Linux v. Windows: an observation.

[Wolf Baginski]

I am more and more likely to permanently switch away from Windows. and the path I am following on that gives me than chance to try both.

First, if you can set your computer to boot from USB, you can run a USB-stick version of a LiveCD distro. There are getting just big enough not to work on a CD. 4GB USB sticks seem to be at the bottom of the range these days. But they aren't made for the large numbers of writes that are needed to substitute for a purpose-made SSD or an HDD.

On the other hand, an external USB drive, using USB 3.0 and a 1TB HDD, seems to be the current standard, and the price isn't that much more than a similar-size internal drive.

So, step one: download your Linux distro of choice, get the 64-bit form, and transfer to a USB-stick. Get your system booting. I was using Linux Mint and I was pleasantly surprised that I could read and write to all my Windows drives, and to my NAS drive.

You can find tutorials and walk-throughs for all this, how to install Linux from the USB-stick to an external drive. It's not that long a process. Then shutdown Linux, switch off, remove the USB-stick, and reboot with the external drive.

Things get long and tedious here, getting various programs and installing them, and getting at things such as browser bookmarks. It's not so different from the hassles of switching from 32-bit to 64-bit Windows.

Now for the observation.

This particular system I am using isn't something I plan to use long-term. It's OK with 64-bit Windows and the Windows version of KSP 1.0.4, but with only 4GB of RAM it's a bit tight for space. Nevertheless, the page swapping it does for virtual memory is tolerable.

Go to Linux, and mostly I can't see any significant difference. Even USB 2.0 seems adequately fast.

But my experience strongly suggests that a shortage of RAM will hit very hard under Linux. Base install, no problem. Add a few mods, and things can trip up, ending with nothing loaded. I ot warning messages about Kerbin-crossing asteroids not being loaded because a file wasn't found. No components were visible to pick from in the VAB or SPH.

We shall see what happens when I boot with the new motherboard/RAM combo. It may be I can tweak some details. I did get some mods loaded and working, and watching the program load with an eagle eye, it does look like a RAM shortage, something that might produce an outright crash with Windows. That loading bar doesn't reach the end of its travel.

Summary: Linux is different.

Anyway, I ran a few flights with no problems, once I cut back on the Mods installed. Linux, generally, is giving me what I want, and knowing I can boot linux from an external drive. and still access the Windows drives, it quite reassuring.

A Linux package called Wine lets you run the Windows programs you might still need. Should I believe the stories about what Microsoft is doing to "trick" you into a Windows 10 upgrade? It does feel a little like a common pattern of abusive, "It's for your own good", behaviour, and now I am fairly confident I can walk away from the whole Windows business.

Worst case, you end up with a 1TB external drive that you can re-format and use to back-up your data.

[The_Rocketeer]

Thanks for this post, I too recently found a seed planted in the back of my mind for permanently ditching Apple/Microsoft. Never having used Linux, I'm cautious. It's good to hear feedback from someone in a similar position giving it a try.

[sal_vager]

Nice post Wolf, though you may be running into other issues than a shortage of memory that aren't OS specific, as Gaarst has found here.

The missing parts especially, seems to be caused by addons, so maybe there are workarounds.

As this isn't about KSP specifically, and more about operating systems, it should really go in the Space Lounge or maybe Support to see if there's any help with your issues, and KSP.x86_64 shouldn't have trouble using all your RAM, if you load it all up with mods that is.

And many players have done just that