They probably wouldn't approve of this either, so what's your point. If you're using this you might as well just switch over. You can still run a Windows VM if you really need it, or dual boot if you absolutely have to.
Some are forced to use windows due to workplace requirements or software only running on windows. I run linux everywhere I can, but don't always have the choice.
Try producing decent music on Linux: run into issues with DAWs and plugins.
try 3d anything more advanced on Linux: any fluid or gas simulation gets annoying real quick (real flow, Houdini, vray, octane)
try layouting / handout design on linux: yeah let's hate on Adobe (and I do think they deserve it) but let's also realize most of the industry runs on their tools and Linux makes it complicated
Either you sacrifice money and freedom, or you sacrifice time and sanity. And I'm sorry, if I wanna do multiple of those things there's no way around mac or windows. I wish it was different, but it isn't and we gotta be realistic here.
And yes I see y'all shouting that there's a way for all of those things through workarounds but: for every one of those that works for me, there just as many that don't work, than just as many that restrict me in different ways, just as many that require documentation that I have to pull out of my ass cause it's not online, and just as many that make me look for the toenail of a harpy and sauron's tears to work.
Linux is not a direct alternative to windows, but it's a lifestyle and a commitment and I'm not out here trying to make it my personality, I want software to work in less than a month of me deciding to install it.
I can see the down votes rolling in on this but I'm tired of ppl selling their lifestyle instead of their OS.
As a long time Windows user (~30 years), it comes down to “can I fix this if something goes wrong?”. This applies even more so when I'm talking about a computer that my wife might be using.
99.9% of the time, the answer is "yes" when it comes to windows.
Every time I've tried Linux, some experience breaking issue comes up within hours/days of starting it up, and I simply don't have time to troubleshoot it.
No matter how "stable" and "easy" someone claims Linux to be, I've never had a stable or easy experience in the last 20 years of trying to use Linux. I hate that fact, but that is a fact for me.
I assume you've never used Linux long enough to get a grip. You would get there if you use it long enough.
However, operating systems are just tools. Use which one is easy for you. If you have no spare time to learn a new OS, just use what you know. Though Microsoft's latest shenanigans really force some people to switch to other OSes.
I'd love to switch to linux but it just doesn't make sense for me.
I'm an embedded systems developer and my proprietary toolchain is windows only. Additionally I use several Adobe product routinely (illustrator, photoshop, premier).
I believe illustrator and premiere do as well. There's also always running Windows in a VM. There are ways to have the Windows applications show within the Linux DE. It just might be worth experimenting with a dual boot if it's something you want.
I can tell you for a fact, in 1999, we were running Windows3.11 and MSDOS 5.x on a brand-new Pentium II ? or something like that, because the DSP-board and daughter-card system didn't like Win2k. We were all on the network. Everyone ran Win2k Pro while loading the test codes via network / SMB/CIFs share to that machine.
Same could be done using Linux on all those systems except for the test rig.
NO YOU DO NOT have to use Windows on your desktop just for your toolchain. Put that shit on a separate test-rig and isolate it.
Best Practices and Good Standard procedures makes it possible to use Linux on the Desktop.
It is a matter of ability and talent to do things properly using the best tools at any given time.
Unfortunately, Linux isn't quite there yet for casual users. I tried it every year, and there was always something that was annoying enough that I switched back to Windows with O&O ShutUp10. This is the first year that I've been happy enough with my install that I've started using it as my daily OS. But even this year, I had 2 really annoying issues that I had to spend time searching to fix.
After putting my computer to sleep, it would immediately wake back up. Eventually found out it was my Logitech wireless dongle that was causing the issue. I had to create a script that disabled USB ports during sleep and a systemd service to make sure it activated on every boot.
After waking from sleep, my screen was black with only my cursor visible. Running sudo systemctl restart display-manager sometimes worked, but that wasn't a solution. After searching the web some more, I found an arch wiki explaining that it was an issue with my Nvidia GPU. So then I had to edit a modprobe file and finally I was happy with my install.
