• seitanic@lemmy.sdf.org
    10·
    1 year ago

    I’ve been using Linux for almost 20 years, and I can’t remember the last time I had to stress over drivers. Of course, I always check Linux compatibility when I buy hardware.

    • Marketsupreme@lemm.ee
      02·
      1 year ago

      I’m embarrassed to say I’m a SE and don’t know anything about Linux. What makes it worth using over windows?

      • rasensprenger@feddit.de
        2·
        1 year ago

        Linux by itself is just a kernel, there’s a whole range of operating systems using it. Most of them have some commonalities, but there are also huge differences. Most of them can run directly from a USB stick (or in a VM obviously), so you can try some out.

        Some things that basically all of them do very well, compared to windows:

        • mainly open source components (± some proprietary drivers and apps, if you want)

        • no ads in the OS

        • support for very old hardware, being (depending on actual OS more or less) light and resource efficient

        • very good package management

        • customizability

        There are many things that are specific to some OSes. I switched from Windows 10 years ago, and I can’t see myself going back. Everytime I have to use it somewhere, I get annoyed quickly.

        There are some drawbacks:

        • software has to be built against a specific kernel, and some proprietary software is not offered for linux. There are compatability layers for running windows software on linux without emulation, but they are mainly optimized for games (I’ve had windows-only games run faster on linux than on windows!).

        • some drivers are unavailable for linux, as the device manufacturers have to cooperate somewhat. However, almost everything will work.

        • some drivers are available, but require binary blobs distributed by the manufacturer. The proprierary NVidia drivers, for example, are faster than the open source reimplementation noveau, but they can cause problems with some software like sway. If you have an AMD gpu, their open source drivers are great, so no problems.

        Roughly all the servers (including Microsofts own cloud), half the mobile systems, lots of the larger embedded stuff and some small percentage of deksktop systems are using Linux. Again, just try something (maybe Pop!_OS or Mint) and see if you like it.

      • Knusper@feddit.de
        1·
        1 year ago

        As a software engineer, the nicest thing is that the whole programming ecosystem integrates with Linux. Git, SSH, Docker, you get natively in your OS. Even dumb shit like file path separators, line-endings, file permissions. Most programming languages make the assumption that you’re on a UNIX system (Linux, macOS, BSD).

        Aside from that, Linux is fucking awesome as an SE, because everything is open-source. Find a bug in a program you use? You can fix it, if you want. Want to learn how a specific program works? Just look at the source code. Or its config file. Or its logs. Everything wants to teach you about itself.

        And personally, I also just love the usability. The built-in file manager, terminal, PDF viewer etc. are good. The built-in text editor is no IDE, but it’s up-to-snuff with Notepad++.
        And I’m making these blanket statements despite there not being one built-in anything. You can choose between multiple GUI bundles (so-called “desktop environments”). From a minimal DIY setup (i3wm etc.) all the way to maximally feature-rich goodness (KDE). You don’t have to use the same limited setup as your granny uses to launch a browser. You can customize everything to your needs and you get tons of power-user features.

  • CIWS-30@kbin.social
    385·
    1 year ago

    Maybe for now, but as soon as more people switch to Windows 11 or Microsoft apps that constantly show you ads and are basically spam / adware themselves, Linux will get more appealing.

    Microsoft is unfortunately learning from social media companies. Not only do you PAY for the product, you are also the product, and get your personal info stolen and get served ads even while you pay.

    It’s getting to the point where I’m seriously eyeballing Mint again, or Kubuntu. And I’m the kind of person that’s generally too lazy to even dual boot anymore.

    • Diplomjodler@feddit.de
      43·
      1 year ago

      Just do it. I used Windows mainly out of apathy for years. But once I made the switch, I never looked back. Mint is easy to use and doesn’t get in the way. And there’s zero shitfuckery going on.

      • RobertOwnageJunior@lemmy.world
        7·
        1 year ago

        Might sound stupid, but I want to be apathetic about my OS. I mainly game and I have been using Windows since I was 8. I know it in and out and if I am not forced to (or if ads really get that crazy), I am not gonna switch. It’s just nothing I am remotely passionate about.

    • ObiGynKenobi@beehaw.org
      2·
      1 year ago

      Linux seriously needs to figure out laptop battery life. Not much chance of going mainstream when installing it means a 50% drop in your battery life. Until then, I’ll use Linux on my desktop and just disable all the adware spam shit in Windows on my laptop.

      • limelight79@lemm.ee
        1·
        1 year ago

        I have not had this issue with three or four laptops running Linux over the years. Power management turned off somehow maybe?

