3 years with Linux OS & no freezes or lockups or other problems!!

originally posted by: DigginFoTroof
I worked in the IT industry for a good while and am very knowledgable about computers and networks (25+ years experience). Been using Linux on and off since about 03 but made a switch about 3 years ago for my main OS and have used a Linux distro as the full time OS (at least 8 hours a day average over that time). I used to have to re-install my Windows OS about every 6 months b/c it would get so slow (corrupted??) it was unusable and would freeze up or slow to a crawl daily. I haven't had my system freeze up once in the last 3 years except for when I had a defective video card and once that was fixed, no more problems.

Yes, Linux is very stable and secure, but I never understood why people have to reinstall Windows. I bought this computer on 2010, with Windows Vista pre-installed, updated it to Windows 7, then to Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Never had to format it (only had to add a new disk to store more files) and I still have programs installed from the Windows Vista installation that still work.

I didn't format my older computers either, I still have a disk with some Windows 95 games on an older computer.

PS: what distro are you using? I'm a little outdated on those, as I use an old version at work because I haven't had the time to see if the software I use works with the newer versions of Ubuntu (that I don't like) or other distros.

originally posted by: badw0lf
Linux is still FAR off being ready for the average desktop consumer.

Use a smartphone? A set top box? iPhone or other tablet... You're using the linux kernel

Linux is now the most widely used operating system - however many variants of the x86 /ia64 desktop distros might seem not quite ready, practically every other GUI you encounter or use daily is based on the same kernel.

Linux Mint might be a good starting point - and one person mentioned paint shop pro earlier - that's my default editing package too and it runs perfectly under Wine with no additional setup (as do many Windows programs).

For performance, yes - you need to twiddle (such as customising the default size of /run and /dev/shm in your fstab file, or adding "vm.swappiness=1" to /etc/sysctl.conf if you're using a SSD) but out of the box it "just works". Hell you can even add a windows desktop theme to it

As for keyboards, all multimedia keyboard shortcut keys work out of the box on Linux kernels after 3.18 so no driver is even needed for them...

... there really isn't any reason not to use linux these day - however if an OS does what you want it to do, great... But remember linux today runs practically everything and isn't the same as linux in the 00's

originally posted by: Mikeapollo
As for keyboards, all multimedia keyboard shortcut keys work out of the box on Linux kernels after 3.18 so no driver is even needed for them...

That reminds me of a minor problem I have with Linux: does it allow you to say if you want the NumLock key on or off at startup? I always have to turn it on after booting the Linux computer I use at work.

originally posted by: ArMaP
That reminds me of a minor problem I have with Linux: does it allow you to say if you want the NumLock key on or off at startup? I always have to turn it on after booting the Linux computer I use at work.

There is several ways to do it, depending on your distro. Nearly all distros honour the BIOS flag for numlock state so if it's set "on" in BIOS it should stay on once Linux has booted.

If you're on a USB keyboard that doesn't play nice when Linux does its hardware enumeration though you can turn it on in the settings and it sticks.

A few ways can be found at help.ubuntu.com... (Although it's a Ubuntu page, this process is practically identical on every distro).

HTH

a reply to: Mikeapollo

Thanks, I'll try it.

Around 3 years now with Windows 10 (including the development stages) and very few , if any issues caused by the OS .
I am on the Windows 10 Insider program and it just keeps getting better.
Have known Linux since the kernel came on a 3 1/2 inch floppy and took hours to compile the kernel . Maybe days. And knew AIX , FreeBSD , and even Netware before that. OS/2 even . Little time with the Apple/Mac though.
None of the OS'es (and NOS'es) have as much program compatibility as with Windows as they were designed more for servers , switches and the like.Not for the newb to run on their PCs .
Highly trained professionals , dont try this at home...
There is a reason most consoles and hand held devices run a scaled down version of Windows today.
Of course you knew that.

originally posted by: Gothmog
There is a reason most consoles and hand held devices run a scaled down version of Windows today.
Of course you knew that.

Wrong! Most run the Linux kernel. Even those shiny macs are based on BSD as is every tablet and smartphone except (funnily enough) windows phones which make up a negligible market segment.

Most consoles/set top boxes are also based on Linux and busybox except the XBOX...

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with Windows - what works for you is great - however people that say linux isn't ready for the normal user forget that they use linux in one form or another pretty much daily.

Linux is exactly what you make it to be... Even Microsoft now are developing windows applications for linux...

