Thinking of switching to Linux.

[Kernel Kraken]

Hey y'all, I'm planning to switch to Linux something soon. Do you recommend a certain one? (Ubuntu, mint, ect...) I was thinking of mint but I want to make sure.

[Daveroski]

I'm using Linux Mint.

I actually have a dual installation. Linux and Shmindows.

If you are thinking of a dual install I recommend having each operating system on a separate drive and select the operating system at boot.

Shmindows doesn't really like to share and can get cranky.

 

[LordFerret]

I'll suggest trying out a number of them. You can do this by booting from live discs.

My personal preference is Debian, used on my main box. I've several laptops which use Mint, which is nice. I also use AVLinux and Knoppix.

I also have a few laptops with Windows (like this one which plays KSP)... but we won't go there.

[Geonovast]

I'm a big fan of Mint with the MATE desktop.

7 computers in the house running it.

Edited April 23, 2018 by Geonovast

[Daveroski]

I got linux just so I could play KSP in 64 bit.

 

[Kernel Kraken]

So far I'm hearing mint. Then there's these other ones I've never heard of an am looking up right now.

I really like the Windows 10 desktop, because It seems easy to use yet still capable of doing stuff. I've just grown a distrust of windows after it messed up my disk like 3 times then I had to reset it. I heard Linux is also a lot more stable in general, too. Is there a windows- like desktop available?

Edited April 23, 2018 by Kernel Kraken

[Daveroski]

6 minutes ago, Kernel Kraken said:

So far I'm hearing mint. Then there's these other ones I've never heard of an am looking up right now.

I really like the Windows 10 desktop, because It seems easy to use yet still capable of doing stuff. I've just grown a distrust of windows after it messed up my disk like 3 times then I had to reset it. I heard Linux is also a lot more stable in general, too. Is there a windows- like desktop available?

You mean like in Mint?

https://www.linuxmint.com/

Edited April 23, 2018 by Daveroski

[Kernel Kraken]

10 minutes ago, Daveroski said:

You mean like in Mint?

https://www.linuxmint.com/

Yeah I guess so! 

I think I'm going to try dual booting Mint and Windows 10, I don't really know why. It seems like it would be a bit easier to adjust to a new OS if I could periodically use my old Windows.

[Daveroski]

1 minute ago, Kernel Kraken said:

Yeah I guess so! 

I think I'm going to try dual booting Mint and Windows 10, I don't really know why. It seems like it would be a bit easier to adjust to a new OS if I could periodically use my old Windows.

Stick with me kid, We'll have you sneering at them nasty Shmindows sheep in no time.

[LordFerret]

19 minutes ago, Kernel Kraken said:

So far I'm hearing mint. Then there's these other ones I've never heard of an am looking up right now.

I really like the Windows 10 desktop, because It seems easy to use yet still capable of doing stuff. I've just grown a distrust of windows after it messed up my disk like 3 times then I had to reset it. I heard Linux is also a lot more stable in general, too. Is there a windows- like desktop available?

Yes,

and yes.

As @Daveroski above points out, Mint. Because of what Linux is, you can set up a Windows-like desktop environment in just about any of them. Don't limit yourself to that however... give some of the other desktops a try. You just might find something else you like better.

[Daveroski]

1 minute ago, LordFerret said:

Yes,

and yes.

As @Daveroski above points out, Mint. Because of what Linux is, you can set up a Windows-like desktop environment in just about any of them. Don't limit yourself to that however... give some of the other desktops a try. You just might find something else you like better.

To be fair mi'Lord You like 'em all. Even you can't decide which you like bestest in the whole world and stick with it. :))

 

[YNM]

11 minutes ago, Daveroski said:

Stick with me kid, We'll have you sneering at them nasty Shmindows sheep in no time.

Oh, can you bodge in Linux ? 

Apart from that, actually I do find Linuxes pretty useful to keep stuff tidy. Last I know however, it is a PITA to do the initial dual-boot with Win10 alongside. I don't have a CD lying around, I only have a flash drive (>16 GB) and a partition planned for Linux (100 GB). I intend to either use Mint or Kubuntu. Any help/suggestion ?

I have a linux (ubuntu, and ubuntu w/ GNOME) on a PC, but that's miles away from me.

Edited April 23, 2018 by YNM

[Daveroski]

3 minutes ago, YNM said:

Oh, can you bodge in Linux ? 

Apart from that, actually I do find Linuxes pretty useful to keep stuff tidy. Last I know however, it is a PITA to do the initial dual-boot with Win10 alongside. I don't have a CD lying around, I only have a flash drive (>16 GB) and a partition planned for Linux (100 GB). I intend to either use Mint or Kubuntu. Any help/suggestion ?

If you are going to Dual boot keep them on separate drives. Shmindows can be peevish.

