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Every once in a while I'm tempted to switch back to Linux (I used to have that as my desktop between 10 and 15 years ago), but then I remember: - My DJ softwar

Every once in a while I'm tempted to switch back to Linux (I used to have that as my desktop between 10 and 15 years ago), but then I remember: - My DJ software (which I pay for) is not supported at all on Linux (likewise true for most common music production software). - The Affinity suite (which I paid for) is not supported on Linux. - The best debugger I can find (remedybg, which I paid for) doesn't work there. - and there are a few more niche ones. I just can't give up on half of my productive tools and trade them off for much jankier alternatives. I sadly cannot contribute to get to 4%.

bruce511 3y ago
Operating systems have a really high degree of lock-in. Such that while you -can- change OS, there's simply no incentive to do so. That's why you're still running the same OS you always have. [1] You accumulate software yes, but you also accumulate habits and knowledge. Changing OS means discarding all the accumulated knowledge, which 0% of "normal users" want to do. Throw in the change in software, ending up with at least some proportion of worse software, and the desire to change is 0. [1] where "you" applies to a rounding error away from 100%
- borissk 3y ago
  A lot of people are locked-in Windows, but as Microsoft more and more ruins the OS by pushing advertisement, telemetry, slow cloud services, new versions of apps optimized for those who don't know how to use a computer, rather than experts - there will be plenty of users switching to Linux.
  - bruce511 3y ago
    Most users are not even aware of telemetry. Those who find the cloud services slow can just stop using them. The advertising seems to be local to the US because I've never seen it, but I expect users will ignore it just like they ignore it on TV, Google, Facebook, Twitter, on every roadside, at every mall and do on. Frankly advertising is everywhere, avoiding it doesn't seem to be a priority. I think you summed it up. Computer Experts may want to switch to Linux, and likely already have. My mom, who is 40 years a novice, cares less about any of what you listed. Her skill set is small, and her interest in changing is miles below 0. And there are 97% of the world like her and, 3% like you ;)
    - borissk 3y ago
      >> Those who find the cloud services slow can just stop using them. Microsoft has made sure users can't stop using cloud services, unless they spend a ton of effort every time a new update that re-enables them is released. E.g. try to disable the web search in the Windows start menu. >> And there are 97% of the world like her and, 3% like you ;) If the 3% expert users switch away from Windows it will be the beginning of the end for Windows.
      - trimethylpurine 3y ago
        I disabled it and haven't had any issues. Use group policy, quick web search, few steps to follow.
        borissk 3y ago
        Wait a few months and MS will probably release an update that will break your fix.
  - blowski 3y ago
    Will 2024 be the year of Linux on the desktop? This prediction has been made pretty much every year so far this century, no reason to stop now.
    - borissk 3y ago
      How did you go from "a lot of people will switch" to "the year of Linux on desktop"? Microsoft is making a lot of changes that will annoy the expert users. Stuff like a Settings app that has a single screen - e.g. one makes changes to his network setup, decides to increase the brightness of the screen - the Settings app navigates from network to screen and the user progress with network is lost.
  - kekebo 3y ago
    WSL being a recent counter factor, as much as I don't enjoy Windows it got a lot more bearable for me since I can manage it through a Debian installation. Filesystem access, Windows program execution and running cmd.exe/powershell commands without having to open either of them removes some of the pain
    - ImPleadThe5th 3y ago
      It's nice and all, but it still feels far from being a first class citizen.
  - pjmlp 3y ago
    A common meme since Windows XP was released, on every Windows release.
  - taneliv 3y ago
    Heavily doubt that those would make people switch. Maaaybe, if their social circle already uses Linux. However, make the next Minecraft, Fortnite or Roblox work only (or considerably better) on Linux desktop[], and you will suddenly gain a lot more new users. Some of whom will stick around, since all their other apps work the same in the browser. [] Whatever that term means, even the article makes a distinction between that and Chrome OS.
    - rwiggins 3y ago
      It made me switch, anyway, recently - specifically another one of those "Oh, let's finish setting up your computer" (i.e., try to trick you into trying Edge again, probably, or set up a "Microsoft" account) with my only options being "Remind me later" or "OK" was the straw that broke the camel's back. That said, I'm far from your typical desktop user. I'm vaguely Linux sysadmin adjacent, and I ran Linux as my primary OS for many years - until one day I noticed I was mostly booted into Windows for gaming and decided to reclaim that SSD space. Gaming on Linux has come... leaps and bounds. It's actually extraordinary. Still many sharp edges, but the Steam Deck might in fact be the first spark of a revolution here. We'll see, I guess.
      - pjmlp 3y ago
        By emulating Windows, while failing to attract anyone targeting POSIX platforms to port their games into GNU/Linux, not even Android.
        rwiggins 3y ago
