5 ms·

You could also run WSL2 for the Linux apps you need to use part-time.

kemotep 3y ago
It’s more that I on occasion need to run Windows applications. Modern Office 365 doesn’t work with Wine and the web version doesn’t support the features needed. When they fully merge the desktop app and web version of Office, I won’t need to boot into Windows ever again. 9/10 I use my computer, everything I do works in Linux. That 1 time out 10 is what forces me to pay for a Windows License and a copy of Microsoft Office. I’ll still pay Microsoft a license but I would no longer need to manage a dual boot to log into Windows to use Office when the occasion rises.
- sys_64738 3y ago
  You don't really need to pay of Windows nowadays as it can work indefinitely without Activation.
  - kemotep 3y ago
    It looks pretty unprofessional to have a watermark whenever you record your screen. Like I said, literally the only thing keeping Windows in my house (literally could be using MacOS not just Linux) is a specific software compatibility that the current Windows versions of the Office desktop apps have. The extensions I need to use do not work on even Macs. So the ability to either stream a Microsoft desktop to any device or have full feature compatibility with the web version of Office is something I am looking forward to.
    - Frivolous9421 3y ago
      https://massgrave.dev/kms38.html https://massgrave.dev/kms38.html
      - happymellon 3y ago
        And now you won't even have to do that.
- prox 3y ago
  Do you need some advanced features of Office? LibreOffice is pretty good, nobody amongst my clients know I use it as we exchange documents. It’s pretty seamless!
  - gumby 3y ago
    There is no replacement for Excel in many cases. Otherwise I agree.
    - 2Gkashmiri 3y ago
      i want to know beyond macros, where else is libreoffice lacking behind excel ? i have been daily driving calc for a long time now and with each update it feels like they are fixing that one bug i did not remember last time but it is fixed this time. yeah, then there is power query and power stuff but other than that, i mean for regular people at home or "regular" office stuff, this should be enough, what do you think?
      - gumby 3y ago
        For home use sure, libreoffice or Mac pages or even Google spreadsheet is adequate. I do a bunch of financial modeling in excel and the custom formatting, formula construction and sheer number of formulas are useful — saves me from jumping to just writing a program. Honestly, writing a program would be easier for me, but the presentation would be a pain, especially losing the excel UX that lets someone else do “what if”. Word has that same level of complexity or more, but it gets in the way. It’s easier to write a latex doc.
  - rob74 3y ago
    As far as I (not the OP) am concerned, it's mostly not that I need some advanced feature of Office, it's that a document I get from someone else uses some advanced (layout) features or some fonts which aren't available on Linux, and then the document appears completely garbled.
  - kemotep 3y ago
    I need a copy of the Windows desktop version of Microsoft Excel for a specific add on for my wife uses for a class. Even the MacOS version is not compatible with this add on. Convincing people not to use Microsoft specific Excel features that don’t work anywhere else is not the easiest thing. It’s quite calcified. I would probably have an easier time teaching pigs to fly.
LispSporks22 3y ago
Yeah but then I’d have to put up with the telemetry, ads and other crap they’re distributing with Windows.
- grumpyprole 3y ago
  IMHO The bugs are far worse than the telemetry. Many Linux distributions are now more stable than both Windows and MacOS.
grumpyprole 3y ago
WSL2 is still too buggy to recommend this - e.g. they still haven't fixed the 100% CPU on wake from sleep.
- winrid 3y ago
  wow, still? this was actually the final nail that drove me back to Linux. that was years ago!
- uxp8u61q 3y ago
  What are you talking about? I use WSL2 every day. Issues are very rare (rarer than on my desktop that runs an actual linux distribution...). I've never encountered 100% cpu when waking up from sleep.
  - grumpyprole 3y ago
    I use it every day too. Issues are not rare. It can even bluescreen windows (docker garbage collect on a many core workstation). I would not recommend over Linux if one has a choice (I don't).
- Zetobal 3y ago
  They are still using ram as a buffer for file transfer... absolute pain with big files.
- Banditoz 3y ago
  Oh thank goodness I wasn't the only one with this issue! My coworker uses WSL2 regularly and never ran into it... That aside I think it's a pretty good substitute, but if your stack is already Linux adjacent anyway I think running Linux is best.
dandy23 3y ago
The point probably was that OP don't want to run Windows as main OS.
pjmlp 3y ago
Ironically what WSL made for me is that I no longer need to install VMWare. Those of us in the known, already have sorted out this with Virtual Box and VMWare at least since Windows 7 days.

