Do you use Linux?

[Aquinus]

I use a Mac as my daily driver for most things these days, but everything I interact with runs in Linux. My machine for gaming runs Ubuntu. My daughter's PC for school runs Kubuntu. The only Windows machine the house is my wife's laptop.

 

[bug]

I use a Mac as my daily driver for most things these days, but everything I interact with runs in Linux. My machine for gaming runs Ubuntu. My daughter's PC for school runs Kubuntu. The only Windows machine the house is my wife's laptop.

Just a small hint, but back when I was using it, Kubuntu was about the worst KDE distro. Neon (also Ubuntu based, albeit paired with up-to-date Qt and KDE is miles better).

 

[Eskimonster]

When windows 10 is running out of support , i will. i wont bend my knee to windows 11 subscription hell.

 

[Shihab]

Switched to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS on my main desktop a month ago. Something went wrong with the Fedora installation, the Nvidia driver update buggered something out. I was already annoyed by the lack of suspend/hibernate functionality (due to NV drivers), and this was the last straw.
Still must use x11 to get suspend working. -_-

When windows 10 is running out of support , i will. i wont bend my knee to windows 11 subscription hell.

You'll just end up going back to Windows.
If you plan to jump to linux as a main platform, you'd better start getting used to it starting now.

 

[lexluthermiester]

-In form of Android with my smartphone

Glad you added that one. Just joining in the thread.

I use Mint XFCE as a goto version of Linux. If I were to ditch Windows entirely, that would be where I settle. I also use the LineageOS 14.1 version of Android X86 as a primary OS for one of my Dell laptops.

i wont bend my knee to windows 11 subscription hell.

You don't have to. Windows 11 can be roped in just like Windows 10. It just takes a bit of know-how. If you want to know more, hit up the Windows 11 General discussion thread. I like 11 much more than 10 and would sooner go back to Windows 7 than to 10. If you know me, you know I don't make statements like that lightly.

 

[R-T-B]

I would use it as my primary OS if they ever got HDR working right. They don't have it at all to date ...

 

[lexluthermiester]

Oh, and Android ≠ Linux.

On this point, there is more fine-grained nuance than just saying yes or no. In reality, Android uses the Linux kernel recompiled for ARM, generally. Anything that can generally run on Linux can be easily converted over to Android with minimal effort and vice-verse. To say that Android is not Linux is a loaded statement. To say Android is a Linux based distro is more accurate and correct.

Your own citation states the case well;

2. There’s no universally accepted definition of what makes a piece of software Linux.

However, some of the conclusions made by that article are dubious at best. For example..

Android’s ‘open source’ status is up for debate

No it isn't. Anyone can grab the AOSP code and do whatever they want with it and this has always been true. What is not open source is the Google services, which are added on to the AOSP code.

I don't think Android can be counted as Linux. Just using the kernel isn't enough. Bill's link, a few posts above, makes a convincing argument, especially this part :

Not directly, but then again, Linux programs made for one distro of Linux often can not run on another. That is why compiling from source is a frequently practiced activity by seasoned Linux users. However, Android apps can and have been ported to Linux and Linux programs ported to Android. It's an involved but not difficult task.

Android absolutely is a code compatible distribution of Linux. This is fact, not opinion.

I don't want that my thread goes to arguing.

Ah, sorry. I'll shut up.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Dual-booting Fedora 36 and Windows 11. Though, the experience with Fedora and the RTX 3090 is less than pleasant. The NVIDIA drivers for Linux are absolutely terrible and a gigantic pain. Also run Fedora 36 on my home server. Great OS.