        Is this where I'm supposed to say Wine Is Not an Emulator? ;-) Jokes aside, totally right, and unfortunately, in my experience it's often a better experience to run the Windows port under Wine than it is to use the native version. e.g. the native version of Tyranny is just a black box for me, but the Wine version works pretty flawlessly. I think userspace is just too unstable, and game companies probably don't want a forever-ongoing maintenance cost just to keep their old games running.
    - 3y ago
  - NexRebular 3y ago
    A lot of people are also locked-in linux if they have to use e.g. docker or kubernetes, not to mention FOSS hooked to systemd or other linux-specific technologies. Say goodbye to compatibility and portability to other systems.
- smaudet 3y ago
  Hmm I don't find this true at all for really any of the systems. If you stick to windows xp or roll your own Linux distros maybe this is true, but I barely know how to use any windows box. Bunch of black registry magic and constantly changing UI nonsense, literally Google and sometimes msdn are how I survive there. Ubuntu/Fedora all go through fits of hipness and constantly change how things are done. Config files one day, services and runtime the next. UIs are really non-standard and always breaking something or other. OSX...first time I used it I was learning Unix systems. I went back to it and it was an unholy mess of gotchas. Android is still hurtling through versions every year and I have no idea what "current" phone looks like, I probably hate it. When I have been unfortunate enough to use iOS it was like being made Legos trying to build other Legos. It was a right pain. There are some common design patterns and the like but that tends to be in spite of the OS, not because of it.
  - bruce511 3y ago
    The change from say one version of Windows to the next is tiny, and happens every 5 years or so. Changing from one OS to another is orders of magnitude more complex. As you point out above jumping between them is painful. Your job may require you to do that, but you're a tiny sliver of the work-force, never mind everyone else. My book-keeper has never encountered the Windows Registry. You're thinking of the OS as an actual bit of software you interact with. For 99.99% of users it's invisible. They just want printing to happen when they press the print button.
    - arc-in-space 3y ago
      > The change from say one version of Windows to the next is tiny Huh?! That's bullshit. I had recently tried to fix something on family's PC that upgraded itself to Win11 and had absolutely no clue how to navigate all the new settings panels even though I use 10 near daily.
      - TillE 3y ago
        You use the search box, just like you find settings in macOS / iOS / etc. No sane person is expected to memorize configuration GUIs these days.
- toast0 3y ago
  > Changing OS means discarding all the accumulated knowledge, which 0% of "normal users" want to do. More and more upgrading the OS means discarding a large amount of accumulated knowledge as well, which normal users don't want to do, but don't have much of a choice.
- borski 3y ago
  I’m not so sure. Everyone used to have a Dell/Sony/IBM running Windows. A decade later everyone has a MacBook. It just has to be much much better.
- Gareth321 3y ago
  > You accumulate software yes, but you also accumulate habits and knowledge. Changing OS means discarding all the accumulated knowledge, which 0% of "normal users" want to do. I only ever hear Linux users make this argument. Mac users are confident enough in MacOS UX that they know it’s not a significant barrier to transition. The same is not true of Linux. So many solutions to problems require opening the CLI, and that’s just an automatic fail for the vast majority of consumers. Honestly, I would like Linux fans to just accept Linux for what it is: an amazing kernel with incredible GUIs built by and for developers. App developers just do not care about (or do not have the resources for) making simple and intuitive software. Valve is a welcome and notable exception with the Steam Deck. Linus Torvalds explains it perfectly: https://youtu.be/Pzl1B7nB9Kc https://youtu.be/Pzl1B7nB9Kc
  - jorvi 3y ago
    > Mac users are confident enough in MacOS UX that they know it’s not a significant barrier to transition I bought my mother a Macbook during the Snow Leopard era and we sold it after 2 months because she could absolutely not get used to the UI, since she had been using Windows since basically forever. So much for "intuitive UI".
    - Gareth321 3y ago
      Huh. My mother hand no issues. I guess your mileage may vary.
    - bruce511 3y ago
      This is exactly my point, and indeed the point of the parent. If you know Windows use Windows. If you know Mac, use Mac. There is no reason to make your mom (or my mom) switch. And while MacOS may be intuitive, its less intuitive if you come from something else. I used one for a bit and found everything "backwards". One version of Mac to another or one version of Windows to another is trivial compared to changing from one to the other. Obviously the Linux CLI is waaay beyond most average people. So it's a non starter anyway.
stodor89 3y ago
I too occasionally feel the urge to go back to Linux, but then I remember I'm a game developer. Oof.
- TillE 3y ago
  Godot is primarily developed on Linux, but I recently tried it out on Ubuntu (NVIDIA drivers) to check compatibility, and it was shockingly laggy. Worse than macOS, and far worse than Windows, where it runs quite well. Maybe there was something about my configuration I could've tweaked to mitigate the lag, but I have zero interest in fiddling with Linux. That stuff's fun if your goal is to learn about the OS, but absolutely intolerable if you just wanna get work done.
  - macNchz 3y ago
