LINUX---Discussions in General

[big_teee]

This is a Ubuntu linux thread.
Primarily to promote Ubuntu, and Linux Mint!
My intent, when I started this thread, was to promote new users to try and to use Linux.
Not scare new users away with how complicated it can be.
Linux, like windows, can be simple and graphical (GUI).
Ubuntu and Mint are very easy to use and install, and can be easier to use IMO than windows.
So if you are a complex user, and are coming to this thread to argue about all the different OS problems, and issues?
Maybe we need to start another thread for that?
You don't need to be an engineer to use Linux.
Ubuntu, and Mint are very easy to use out of the box.
They can be loaded and used by nearly anyone!
Please give them a try, and yes they are still FREE!
https://linuxmint.com/
https://www.ubuntu.com/
Thank You,
Terry

**To try linux, download it, put it on a DVD, or USB, and try it temporarily live.
Then to go back to windows, remove the DVD or USB and reboot back to windows.
Very painless!

[Gnobuddy]

Maybe we need to start another thread for that?

You are right, I have said my piece, and there will be nothing more from me on the subject.

To try linux, download it, put it on a DVD, or USB, and try it temporarily live.

And this amazing ability, still unavailable from Windows or OSX, has been widely available in the Linux world since 2003, when Knoppix Linux arrived. (Knoppix was not the first Linux live-CD, but it was the first one that was really good, and was widely and freely distributed over the Internet.)

Then to go back to windows, remove the DVD or USB and reboot back to windows.
Very painless!

The only painful part being, you are back in Windows!

For those who get past the "Try a Linux live-USB" stage, you can also install both Windows and Linux on the same computer, and choose which one you want each time you start up the computer. I did this for a few months around the year 2000, when I had not yet found Linux alternatives for all the Windows software I used at the time, and so I would go back and forth between them. But by 2001, that had changed, and I found I was never booting into Windows any more.

(After 2004 I got into another hobby that required a Windows-only application, and went back to dual-booting for a few years, just for that one single application.)

But big_teee's basic point is worth underscoring: if you are a typical computer user, Linux is easy to try, and quite likely will meet your needs. If you are a more advanced computer user with a technical mindset, Linux will very likely meet your needs, because you will know how to make it do so. This is why engineering and science and research departments are full of Linux users.

The people least likely to be served by Linux are very specialized computer users, who spend their time using extremely expensive proprietary software (3D CAD, custom financial or CRM software, etc). That type of software will often not have a Linux version.

-Gnobuddy

[big_teee]

I also did the dual boot on my Wife's computer.
Windows shared with Ubuntu.
I did that so my granddaughter could use the windows.
That was the intent, but Linux runs so much faster, everyone uses the Ubuntu, not the win10.
I have 4 laptops that I personally use, all multi-boot linux only.
When I buy a new laptop, I swap the hard drive out and stick it in a drawer for about a year.
That way if I need windows for something, then I have it.
Then I reformat and install linux on the year old, and older drives.
Long live the Penguin!
T

[Enzo]

I know you like to start threads with some specific purpose and never stray from it. But I have to say until you just said that, I was not aware your purpose was to promote it in any way. I thought you wanted a technical discussion of it.

To me, I haven't seen a lot of reason to switch. Unless you just like futzing with computers, which is OK. I don't get the screen shots, they all just look like computer screens to me. Unless the subtle differences in function names and button positions is what matters. I am not saying you didn't convince me, I am saying I didn't see anything as selling it to me.

For example dual boot PCs. I guess in this day of terabyte hard drives, why bother to remove the original windows? Just make the other your default and leave it there.

MAy I suggest for next time a thread title like "Why you would like Ubuntu" or something. I do appreciate that my questions were handled.

[Enzo]

I know you like to start threads with some specific purpose and never stray from it. But I have to say until you just said that, I was not aware your purpose was to promote it in any way. I thought you wanted a technical discussion of it.

To me, I haven't seen a lot of reason to switch. Unless you just like futzing with computers, which is OK. I don't get the screen shots, they all just look like computer screens to me. Unless the subtle differences in function names and button positions is what matters. I am not saying you didn't convince me, I am saying I didn't see anything as selling it to me.

For example dual boot PCs. I guess in this day of terabyte hard drives, why bother to remove the original windows? Just make the other your default and leave it there.

MAy I suggest for next time a thread title like "Why you would like Ubuntu" or something. I do appreciate that my questions were handled.

[minim]

I have 4 laptops that I personally use...

