Advice Request Giving Linux a try

[bellgamin]

I am a huge fan of Windows 7. I'm still using Win7 on my "peace & enjoyment" computer. Whether by luck, or because of my security apps, I have run Win7 ever since late in the same year it came out & have had only 1 infection (years ago) in all that time. Problem is, as far as I know, all of the major browsers will soon cease to support Win7.

So -- for the second time -- I gave Win11 a trial of ~3 weeks. IMO, Win11 is nanny-ware, designed for Joe Sixpack & his beloved Aunt Fluffy. It's an excellent OS but I hate it.

So, a few weeks ago, I began my second serious trial of Linux. Much of that time has been devoted to trying different distros. Linux has a LOT of distros. So far, MX Linux is my favorite so it's the one I'm running now. Zorin was a close second.

Accomplishments to date on MX:
A- In a couple of hours I got MX set up so it's dark and the font is large enough for my age 92 eyes.
B- I was pleased to find that MX allowed me to install my favorite password manager (KeePass) & easily load my more than 300 passwords.
C- Firefox is the browser that most distros (including MX) expect users to like. Not me -- it has far too many bells & whistles. MX let me install Chromium browser -- a fairly "bare bones" browser.
D- My by-far favorite Windows email app is PopPeeper. I have over a dozen email accounts & receive 300 or more emails daily (don't ask). The Peeper is 99.44% perfect for dealing with that large volume. Unfortunately, the Peeper doesn't offer a Linux version. The Linux mail apps that are *somewhat* similar to Peeper are Thunderbird & Claws-mail. Before giving in to either of those two poor substitutes, however, I have installed an app called Wine. That app lets Linux run Windows apps in a virtual Drive C. I'm still struggling to learn how to configure & use Wine.

REQUESTS:
1- If anyone can give me some pointers on configuring & using Wine, PLEASE do so.
2- If anyone knows of a browser that will continue to support Win7, double PLEASE lead me to it!!!

 

[Thigas]

I'm not a Linux guy myself so I can't help you with the Wine question

I think Pale Moon still supports Windows 7 nowadays, but I'm not sure about this one. But you should consider moving to a more recent version of Windows like 10 and modify it to look like Windows 7 if you just like the feeling.

 

[Bot]

It's great to hear that you are giving Linux a try and have found MX Linux to be your favorite so far. As for your request on Wine, I would recommend checking out the Wine documentation and community forums for help with configuration and usage. Additionally, there are several tutorials and guides available online that can help you get started with using Wine.

As for your request for a browser that will continue to support Windows 7, I'm afraid there is no guarantee that any major browser will continue to support the OS once official support has ended. However, you might want to try out the Pale Moon browser, which is an independent, community-driven fork of Firefox that continues to support Windows 7. Alternatively, you could consider upgrading to a more recent version of Windows or switching to a different operating system altogether, such as Linux.

 

[Ink]

So -- for the second time -- I gave Win11 a trial of ~3 weeks. IMO, Win11 is nanny-ware, designed for Joe Sixpack & his beloved Aunt Fluffy. It's an excellent OS but I hate it.

More Windows 7 users are migrating to Windows 10 over 11.

1. Windows 10 - 73.25% (+4.39)
2. Windows 11 - 19.13% (+1.01)
3. Windows 7 - 5.39% (-4.16)
4. Windows 8.1 - 1.15% (-1.13)
5. Windows 8 - 0.52% (-0.1)

Statcounter: Almost every fifth PC runs Windows 11, Windows 10 gets major spike

Statcounter's February 2023 report is here with the latest details about the desktop operating systems market. According to the findings, Windows 11 is now almost on every fifth PC.

www.neowin.net

 

[Trident]

It indicates that these users don’t like the new versions and are choosing the least worst.

 

[cruelsister]

If anyone knows of a browser that will continue to support Win7, double PLEASE lead me to it!!!

SeaMonkey: System Requirements
It also has a built-in email client (and I use it).

m

 

[Chuck57]

I had MX-Linux, don't remember which version, on dual boot here a year ago, and was using it more than Windows. I screwed something up in Windows while messing with stuff I know nothing about and restored a backup image via Macrium. That was the end of MX-Linux. I'm tempted to make a partition and add MX again. It's far and away my favorite. BUT, like all Linux versions, I have yet to figure out how to set up my old printer, an elderly Brother HL-2040 laser printer.

 

[Tiny]

I am a huge fan of Windows 7. I'm still using Win7 on my "peace & enjoyment" computer. Whether by luck, or because of my security apps, I have run Win7 ever since late in the same year it came out & have had only 1 infection (years ago) in all that time. Problem is, as far as I know, all of the major browsers will soon cease to support Win7.

So -- for the second time -- I gave Win11 a trial of ~3 weeks. IMO, Win11 is nanny-ware, designed for Joe Sixpack & his beloved Aunt Fluffy. It's an excellent OS but I hate it.

So, a few weeks ago, I began my second serious trial of Linux. Much of that time has been devoted to trying different distros. Linux has a LOT of distros. So far, MX Linux is my favorite so it's the one I'm running now. Zorin was a close second.

