concerned about his digital privacy and security, I am certain 50% of Normie’s out there are as well, or will be pretty soon.
I genuinely believe that we’re living in a pivotal moment in digital philosophy across all realms, people are finally waking up from the convenience slumber, and my hope is that this will help shift the discourse all over the place, and we can all expect more of the people in our environments start asking questions about how to fly under the radar.
For now I’m happy with Windows 10 LTSC on my main rig. I use Debian on my laptop and Ubuntu on my server. I don’t know what I’ll do in 2032 when LTSC support ends. I’d like to go to Debian on my main rig but some software simply won’t work without hassle (if at all). I hope that changes until then, I love Debian with KDE Plasma.
By 2032 Wine will probably be advanced enough to run any Windows program
Out of curiosity, what software? It won’t run with Wine? Maybe there’s a decent enough alternative?
The Adobe stuff, Vst’s, etc.
Tons of VST’s work using yabridge.
Not Native Instruments though (their VST’s should work but I can’t get Native Access to run). And I don’t run any VST’s that need iLok.
Yabridge has a bug with wine versions later than (I think) 9.22, where the VST thinks the mouse is in another place than it really is.
Solutions are : make sure the VST window is at 0,0, or use an older version of wine, or there is a patch for yabridge that works in most cases, but hasn’t been merged in yet. I’m running that.
I know tons of vst’s work on Linux, just not the one I use. The problem is people need specific software not that just any software in that class.
Sorry but this is what irks me when people say not everything will work on Linux. There’s always someone saying “but you have alternative on Linux” like every program is the same.
You can’t expect someone that uses Photoshop professionally to just start using Gimp in an industry where Photoshop is the standard that everyone uses. Gimp, while impressive, is not Photoshop and requires a totally different workflow. And it’s simply not doable when you’re working with people using and expecting Photoshop. You also can’t expect someone to have to tinker with their PC every time, just to work. People that use their PC to work need it to be reliable. People that use computers as a tool, not to make a political statement.
In my case, I know there are vst’s on Linux. They just don’t have the quality that Amplitube has. And you can’t tell people to “just switch, bro” when they already paid for Amplitube. For these people, at least for now, Windows is pretty much the only option.
Sorry for the rant, I’m done.
Like someone said here, by 2032 wine will run all that. That’s where my hopes are. When that happens more people will use Linux (I know I will) and with more users more companies will start making native Linux versions. Things have already improved tremendously in the last 15 years. I truly believe there will be a critical point soon that will make explode Linux adoption.
But, for now, you have to understand Linux is not yet an option for some specific needs.
I’m sure the fact that the Steam Hardware Survey just hit 5.33% Linux has absolutely NOTHING to do with Microsoft’s continued pants-on-head stupid and anti-consumer approach to things.
Nah, Hanlon’s razor has worn put here.
Microsoft probably knows what they’re doing with their anti-customer approach… and it’s nothing good.
This is the actual reason i didn’t end up going with win11, and tried Linux. Seemed like about a similar amount of bullshit to get to know my way around linux as it did doing regedits and getting around using an account.
I am now firmly in the camp of every option being terrible in some way.
Still using bazzite though, so it’s not worse.
Bazzite is underrated, its a great desktop os out of the box with solid gaming support.
Well, sure. Still had a bunch of unexpected weird stuff.
Genuine question, what was “unexpected/weird” for you?
I don’t disagree, in fact I’m in a similar situation coming to Bazzite from Windows. But I’d like to know what your experience has been like so far, Maybe I will learn something.
My own personal gripe is that they removed Discover in favor of their own store “bazzar” and I feel its just worse in every way so I tried to put it back and now Discover will “launch” and immediately crash.
Monitor snapping issues (program opens on the wrong monitor and figuring out how to force it somewhere else), VPN program not working because it’s an immutable distro, Stream deck unexpected behaviour (What functions can it use, sometimes it disconnected on a different usb hub) etc. Also some incompatibilities, can’t use fusion 360 (didn’t work at all last time i tried it)
There are a few others but those come to mind.
I have found Proton VPN works for me none of the others I’ve tried seem to function. I’m using it on a my livingroom pc so I don’t have any input on the steam deck specific issues, in fact I prefer Steam OS and I wish there was an official desktop release already.
I use windscribe. Happy so far, and direct connection works well enough. Also stReam deck (Elgato). It works pretty well on my Legion go too.
Do you have a few minutes to talk about our Lord and Saviour, Linus Torvalds?
a few years ago I had a really stupid issue with my laptop. about twice a year, for whatever reason, Windows 11 decided my internal wifi card wasn’t worth existing and would just wipe it off the face of the earth. Just completely remove it, delete the drivers, everything. hard resetting the laptop didn’t work, physically unplugging and replugging the card back in didn’t work, manually installing the drivers didn’t work. the ONLY way Windows would accept the card again was on a fresh OS install. So twice a year, like clockwork, i’d have to do that except the last time I couldn’t because I needed an MS account. well I couldn’t get online. for whatever reason it wouldn’t allow me to connect to wifi and I didn’t have access to an eithernet connection. So I gave up and finally decided to give this Linux thing a try. Installed Mint within 15min.
The added bonus of installing Linux on the laptop was it suddenly brought my battery back to life. on Windows I MAYBE got 30min out of a full charge. On Linux with a WM like Niri it’s now a few hours. Linux also made me fall in love with the PC again. Now I’m on NixOS and i just love configuring my system or doing more dev work with ease thanks to nixshells.
