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Agreed, it’s telling that all the discussions about switching to Linux get right to “... and all you need to do it compile your own trackpad, WiFi, and display

Agreed, it’s telling that all the discussions about switching to Linux get right to “... and all you need to do it compile your own trackpad, WiFi, and display drivers. Sleep doesn’t quite work and scaling on HiDPI is still broken, but at least you’re not using Windows...” Linux guys, I love you, I really do, but please spare a thought for those of us whose jobs and personal commitments don’t permit us to tweak our set-ups ad infinitum before you recommend the switch. Computers are fun, but we also need to get work done.

fouric 6y ago
Have you actually tried installing Linux on a computer recently, or just read discussions? If you've actually tried it and ran into issues that required you to compile your own drivers, either you're using a user-hostile (users != programmers) distro like Arch or you might have just gotten unlucky. None of the computers I've used with Linux over the past nine years have had more than two small issues (all of which I was able to fix within a few days), and two of my boxes had no issues at all. Hardware support in Linux is so much better than it was two decades ago.
- polotics 6y ago
  I concur. Linux usage has been seamless in comparison with MacOs or Windows from my PoV, for at least 5 years.
  - jjdredd 6y ago
    I wouldn't say that Linux maintenance is completely smooth for me, but if something happens it's usually due to my own poor attention. OTOH Windows 10 is determined to force its updates on me at the most inconvenient times. Once I left Windows 10 to update over night, to be greeted with grub rescue screen in the morning. Took me most of the next day to fix things. Linux isn't perfect but at least it doesn't break everything and I'm the one in control of things.
- umanwizard 6y ago
  I started working remotely on my home desktop due to Covid. I bought a webcam for meetings. On Linux it usually works fine, except about 20% of the time it crashes and can't be brought back up. I can fix _that_ issue with a script that disables and re-enables the USB hub it's part of, but that script, in turn, causes the kernel-mode uvcvideo driver to crash with a null pointer exception about 40% of the time I run it. Once I get in this state, a reboot is the only way I can find to fix the issue. Not a distro thing -- it happens in both Ubuntu and Fedora as well as with a stock kernel built from the latest git source. Webcam is working 100% fine with no issues on Windows.
- baumandm 6y ago
  Totally agree, just wanted to point out that I've been running Arch on multiple desktops & laptops for years and never had to compile a driver before. Maybe that's a thing for niche hardware but pretty much everything just works, even on Arch.
jjdredd 6y ago
That's the reason I use linux. I need to get work done. I guess I could do it on windows but it's much more convenient on linux to set up a working environment and lots of the tools I use are already there.

fouric 6y ago

Have you actually tried installing Linux on a computer recently, or just read discussions? If you've actually tried it and ran into issues that required you to compile your own drivers, either you're using a user-hostile (users != programmers) distro like Arch or you might have just gotten unlucky. None of the computers I've used with Linux over the past nine years have had more than two small issues (all of which I was able to fix within a few days), and two of my boxes had no issues at all. Hardware support in Linux is so much better than it was two decades ago.

polotics 6y ago
I concur. Linux usage has been seamless in comparison with MacOs or Windows from my PoV, for at least 5 years.
- jjdredd 6y ago
  I wouldn't say that Linux maintenance is completely smooth for me, but if something happens it's usually due to my own poor attention. OTOH Windows 10 is determined to force its updates on me at the most inconvenient times. Once I left Windows 10 to update over night, to be greeted with grub rescue screen in the morning. Took me most of the next day to fix things. Linux isn't perfect but at least it doesn't break everything and I'm the one in control of things.
umanwizard 6y ago
I started working remotely on my home desktop due to Covid. I bought a webcam for meetings. On Linux it usually works fine, except about 20% of the time it crashes and can't be brought back up. I can fix _that_ issue with a script that disables and re-enables the USB hub it's part of, but that script, in turn, causes the kernel-mode uvcvideo driver to crash with a null pointer exception about 40% of the time I run it. Once I get in this state, a reboot is the only way I can find to fix the issue. Not a distro thing -- it happens in both Ubuntu and Fedora as well as with a stock kernel built from the latest git source. Webcam is working 100% fine with no issues on Windows.
baumandm 6y ago
Totally agree, just wanted to point out that I've been running Arch on multiple desktops & laptops for years and never had to compile a driver before. Maybe that's a thing for niche hardware but pretty much everything just works, even on Arch.

jjdredd 6y ago

That's the reason I use linux. I need to get work done. I guess I could do it on windows but it's much more convenient on linux to set up a working environment and lots of the tools I use are already there.