 

[bug]

Switched to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS on my main desktop a month ago. Something went wrong with the Fedora installation, the Nvidia driver update buggered something out. I was already annoyed by the lack of suspend/hibernate functionality (due to NV drivers), and this was the last straw.
Still must use x11 to get suspend working. -_-

I wonder if you were bitten by indirect branch tracking (IBT), which was enabled in 5.18. It's about Intel CPUs, your specs say you're on AMD, but idk if they're up to date. If that's the case, you'll have the same problem again, once Ubuntu updates its kernel. Fortunately, the fix is as simple as passing ibt=off to the kernel. Not ideal, from a security point of view, but better than a system that won't boot.

 

[Wirko]

I use Mint XFCE as a goto version of Linux. If I were to ditch Windows entirely, that would be where I settle. I also use the LineageOS 14.1 version of Android X86 as a primary OS for one of my Dell laptops.

Why did you choose Lineage over a[nother] Linux distro? Is that a laptop with a touch screen by chance, and you found the UI better suited to it?

 

[lexluthermiester]

Why did you choose Lineage over a[nother] Linux distro? Is that a laptop with a touch screen by chance, and you found the UI better suited to it?

Nope. I like the Android app ecosystem better than the Linux ecosystem as a daily driver for my needs on that system. I have another Dell laptop that has Mint XFCE as an exclusive OS, which I'm typing this comment on.

 

[Shihab]

I wonder if you were bitten by indirect branch tracking (IBT), which was enabled in 5.18. It's about Intel CPUs, your specs say you're on AMD, but idk if they're up to date. If that's the case, you'll have the same problem again, once Ubuntu updates its kernel. Fortunately, the fix is as simple as passing ibt=off to the kernel. Not ideal, from a security point of view, but better than a system that won't boot.

I'm sure it was a graphics driver's fault. Some conflict during the update (IIRC) that left the system in a messed up state. Partially fixed with manual removal then reinstall. Really missed the DDU+Safe mode combo and Windows automatic driver fallback back then .
Current machine is indeed on AMD.

 

[bug]

I'm sure it was a graphics driver's fault. Some conflict during the update (IIRC) that left the system in a messed up state. Partially fixed with manual removal then reinstall. Really missed the DDU+Safe mode combo and Windows automatic driver fallback back then .
Current machine is indeed on AMD.

I'm pretty sure each Linux distro has a safe mode by now, you could have used that. Safe mode boots just the kernel and not much else, you can use that to repair pretty much everything. And to guard against the kernel itself becoming non-bootable, you can install an LTS kernel as a backup.

But the deed is done now, it's good you got your system back in working shape.

 

[Shihab]

I'm pretty sure each Linux distro has a safe mode by now, you could have used that. Safe mode boots just the kernel and not much else, you can use that to repair pretty much everything.

Indeed, a command-line only mode is as "safe" as it gets, but it's not really as convenient as a gui mode with minimalist drivers like the way Windows does it. It would've been great if there was a quick, built-in method to switch to a cut down version of nouveau with a basic wm that doesn't involve editing launch params and system configs.
But I suppose when you're on 'nix, the cli is unavoidable.

And to guard against the kernel itself becoming non-bootable, you can install an LTS kernel as a backup.

Fedora keeps two previous kernels installed by default for these cases. Although tbh I find it annoying. Clutters GRUB and especially annoying when dual booting.

 

[bug]

Indeed, a command-line only mode is as "safe" as it gets, but it's not really as convenient as a gui mode with minimalist drivers like the way Windows does it. It would've been great if there was a quick, built-in method to switch to a cut down version of nouveau with a basic wm that doesn't involve editing launch params and system configs.
But I suppose when you're on 'nix, the cli is unavoidable.

CLI is the better idea, for those cases when you absolutely cannot get the graphics subsystem up at all. From the CLI, you can load drivers and even start X, if needed. But I've never needed that, whenever I went into safe mode, all I needed was to trigger some package repair or reinstall something. A GUI wasn't really needed.

Fedora keeps two previous kernels installed by default for these cases. Although tbh I find it annoying. Clutters GRUB and especially annoying when dual booting.