    I can’t speak to Godot specifically, but a recent switch from Nvidia to AMD on my Ubuntu machine magically fixed a whole bunch of random jankiness that I wouldn’t otherwise have assumed was directly related to the GPU. Beforehand I would have said that running on Nvidia was “just fine”–I only switched because I got a good deal on an AMD card, but it has been a great improvement.
ashton314 3y ago
Things that I’ve paid money for that I would sorely miss moving from macOS to Linux: - MoneyWell - Omnigraffle - Keynote (I like my glossy presentations) I know I’m missing a few. I love and monetarily support free software, but man… some of these apps get a lot of love and it’d be hard to leave.
- sokoloff 3y ago
  Isn’t keynote “free” (as in beer is included with your macOS meal)?
  - AndroidKitKat 3y ago
    Nowadays Apple gives it away for free, but it used to be part of the paid iWork package (or bought separately from the Mac App Store). I believe there was also a time period where it was given to users who activated a new Apple product, but for people still running older machines had to pay.
  - ashton314 3y ago
    Sure… But I like to think of it as “included” with the high price of a Mac.
sanxiyn 3y ago
Re: debugger. It's the opposite for me. rr is the best debugger period, so I am miserable whenever I need to debug on Windows or macOS where rr doesn't work.
- GuB-42 3y ago
  What I think Linux is missing is a good "first intention" debugger. rr is great, I have used it a few times with great success, but always as a heavyweight, for solving really tricky bugs. Usually, printf is first, then gdb and/or valgrind, then rr. On Visual Studio (which has a great debugger), the debugger is the first tool I reach. It is simply more convenient, more reliable on a day-to-day basis, plus, there is "edit and continue". Generally I prefer the Linux dev tools (rr is one of the good ones, I also love valgrind), but for interactive debugging, for me, Windows wins.
zelphirkalt 3y ago
It does not have to be all black and white. You could use GNU/Linux for everything else. Or you could have it on a separate machine to try workflows on or just to be able to use both separately.
- Johnny555 3y ago
  I chose the opposite, I run OSX as my primary os and Linux in a VM for when I want Linux (which is pretty much just for developing stuff that will run on a Linux server). I used to run Linux as my primary desktop OS, but got tired of things almost, but not completely working. Things like not always waking from sleep, sound, fingerprint reader, etc.
  - trimethylpurine 3y ago
    Yup. It's still like that.
  - fsflover 3y ago
    Looks like your problems come from unsupported hardware, not Linux.
    - Johnny555 3y ago
      Yes, the hard part about Linux is finding well supported hardware, I chose a Lenovo laptop that supposedly worked well with Linux, and it mostly did.
wheels 3y ago
The lack of pro-audio software is definitely a thing. Mixxx is pretty good though for DJing. It's better than most of the rest of the pro-audio landscape on Linux. There are now also pretty good DAWs (Bitwig, especially). Releasing binaries is still a PITA for Linux. That's one of the main reason it has so little support from closed source consumer software. If you care, see my comment history on my company dropping Linux support for a pro-audio app, even though our software works on Linux. But for development tools, it's you-win-some-you-lose-some. There are some development tools (the Valgrind suite, for example) that I still miss after mostly switching to macOS. Going from Linux to macOS also means losing great tools.
- einpoklum 3y ago
  > Releasing binaries is still a PITA for Linux. Is it really that bad? I mean, many small FOSS programs provide packages for multiple distributions. Are they busting their balls building that stuff?
  - wheels 3y ago
    Most of the time those packages, or the build files for them, are contributed by the distributions themselves, or avid users of those distros. (Reference: I have multiple software projects I've created that are a part of every Linux distribution. I've never packaged any of them myself.) Even big enterprise companies usually work directly with the distros under NDA, and the distros produce the packages. That works for FOSS, but not for smaller closed-source consumer apps. And it's not just building, it's also testing and debugging. It's just not tractable for a small company to test on dozens of different distros / versions for such a small percentage of users.
    - boudin 3y ago
      What about distributing via Flatpak? (honest question, I'm curious to see if it actually help lowering the cost of distributing apps for Linux)
      - 3y ago
DeathArrow 3y ago
Me, too. I tried to use Linux on the desktop since 2000. I can't run the software I need like Visual Studio, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, 3ds Max. I don't care free/libre about alternatives as they are not doing the same. The OS takes time to be configured, managed, there are always things breaking and needing a fix. I still have a linux distro installed on a spare drive but haven't booted it in more than an year. Whatever Linux specific stuff I need to run (mostly for development), WSL2 and Docker takes care of that. I want an OS that just runs and doesn't stay in my way.
- goodcanadian 3y ago
  I want an OS that just runs and doesn't stay in my way. YMMV. For me, Linux is the OS that just runs and doesn't stay in my way. For my work flows, the tools on Linux are far superior. I recognise that may not be the case for the tools you use.
aembleton 3y ago
You also can't use uBO if you want to help get it to 4% as this data comes from statcounter which is blocked in many filter lists. I run linux but my browser useage won't count towards it.

