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There is Windows and MacOS for users that want a computer that works. FOSS alternatives are for developers and power users that want a computer like someone wan

by qppo 6y ago

There is Windows and MacOS for users that want a computer that works. FOSS alternatives are for developers and power users that want a computer like someone wants a project car. I say this as a happy Linux user at home. But I need to use Windows for work because of multiple programs that do not run on any other target. In school (this has changed a bit) I need to use Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Word. At home I still have to dual boot Windows to play games with my friends. There really isn't an alternative, even if you wanted to pay money for it. If you want an example of this that I've been fighting for the last week, Steam doesn't launch after the first installation on my machine running Pop!_OS 20.04. There's a half dozen things I've tried to fix that, all the related issues are unresolved or partially resolved from comments on GitHub, and my current solution is to reboot and use Windows. Linux is not suitable for personal computing today.

app4soft 6y ago
> But I need to use Windows for work because of multiple programs that do not run on any other target. > At home I still have to dual boot Windows to play games with my friends. In most cases you may execute such programs & games under Linux via WINE (+ Mono, PlayOnLinux, Winetricks; if needed).[0] > In school (this has changed a bit) I need to use Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Word. Use LibreOffice Impress, Calc, and Writer instead.[1] > There really isn't an alternative, even if you wanted to pay money for it. Scroll up and read again. [0] https://www.gamingonlinux.com/wiki/Wine https://www.gamingonlinux.com/wiki/Wine [1] https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2020/03/24/libreoffice-a-great-choice-for-schools-and-education/ https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2020/03/24/libreoff...
- ryukafalz 6y ago
  > In most cases you may execute such programs & games under Linux via WINE (+ Mono, PlayOnLinux, Winetricks; if needed). I do this for most games I want to play (and many are available natively on Linux these days!) but there are a few games with intrusive DRM that stop you from playing them on Linux. I have an older laptop lying around running Windows that I use for those if they’re not too demanding. Otherwise I’ll buy them on a console, though I tend to only buy consoles after they’ve been out for several years these days.
  - app4soft 6y ago
    > few games with intrusive DRM that stop you from playing them on Linux. Is it from Steam? (FTR, There is already Steam for Linux too) BTW, report any issues with apps & games not working under WINE to WineHQ devs.[0] [0] https://wiki.winehq.org/Bugs https://wiki.winehq.org/Bugs
    - ryukafalz 6y ago
      No, usually MMOs with things like GameGuard. Steam stuff generally works fine.
- Silhouette 6y ago
  In some cases you can run things under WINE, and they work or mostly work. Unfortunately, in plenty more cases, you can't. That goes for games, creative software, business admin tools, and just about anything else. And while LibreOffice isn't bad as an office suite in its own right, MS Office is the still de facto standard in many lines of work, and being 95% compatible when you export as an Excel spreadsheet or Word document just doesn't cut it for professional use. Until not just Windows but also the major software packages that run on it are no longer the dominant standards, it's always going to be an uphill battle moving normal people onto an alternative platform like Linux, and one that often can't be won today.
- qppo 6y ago
  You don't understand what I'm talking about. Wine does not solve my problems, especially when DRM or anticheat is involved. It also doesn't work well on HDPI monitors. I have a few ancient Windows programs I've tried to use in Wine that are very hard to read on a 4K monitor, while on Windows they look fine. It would have been ok 10 years ago, but not for my eyes today When I say "needed to use" it's not synonymous with "there was no other software with similar functionality." It means "I need to create and share documents or files with colleagues, fellow students, and professors, as well as work with them in the same room." LibreOffice is not the solution to this problem, GSuite is. Partially. Before getting snarky, I encourage you to think a bit more critically about what it entails for non-power user to get up to speed on Linux. The command line is out of the question, reconfiguring a host of config files or buried options and googling through Ubuntu and stack overflow posts isn't a solution, and constantly tweaking things just to get to a point where "double click this icon" works isn't a solution when on windows and MacOS you don't have those issues. That's what I mean by "there isn't an alternative."
toast0 6y ago
> There is Windows and MacOS for users that want a computer that works. This may have been true in 200x, but these days, both of those aren't so hot with respect to quality and just working.

by qppo 6y ago

app4soft 6y ago

> But I need to use Windows for work because of multiple programs that do not run on any other target. > At home I still have to dual boot Windows to play games with my friends. In most cases you may execute such programs & games under Linux via WINE (+ Mono, PlayOnLinux, Winetricks; if needed).[0] > In school (this has changed a bit) I need to use Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Word. Use LibreOffice Impress, Calc, and Writer instead.[1] > There really isn't an alternative, even if you wanted to pay money for it. Scroll up and read again. [0] https://www.gamingonlinux.com/wiki/Wine https://www.gamingonlinux.com/wiki/Wine [1] https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2020/03/24/libreoffice-a-great-choice-for-schools-and-education/ https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2020/03/24/libreoff...

ryukafalz 6y ago
> In most cases you may execute such programs & games under Linux via WINE (+ Mono, PlayOnLinux, Winetricks; if needed). I do this for most games I want to play (and many are available natively on Linux these days!) but there are a few games with intrusive DRM that stop you from playing them on Linux. I have an older laptop lying around running Windows that I use for those if they’re not too demanding. Otherwise I’ll buy them on a console, though I tend to only buy consoles after they’ve been out for several years these days.
- app4soft 6y ago
  > few games with intrusive DRM that stop you from playing them on Linux. Is it from Steam? (FTR, There is already Steam for Linux too) BTW, report any issues with apps & games not working under WINE to WineHQ devs.[0] [0] https://wiki.winehq.org/Bugs https://wiki.winehq.org/Bugs
  - ryukafalz 6y ago
    No, usually MMOs with things like GameGuard. Steam stuff generally works fine.
Silhouette 6y ago
In some cases you can run things under WINE, and they work or mostly work. Unfortunately, in plenty more cases, you can't. That goes for games, creative software, business admin tools, and just about anything else. And while LibreOffice isn't bad as an office suite in its own right, MS Office is the still de facto standard in many lines of work, and being 95% compatible when you export as an Excel spreadsheet or Word document just doesn't cut it for professional use. Until not just Windows but also the major software packages that run on it are no longer the dominant standards, it's always going to be an uphill battle moving normal people onto an alternative platform like Linux, and one that often can't be won today.
qppo 6y ago
You don't understand what I'm talking about. Wine does not solve my problems, especially when DRM or anticheat is involved. It also doesn't work well on HDPI monitors. I have a few ancient Windows programs I've tried to use in Wine that are very hard to read on a 4K monitor, while on Windows they look fine. It would have been ok 10 years ago, but not for my eyes today When I say "needed to use" it's not synonymous with "there was no other software with similar functionality." It means "I need to create and share documents or files with colleagues, fellow students, and professors, as well as work with them in the same room." LibreOffice is not the solution to this problem, GSuite is. Partially. Before getting snarky, I encourage you to think a bit more critically about what it entails for non-power user to get up to speed on Linux. The command line is out of the question, reconfiguring a host of config files or buried options and googling through Ubuntu and stack overflow posts isn't a solution, and constantly tweaking things just to get to a point where "double click this icon" works isn't a solution when on windows and MacOS you don't have those issues. That's what I mean by "there isn't an alternative."

toast0 6y ago

> There is Windows and MacOS for users that want a computer that works. This may have been true in 200x, but these days, both of those aren't so hot with respect to quality and just working.