Four?!? I'm assuming that at least one is ensconced in GladWrap ��

[big_teee]

Four?!? I'm assuming that at least one is ensconced in GladWrap ��

I admit, I have a laptop fetish! lol
I have one in the Living room, I use at my recliner.
It has had a fall or two, and is not in the greatest shape, but still works fine.
I have a 4 year old Toshiba, that has a bios problem, that I'm fixing to work on.
It will not boot on any external mdeia anymore.
I have a last years model Blue HP 15, that I use to test linux loads with, it currently has 5 or six distros on it.
And, I have the new i5, that I pulled the windows drive, and put a linux replacement drive in.
I am going to put it in place of the Toshiba, while I work on it.
The Toshiba will get fixed, or get a Viking Funeral!
My wife has a Red Model 15 HP,(laptop #5) that I maintain, but don't use, cause she says I'm always changing everything.
I don't get user privileges with it.
They are all cheapies, and the most expensive one was the i5 version, and I gave $350 for it.
So with 4, at least one should work at a time!
None in glad wrap! None with windows, all with 2 or more linux distros loaded.
T

[Gnobuddy]

To me, I haven't seen a lot of reason to switch.

Just today, I got an email message in my work inbox from Microsoft Quarantine. It informed me that Microsoft had caught a message they thought might be spam, and had quarantined it for me, and what would I like them to do about it?

What the heck? What I'd like is for Microsoft to stay out of my inbox, and not snoop through all my incoming email. My employers already do that; I accept that work email is not private, but there is a big difference between my employer scanning my work email, and Microsoft, the powerful and unethical corporation, scanning through it.

I have never heard of Microsoft Quarantine before, but I'm assuming this is now part of the "service" you get if you're an Outlook user (unwillingly, in my case).

This sort of completely unwarranted intrusion into my life would, all by itself, be enough to make me switch to Linux.

Unless you just like futzing with computers, which is OK.

In my case, I did like futzing with PC hardware circa 1998 or so, when it was all new to me. I'm not particularly interested in PC hardware these days, but I am interested in the frightening amount of corporate and government snooping that goes on when you use Microsoft or Windows. And the staggering number of security vulnerabilities in Windows, in particular.

I also find I can get more stuff done with Linux on my computer, than with Windows. I am currently forced to use Windows at work, so I see this difference every day, from needless double-clicking in Windows, to stupid software layouts that force multiple mouse movements and mouse clicks when one click does it in Linux, to the simple fact that a fresh install of Linux comes with most of the software you need to do most computing tasks, all of it free.

I don't get the screen shots, they all just look like computer screens to me.

Pretty much the same here...I usually do customize my desktops to my tastes, but I can do that on most any operating system, I don't particularly expect you to like my choices, and it isn't an important feature to me in any case.

But not having MS snoop through my email? Not living in fear of some creep encrypting my hard drive and trying to extort a ransom? Not having bizarre limitations forced on me (such as not being able to type an HTML page in Notepad and save it with a .html extension on Windows, which insists on attaching a ".txt" to the filename)? Those things are all well worth fleeing Windows for, in my book.

An analogy: Suppose you bought a car made by a company called MightyScabia, or MS, for short. It turns out the door locks don't work well, so every time you come back to your parked car, there is a vagrant snoring in the back seat, the seat-covers and floor mats are missing, and there are dried bloodstains on the dashboard. There is also a note saying that someone stole your passport out of the glove-box, and is demanding a $1000 ransome for its return.

When you ask around, it turns out that this sort of thing happens to about 50% of people who own the same car. Would you buy an other MightyScabia after that experience?

I don't understand why people put up with the amount of @$%& stuff that happens when you use Windows. People would not put up with equally shoddy security in any material product - why does MS get a free pass?

-Gnobuddy

[big_teee]

I know you like to start threads with some specific purpose and never stray from it. But I have to say until you just said that, I was not aware your purpose was to promote it in any way. I thought you wanted a technical discussion of it.

To me, I haven't seen a lot of reason to switch. Unless you just like futzing with computers, which is OK. I don't get the screen shots, they all just look like computer screens to me. Unless the subtle differences in function names and button positions is what matters. I am not saying you didn't convince me, I am saying I didn't see anything as selling it to me.

For example dual boot PCs. I guess in this day of terabyte hard drives, why bother to remove the original windows? Just make the other your default and leave it there.

MAy I suggest for next time a thread title like "Why you would like Ubuntu" or something. I do appreciate that my questions were handled.

I'm not trying to sell you on anything.
If it's not for you, fine.
I do like messing with computers.
I do like trying different things.
Like the amp guys labor over every cap and resistor.
Try it if you like, don't try it if you don't.
I do screen shots some to show non linux users what it can look like.
As far as the thread name change?
You only get one shot at naming the thread, you can't change it, unless you are the mod for the sub-forum.
Also the thread was started in 2012, and been around a long time!
Thread name Ubuntu is fine! It tells what it is about, UBUNTU.
T

[Enzo]

Gnobuddy, I make this observation: You don't like Microsoft looking through your email for malware, but I bet you have some sort of antivirus software going, and that means SOMEONE is looking through your email.

tee, I was responding to this:

This is a Ubuntu linux thread.
Primarily to promote Ubuntu

I didn't accuse anyone of selling, but promoting comes close. I merely suggested NEXT TIME a more descriptive title might help. I didn't realize your purpose was to promote it, I thought you just wanted to talk about it.

