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> and never felt Linux was a worthwhile alternative on desktop ZorinOS (https://zorin.com/os https://zorin.com/os) can hopefully change your perspective.

hot_gril 3y ago
I've tried em all. It's not that I need a more user-friendly DE like Zorin's, it's more that the Linux kernel lacks broad support. One small but kinda important example is how simply watching Netflix requires workarounds and won't run above 1080p. Zoom and Discord also have caveats. And hardware peripherals are always questionable with Linux, whereas they'll get 0 stars if they don't 100% work with Windows (even if it's Windows's fault). Also, random other users are probably better off with Ubuntu than Zorin purely because that's what more people use and you can actually Google how to do stuff in it. Even a lot of Zorin questions will link to Ubuntu tutorials.
- genewitch 3y ago
  Ubuntu resources are practically (in practice) useless. They change directions too much. Fixes that worked in ubuntu 18 won't work in 22, because they changed too much. Best case the old fixes do nothing. Worst case, you have a non-functioning system unless you have a long-suffering friend that is willing to help you. Ubuntu has the windows-itis, change for change's sake. I can't even say i like Ubuntu Server, but i'm regularly forced to interact with it because universities output stuff that "works on ubuntu, just copy and paste these lines!", where ubuntu doesn't update certain packages so you end up with old versions of stuff that works reliably until the next "tick" of an even year, when everything will break again. Windows-itis also implies that there's money in "knowing" ubuntu, because you have to keep up with their new ideas in order to be effective. I'm less than a year away from just switching to BSD, sooner if gentoo decides to do away with openRC.
  - hot_gril 3y ago
    > universities output stuff that "works on ubuntu, just copy and paste these lines!" Well that's the value in it. There's never going to be a perfect system, just good enough. Until I conceded to that, I was using FreeBSD and enjoying the lack of systemd while I struggled to make random packages work. My servers do run Ubuntu Server now.
- NayamAmarshe 3y ago
  I don't use Netflix but on Brave, I haven't had any problems with Amazon Prime Video. > Zoom and Discord also have caveats. Such as? I use zoom just fine on Linux. Never noticed any caveats. I don't use Discord so not sure what's missing. > And hardware peripherals are always questionable with Linux Not a problem with most PCs. Unless you have a really special hardware, Linux will work just fine. Sometimes brand new hardware takes time to receive kernel updates but most hardware is absolutely fine. > Also, random other users are probably better off with Ubuntu than Zorin purely because that's what more people use and you can actually Google how to do stuff in it I disagree because Zorin comes with its own support desk. Not only do they provide official installation support (that Ubuntu doesn't), they also have more specific resources than something compared to Ubuntu. Besides, any problems that you run into, you can just search for the same problem for Ubuntu and the fix will work. With Ubuntu, you have no installation support, no nvidia drivers, no helpful prompts for new Linux users (like WINE), no flathub, no familiar UI for people coming from other operating systems. Ubuntu is imho a worse choice for any new Linux user. I've always recommended Zorin to family and friends and not a single one has complained about stuff breaking or not working for them. The store has the biggest apps library compared to any other distro, windows application installation support for users who really need it, familiar and one of the most polished UIs in any distro and proprietary drivers that most other distros don't ship with.
  - hot_gril 3y ago
    Zoom has issues with hardware acceleration and screen sharing on Linux, similarly with Discord. Netflix requires specific setup to work at all, and you get 720p at best unless you use Chrome with some custom extension to get 1080p at best. And back in the day (2018, not long ago) when you needed Adobe Flash to watch the World Cup on the only legitimate US site for it, Linux was a dead end. > Not a problem with most PCs. Unless you have a really special hardware, Linux will work just fine. Sometimes brand new hardware takes time to receive kernel updates but most hardware is absolutely fine. Somehow my hardware has always been "special" but worked fine with Windows. And people at work are constantly messaging about Bluetooth headsets flaking with Linux on their Thinkpads, which are supposed to have first-class support. Of course my servers have always been fine with Linux, but a laptop with a trackpad, BT, wifi, sleep, and USB-connected accessories, that gets dicey. > any problems that you run into, you can just search for the same problem for Ubuntu and the fix will work. But those fixes will work for Ubuntu too. I'm no fan of it, in fact I agree with someone else here that it's the Windows of Linux OSes, but "how to do X in Ubuntu" always gives updated results.
genewitch 3y ago
This time, this OS really will be the one! based on ubuntu
- NayamAmarshe 3y ago
  This really is the one if you prefer simplicity and less headaches than the distro it's based on.
- omniglottal 3y ago
  Headaches for me are dist-upgrades breaking, or fresh reinstalls needed every couple-few years. Using Linux as primary/only OS (except for AAAA games) for 2 decades, and after dozens of distro-hops, I can finally recommend EndeavorOS for a clean, Arch-based system with rolling-release updates. My Framework laptop has everything functioning, from media buttons to sleep to GUI-managed bluetooth audio to full-disk encryption with sleep and hibernation to multiple DE choices while I watch Wayland advance, but have GTK stuff around just-in-case. It all just works.