bruce511 3y ago

Operating systems have a really high degree of lock-in. Such that while you -can- change OS, there's simply no incentive to do so. That's why you're still running the same OS you always have. [1] You accumulate software yes, but you also accumulate habits and knowledge. Changing OS means discarding all the accumulated knowledge, which 0% of "normal users" want to do. Throw in the change in software, ending up with at least some proportion of worse software, and the desire to change is 0. [1] where "you" applies to a rounding error away from 100%

borissk 3y ago
A lot of people are locked-in Windows, but as Microsoft more and more ruins the OS by pushing advertisement, telemetry, slow cloud services, new versions of apps optimized for those who don't know how to use a computer, rather than experts - there will be plenty of users switching to Linux.
- bruce511 3y ago
  Most users are not even aware of telemetry. Those who find the cloud services slow can just stop using them. The advertising seems to be local to the US because I've never seen it, but I expect users will ignore it just like they ignore it on TV, Google, Facebook, Twitter, on every roadside, at every mall and do on. Frankly advertising is everywhere, avoiding it doesn't seem to be a priority. I think you summed it up. Computer Experts may want to switch to Linux, and likely already have. My mom, who is 40 years a novice, cares less about any of what you listed. Her skill set is small, and her interest in changing is miles below 0. And there are 97% of the world like her and, 3% like you ;)
  - borissk 3y ago
    >> Those who find the cloud services slow can just stop using them. Microsoft has made sure users can't stop using cloud services, unless they spend a ton of effort every time a new update that re-enables them is released. E.g. try to disable the web search in the Windows start menu. >> And there are 97% of the world like her and, 3% like you ;) If the 3% expert users switch away from Windows it will be the beginning of the end for Windows.
    - trimethylpurine 3y ago
      I disabled it and haven't had any issues. Use group policy, quick web search, few steps to follow.
      - borissk 3y ago
        Wait a few months and MS will probably release an update that will break your fix.
- blowski 3y ago
  Will 2024 be the year of Linux on the desktop? This prediction has been made pretty much every year so far this century, no reason to stop now.
  - borissk 3y ago
    How did you go from "a lot of people will switch" to "the year of Linux on desktop"? Microsoft is making a lot of changes that will annoy the expert users. Stuff like a Settings app that has a single screen - e.g. one makes changes to his network setup, decides to increase the brightness of the screen - the Settings app navigates from network to screen and the user progress with network is lost.
- kekebo 3y ago
  WSL being a recent counter factor, as much as I don't enjoy Windows it got a lot more bearable for me since I can manage it through a Debian installation. Filesystem access, Windows program execution and running cmd.exe/powershell commands without having to open either of them removes some of the pain
  - ImPleadThe5th 3y ago
    It's nice and all, but it still feels far from being a first class citizen.
- pjmlp 3y ago
  A common meme since Windows XP was released, on every Windows release.
- taneliv 3y ago
  Heavily doubt that those would make people switch. Maaaybe, if their social circle already uses Linux. However, make the next Minecraft, Fortnite or Roblox work only (or considerably better) on Linux desktop[], and you will suddenly gain a lot more new users. Some of whom will stick around, since all their other apps work the same in the browser. [] Whatever that term means, even the article makes a distinction between that and Chrome OS.
  - rwiggins 3y ago
    It made me switch, anyway, recently - specifically another one of those "Oh, let's finish setting up your computer" (i.e., try to trick you into trying Edge again, probably, or set up a "Microsoft" account) with my only options being "Remind me later" or "OK" was the straw that broke the camel's back. That said, I'm far from your typical desktop user. I'm vaguely Linux sysadmin adjacent, and I ran Linux as my primary OS for many years - until one day I noticed I was mostly booted into Windows for gaming and decided to reclaim that SSD space. Gaming on Linux has come... leaps and bounds. It's actually extraordinary. Still many sharp edges, but the Steam Deck might in fact be the first spark of a revolution here. We'll see, I guess.
    - pjmlp 3y ago
      By emulating Windows, while failing to attract anyone targeting POSIX platforms to port their games into GNU/Linux, not even Android.
      - rwiggins 3y ago