As to amp guys: Some start threads like "MY Twin Reverb red plates power tubes", while others title the same thread "Amplifier issues".

I don't know where else to ask my dumb questions. Most of them only occur to me while reading through your thread. So I ask them here.

[big_teee]

Gnobuddy, I make this observation: You don't like Microsoft looking through your email for malware, but I bet you have some sort of antivirus software going, and that means SOMEONE is looking through your email.

tee, I was responding to this:

I didn't accuse anyone of selling, but promoting comes close. I merely suggested NEXT TIME a more descriptive title might help. I didn't realize your purpose was to promote it, I thought you just wanted to talk about it.

As to amp guys: Some start threads like "MY Twin Reverb red plates power tubes", while others title the same thread "Amplifier issues".

I don't know where else to ask my dumb questions. Most of them only occur to me while reading through your thread. So I ask them here.

That is all fine and good.
I always get the impression you're getting on to me for my obsession with computers and linux.
One of the few thrills I have left!
T

[big_teee]

Also, I can't sell if, there's nothing to buy!
IT'S FREEE.

[Enzo]

Nah, your obsession is fine. Some guys like fishing, some like NASCAR, some like computers. I don't care for any of those things. But I might ask a guy how he catches a 20 pound fish on "4 pound" line. I might ask a NASCAR guy if their ignition systems use the computer boxes or some other system. And I want to understand the attractions here. That's all.

[Steve A.]

Just today, I got an email message in my work inbox from Microsoft Quarantine. It informed me that Microsoft had caught a message they thought might be spam, and had quarantined it for me, and what would I like them to do about it?

What the heck? What I'd like is for Microsoft to stay out of my inbox, and not snoop through all my incoming email. My employers already do that; I accept that work email is not private, but there is a big difference between my employer scanning my work email, and Microsoft, the powerful and unethical corporation, scanning through it.

I have never heard of Microsoft Quarantine before, but I'm assuming this is now m,part of the "service" you get if you're an Outlook user (unwillingly, in my case).

Microsoft Outlook and Quarantine are components of Office 365 so your employer has given Microsoft permission to snoop in your email scanning for viruses and other malware. I guess you are using your employer's computer so you probably have no say in the matter.

https://support.office.com/en-us/art...5-98fcccfc639b

[Gnobuddy]

Gnobuddy, I make this observation: You don't like Microsoft looking through your email for malware, but I bet you have some sort of antivirus software going

Nope, no anti-virus software. Google for Linux viruses "in the wild", and see what you come up with - there aren't any! So there's no need to run anti-virus software on a Linux computer, particularly if you use a well supported distribution and apply all security patches promptly. I use Xubuntu LTS (Long Term Support), for which security updates are provided for five years, by which time, I will move to the next newer LTS version.

You may be right that someone is snooping through my mail - everything on the 'Net is now spied on, by powerful government agencies like the NSA, by ISPs who provide your Internet access, by corporations like Google (terms of service for Gmail specify that they read through it and try to tailor their advertising to your tastes), by the Mafia, by hackers all over the world.

Even if that is so, why would you add one more large, rich, powerful, and unscrupulous corporation to the long line of entities already snooping on you? If you have one dog in your neighbourhood that tries to bite you every time it sees you, would it motivate you to invite other people with hostile dogs to move into your neighbourhood, too?

Back to the Linux virus issue, there have been a few proof-of-concept Linux viruses in the labs, and there have been some Linux worms that did make it out of the lab and onto the 'Net. But they are incredibly few and far between compared to Windows viruses and malware. Last time I checked, many years ago, the number of active Windows malware threats numbered in the hundreds of thousands. For Linux? I think not even in the tens. And entirely new categories of Windows malware have sprung up since then, such as cryptware/ransomware.

I am not suggesting there is such a thing as an invulnerable operating system - there isn't. But there are operating systems with a terrible record for (lack of ) security, and others with far fewer blemishes in their history. Windows has the worst security record of any operating system that has ever existed on planet earth, and by a wide margin, at that.

Incidentally, I don't know what is standard operating procedure for anti-virus software these days, but in ye good olde days, it was dumb software searching for the signatures of various forms of malware that might exist in files on your computer. There wasn't any snooping into things like email or written documents, the anti-virus software was far too dumb to have a clue what was in them anyway.

Things might very well be different now, with Google, et al having created some pretty powerful AI software that can parse through spoken and written human languages, and glean at least some "understanding" as to what is being said / communicated. (One reason why I have no Gmail account.)

Big Brother (and Big Sister) are, indeed, watching all of us these days. But I'm not going to put in plate-glass roofs and walls to make it even easier for him/her.

Leaving all these more subjective issues aside, I feel no lack in Linux - there isn't really anything I wish I had, and cannot get, on Linux. So why would I want to move to another operating system, particularly one that is much less secure, much less flexible, runs slower, and costs more?

-Gnobuddy