It’s more that I on occasion need to run Windows applications. Modern Office 365 doesn’t work with Wine and the web version doesn’t support the features needed. When they fully merge the desktop app and web version of Office, I won’t need to boot into Windows ever again. 9/10 I use my computer, everything I do works in Linux. That 1 time out 10 is what forces me to pay for a Windows License and a copy of Microsoft Office. I’ll still pay Microsoft a license but I would no longer need to manage a dual boot to log into Windows to use Office when the occasion rises.

sys_64738 3y ago
You don't really need to pay of Windows nowadays as it can work indefinitely without Activation.
- kemotep 3y ago
  It looks pretty unprofessional to have a watermark whenever you record your screen. Like I said, literally the only thing keeping Windows in my house (literally could be using MacOS not just Linux) is a specific software compatibility that the current Windows versions of the Office desktop apps have. The extensions I need to use do not work on even Macs. So the ability to either stream a Microsoft desktop to any device or have full feature compatibility with the web version of Office is something I am looking forward to.
  - Frivolous9421 3y ago
    https://massgrave.dev/kms38.html https://massgrave.dev/kms38.html
    - happymellon 3y ago
      And now you won't even have to do that.
prox 3y ago
Do you need some advanced features of Office? LibreOffice is pretty good, nobody amongst my clients know I use it as we exchange documents. It’s pretty seamless!
- gumby 3y ago
  There is no replacement for Excel in many cases. Otherwise I agree.
  - 2Gkashmiri 3y ago
    i want to know beyond macros, where else is libreoffice lacking behind excel ? i have been daily driving calc for a long time now and with each update it feels like they are fixing that one bug i did not remember last time but it is fixed this time. yeah, then there is power query and power stuff but other than that, i mean for regular people at home or "regular" office stuff, this should be enough, what do you think?
    - gumby 3y ago
      For home use sure, libreoffice or Mac pages or even Google spreadsheet is adequate. I do a bunch of financial modeling in excel and the custom formatting, formula construction and sheer number of formulas are useful — saves me from jumping to just writing a program. Honestly, writing a program would be easier for me, but the presentation would be a pain, especially losing the excel UX that lets someone else do “what if”. Word has that same level of complexity or more, but it gets in the way. It’s easier to write a latex doc.
- rob74 3y ago
  As far as I (not the OP) am concerned, it's mostly not that I need some advanced feature of Office, it's that a document I get from someone else uses some advanced (layout) features or some fonts which aren't available on Linux, and then the document appears completely garbled.
- kemotep 3y ago
  I need a copy of the Windows desktop version of Microsoft Excel for a specific add on for my wife uses for a class. Even the MacOS version is not compatible with this add on. Convincing people not to use Microsoft specific Excel features that don’t work anywhere else is not the easiest thing. It’s quite calcified. I would probably have an easier time teaching pigs to fly.

LispSporks22 3y ago

Yeah but then I’d have to put up with the telemetry, ads and other crap they’re distributing with Windows.

grumpyprole 3y ago
IMHO The bugs are far worse than the telemetry. Many Linux distributions are now more stable than both Windows and MacOS.

grumpyprole 3y ago

WSL2 is still too buggy to recommend this - e.g. they still haven't fixed the 100% CPU on wake from sleep.

winrid 3y ago
wow, still? this was actually the final nail that drove me back to Linux. that was years ago!
uxp8u61q 3y ago
What are you talking about? I use WSL2 every day. Issues are very rare (rarer than on my desktop that runs an actual linux distribution...). I've never encountered 100% cpu when waking up from sleep.
- grumpyprole 3y ago
  I use it every day too. Issues are not rare. It can even bluescreen windows (docker garbage collect on a many core workstation). I would not recommend over Linux if one has a choice (I don't).
Zetobal 3y ago
They are still using ram as a buffer for file transfer... absolute pain with big files.
Banditoz 3y ago
Oh thank goodness I wasn't the only one with this issue! My coworker uses WSL2 regularly and never ran into it... That aside I think it's a pretty good substitute, but if your stack is already Linux adjacent anyway I think running Linux is best.

dandy23 3y ago

The point probably was that OP don't want to run Windows as main OS.

pjmlp 3y ago

Ironically what WSL made for me is that I no longer need to install VMWare. Those of us in the known, already have sorted out this with Virtual Box and VMWare at least since Windows 7 days.