[fireman15]

I'm not wedded to any particular platform. I use the platform that runs the tools/apps needed to do a particular task.

That is my feeling on this as well.

My biggest problem with Linux builds is that I often have to go through specific procedures to get hardware and/or software working the way that I need them to. It is not that it is particularly difficult, but the command line especially can be very fussy.

It is along the same lines as the suggestion I just received to bypass the Microsoft account association in a new Win11 installation, “Basically you hit shift f10 to bring up command prompt just like before, but this time you type in the following: start ms-cxh:localonly.” This is simple, but the only way that I will remember the specifics in the future will be by looking it up in my favorites since I know it is easily done.

I am familiar enough with Windows that I usually can get things set up the way that I need to without going to as much trouble. This is kind of the equivalent of just creating a bootable USB drive with Rufus using the appropriate ISO and then checking the appropriate boxes.

I am fortunate that I can remember a lot of commands from using the command prompt in Windows and DOS before that for the last 40 years or so... but you typically do not need to use it that much. Linux is not much different, but it is just enough different that I tend to run into a few issues. And there are a lot of things in Linux that have to be done at the command line level.

This translates into spending a lot of time looking for the right procedure to get things working. This is not a huge inconvenience for many of us, but it is for the typical user.

[Bob434]

Anytime I run across a good tip, I send the steps,and a good headline like “deactivate microsoft account requirement updated” to 2 emails that I have, then categorize them (ie windows 10 tips” “Linux tips” etc- that way I have a neat bevvy of head,Ines to quickly scan when looking to do particular things.

[Myrddin]

My early days included building my Heathkit H-8 computer from bits, designing and building custom boards and writing devices drivers for the new hardware. The Radio Shack Color Computer gave me an excuse to wrangle my 6809 assembler skills. Doing a screen dump to a color printer using the Radio Shack BASIC utility took 20 minutes. My assembly language version dumped in 2 seconds. The slow place in the chain was the physical printer. When my PC motherboards get "orphaned" by Windows, I put Linux on them. The device drivers have "caught up" by then. I have had motherboards that lost Ethernet driver support from Linux. That required going back to the chip manufacturer and recreating a Linux kernel device driver. Failing that, a USB to Ethernet adapter is a fair rescue. It helps to have experience writing device drivers for operating systems against hardware. That has been a mainstay of my career. Most of the serious work can be done with little more than a vt100 serial terminal. I do enjoy a fine environment like Visual Studio Code, but it is just driving a Lamborghini vs a VW Bug. Both get you to your destination.