hot_gril 3y ago

I've tried em all. It's not that I need a more user-friendly DE like Zorin's, it's more that the Linux kernel lacks broad support. One small but kinda important example is how simply watching Netflix requires workarounds and won't run above 1080p. Zoom and Discord also have caveats. And hardware peripherals are always questionable with Linux, whereas they'll get 0 stars if they don't 100% work with Windows (even if it's Windows's fault). Also, random other users are probably better off with Ubuntu than Zorin purely because that's what more people use and you can actually Google how to do stuff in it. Even a lot of Zorin questions will link to Ubuntu tutorials.

genewitch 3y ago
Ubuntu resources are practically (in practice) useless. They change directions too much. Fixes that worked in ubuntu 18 won't work in 22, because they changed too much. Best case the old fixes do nothing. Worst case, you have a non-functioning system unless you have a long-suffering friend that is willing to help you. Ubuntu has the windows-itis, change for change's sake. I can't even say i like Ubuntu Server, but i'm regularly forced to interact with it because universities output stuff that "works on ubuntu, just copy and paste these lines!", where ubuntu doesn't update certain packages so you end up with old versions of stuff that works reliably until the next "tick" of an even year, when everything will break again. Windows-itis also implies that there's money in "knowing" ubuntu, because you have to keep up with their new ideas in order to be effective. I'm less than a year away from just switching to BSD, sooner if gentoo decides to do away with openRC.
- hot_gril 3y ago
  > universities output stuff that "works on ubuntu, just copy and paste these lines!" Well that's the value in it. There's never going to be a perfect system, just good enough. Until I conceded to that, I was using FreeBSD and enjoying the lack of systemd while I struggled to make random packages work. My servers do run Ubuntu Server now.
NayamAmarshe 3y ago
I don't use Netflix but on Brave, I haven't had any problems with Amazon Prime Video. > Zoom and Discord also have caveats. Such as? I use zoom just fine on Linux. Never noticed any caveats. I don't use Discord so not sure what's missing. > And hardware peripherals are always questionable with Linux Not a problem with most PCs. Unless you have a really special hardware, Linux will work just fine. Sometimes brand new hardware takes time to receive kernel updates but most hardware is absolutely fine. > Also, random other users are probably better off with Ubuntu than Zorin purely because that's what more people use and you can actually Google how to do stuff in it I disagree because Zorin comes with its own support desk. Not only do they provide official installation support (that Ubuntu doesn't), they also have more specific resources than something compared to Ubuntu. Besides, any problems that you run into, you can just search for the same problem for Ubuntu and the fix will work. With Ubuntu, you have no installation support, no nvidia drivers, no helpful prompts for new Linux users (like WINE), no flathub, no familiar UI for people coming from other operating systems. Ubuntu is imho a worse choice for any new Linux user. I've always recommended Zorin to family and friends and not a single one has complained about stuff breaking or not working for them. The store has the biggest apps library compared to any other distro, windows application installation support for users who really need it, familiar and one of the most polished UIs in any distro and proprietary drivers that most other distros don't ship with.
- hot_gril 3y ago
  Zoom has issues with hardware acceleration and screen sharing on Linux, similarly with Discord. Netflix requires specific setup to work at all, and you get 720p at best unless you use Chrome with some custom extension to get 1080p at best. And back in the day (2018, not long ago) when you needed Adobe Flash to watch the World Cup on the only legitimate US site for it, Linux was a dead end. > Not a problem with most PCs. Unless you have a really special hardware, Linux will work just fine. Sometimes brand new hardware takes time to receive kernel updates but most hardware is absolutely fine. Somehow my hardware has always been "special" but worked fine with Windows. And people at work are constantly messaging about Bluetooth headsets flaking with Linux on their Thinkpads, which are supposed to have first-class support. Of course my servers have always been fine with Linux, but a laptop with a trackpad, BT, wifi, sleep, and USB-connected accessories, that gets dicey. > any problems that you run into, you can just search for the same problem for Ubuntu and the fix will work. But those fixes will work for Ubuntu too. I'm no fan of it, in fact I agree with someone else here that it's the Windows of Linux OSes, but "how to do X in Ubuntu" always gives updated results.

genewitch 3y ago

This time, this OS really will be the one! based on ubuntu

NayamAmarshe 3y ago
This really is the one if you prefer simplicity and less headaches than the distro it's based on.
omniglottal 3y ago
Headaches for me are dist-upgrades breaking, or fresh reinstalls needed every couple-few years. Using Linux as primary/only OS (except for AAAA games) for 2 decades, and after dozens of distro-hops, I can finally recommend EndeavorOS for a clean, Arch-based system with rolling-release updates. My Framework laptop has everything functioning, from media buttons to sleep to GUI-managed bluetooth audio to full-disk encryption with sleep and hibernation to multiple DE choices while I watch Wayland advance, but have GTK stuff around just-in-case. It all just works.