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Back to Microsoft: Using Windows again so I can use Linux effectively
- sneak 7y agoNo amount of cool hardware or linux integration will ever cause me to run Microsoft’s spyware OS ever again.
- kgwxd 7y agoThe author works for a company that builds corporate spyware.
- bilekas 7y agoSNAP
- thrill 7y agoIn many corporate and enterprise environments it's a requirement for the desktop. At a previous job I had this limitation, though all my work was managing their few hundred Linux servers. I used VMware Workstation to keep my head in the Linux environment, and because a proper bash and vim and ssh is my minimum. Now, I would use WSL2, as it's more than up to the task, and noticeably faster. As for the Surface, I bought my wife a Surface X for Christmas, so of course my trusty Yoga needed depot repair right as she got it. She was kind enough to let me take it for the couple of weeks it's been away, and I went through the process of upgrading it to 10 Pro, installing WSL2, etc. It works mostly well, except for Docker. There's not a functional Docker for ARM64 unless I build it myself, which I haven't felt a strong enough desire to do. But, the tablet itself is nice, once I got used to the smaller keyboard.
- anaisbetts 7y agoIf you use WSL2 you can use the version of Docker packaged for your Linux distro instead of using the Windows Docker, you have to start dockerd yourself but then it Just Works
- m_mueller 7y agoAre there ARM64 binaries for docker? What about all the common images, they come in arm versions too?
- sneak 7y agoSomeone made it a requirement. Using Microsoft software isn’t some universal law of nature.
- bilekas 7y agoSo how exactly is using the WSL using Linux more effectively ? Is that not the same as claiming that : Using Wine so I can use Windows more effectively ? I'm really not sure from your article what you were missing, on either Windows/Linux side.. You didnt mention any Windows/Linux specifics, just that you tried the WSL and it worked. Which is cool.. But if you're just worried about using linux more effectively.. Just use linux ?
- gen3 7y agoI think the point of it was that he wanted a tablet with a keyboard attachment, and the ability to use Linux. After looking at all his options, the surface was the best for his use case (And it only runs windows). The point being, it works for his use case.
- bilekas 7y agoAh okay, that would make more sense, so its an article about a hardware preference. I was under the impression also that there was a specific linux distro for the surface (variant of ubuntu afaik) but okay, could be a bit more clear then about the restrictions of loading a full blown linux distro on the surface specifically.
- iudqnolq 7y agoIt's not quite there yet, but the linux-surface kernel is getting there. I run it as my daily driver. https://github.com/linux-surface?tab=repositories https://github.com/linux-surface?tab=repositories
- gen3 7y agoThat's awesome!
- ryanmcdonough 7y agoAs he said: “ I began looking for dockable tablets with USB-C and the ability to do Linux work on them while also having good battery life, and relatively painless wifi and bluetooth. While there are some great preloaded Linux devices out there (e.g. Dell XPS, System76, Purism Librem) all either lacked a tablet mode, USB-C , or both. Macs lacked tablet mode, and also have been using a keyboard design recently that I don’t personally like very much.” None of the OOTB Linux laptops offered either a tablet mode, usb-c or both, same for the Mac. The clue was in the content.
- natas_claus 7y ago+1 for the Surface Pro 7. I recently bought one as a companion for my mb pro (still the daily driver) and I love it. Windows 10 is not bad either.
- throwlaplace 7y agoone thing about the tablets with detachable keyboards i don't like is the kickstand is the only way to prop up the body. that makes it tough to use one from your lap for example. i realize there are 2-1s (i.e. laptops that have a hinge) but i wish there were a tablet with a detachable keyboard that could prop up the tablet using a hinge. the problem of course is the keyboard aren't rigid themselves so you can't hinge anything from them.
- christophilus 7y agoI think you’re looking for something like the Surface Book: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/surface-book-2/8mcpzjjcc98c https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/surface-book-2/8mcpzjjcc98...
- throwlaplace 7y agolike i said i'm familiar with 2-1s that fold over. what i'm looking for is a case like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C7AU8IY/ref=psdc_11548963011_t1_B01AWGYT0I https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C7AU8IY/ref=psdc_11548963011_t1... but for my dell 5285 (basically a surface)
- christophilus 7y agoThe surface book has a removable but rigid keyboard. So, it seems to fit the criteria. Am I misunderstanding your criteria?
- throwlaplace 7y agooh interesting. sorry i didn't realize the keyboard was removable on the surface book. that is in fact what i was imagining. thanks!
- striking 7y agoI'm a heavy UNIX user and believer. I hate Windows enough to have run it inside a VM on Linux, taking the pains to set up GPU passthrough so I can get graphical acceleration without ceding control of my computer to Microsoft. But that was on a desktop. And although the Year of the Linux Desktop may very well be upon us, I have to agree with the article. There is a lot of really powerful, really slim, really convenient hardware that can't easily be used with Linux. I'm planning to buy a laptop soon. It's not going to be a Thinkpad. Can someone provide a counterpoint to this article, perhaps in the form of a convenient tablet-like machine (like a Surface Pro) that can run Linux without too much hackery? I'm willing to compile kernels if that's what it takes. But I would like for those things to eventually work once I do.
- bebna 7y agoReddit R/surfacelinux is full of that what you are looking for.
- 45ure 7y agoYou might have some deeper reasons other than those described in your comment, but I genuinely don't understand why you would vehemently oppose robust hardware, which not only enjoys industry wide acceptance, but also provides the most favourable conditions for running *nix, modding and upgrading. Instead, you have cornered yourself and seek an inferior alternative solution, without wanting to get your hands dirty ─ which consequently makes your life even harder?
- striking 7y agoI want something I can easily carry with me. You're not wrong in that it's mostly impossible to modify these devices, but I don't think being able to mod these devices really provides you with a ton of lift anyway. And I'm okay with getting my hands dirty, but I'm just one person with hopes and dreams. Maybe I can write one kernel module but I don't think I could build everything needed for a comfortable experience.
- akho 7y agoWSL 2 is better in very critical ways. WSL 1 occasionally corrupts SQLite databases. It’s a problem for anyone, but especially if you use Nix, where an SQLite db is a single point of failure. I had it happen to me. On the other hand, WSL 1’s network interface is the machine one, and WSL 2 is a VM. So X server setup is a bit more tricky. Windows Terminal does not support the mouse — no easy Vim window / tmux pane resizing. I use WSLtty (but haven’t managed to set it up to render emoji. ) It’s a bit difficult to maintain configs for everything to work in WSL, on macOS, and in Linux.
- loopz 7y agoAfter spending half day trying to get CygwinXFree and XMing to work properly, I just realized it's never going to be better, on Windows.