        Is this where I'm supposed to say Wine Is Not an Emulator? ;-) Jokes aside, totally right, and unfortunately, in my experience it's often a better experience to run the Windows port under Wine than it is to use the native version. e.g. the native version of Tyranny is just a black box for me, but the Wine version works pretty flawlessly. I think userspace is just too unstable, and game companies probably don't want a forever-ongoing maintenance cost just to keep their old games running.
  - 3y ago
- NexRebular 3y ago
  A lot of people are also locked-in linux if they have to use e.g. docker or kubernetes, not to mention FOSS hooked to systemd or other linux-specific technologies. Say goodbye to compatibility and portability to other systems.
smaudet 3y ago
Hmm I don't find this true at all for really any of the systems. If you stick to windows xp or roll your own Linux distros maybe this is true, but I barely know how to use any windows box. Bunch of black registry magic and constantly changing UI nonsense, literally Google and sometimes msdn are how I survive there. Ubuntu/Fedora all go through fits of hipness and constantly change how things are done. Config files one day, services and runtime the next. UIs are really non-standard and always breaking something or other. OSX...first time I used it I was learning Unix systems. I went back to it and it was an unholy mess of gotchas. Android is still hurtling through versions every year and I have no idea what "current" phone looks like, I probably hate it. When I have been unfortunate enough to use iOS it was like being made Legos trying to build other Legos. It was a right pain. There are some common design patterns and the like but that tends to be in spite of the OS, not because of it.
- bruce511 3y ago
  The change from say one version of Windows to the next is tiny, and happens every 5 years or so. Changing from one OS to another is orders of magnitude more complex. As you point out above jumping between them is painful. Your job may require you to do that, but you're a tiny sliver of the work-force, never mind everyone else. My book-keeper has never encountered the Windows Registry. You're thinking of the OS as an actual bit of software you interact with. For 99.99% of users it's invisible. They just want printing to happen when they press the print button.
  - arc-in-space 3y ago
    > The change from say one version of Windows to the next is tiny Huh?! That's bullshit. I had recently tried to fix something on family's PC that upgraded itself to Win11 and had absolutely no clue how to navigate all the new settings panels even though I use 10 near daily.
    - TillE 3y ago
      You use the search box, just like you find settings in macOS / iOS / etc. No sane person is expected to memorize configuration GUIs these days.
toast0 3y ago
> Changing OS means discarding all the accumulated knowledge, which 0% of "normal users" want to do. More and more upgrading the OS means discarding a large amount of accumulated knowledge as well, which normal users don't want to do, but don't have much of a choice.
borski 3y ago
I’m not so sure. Everyone used to have a Dell/Sony/IBM running Windows. A decade later everyone has a MacBook. It just has to be much much better.
Gareth321 3y ago
> You accumulate software yes, but you also accumulate habits and knowledge. Changing OS means discarding all the accumulated knowledge, which 0% of "normal users" want to do. I only ever hear Linux users make this argument. Mac users are confident enough in MacOS UX that they know it’s not a significant barrier to transition. The same is not true of Linux. So many solutions to problems require opening the CLI, and that’s just an automatic fail for the vast majority of consumers. Honestly, I would like Linux fans to just accept Linux for what it is: an amazing kernel with incredible GUIs built by and for developers. App developers just do not care about (or do not have the resources for) making simple and intuitive software. Valve is a welcome and notable exception with the Steam Deck. Linus Torvalds explains it perfectly: https://youtu.be/Pzl1B7nB9Kc https://youtu.be/Pzl1B7nB9Kc
- jorvi 3y ago
  > Mac users are confident enough in MacOS UX that they know it’s not a significant barrier to transition I bought my mother a Macbook during the Snow Leopard era and we sold it after 2 months because she could absolutely not get used to the UI, since she had been using Windows since basically forever. So much for "intuitive UI".
  - Gareth321 3y ago
    Huh. My mother hand no issues. I guess your mileage may vary.
  - bruce511 3y ago
    This is exactly my point, and indeed the point of the parent. If you know Windows use Windows. If you know Mac, use Mac. There is no reason to make your mom (or my mom) switch. And while MacOS may be intuitive, its less intuitive if you come from something else. I used one for a bit and found everything "backwards". One version of Mac to another or one version of Windows to another is trivial compared to changing from one to the other. Obviously the Linux CLI is waaay beyond most average people. So it's a non starter anyway.