I'm super happy that I can finally use Linux full-time, but the fact I had to mess around in terminal to fix the issues associated with my hardware means most casual users will just go straight back to Windows. I've seen a lot of Linux users say, "just don't use Nvidia", but buying a new GPU isn't a solution for most people. My hardware isn't even that weird: AMD 5800x3d, x570 chipset, Nvidia GPU. Linux is getting there, it's closer than it's ever been. But it's not there yet.
After putting my computer to sleep, it would immediately wake back up. Eventually found out it was my Logitech wireless dongle that was causing the issue. I had to create a script that disabled USB ports during sleep and a systemd service to make sure it activated on every boot.
Thanks for this. I'm going to look into it. This happens on my computer, but it's been happening for years, which includes a long time on Windows. I had pretty much given up on it because I've tried unplugging just about everything and it still happens. It might be something else for me.
For the Nvidia issues, that hopefully shouldn't be an issue soon after the open source drivers. The few mostly solvable issues with Linux are quickly dissolving.
My 75 year old father have been running linux for 20 years now. All in all, i know about 7 super casual users that are running linux only, without any real issues.
Its definitely there for the casual users. Its just not really there for the Windows "power"users lol
but the fact I had to mess around in terminal to fix the issues associated with my hardware means most casual users will just go straight back to Windows.
It's easier when all they do is browse the web, and you can just install linux for them (after they have agreed of course) with the necessary fixes applied by you. They won't want to go back, because it works fine. Especially when they asked your for maintenance and speeding up the machine, agreed to getting an SSD, and keeping windows on the HDD.
If you stumble open a problem like that, Windows, even macos, are also that diddly. Even more so, because they are designed to hide the internals from the user. I had to use my old MacBook for something. While sleeping, it wakes up, connects to my bluetooth headphone, I hear "device connected", then disconnects 10 seconds later, "device disconnected", and repeats 20 seconds later. Searched, "how to disable Bluetooth while sleeping".Turns out there is no official way and the answer is competing with Linux shenanigans. Just look at this!
Also it launches Music app whenever I connect my bluetooth headphones. And guess what, it is impossible to disable that behavior. I had to install an app called NoTunes to stop that.
People just accept the quirks of windows and macos. when something similar happens on Linux it proves Linux is unusable by "normal people". But you are also right. Linux is not there yet. I did need to use my old MacBook because something I need to do was impossible on Linux.
v1.2.0 release changed the license from MIT to PolyForm Strict License 1.0.0 which removes ability to re-publish and make changes to the project. In the day when fake open source projects sell out daily, it's a good sign to avoid this project.
Nice, love to see more alternatives in this space. I'm currently using GlazeWM, which provides an i3-like experience on Windows. To the ones saying 'just switch to Linux', I used Linux full-time for many years but switched back to use Windows-only software, and a tiling WM and a package manager like Scoop goes a long way in making it more bearable.
Ooh, thanks for the GlazeWM shout, that's awesome. I use vim keybinds in as many programs as I can and that is awesome for switching between the browser and terminal or text editor.
I'm locked on windows because of very expensive embedded systems dev tools. Give people some credit for having considered linux; not everyone can switch.
it you're messing with desktop environments and tiling window managers it sounds like you probably know enough to just use Linux instead with any of the hundreds of DEs and WMs
Yes, as soon as all software you use in windows becomes cross platform. Big no-no if you use anything Adobe. Yes, there are good alternatives to Adobe, but if your colleagues use Adobe and you need software to work with their files, then maybe tiling window managers in windows is more realostic than just using linux.
It's another fake open source license. While source code is public under the license, you can't modify or republish so if the project decides to sell you are fucked.
I actually tried this today. My computer has 3 monitors. This program crashes really hard if you have more than one monitor. Maybe we it's good otherwise, but I've uninstalled.