Advice Request The Year of the Linux dissatisfaction

[AG3S]

Yes, but I'm a KDE fan and they're technically using the same Ubuntu core so I use Kubuntu

That is true, both are using UBUNTU but elementaryOS and POP_OS have done many changes compared to the UBUNTU. I have tested many disctros and I am for two years using elementary without any changes. And I am hard user which means I usually work for 12-16 hours a day.

I believe it worth to give it a try.

POP_OS is well integrated to the hardware which System76 is offering however, my personal experience and also other people's reviews around the web and youtube have been really posiotive even on none-System76 harware.

 

[bayasdev]

That is true, both are using UBUNTU but elementaryOS and POP_OS have done many changes compared to the UBUNTU. I have tested many disctros and I am for two years using elementary without any changes. And I am hard user which means I usually work for 12-16 hours a day.

I believe it worth to give it a try.

POP_OS is well integrated to the hardware which System76 is offering however, my personal experience and also other people's reviews around the web and youtube have been really posiotive even on none-System76 harware.

I just can't get used to GNOME or Mac style

 

[ForgottenSeer 72227]

I just can't get used to GNOME or Mac style

I'm probably in the minority here, but I have come to like Gnome a lot, mostly due to it's workflow. Include the Pop Shell which add tiling Windows and it's really nice. That being said, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. KDE is a fantastic DE.

I am sure you already know, but just in case you didn't and for those who may not know..there are a couple of extensions and a tweak you can do to pretty much set it up like Windows. There's that Dash to Panel extension which essentially gives you a Windows taskbar setup. Arc menu which gives you a start menu essentially ( you can choose various options on how the menu looks) and finally using a program called Gnome tweaks you can add the minimize and maximize buttons!

I took a screenshot of my PopOS desktop which is setup this way. I have since moved back to defaults using the keyboard shortcuts mostly, but just wanted to post this for others to see whats possible if needed.

 

[bayasdev]

I am sure you already know, but just in case you didn't and for those who may not know..there are a couple of extensions and a tweak you can do to pretty much set it up like Windows

Most of those extensions randomly break with GNOME updates, I'm also addicted to KWin's Win+Pg Down shortcut to force anything to minimize

 

[jackuars]

Dedoimedio wrote an enthusiastic review about MX 18 working wonderfully on an ancient computer.

MX Linux MX-18 & 10-year-old EeePC netbook - Fantastic

Extremely enthusastic review of MX Linux MX-18.1 Continuum, tested on a 10-year-old Asus eeePC netbook, including live usage, installation with existing user data, new desktop configuration and tweaks, solid performance, low resource usage, battery life, updates, applications, music and video...

www.dedoimedo.com

XFCE versions of distro's works better than other flavors on older computers.

 

[bayasdev]

The problem with Linux it's the lack of an standard way of doing things and the always changing codebase.

A very interesting read from the pov of a Linux kernel developer

https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/process/stable-api-nonsense.rst

 

[AG3S]

The problem with Linux it's the lack of an standard way of doing things and the always changing codebase.

A very interesting read from the pov of a Linux kernel developer

https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/process/stable-api-nonsense.rst

I completely agree with you however, based on my personal experience it really depends on your usage. For example as a developer who is developing an app for linux this can be a nightmare. But as a user who is using some certain apps (apps can also be affected depending on how active the developers are) this would not influence you. I quit Windows 11 years ago due to the security issues and eversince I have worked with macOS and several linux distros. Finally (sorry for being boring and repeating ...) I ended up with elementaryOS and POP_OS.

One of my friends is using Mint and he is also very happy.... but I am kind of used to GNOME/macOS style... it is really a personal preference...

A distro which is literally trying to copy Windows look and feel is LinuxFX. However, I would not recommend it at all because I am not sure how long would it tale that Microsoft sues this team/company.

More info:

DistroWatch.com: Linuxfx

News and feature lists of Linux and BSD distributions.

distrowatch.com

 

[bribon77]

LinuxFX. I wouldn't install it, I like things the way they are, if I want windows I'll install it,
I like Linux because it is different from Windows.
I don't know why, many people want to make distributions with the look of Windows.

 

[shmu26]

I don't know why, many people want to make distributions with the look of Windows.

For the same reason that vegetarians make mock meat.

 

[bribon77]

For the same reason that vegetarians make mock meat.

Yes, @shmu26, but in the end it's not meat.

 

[shmu26]

Yes, @shmu26, but in the end it's not meat.

Right. I agree with you 100%, I would never install one of these distros that imitates Windows.

 

[ForgottenSeer 72227]

I don't know why, many people want to make distributions with the look of Windows.

I agree.

Why not try to do something different, but I guess its to make people comfortable. After all the vast majority of users are using Windows. They are comfortable with the interface and know how to use it, so something like it would be easier to transition to.

The problem with Linux it's the lack of an standard way of doing things and the always changing codebase.

A very interesting read from the pov of a Linux kernel developer

https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/process/stable-api-nonsense.rst

Yup even LinusTervolds himself admits this is a major issue holding Linux desktop back. Despite it being community driven, everyone has their own solutions to everyone. Like usual instead of working together, everyone goes about doing it their own way. Many people in the community assume that standards take away control and choice, as everyone is afraid of the man and their precious linux will somehow disappear. They can be reallt paranoid over these things, its sad really.

