How switching my parents over to Linux saved me a lot of headache and support calls

Simon Frey Blog ^ | undated | simon frey

[daniel1212]

I have a brand new Ryzen box at my desk & I’ve been using it to go cold-turkey with Linux.

Which model Ryzen? For 300.00 ( minus OS, monitor and peripherals) one could build a pretty good Desktop using Ryzen 3 2200G.

First stop was Ubuntu. I easily got Ubuntu working, only to find out that Electron-based applications wouldn’t work. Turns out there may have been a change to a GNU library that broke Electron.

That can happen.

One thing I’ve noticed doing Windows 10 support for Mom & Grandad is that many issues are caused by purchasing the cheapest PC available. With Windows 10, I’m seeing less virus & malware issues. The biggest problem for Mom & Grandad has been Windows Update. My experience, your mileage may vary from mine.

Thus it may be best to build your own. I have had no problems with Windows Update under W.10, thanks be to God, but I have them delayed for up to 35 days (Start>Windows Update>Advanced...

If the efforts spent to create all these distributions were spent to create a solid single Linux system, they’d have winner.

I agree, yet Ubuntu was kinda supposed to be that as I recall. Free-dom is good, but without a model of what the goal should be and working to that consensus under leadership then you can have a lot of good players but not a great team.

If there was a substantial consensus on what a OS should easily enable the user to do, and the best and worse aspects of each OS was, including Windows, and with a great degree of easy optional customization and increased functionality (as with Firefox before it went to Quantum) and a directed (and funded) team work working towards the goal of creating this, then I believe there could be a Linux Desktop OS that would at least surpass the Macintosh share.

[bobcat62]

I have a Ryzen 2700. The early first-generation Ryzen processors have a bug that causes segmentation faults under heavy load. There is a “kill Ryzen” repository on Github that uses GCC to force the bug to show itself.

The second generation Ryzen processors work correctly.

[ducttape45]

My desktop has a removable hard drive tray and I still have a dual-booted Windows XP/7 hard drive. Still going strong. Windows 7 is still my preferred O/S.

However, I programmed up a Windows 10 hard drive with the 1607 build and was able to lock it in place with some tweaks to keep it from being updated past that. Took all of the garbage programs off, and it will never send telemetry to Microsoft. Drivers will update. It's finally where I like it. Fast, easy to use. Will probably use it by default now. Got Office 2016 on it too. Hopefully Microsteal will never find a way around what I did.

I reprogrammed my laptop this past weekend with W7 and Office 2016. I still prefer that there, but I may do a W10 install on that later this year as well if my desktop holds its current configuration.

Sorry but I cannot use a Linux based product. I'm just not that savy with it and to get into the nuts and bolts of it would take too much time to learn. If someone comes out with a "true" Linux desktop operating system I'll check it out. Until then, I gotta stick with Microsoft.

[mrsmith]

"create a solid single Linux "

Yep, people are ready for it too: MS is getting as domineering as Mac. No one knows what's going on. To get around the "open commons" problem sell user info, ethically. People really don't mind much.

[mrsmith]

"create a solid single Linux "

Yep, people are ready for it too: MS is getting as domineering as Mac. No one knows what's going on. To get around the "open commons" problem sell user info, ethically. People really don't mind much.

[daniel1212]

I have a Ryzen 2700. The early first-generation Ryzen processors have a bug that causes segmentation faults under heavy load. There is a “kill Ryzen” repository on Github that uses GCC to force the bug to show itself.

You mean what is referred to here:

AMD Replaces Ryzen CPUs for Users Affected By Rare Linux Bug ... https://www.extremetech.com › Computing

And https://techreport.com/news/32459/amd-ships-revised-ryzen-cpus-with-a-compile-bug-fix

[daniel1212]

My desktop has a removable hard drive tray and I still have a dual-booted Windows XP/7 hard drive. Still going strong. Windows 7 is still my preferred O/S. However, I programmed up a Windows 10 hard drive with the 1607 build..I reprogrammed my laptop this past weekend with W7

But is that enough?:)

Sorry but I cannot use a Linux based product. I'm just not that savy with it and to get into the nuts and bolts of it would take too much time to learn. If someone comes out with a "true" Linux desktop operating system I'll check it out. Until then, I gotta stick with Microsoft.

Those are fighting words in the presence of many Linux-only devotees!

[dayglored]

Switch from Win10 to Linux? Why would anyone do such a thing? ... PING!

You can find all the Windows Ping list threads with FR search: just search on keyword "windowspinglist".

Thanks to ShadowAce for the ping!

[matthew fuller]

Thanks for posting this, I expect I might need it sooner or later...

[TexasGator]

Call your son

[ResisTyr]

.

[ducttape45]

Is that enough? We'll see. I take great care with my internet security and firewall protection.

As for my other comment, I hope it spurs Linux-only devotees to develop a true Linux desktop operating system, not what everyone is doing now in "adapting Linux to the desktop."

Until someone, somewhere, can produce a software product that states, emphatically, that this is Linux made exclusively for the desktop PC, they will never be able to truly crack thru to the desktop market.

So if those are "fighting words," then I hope it produces the right effect.

[AppyPappy]

There already is a true Linux desktop. Try Ubuntu or Mint.