Yeah, it feels cluttery and annoying. Until you need that other kernel

 

[Lei]

I used to cheer about Linux and use Debian/Ubuntu around 2010. And an OS from Sun microsystems which I don't remember the name of .... Solaris

But, no, now I only use Windows and want full functionality. I think what matters is the software we use not the operating system. and a good operating system is the one that runs every software.
I mean it was crazy to keep using wine on linux.
Although a linux flash live drive is good when you can't boot into windows and want to backup those documents that are out of reach on C drive.

Do the best with your time. Don't tinker around proving an OS is good but is not receiving the attention it deserves.

I'm also against using GIMP and Blender. When I went for job interview, they flat out said : We don't use Blender.
Learning Blender is 20% useful and 80% ruining your future. Although it's free, it makes you poor in the long run while industry standards like Maya and Photoshop fill your pocket much better than free/opensource software.

It is also hard to switch from Blender to Maya. it's not a software you can learn within a month or so. So although it gives you 3d modeling experience, switching to another software is really breaking hardcore habits.
Years ago I used to say : if blender is a horsepower, then Maya is a herd of 100 horses. Just Quad-draw in Maya seems like a tool blender will have in 2030

Life is too short for wasting time on becoming a fan of opensource. Sorry, I understand the passion and hardwork they dedicate for these stuff, but I push them away. Just kick the developers in the bosom and dismiss them.

 

[bug]

@Lei I absolutely agree that working software trumps everything else. But since I'm a software developer, the platform that runs everything I need happens to be Linux (could be macOS as well, but I'm not paying the Apple tax). For some time, I had your experience in reverse: employer was doing software that was deployed on Linux, but wanted development to happen on Windows. So I would run most things in a VM and whatnot. Pretty crappy. These days, it's more about deploying in the cloud, but I still think Linux is the best dev platform.

 

[R-T-B]

I don't think Android can be counted as Linux. Just using the kernel isn't enough. Bill's link, a few posts above, makes a convincing argument, especially this part :

To be fair, it totally can, it's just android does not give you the console to do so. You can do this with root, though.

 

[Lei]

I don't think Android can be counted as Linux. Just using the kernel isn't enough. Bill's link, a few posts above, makes a convincing argument, especially this part :

the guys who made linux are finally happy their kernel is so widely used
Larry Ellison said :
"When you write a program for Android, you use the Oracle Java tools for everything and at the very end, you push a button and say convert this"

I'm sure Linux developers don't like you saying android is not their baby.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I think what matters is the software we use not the operating system

While that's true, if the OS is lackluster or repulsive, the software can not shine.

To be fair, it totally can, it's just android does not give you the console to do so.

Not true. Any Android device can access and use the terminal.

You can do this with root, though.

It can be done with or without root, but root is more useful.

 

[R-T-B]

While that's true, if the OS is lackluster or repulsive, the software can not shine.


Not true. Any Android device can access and use the terminal.

It can be done with or without root, but root is more useful.

I suppose you are correct, it's just you are pretty limited in tools without root.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I suppose you are correct, it's just you are pretty limited in tools without root.

True, but that's not enough to consider it "not Linux".

 

[R-T-B]

True, but that's not enough to consider it "not Linux".

I'm pretty strict in my definition, in that if it uses the Linux kernel, it's linux.

No the layman does not use this definition, but the kernel authors of linux do, and that's who I'd trust.

 

[lexluthermiester]

I'm pretty strict in my definition, in that if it uses the Linux kernel, it's linux.

Agreed.

but the kernel authors of linux do, and that's who I'd trust.

True, Linus himself has often referred to Android as a Linux distro. In my estimation, if the creator of Linux refers to something as a Linux distro, it's a Linux distro, end of discussion.

 

[Wirko]

My explanation of why some people think Android is not Linux.

I've set up the OS myself and hold the keys to the admin account -> it is Linux
I bought it with the OS preinstalled and locked down -> it isn't Linux