 

[LordFerret]

41 minutes ago, LordFerret said:

My personal preference is Debian, used on my main box.

@Daveroski

 

Hiking boots for climbing mountains, water-proof boots for when it rains, sandals for a sandy beach, shiny spit-polished dress for that wedding - or funeral... sneakers for just about everything else. All depends on where I'm walking, and why.

[Kernel Kraken]

Ok Wow! Oh. My gawd. Guys. This is a 'HOT!' tagged thread! Thanks so much guuuyyyyyys!

I cannot to a snobby teenage girl voice over a text interface...

[Daveroski]

8 minutes ago, LordFerret said:

@Daveroski

 

Hiking boots for climbing mountains, water-proof boots for when it rains, sandals for a sandy beach, shiny spit-polished dress for that wedding - or funeral... sneakers for just about everything else. All depends on where I'm walking, and why.

Spit-polished eh? Been a while since I did some bulling.

 

7 minutes ago, Kernel Kraken said:

Ok Wow! Oh. My gawd. Guys. This is a 'HOT!' tagged thread! Thanks so much guuuyyyyyys!

I cannot to a snobby teenage girl voice over a text interface...

Well look at the company your keeping.. @LordFerret @YNM and @Geonovast Bound to be a hot thread innit?

Me... oh I just dust a little and make the tea.

 

[YNM]

26 minutes ago, Daveroski said:

If you are going to Dual boot keep them on separate drives.

What if I only have one ? In the old setup on PC w/ Win7, it was possible to insert GRUB after the initial installation, which manages the whole thing nicely. Currently I have a laptop, not the easiest to add a new drive. (and it has Win10 which needs divine intervention just to activate the bootloader menu.)

15 minutes ago, Daveroski said:

Bound to be a hot thread innit?

Nah, just the wrong dial...

 

Also, didn't knew Shmindows is an actual Linux fork.

Edited April 23, 2018 by YNM

[Geonovast]

I've yet to manage a Mint installation in with secure boot on - which, AFAIK, Win 10 requires.  I thought, hilariously briefly, to do a dual boot on my new laptop, which came with Windows 10.  But that tiniest of hurdles made the right decision for me.

As far as feeling like Windows, I don't know of any DEs that feel like Windows 10.  MATE has an overall XP feel in my opinion, which is just fine.  When I first switched, I used Cinnamon, simply because it was recommended as the most common.  But I didn't really like it, and it has had issues with Nvidia hardware.

Definitely play with several different options in live environments before you even commit to a dual boot.  Linux is try-before-you-"buy", so you can get a nearly full experience without changing a single bit of your HDD.  Although I think you'll find that having an OS that isn't trying to control your every move to be preferable, and you'll want to wipe that MS nonsense off your computer.

[Daveroski]

1 minute ago, YNM said:

What if I only have one ? In the old setup on PC w/ Win7, it was possible to insert GRUB after the initial installation, which manages the whole thing nicely. Currently I have a laptop, not the easiest to add a new drive.

Nah, just the wrong dial...

Well... I know from personal experience that Shmindows doesn't like sharing a boot sector. I think it realises that linux is there and throws a wobbler. Had it happen to me twice (corrupted my boot sector) and heard a LOT of other people complain about the unfriendliness of it all. Still, I know that a lot of other people get away with it just fine.

So.. do ya feel lucky?  well... do ya?

 

2 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

I've yet to manage a Mint installation in with secure boot on - which, AFAIK, Win 10 requires.  I thought, hilariously briefly, to do a dual boot on my new laptop, which came with Windows 10.  But that tiniest of hurdles made the right decision for me.

As far as feeling like Windows, I don't know of any DEs that feel like Windows 10.  MATE has an overall XP feel in my opinion, which is just fine.  When I first switched, I used Cinnamon, simply because it was recommended as the most common.  But I didn't really like it, and it has had issues with Nvidia hardware.

Definitely play with several different options in live environments before you even commit to a dual boot.  Linux is try-before-you-"buy", so you can get a nearly full experience without changing a single bit of your HDD.  Although I think you'll find that having an OS that isn't trying to control your every move to be preferable, and you'll want to wipe that MS nonsense off your computer.

Microsloth offered to upgrade my 64 PRO to schmindows 10.
I'm glad I didn't do it. Someone told me that they upgraded and only got a 32 bit version and would have to pay for 64 bit.

I'm currently using Mint with Nvidia and so far no problems... what kind were you experiencing?

[Geonovast]

13 minutes ago, Daveroski said:

I'm glad I didn't do it. Someone told me that they upgraded and only got a 32 bit version and would have to pay for 64 bit.