 

[shmu26]

I agree.

Why not try to do something different, but I guess its to make people comfortable. After all the vast majority of users are using Windows. They are comfortable with the interface and know how to use it, so something like it would be easier to transition to.

Yup even LinusTervolds himself admits this is a major issue holding Linux desktop back. Despite it being community driven, everyone has their own solutions to everyone. Like usual instead of working together, everyone goes about doing it their own way. Many people in the community assume that standards take away control and choice, as everyone is afraid of the man and their precious linux will somehow disappear. They can be reallt paranoid over these things, its sad really.

If Linux would become too organized and easy to use, millions of new users would join, and malware would start plaguing linux home users. So I am not complaining. As things are now, the barriers are high enough to keep the masses away.

 

[ForgottenSeer 72227]

If Linux would become too organized and easy to use, millions of new users would join, and malware would start plaguing linux home users. So I am not complaining. As things are now, the barriers are high enough to keep the masses away.

That is true!

Its as if Linux needs to be a little more standardized, in order to have a large enough marketshare to have better 3rd party development, but small enough at the same time to keep malware away.

 

[shmu26]

That is true!

Its as if Linux needs to be a little more standardized, in order to have a large enough marketshare to have better 3rd party development, but small enough at the same time to keep malware away.

Flatpaks and Snaps are supposed to help with the software development problems, but everyone seems to hate them. I have very bad luck with Snaps on Manjaro, and everyone on the Manjaro forum seems to hate them, mainly because Snap is controlled by Canonical.
Flatpaks take up too much disk space, but work great for me. I have LibreOffice on Flatpak, and it launches fast, and always has the most updated version, I don't have to wait for my distro to issue it.

 

[jackuars]

LinuxFX. I wouldn't install it, I like things the way they are, if I want windows I'll install it,
I like Linux because it is different from Windows.
I don't know why, many people want to make distributions with the look of Windows.

Using something new is one that is not embedded in the genes of most individuals. Most people prefer doing things that they are comfortable with and are used to doing it in a certain way. A major part of why we feel Windows is simple and Linux isn't, is because we have become so comfortable and so accustomed to it. I have used Windows long enough that the time I switched to MacOS/Linux on one fine day, I wasn't happy at all. Round and round I kept installing and uninstalling Linux distro's, because I didn't have enough patience to learn everything all over again. But over time, I persisted and now am using Linux 50% of the time.

Some of the Linux distro's are popular because they are beginner friendly and similar to Windows (like Mint and Zorin OS). So the initiative taken by Linux/WindowsFX is commendable, because the decision/willpower to make the transition from Windows to Linux is more crucial than taking full advantage of the power of Linux customizability, flexibility, security and freedom.

 

[shmu26]

Using something new is one that is not embedded in the genes of most individuals. Most people prefer doing things that they are comfortable with and are used to doing it in a certain way. A major part of why we feel Windows is simple and Linux isn't, is because we have become so comfortable and so accustomed to it. I have used Windows long enough that the time I switched to MacOS/Linux on one fine day, I wasn't happy at all. Round and round I kept installing and uninstalling Linux distro's, because I didn't have enough patience to learn everything all over again. But over time, I persisted and now am using Linux 50% of the time.

Some of the Linux distro's are popular because they are beginner friendly and similar to Windows (like Mint and Zorin OS). So the initiative taken by Linux/WindowsFX is a good thing, because the decision/willpower to make the transition from Windows to Linux is more crucial than taking full advantage of the power of Linux customizability, flexibility, security and freedom.

The problem is that the user will get frustrated very fast. Just setting the Windows default wallpaper won't make Wine perform like it is supposed to.

 

[bayasdev]

If you need a Windows like GNU+Linux while still having an original touch install a distro that uses KDE, Cinnamon or Deepin as its desktop environment.

Linuxfx it's violating copyright and impersonating the Windows trademark, leading to less knowledgeable people (including the media) think Linux it's a cheap Windows knock off while it isn't. Some may even feel completely disappointed when they can't run the software they're used to use on Windows.

 

[Gangelo]

I could never get used to a Linux distro until Chrome OS answered the biggest issues he is addressing:
-GPU drivers!!! And plug & play
-Media support
-Easy and simple SMB support
-Auto update of the main components without accidentally breaking things
-Auto backup
-Excellent battery life
-Consistency

Google answered all of these questions in Chrome OS but at the price of being bundled with all the proprietary code that is required to achieve this feat. The issue is not technological but ideological. You can get all the convenience but then it's no longer FOSS and Chromebooks only have 6-9 years of updates.

Well, there is a solution to this.. Cloudready by Neverware. This is what I install in old laptops & desktops especially for elders.

Upgrade Your PC: Faster and More Secure with ChromeOS Flex

Install ChromeOS Flex, a secure, cloud-based OS for PCs and Macs. Easy to install and manage, bringing the benefits of ChromeOS to your organization.

www.neverware.com

 

[AG3S]

As I mentioned (and all others) before, for several reasons FXLinux would be a horrible OS.

To have a good Windows and macOS alternative, I believe we should support companies such as System76 - Linux Laptops, Desktops, and Servers which are developing hardware and linux software for a really reasonable price. All of their designs and codes are open source. They know what they are doing and I will definately get my next notebook from them.

This is the direction which Linux should go...