      • FediMan@lemmy.ml
        1·
        1 year ago

        That’s the job of the manufacturer. Check out system76, framework and tuxedo laptops

    • Lvxferre@lemmy.ml
      9·
      1 year ago

      Sorry for the uncalled advice, but you might want to avoid Ubuntu. Canonical (the company behind Ubuntu) is being rather obnoxious pushing for a technology called “snaps” that has a bunch of issues, among them performance.

      Mint is fine. In fact I’m distro-hopping from Ubuntu to Mint again.

        • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
          2·
          1 year ago

          A mix as there’s home builds with enterprise and laptops with the “original install” (i.e. reinstalled windows using the built in tool)…

      • heimchen@discuss.tchncs.de
        11·
        1 year ago

        You mus have a nice install. I see them when I press the windows button. I see them when I press a random combination and this wierd left side window pops up and task bar shows you not only weather but also shares.

      • Hydroel@lemmy.world
        51·
        1 year ago

        I kind of like Windows 11, but even the Pro version is riddled with ads. The search banner in the taskbar has them regularly, there’s a large number of falsely installed Microsoft Store apps in the Start menu (which get downloaded when you click them, like Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, Instagram, I think also TikTok and I’m certainly forgetting some), the whole “news” menu on the left side of the screen is just that too. The Windows 10 default Mail app (which I think is close to be the perfect email app on Windows) is also being retired in favor of Outlook, the free version of which has an ad displayed either as a banner at the bottom of your mails list, or as an unread email at the top of it. This prompted me to enjoy the Thunderbird update, which isn’t as good but has no ads. And that’s not even counting Edge, the shortcut of which gets added back to the desktop on a regular basis, which redirects all HTML help pages and searches to itself instead of using the default browser.

        You might not have seen any ads on your W11 computer, but it’s probably either because you have a system-wide adblocker, installed scripts to remove some of the most invasive bloat, or simply hand pick and manage carefully all apps and and settings on your systems (that’s what I do, but when I do I make it so I won’t see it again). Or you don’t notice them as ads, which is sadly very possible.

        • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
          62·
          1 year ago

          It’s probably just that I take five minutes to clean up the mess after install and it’s not an issue ever again…

  • COOLSJ@lemmy.world
    2·
    1 year ago

    I wanna switch to linux but I can’t due to anti cheat don’t like linux. Huh a sad life in windows

  • Harry_Houdini@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    12·
    1 year ago

    I love Foss and Linux, but to be honest I recently switched back to Windows 10 from Ubuntu and some other distros, cuz gaming issue and some hardware issue and nvidia issue. Linux needs lots and lots of improvements.

  • Kool_Newt@lemm.eeEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Do people still have driver issues on Linux? What hardware are people using? I’ve been using Arch literally since it came out. I can’t remember the last time I had any concern that the laptop I bought would run Linux, …actually I do remember, I had a laptop with a modem that didn’t work right off the bat (or ever since it was 2008 and never tried to make it work).

  • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
    91·
    1 year ago

    F*** me, I was just setting up the Windows drivers on my old laptop to give away and it took hours of downloading proprietary freeware that kept installing random programs. It’s 100x easier on Linux or MacOS

  • jabjoe@feddit.ukEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    What on earth are you guys doing having to search the internet for drivers for Linux??? You not buy things that have Linux support advertised? Not looking for good reviews by other Linux users?

    • Crass Spektakel@lemmy.world
      01·
      1 year ago

      I once needed the driver to use “Floppy Streamers” under Linux. That is plain impossible with Windows. For Linux it just meant to recompile the kernel-module each time you updated the kernel which basically was “make && make install”. Then at accessing /dev/qic-nst0 I had a Floppy Streamer.

      Yes, sometimes you need drivers under Linux. But it is VERY rare.

  • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
    11·
    1 year ago

    The last panel is wrong. It should read “then stop buying shit hardware!”

    Having said that, the last windows upgrade I did for someone - honestly, it was a hardware swap and data copy - also included new printers, webcam (webcam!) and wireless mouse because win10 was like “yeah, fuck you, we hate hardware more than 2 years old and we dropped support, so go get new stuff, Skippy.”

    So it happens with linux or windows, but for different reasons.

    • lud@lemm.ee
      2·
      1 year ago

      So the old mouse didn’t work in Win 10? I find that hard to believe.

      What kind of special ass(-)mouse was that?

  • RQG@lemmy.world
    72·
    1 year ago

    I left windows because I didn’t want to search for programs anymore sifting through malware ridden exe files.