Accomplishments to date on MX:
A- In a couple of hours I got MX set up so it's dark and the font is large enough for my age 92 eyes.
B- I was pleased to find that MX allowed me to install my favorite password manager (KeePass) & easily load my more than 300 passwords.
C- Firefox is the browser that most distros (including MX) expect users to like. Not me -- it has far too many bells & whistles. MX let me install Chromium browser -- a fairly "bare bones" browser.
D- My by-far favorite Windows email app is PopPeeper. I have over a dozen email accounts & receive 300 or more emails daily (don't ask). The Peeper is 99.44% perfect for dealing with that large volume. Unfortunately, the Peeper doesn't offer a Linux version. The Linux mail apps that are *somewhat* similar to Peeper are Thunderbird & Claws-mail. Before giving in to either of those two poor substitutes, however, I have installed an app called Wine. That app lets Linux run Windows apps in a virtual Drive C. I'm still struggling to learn how to configure & use Wine.

REQUESTS:
1- If anyone can give me some pointers on configuring & using Wine, PLEASE do so.
2- If anyone knows of a browser that will continue to support Win7, double PLEASE lead me to it!!!

Hi,

Glad to see more people trying to switch to Linux. I use Fedora Silverblue. Immutable desktops are brilliant in terms of security and convenience (for me).

Might I suggest you try using Bottles for linux? Here are a few links you may find useful.

You can find Bottles here.
The docs are here.

In case you are curious about SIlverblue and immutable OS, have a gander at this.

Hope this helps.

 

[wat0114]

I had MX-Linux, don't remember which version, on dual boot here a year ago, and was using it more than Windows. I screwed something up in Windows while messing with stuff I know nothing about and restored a backup image via Macrium. That was the end of MX-Linux. I'm tempted to make a partition and add MX again. It's far and away my favorite. BUT, like all Linux versions, I have yet to figure out how to set up my old printer, an elderly Brother HL-2040 laser printer.

Chuck,

I don't know if you can solve your printer driver issue on MX-21, but you could try dual-booting MX with Windows again, and if still not resolved, you could merely boot into Windows for your printing needs, otherwise run Linux full time. I think I can finally say my many years-long tug-of-war between dumping Linux for Windows is finally over, as Ive become fed up with the Nanny telemetry of Windows, and since my home user needs are basic, MX-21 has suited me perfectly fine. No more telemetry crap to deal with, and no antivirus required either.

Using KDE Desktop with plasma, with "Gently" Global theme:



Browsers, Firefox my main browser, are confined with Apparmor profiles.

 

[1chaoticadult]

I recently switched to Linux Mint from Windows 11 recently. Really enjoying my experience with Linux so far. I don't see me moving back to Windows.

 

[ddave]

Give a try to openSUSE, really well made distro

 

[Victor M]

Ubuntu - easy to Google for how-to sites that shows you how to do things. I crafted an apparmor profile for Chrome and MS Edge. And hardened some settings. If anybody wants them I will post them. I've read that Ubuntu favors newer hardware, but I am using new hardware so I can't find reasons to complain.

 

[1chaoticadult]

I recently switched to Linux Mint from Windows 11 recently. Really enjoying my experience with Linux so far. I don't see me moving back to Windows.

So I went from Mint to Fedora weeks ago and I like it even better than Mint.

 

[R3j3ct]

I am a huge fan of Windows 7. I'm still using Win7 on my "peace & enjoyment" computer. Whether by luck, or because of my security apps, I have run Win7 ever since late in the same year it came out & have had only 1 infection (years ago) in all that time. Problem is, as far as I know, all of the major browsers will soon cease to support Win7.

So -- for the second time -- I gave Win11 a trial of ~3 weeks. IMO, Win11 is nanny-ware, designed for Joe Sixpack & his beloved Aunt Fluffy. It's an excellent OS but I hate it.

So, a few weeks ago, I began my second serious trial of Linux. Much of that time has been devoted to trying different distros. Linux has a LOT of distros. So far, MX Linux is my favorite so it's the one I'm running now. Zorin was a close second.

Accomplishments to date on MX:
A- In a couple of hours I got MX set up so it's dark and the font is large enough for my age 92 eyes.
B- I was pleased to find that MX allowed me to install my favorite password manager (KeePass) & easily load my more than 300 passwords.
C- Firefox is the browser that most distros (including MX) expect users to like. Not me -- it has far too many bells & whistles. MX let me install Chromium browser -- a fairly "bare bones" browser.
D- My by-far favorite Windows email app is PopPeeper. I have over a dozen email accounts & receive 300 or more emails daily (don't ask). The Peeper is 99.44% perfect for dealing with that large volume. Unfortunately, the Peeper doesn't offer a Linux version. The Linux mail apps that are *somewhat* similar to Peeper are Thunderbird & Claws-mail. Before giving in to either of those two poor substitutes, however, I have installed an app called Wine. That app lets Linux run Windows apps in a virtual Drive C. I'm still struggling to learn how to configure & use Wine.