Whoever told you that either lied or was lied to.  The product keys for Windows do not specify 32 or 64 bit.  You can install either version.  It's not like the difference between Home/Pro/Enterprise.  You don't get more features with the 64 bit version.  64 bit computers should get a 64 bit OS.  While you typically can install a 32 bit version on a 64 bit computer, I don't see why you would.

It's also possible that whomever told you that got scammed.

13 minutes ago, Daveroski said:

I'm currently using Mint with Nvidia and so far no problems... what kind were you experiencing?

It's not Mint itself, it's the cinnamon desktop.  I personally experienced crashes, where the whole screen would go into some kind of rainbow static, and the machine would have to be rebooted.  It's possible that issue has been fixed by now, this was back with 17.3

Edited April 23, 2018 by Geonovast

[Daveroski]

2 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

Whoever told you that either lied or was lied to.  The product keys for Windows do not specify 32 or 64 bit.  You can install either version.  It's not like the difference between Home/Pro/Enterprise.  You don't get more features with the 64 bit version.  64 bit computers should get a 64 bit OS.  While you typically can install a 32 bit version on a 64 bit computer, I don't see why you would.

It's also possible that whomever told you that got scammed.

It's not Mint itself, it's the cinnamon desktop.  I personally experienced crashes, where the whole screen would go into some kind of rainbow static, and the machine would have to be rebooted.  It's possible that issue has been fixed by now, this was back with 17.3

I could have it horse before cart... I think they did have a pro edition.

17.3 hehe.. I'm pretty sure that was my first.

Anyway they include Nvidia drivers in the upgrades now so no need to install them manually any more.

[Nuke]

theres still a couple applications that have me stuck in windows land. i recently started using gimp instead of photoshop and i think its a transition i can make painlessly. 3dsmax -> blender not so much. getting the specific version i have a license for to run in wine is a lost cause. other stuff i use like eagle cad already supports linux out of the box, and i kind of want to switch to one of the open source alternatives like kicad. i alreadly love gcc more than i will ever like visual studio. there is winamp, which is woefully out of date and pretty much abandonware now, but is probibly the peice of software ive run the longest (it manages to sort my well tagged files better than any alternative ive used). there arent many games i still play and i think they all can run in wine but with diminished performance. every year the switch gets easier, but its just out of reach. 

i do run it on my raspis and i do have a mint/windows dual boot box in my lab so i know linux pretty well (well enough to right device drivers for the system, i cant say that for windows). so its not like i dont use linux.

Edited April 23, 2018 by Nuke

[Daveroski]

11 minutes ago, Nuke said:

theres still a couple applications that have me stuck in windows land. i recently started using gimp instead of photoshop and i think its a transition i can make painlessly. 3dsmax -> blender not so much. getting the specific version i have a license for to run in wine is a lost cause. other stuff i use like eagle cad already supports linux out of the box, and i kind of want to switch to one of the open source alternatives like kicad. i alreadly love gcc more than i will ever like visual studio. there is winamp, which is woefully out of date and pretty much abandonware now, but is probibly the peice of software ive run the longest (it manages to sort my well tagged files better than any alternative ive used). there arent many games i still play and i think they all can run in wine but with diminished performance. every year the switch gets easier, but its just out of reach. 

i do run it on my raspis and i do have a mint/windows dual boot box in my lab so i know linux pretty well (well enough to right device drivers for the system, i cant say that for windows). so its not like i dont use linux.

Clementine has pretty good rep for music files.

Most of the games I play are available on the Linux version of Steam.

Sounds to me like your Linux HD is getting bigger and your Microsloth HD is getting smaller.

[YNM]

6 hours ago, Daveroski said:

Well... I know from personal experience that Shmindows doesn't like sharing a boot sector.

Would that mean a partition is enough ? I already have the partition.

6 hours ago, Daveroski said:

So... do ya feel lucky ?

Obviously not, I'm lagging behind.

[Cydonian Monk]

I'm planning to "switch" back to Linux, to be honest, because UNIX (MacOS) these days is increasingly.... I can't properly describe it on this forum because there are children and those of ill health and timid temper about. (Never in my life have I seen an entire catalog of software products collapse as quickly and soundly as Apple's are right now. Pure rubbish, across the board. Can't even save bookmarks in the web browser now, because who the heck knows why....)

Of course when I say I'm "switching" back what I mean is I'll still have two (three?) Windows machines and the [n^18] Linux boxen I already have scattered around the house, so it's not really like I'm "switching." It's more like I'm coalescing. Mint is good, I've toyed with it in the past. These days I'm mostly using a mix of Gentoo, Ubuntu, Arch, and, uh... CentOS? Maybe Fedora? I don't know. And some embedded Linux stuff that isn't really in a proper distro. I'm thinking of giving PureOS a shot here real soon like now too; perhaps even pick up one of their snazzy laptops.