And as for gaming, Steam that you run in Windows is actually linux in a virtual environment

But of course you knew all this...

originally posted by: Mikeapollo

originally posted by: Gothmog
There is a reason most consoles and hand held devices run a scaled down version of Windows today.
Of course you knew that.

Wrong! Most run the Linux kernel. Even those shiny macs are based on BSD as is every tablet and smartphone except (funnily enough) windows phones which make up a negligible market segment.

Most consoles/set top boxes are also based on Linux and busybox except the XBOX...

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with Windows - what works for you is great - however people that say linux isn't ready for the normal user forget that they use linux in one form or another pretty much daily.

Linux is exactly what you make it to be... Even Microsoft now are developing windows applications for linux...

And as for gaming, Steam that you run in Windows is actually linux in a virtual environment

But of course you knew all this...

Steam doesnt run games.
XBox is one. But , didnt you read I included hand held devices as well ?
And didnt say all - most. And I included (or should have) the term modern
The only reason that some other consoles are still running Linux (which is a descendant of BSD) are they still run the Power PC CPUs and chipset. Yet they are looking to move to Intel and NVidia in the future . The i386 technology has been surpassing even that of the Power PC of late. At least for the PC/Console .
Linux is a dying art. Although , I have nothing against it .

originally posted by: Gothmog
There is a reason most consoles and hand held devices run a scaled down version of Windows today.

Could you clarify what do you mean by "hand held" devices?

I can back up the OP 100%. I switched to Linux several years ago and I have no problems whatsoever. I do have my sons gaming PC (he upgraded) and I have that for Steam games ONLY it is literally a console BUT oh my frigging gawd that amount of time it spends updating!

Now of course I have to update Linux from time to time but I use a rolling distro which updates whenever I want it to. It takes about 2 minutes , in the background, no need to re-boot!

I have never had a virus problem. I have not paid for any software since I switched. I used to have a windows OS as a VM in case I needed to use an application not available in Linux but I have never used it. So when I upgraded my hardware a few months ago I didn't bother restoring the VM.

originally posted by: Gothmog
There is a reason most consoles and hand held devices run a scaled down version of Windows today.
Of course you knew that.

That's not true the only windows based devices are the XBOX and "windows" phones. The vast majority of hand held devices are Android which is a variant of Linux. Apple is a variant of BSD.

Why do you believe otherwise ? Internal Redmond propaganda maybe ?

originally posted by: Mikeapollo
Most consoles/set top boxes are also based on Linux and busybox except the XBOX...

My set top box has Windows CE.

originally posted by: ArMaP
PS: what distro are you using? I'm a little outdated on those, as I use an old version at work because I haven't had the time to see if the software I use works with the newer versions of Ubuntu (that I don't like) or other distros.

I don't like Ubuntu either, that said I'm not that keen on the Gnome desktop I prefer KDE. I have tried many distros and some of them can be quite different. I think you need to try various different ones. Try PCLinuxOS or OpenSuse for KDE. NB you can install VirtualBox on a windows machine and install different linux distros to try them out OR you can get a disk from a magazine that have a few different live distros that boot from the CD so you can try them that way. NB if you boot from the CD things tend to be sluggish but at least it will determine which one you like the feel of before a full install.

originally posted by: yorkshirelad
I have never had a virus problem.

Another funny thing, in the 24 years I have been using Windows I had only one virus problem on my home computer, when I used a floppy disk brought from work. It was an old DOS virus that I removed manually.

originally posted by: ArMaP

originally posted by: Mikeapollo
Most consoles/set top boxes are also based on Linux and busybox except the XBOX...

My set top box has Windows CE.

There is no doubt windows dominated set top boxes in the late 90's. I believe it was about 95% of the market. However today it has changed completely and the dominant OS is Linux or a variant of. Most companies build their own variation.

originally posted by: yorkshirelad
I don't like Ubuntu either, that said I'm not that keen on the Gnome desktop I prefer KDE. I have tried many distros and some of them can be quite different. I think you need to try various different ones. Try PCLinuxOS or OpenSuse for KDE.

If only I had the time...

NB you can install VirtualBox on a windows machine and install different linux distros to try them out OR you can get a disk from a magazine that have a few different live distros that boot from the CD so you can try them that way.

I know that, I have CentOS installed on a virtual machine in which I have the ISIS suit of programs used to work with NASA images.

originally posted by: ArMaP

originally posted by: yorkshirelad
I have never had a virus problem.

Another funny thing, in the 24 years I have been using Windows I had only one virus problem on my home computer, when I used a floppy disk brought from work. It was an old DOS virus that I removed manually.