REQUESTS:
1- If anyone can give me some pointers on configuring & using Wine, PLEASE do so.
2- If anyone knows of a browser that will continue to support Win7, double PLEASE lead me to it!!!

hello,
i left windows as well, and tried Mint, currently running ubuntu 22.04 with pro enabled and i like it.
as far as wine, i would just install windows 7 in a virtualbox or vmware. (just my opinion)

Windows 7 browsers
i found this about opera hope it helps!!!
Can you keep using Opera on Windows 7 and 8.1 since Microsoft no longer supports them?

 

[simmerskool]

I am a huge fan of Windows 7. I'm still using Win7 on my "peace & enjoyment" computer. Whether by luck, or because of my security apps, I have run Win7 ever since late in the same year it came out & have had only 1 infection (years ago) in all that time. Problem is, as far as I know, all of the major browsers will soon cease to support Win7.

So -- for the second time -- I gave Win11 a trial of ~3 weeks. IMO, Win11 is nanny-ware, designed for Joe Sixpack & his beloved Aunt Fluffy. It's an excellent OS but I hate it.

So, a few weeks ago, I began my second serious trial of Linux. Much of that time has been devoted to trying different distros. Linux has a LOT of distros. So far, MX Linux is my favorite so it's the one I'm running now. Zorin was a close second.

Accomplishments to date on MX:
A- In a couple of hours I got MX set up so it's dark and the font is large enough for my age 92 eyes.
B- I was pleased to find that MX allowed me to install my favorite password manager (KeePass) & easily load my more than 300 passwords.
C- Firefox is the browser that most distros (including MX) expect users to like. Not me -- it has far too many bells & whistles. MX let me install Chromium browser -- a fairly "bare bones" browser.
D- My by-far favorite Windows email app is PopPeeper. I have over a dozen email accounts & receive 300 or more emails daily (don't ask). The Peeper is 99.44% perfect for dealing with that large volume. Unfortunately, the Peeper doesn't offer a Linux version. The Linux mail apps that are *somewhat* similar to Peeper are Thunderbird & Claws-mail. Before giving in to either of those two poor substitutes, however, I have installed an app called Wine. That app lets Linux run Windows apps in a virtual Drive C. I'm still struggling to learn how to configure & use Wine.

REQUESTS:
1- If anyone can give me some pointers on configuring & using Wine, PLEASE do so.
2- If anyone knows of a browser that will continue to support Win7, double PLEASE lead me to it!!!

"As many know, MX traces its lineage back to the 90s and MEPIS project. When…" I did run MEPIS way back when Have not tried MX, but I am currently running Zorin in VM, like it enough that I have not found a reason to try another flavor. Have not used Wine. Cruelsister uses a less typical browser that might be good on win7, I just can't recall its name

 

[wat0114]

I took an old 2011 Sony laptop we had in storage that had Win 7 on it, and after testing Zorin Lite, linux Lite and Lubuntu on it, I formatted and went with Lubuntu. It runs like a dream, so we'll keep it around as an emergency backup device.

 

[bellgamin]

Cruelsister uses a less typical browser that might be good on win7

It's Seamonkey -- she posted that fact in a prior comment in this thread. Thanks @cruelsister for that suggestion. I shall certainly monkey around with seamonkey whenever I boot up Win7 again. Right now, I am 99.72401% using Linux. It's great!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I switched to Zorin Pro in mid-March because it likes me.

BTW, here are 8 of the many apps that I use daily:
1-AutoKey -- this is an app for auto-typing macros. Example: if I type "fb" (without the quotes) then AutoKey automatically types the comment I use when reviewing a seller who did a good job for me on eBay. That comment is about 25 words in length, so AutoKey saves me a lot of repetitive typing. I use AutoKey a lot.
2-Zim Desktop Wiki -- this app functions like a notebook with index tabs. Zim let's me have as many notebooks as I want. So it functions like the notebooks I had in college. I had a notebook for science -- with tabs for geology & paleantology. I had another for law -- with tabs for Texas and Hawaii and Federal. And so forth. Zim let's me make handy notebooks for stuff I do these days, now that I am retired.
3-Betterbird -- this is a version of Thunderbird. I use Betterbird for email & calendar.
4-KeePassXC - password manager
5-AbiWord -- I like it better than LibreOffice.
6-BleachBit -- cleans up the trash
7-luckyBackup -- Quick backup of Home files. I use this several times a day
8-Timeshift -- I use this every 2-4 days to back up System files. I have it set so that it also backs up Home files - as a fail-safe for luckyBackup.

 

[piquiteco]

@bellgamin All right? it possible to install linux in UEFI mode?

 

[wat0114]

@bellgamin All right? it possible to install linux in UEFI mode?

Zorin, Ubuntu, and a few other distros support secure boot, but apparently it could cause problems with some graphics and network cards because of a requirement for Windows signed keys in the firmware.

 

[piquiteco]

Zorin, Ubuntu, and a few other distros support secure boot, but apparently it could cause problems with some graphics and network cards because of a requirement for Windows signed keys in the firmware.

Thank you very much! Do you know of any good on-demand scanners?