If you can keep from sending “telemetry” to Microsoft, you are savvy enough to use Linux. All you do is install and run. My guess is that you are sending plenty of data to MS but you are not accepting anything back like bug fixes or security updates. The Borg is going to get their data.

[AppyPappy]

I hope it spurs Linux-only devotees to develop a true Linux desktop operating system, not what everyone is doing now in "adapting Linux to the desktop."

I am going to guess that you have not installed and used Linux in the last 2 years. Linux is Linux. Think of the distros as being like Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. The only real difference user-wise is that Linux makes it easier to install software. The Mac OS is basically Linux.

[daniel1212]

Is that enough? We'll see. I take great care with my internet security and firewall protection.

I understand, and was not being critical but humorous. I know some use the TOR browser for security.

As for my other comment, I hope it spurs Linux-only devotees to develop a true Linux desktop operating system, not what everyone is doing now in "adapting Linux to the desktop." Until someone, somewhere, can produce a software product that states, emphatically, that this is Linux made exclusively for the desktop PC, they will never be able to truly crack thru to the desktop market. So if those are "fighting words," then I hope it produces the right effect.

Not simply Linux made exclusively for the desktop PC, but be willing to not be different from Windows where it need not, if Windows - esp. via safe free 3rd party programs - provides better usability (and to be willing to admit that) while improving user experience via strengths of Linux without requiring much of a learning curve. You can easily customize Windows 7 or 10 with such tested freeware as the Ultimate Windows Tweaker, , Right-Click Extender , Winaero Tweaker , Classic Shell, etc.

T-Clock Redux

Then there are usability tweaks Windows should make easier to do, as in Windows you can create a shortcut to your (buried) SendTo folder (Start>Run %UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows) and place the shortcut in it, and right click on shortcuts to certain programs or places in your Start menu etc. and send them there. Then for instance you can just right click on a html page and send it to Apache or LibreOffice, rather than hoping it is in the Open With menu, or you can copy files to whatever folder you created a shortcut to.

This can be done in Linux but instruction can depend upon the flavor of desktop and file manager, or it is not as easy.

Thanks be to God for such useful tools as Computers and programs. May they be used for Good for in service to God.

Too many programs here (before a new install) but I much prefer a menu in which I can see all the programs at once without having to scroll, as is the default mode.

[daniel1212]

All you do is install and run

That kind of response it just the problem. If all one wants to do is use the Internet, email, write, watch some stuff, then install and run can work (provided your wireless card works, and you do not need to install proprietary codecs to watch DVDs for instance), but in both Windows and Linux enabling functionality and customization requires more than just installing the OS and running it, and my experience is that this is far easier in Windows (mainly via safe 3rd party programs) than Linux flavors (with solutions varying btwn flavors), from adding printers to key remapping.

[FrogMom]

After reading this, I went and tried LibreOffice. It’s impressive! Have you got a link to how to transition an Access DB to Base? The ones I found all seemed to assume too much down-in-the-weeds knowledge. If I can find how to do that, I will switch and let my Office sub expire!

[AppyPappy]

Linux is a little easier because you don’t need to travel to websites to get apps.

We were able to set up our Java development VM’s with Linux off the shelf. But Linux is easier for neophytes and non-tech people because it isn’t simple to ruin your life unlike Windows. We went with Linux VM’s because Windows kept corrupting the development environment with updates and updates are required for network security. I won’t even get into the ease of getting pwn3d in Windows just by clicking on the wrong thing.
Since you only install one “flavor”, I don’t think that it matters if another one is different. As I said, there is little difference between a Mac and Linux these days.

[bobcat62]

Yup, that’s the bug. For my system, I had originally purchased a Ryzen 7/1800, which consistently showed this problem. I had two choices:

- RMA the processor to AMD
- Use the extended warranty I purchased on the CPU for an on-the-spot replacement.

Since the Ryzen 7/1800 was sold out, Micro Center provided me with a Ryzen 7/2700 as the replacement.

[ducttape45]

I understand, and was not being critical but humorous.

I understand, I'm cool!

I've primarily used the Winaero Tweaker but I'm gonna check out the Ultimate Windows Tweaker to see what that offers. Classic Shell is now Open Shell (I think). I'd like to find someway to return File Explorer to its Windows 7 hey days and make the Library the default view and not the Folder view. That one has still eluded me. I can't stand the Folder view. I can get Library in the left hand column but it's not default.

Not simply Linux made exclusively for the desktop PC, but be willing to not be different from Windows where it need not, if Windows - esp. via safe free 3rd party programs - provides better usability (and to be willing to admit that) while improving user experience via strengths of Linux without requiring much of a learning curve.

I guess what I'd like to see in an operating system is just that, an operating system, no bells and whistles, just what it takes to make the computer run. Be able to load all the drivers, or enable them to be loaded. After the machine works, then let the user decide what they wanted loaded, empower the user.

But we both know Microsoft will never do that, and are doing their best to distance themselves from the kind of thinking.

Linux I believe wants to do that, but the every day man or woman doesn't have the knowledge or skills to take a Linux distro and make it work. That's why an "out of the box" Linux distro for the Desktop PC is needed. Whoever can pull that off would probably rake in profits hand over fist.