I am sure there are many people who use windows who don't have a problem. The point is though that people who use Linux don't (generally) have a virus problem. Very rarely. Whereas the average Windows user has to constantly protect themselves.

The second point is updates and the insane amount of time it takes on Windows. You might be lucky but most people I know complain bitterly about windows updates.

Finally cost. For me zero for my software!

a reply to: yorkshirelad

This is a newish set top box, some two years old, installed by Vodafone.

Windows CE was very good on its PocketPC version, I had a Toshiba PocketPC (an E740, if I'm not mistaken), it was fast, easy to use and had an excellent handwritten text recognition.

originally posted by: yorkshirelad
I am sure there are many people who use windows who don't have a problem. The point is though that people who use Linux don't (generally) have a virus problem. Very rarely. Whereas the average Windows user has to constantly protect themselves.

I think that there are two different reasons for that:
first, people that use Linux are either people that know what they are doing or are people that have their actions limited to a few things, so they are less likely to, for example, visit shady sites where it's easy to be infected by malware;
second, the different paradigms used in the creation of Linux and Windows.

Windows was never thought with security being of utmost importance, while Linux, being based on a server operating system, was.

The second point is updates and the insane amount of time it takes on Windows. You might be lucky but most people I know complain bitterly about windows updates.

That's the only thing I don't like about Windows 10, the forced updates.

Finally cost. For me zero for my software!

Windows 10 was a free update.

originally posted by: Mikeapollo

originally posted by: badw0lf
Linux is still FAR off being ready for the average desktop consumer.

Use a smartphone? A set top box? iPhone or other tablet... You're using the linux kernel

And I still fight those bastards too, they're not user friendly. Try to do something on an unrooted phone that you should be able to do, and open up an world of pain for yourself if you say you can, and all and sundry come to you with various devices expecting you to be a magician.

Easier to say "Can't be done, sorry.."

Very well versed in android, not so much apple..

Linux is now the most widely used operating system - however many variants of the x86 /ia64 desktop distros might seem not quite ready, practically every other GUI you encounter or use daily is based on the same kernel.

Linux Mint might be a good starting point - and one person mentioned paint shop pro earlier - that's my default editing package too and it runs perfectly under Wine with no additional setup (as do many Windows programs).

I am using peppermint. You know what it's namesake is, yeah??

For performance, yes - you need to twiddle (such as customising the default size of /run and /dev/shm in your fstab file, or adding "vm.swappiness=1" to /etc/sysctl.conf if you're using a SSD) but out of the box it "just works". Hell you can even add a windows desktop theme to it

I had to fiddle swappiness with ubuntu... peppermint, not at all. My worst general problem is my inability to escape firefox. that monster is cruel on any platform.

ETA: I was the person who mentioned PSPro. And no, it does NOT install under Wine any more. It throws errors at me, and this is with both the current Ubuntu and Peppermint. Do I need to research 500 hours on forums and google, hunting the one obscure document that tells me how? It used to work perfectly. Now it refuses to install. One article said to install one version, which I tried. Same error.

Wine for me at this point, has failed on every single Windows program. and I don't want to use 10 year old versions. So, while your experience may be better, for the average user migrating over, who only wants 1 or 2 programs to ease the transition, it's a deal breaker. Give up one thing, to benefit over one thing. I don't know. as I booted windows earlier, I've not swapped back. and everything that I have needed to do, I've done without having to ask obscure questions in general forums for 25 reads and no replies.

Another application I use almost subconsciously. Volume2 - a windows app, that lets you control the volume via accessing a screen border. For my media machine.

I ended up coding a python script to achieve this, but it would scroll the web page or any application with focus. Volume2 does not do this, in fact it has a level that rises and falls according to the volume lever. I can do without that, but changing volume on a youtube video was a problem.

How did I resolve this? I installed a Dock that I set to 24 pixels wide, set it with no applications, and when I hit the region, it appears, but my script controls the volume. The dock has focus, therefore I don't scroll the webpage up and down.

how is that better than being able to programmatically do it? I am no python guru. I asked, got no replies a week later.

had that been a work place environment, this solution would be unacceptable. But I live with it. here in windows, I don't even have to worry about it.

one of many little deal breakers....

As for keyboards, all multimedia keyboard shortcut keys work out of the box on Linux kernels after 3.18 so no driver is even needed for them...

... there really isn't any reason not to use linux these day - however if an OS does what you want it to do, great... But remember linux today runs practically everything and isn't the same as linux in the 00's

Nope. No it doesn't. Sorry. and some alternatives are lacking in the extreme. on this we disagree.