stodor89 3y ago

I too occasionally feel the urge to go back to Linux, but then I remember I'm a game developer. Oof.

TillE 3y ago
Godot is primarily developed on Linux, but I recently tried it out on Ubuntu (NVIDIA drivers) to check compatibility, and it was shockingly laggy. Worse than macOS, and far worse than Windows, where it runs quite well. Maybe there was something about my configuration I could've tweaked to mitigate the lag, but I have zero interest in fiddling with Linux. That stuff's fun if your goal is to learn about the OS, but absolutely intolerable if you just wanna get work done.
- macNchz 3y ago
  I can’t speak to Godot specifically, but a recent switch from Nvidia to AMD on my Ubuntu machine magically fixed a whole bunch of random jankiness that I wouldn’t otherwise have assumed was directly related to the GPU. Beforehand I would have said that running on Nvidia was “just fine”–I only switched because I got a good deal on an AMD card, but it has been a great improvement.

ashton314 3y ago

Things that I’ve paid money for that I would sorely miss moving from macOS to Linux: - MoneyWell - Omnigraffle - Keynote (I like my glossy presentations) I know I’m missing a few. I love and monetarily support free software, but man… some of these apps get a lot of love and it’d be hard to leave.

sokoloff 3y ago
Isn’t keynote “free” (as in beer is included with your macOS meal)?
- AndroidKitKat 3y ago
  Nowadays Apple gives it away for free, but it used to be part of the paid iWork package (or bought separately from the Mac App Store). I believe there was also a time period where it was given to users who activated a new Apple product, but for people still running older machines had to pay.
- ashton314 3y ago
  Sure… But I like to think of it as “included” with the high price of a Mac.

sanxiyn 3y ago

Re: debugger. It's the opposite for me. rr is the best debugger period, so I am miserable whenever I need to debug on Windows or macOS where rr doesn't work.