Linux also made me love computing again!! So fun actually knowing your machine and being totally free to break it completely.
The best thing about breaking it is having a chance to set it up again more efficiently
Praise be!
I ran into my first people doing that for Jesus in many years last weekend. Was so bizarre. They just approached me randomly on the street.
Filthy heretics!
No, im sorry I dont have time for that, but have you heard of Linus Torvalds?
I always have time to talk about The Admin. Should I make some
teacoffee to sip as we talk?Ha, “The Admin” brought to mind something I haven’t thought about in years…
Ohh…
I need to find these books.
Thank you.
Milk and sugar please.
Only if you have a few minuets to talk about our Lord and Savoir Theo de Raadt
Don’t forget stallman! (Yes I know about the scandals but dude did contribute essential software and ideas of libre to the foss community).
Microsoft doing their part to get people to move to Linux
More “Microsoft doing their part to get people used to the idea of having to login with an internet connection so that they can make Windows 12 subscription based.”
Thats what this bullshit is. Training the user base for OSaaS.
And they will have enterprise by the balls because they control like 90% of the enterprise market. The consumers, they could give a fuck if they take it or leave it. Windows licensing is such an teeny tiny part of the equation that screaming at them is going to get as much traction as screaming at Nvidia for the fact that a midrange GPU is 1000 bucks now. Nvidia doesnt care if their consumer gpu market disappears tomorrow, they’ve got the AI fucks locked in.
Wow. This is absolutely has to be the reason. There is nothing better than a recurrent revenue stream. Look at Spotify, Netflix business model.
Really. And even better, now they can granularize Windows even further. Windows 11 Home or Pro? Naw fam, that’s not enough. You’ll have the baseline Windows 12 sub for $10 per month…seems reasonable, right? Except that’s the baseline. That’s the version that can only make use of, at maximum, 4 CPU cores. Want to use all the cores in your bomb ass new processor? You need to bump up to the $20 per month subscription which includes the CPU-MAX add on. Not a fan of the basic Windows wallpaper? Well, fret not! You just need to download the Personalization add-on for an additional $5 per month and now you can change your wallpaper. Hey, is that a new GPU you got there? Yeah, you’re going to need to spring for the Gamer bundle…$20 a month for that, on top of the base sub. Oh and don’t forget about your local storage…they can subscription lock that, too. “You don’t even need local storage anyway! Just use OneDrive!!! It’s only a few bucks extra per month!!”…deliberately priced far less than the local storage subscription so that they can scrape all your shit for marketable data which you’ll see in the fine print of the ToS they’re allowed to do with abandon.
Go to turn on HDR…“sorry, you need the graphics booster add on”. Try to output 5.1 audio? “Sorry, no can do, you get 2.0 only, peasant, you didn’t sign up for the media add-on.” Want to throw another stick of memory in your rig to extend it’s life? “Sorry, base Windows can only use 16GBs…you need the performance package to address anything more.”
And you know what the best part is? This shit would all likely be legal. Know how I know? Because Windows enterprise server and software licensing is already like this, and has been for years.
Shit is so fucked man…
Heated seats in luxury cars.
“complicates” is the mildest, nicest perspective
they didn’t have room for “is entirely fucking unnecessary” in the headline
That was probably the working title for the article
That or “what the fuck, Microslop?”
Microsoft and privacy shouldn’t be used in the same sentence other than for sarcasm purposes.
Or as a warning.
It’s like that vegan joke. How will you know if someone is a linux user? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.
Especially Arch users.
Which I do not use.
I, on the other hand, do use Arch, btw :P
THE PROPHECY HAS COME TO PASS.
I literally just recommended CachyOS to my boss while we were complaining about Windows 11 in our one on one meeting today
I mean I don’t really recommend Linux like a lot of people do. I just mention it when it’s appropriate and give a list of its drawbacks and benefits, according to specific use case. For home users I just say that Linux Mint or Zorin OS are fine and even better that Windows for this scenario, but I must be honest and also say that something like ChromeOS might be even better if an user spends their whole time in a web browser.
For professional usage (except coding lol) I never recommend or even mention Linux for variety of reasons.
how the turntables
If by “complicates… basic PC ownership” they mean “infringes on your property rights as a computer owner,” then they’re finally catching on to what I’ve been saying for damn near a decade.
You should not accept having an abusive relationship with your operating system, and that’s what Windows has been since at least 8 (when they started infecting it with “telemetry”), if not earlier. Have some goddamn self-respect, people! Kick Microsoft to the curb!
Google onboarding on Android…
The key difference is that there are credible alternatives in the PC OS space. If I could ditch Android/iOS without major pain, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
and it can be skipped. for now.
Root and use custom roms.
Only works if your device has an unlockable bootloader, and most phones nowadays are completely locked down.
Most but not all. If someone cares THAT much about making a free account and telemetry, a few minutes on XDA won’t hurt their schedule.
That’s the direction that many manufacturers are trying to push PCs as well.
alas, most models of android phones don’t have support from the custom roms that currently exist
If, the roms exist, there’s clearly hardware for them…
And what should you suggest we should do with the ones that don’t? Bury them all at some landfill?
Well, they were born e-waste, so yea. If the consumer is in middle of the lake of information, but refuses to drink anything but bottled corpo propaganda and dies from dehydration…
Also win8: Hey, would you like NOT having a desktop? We’ve got tiles now!