GuB-42 3y ago
What I think Linux is missing is a good "first intention" debugger. rr is great, I have used it a few times with great success, but always as a heavyweight, for solving really tricky bugs. Usually, printf is first, then gdb and/or valgrind, then rr. On Visual Studio (which has a great debugger), the debugger is the first tool I reach. It is simply more convenient, more reliable on a day-to-day basis, plus, there is "edit and continue". Generally I prefer the Linux dev tools (rr is one of the good ones, I also love valgrind), but for interactive debugging, for me, Windows wins.

zelphirkalt 3y ago

It does not have to be all black and white. You could use GNU/Linux for everything else. Or you could have it on a separate machine to try workflows on or just to be able to use both separately.

Johnny555 3y ago
I chose the opposite, I run OSX as my primary os and Linux in a VM for when I want Linux (which is pretty much just for developing stuff that will run on a Linux server). I used to run Linux as my primary desktop OS, but got tired of things almost, but not completely working. Things like not always waking from sleep, sound, fingerprint reader, etc.
- trimethylpurine 3y ago
  Yup. It's still like that.
- fsflover 3y ago
  Looks like your problems come from unsupported hardware, not Linux.
  - Johnny555 3y ago
    Yes, the hard part about Linux is finding well supported hardware, I chose a Lenovo laptop that supposedly worked well with Linux, and it mostly did.

wheels 3y ago

The lack of pro-audio software is definitely a thing. Mixxx is pretty good though for DJing. It's better than most of the rest of the pro-audio landscape on Linux. There are now also pretty good DAWs (Bitwig, especially). Releasing binaries is still a PITA for Linux. That's one of the main reason it has so little support from closed source consumer software. If you care, see my comment history on my company dropping Linux support for a pro-audio app, even though our software works on Linux. But for development tools, it's you-win-some-you-lose-some. There are some development tools (the Valgrind suite, for example) that I still miss after mostly switching to macOS. Going from Linux to macOS also means losing great tools.

einpoklum 3y ago
> Releasing binaries is still a PITA for Linux. Is it really that bad? I mean, many small FOSS programs provide packages for multiple distributions. Are they busting their balls building that stuff?
- wheels 3y ago
  Most of the time those packages, or the build files for them, are contributed by the distributions themselves, or avid users of those distros. (Reference: I have multiple software projects I've created that are a part of every Linux distribution. I've never packaged any of them myself.) Even big enterprise companies usually work directly with the distros under NDA, and the distros produce the packages. That works for FOSS, but not for smaller closed-source consumer apps. And it's not just building, it's also testing and debugging. It's just not tractable for a small company to test on dozens of different distros / versions for such a small percentage of users.
  - boudin 3y ago
    What about distributing via Flatpak? (honest question, I'm curious to see if it actually help lowering the cost of distributing apps for Linux)
    - 3y ago

DeathArrow 3y ago

Me, too. I tried to use Linux on the desktop since 2000. I can't run the software I need like Visual Studio, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, 3ds Max. I don't care free/libre about alternatives as they are not doing the same. The OS takes time to be configured, managed, there are always things breaking and needing a fix. I still have a linux distro installed on a spare drive but haven't booted it in more than an year. Whatever Linux specific stuff I need to run (mostly for development), WSL2 and Docker takes care of that. I want an OS that just runs and doesn't stay in my way.

goodcanadian 3y ago
I want an OS that just runs and doesn't stay in my way. YMMV. For me, Linux is the OS that just runs and doesn't stay in my way. For my work flows, the tools on Linux are far superior. I recognise that may not be the case for the tools you use.

aembleton 3y ago

You also can't use uBO if you want to help get it to 4% as this data comes from statcounter which is blocked in many filter lists. I run linux but my browser useage won't count towards it.