How do you know Linux is gaining steam outside of the usual circles? When you see writers like Jason Evangelho from Forbes switching over to Linux and writing about his experience.
He's been writing about Linux since early July, his reasoning for trying out Linux I'm sure will sound familiar to anyone who has used Windows often:
A few weeks ago during a time-sensitive 350GB file transfer, Windows 10 rebooted without warning. When the OS restarted I was greeted with an infuriating blue screen that had become all too familiar. No, not that infuriating blue screen. The one that declares "Working On Updates." It was, as they say, the last straw. After two decades of relying on Windows I finally decided it was time for the nuclear option.
He continues on to talk a little about his experience, including Linux Mint having an off day not finding a drive to install on. However, that didn't stop him, whereas I'm sure other writers would have then gone off on a rant he simply picked a different distribution (Ubuntu). Usually, when I see such writers on major news websites writing about Linux, it ends up coming across as a pretty disappointing read as if they've set themselves up not to like it. So it was incredibly refreshing to see him have a little patience to push through it. It's the same for anything that's new to you, if you're not prepared to learn a little—you will probably fail.
The latest article, titled Gaming On Linux: 2 Ridiculous Myths And 2 Brutal Truths, features yours truly after we had a bit of a chat. We went over the usual points, most of which will be well-known to our regular readers and people who've been using Linux for a long time. Still, some of it felt important to actually get across to a wider audience. This is why I appreciate Evangelho's writing, because he reached out to people in the community for feedback and help. To make sure he actually understood various upsides and downsides of using Linux for work and play. Although, it's slightly amusing how I mentioned Wine a little and then along comes Valve with Steam Play.
It's really fantastic to see more people on major websites actually try Linux for themselves and have a positive experience. More like this please.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Some you may have missed, popular articles from the last month:
The comments on this article are closed.
All posts need to follow our rules. For users logged in: please hit the Report Flag icon on any post that breaks the rules or contains illegal / harmful content. Guest readers can email us for any issues.
Arehandoro 4 Sep 2018
Would you mind providing a link for this, please? I'd like to create some "fireworks" back in the office tomorrow... xD
I've only got a German one...
https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Behoerden-ignorieren-Sicherheitsbedenken-gegenueber-Windows-10-3971133.html
(If I find time I'll look for more.)
Thanks!
Time to practice my German :D (I wish my level could allow me to read the article lol)
P.S: I found this, are they related? https://borncity.com/win/2018/03/30/german-authorities-demands-microsoft-must-disable-windows-10-data-transfer/
2 Likes, Who?
You know, something i rarely see discussed with Linux, Wine and etc is how better linux is to play retro games. Not only old consoles, but old PC games as well.
I tried to play Evil Genius on my Windows 10 machine and it didnt wanted to work. No matter what i did.
On Linux with Wine on the other hand, was really easy. Just installed the game via Steam, installed the community patch and worked with no issues.
And is a much better alternative than building a retro pc.
I tried to play Evil Genius on my Windows 10 machine and it didnt wanted to work. No matter what i did.
On Linux with Wine on the other hand, was really easy. Just installed the game via Steam, installed the community patch and worked with no issues.
And is a much better alternative than building a retro pc.
7 Likes, Who?
It also [made waves in France back in 2016](https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/windows-10-privacy-france-data-collection-1.3687737), but I don't think anything concrete came out of it (of course):Would you mind providing a link for this, please? I'd like to create some "fireworks" back in the office tomorrow... xD
I've only got a German one...
https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Behoerden-ignorieren-Sicherheitsbedenken-gegenueber-Windows-10-3971133.html
(If I find time I'll look for more.)
Thanks!
Time to practice my German :D (I wish my level could allow me to read the article lol)
P.S: I found this, are they related? https://borncity.com/win/2018/03/30/german-authorities-demands-microsoft-must-disable-windows-10-data-transfer/
Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system collects "excessive" data on users, violates privacy laws in "numerous" ways and must be fixed within three months, France's national data privacy watchdog announced Wednesday.
3 Likes, Who?
I wouldn't be so optimistic. The German government is planning to replace a lot of Linux computers with Windows. The financial sector in one state of Germany is using Linux, unfortunately all other ones are using Windows and while the Linux one is developing crossplatform compatible software the Windows ones aren't so the Linux ones will be forced to switch to Windows.Would you mind providing a link for this, please? I'd like to create some "fireworks" back in the office tomorrow... xD
I've only got a German one...
https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Behoerden-ignorieren-Sicherheitsbedenken-gegenueber-Windows-10-3971133.html
(If I find time I'll look for more.)
Thanks!
Time to practice my German :D (I wish my level could allow me to read the article lol)
P.S: I found this, are they related? https://borncity.com/win/2018/03/30/german-authorities-demands-microsoft-must-disable-windows-10-data-transfer/
German source: https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Linux-Aus-Niedersachsen-will-knapp-13-000-Rechner-auf-Windows-umstellen-4119380.html
1 Likes, Who?
P.S: I found this, are they related? https://borncity.com/win/2018/03/30/german-authorities-demands-microsoft-must-disable-windows-10-data-transfer/
Yes, that matches! (They even cite Heise/c't, which I linked.)
1 Likes, Who?
I hear loud and wide how Forbes nowadays it's not what it used to be anymore*. Yet these articles are not only welcomed but also appreciated.
* Actually not that loud and not that wide, my comment was more of a southern hyperbole than an analysis on Forbes' articles xD
Well, it's true though. Anyone can write for Forbes now, and a lot of their articles are like content-farm clickbait. But a positive article about Linux is still great no matter where it's published, and we should definitely support such efforts.
4 Likes, Who?
I hear loud and wide how Forbes nowadays it's not what it used to be anymore*.Was it ever?
2 Likes, Who?
Any positive coverage on Linux gaming is great! Nuff said..
You know what, right now mainstream gaming news/fans are complaining on Sony who doesn't want their Playstation platform crossplaying with Xbox for days, almost a week now.
At the same time, coverage on new Steam Play features for Linux gaming is like "one hit wonder" news. So, Any mainstream non-gaming media covers on Linux and Linux gaming is great news.
p/s: For some reasons, I a little bit agree with Sony doesn't allowed crossplay with any platform except PC (read: Win & Mac) and mobile devices. Hell, if crossplay is important, why so few games can crossplay-ing with Linux?
You know what, right now mainstream gaming news/fans are complaining on Sony who doesn't want their Playstation platform crossplaying with Xbox for days, almost a week now.
At the same time, coverage on new Steam Play features for Linux gaming is like "one hit wonder" news. So, Any mainstream non-gaming media covers on Linux and Linux gaming is great news.
p/s: For some reasons, I a little bit agree with Sony doesn't allowed crossplay with any platform except PC (read: Win & Mac) and mobile devices. Hell, if crossplay is important, why so few games can crossplay-ing with Linux?
1 Likes, Who?
I don't know why, but there's something about this thread--I really like almost every single comment. Even the ones that are nominally disagreeing with each other, I like both perspectives.
3 Likes, Who?
My wife recently bought a new laptop with Windows preinstalled. I spent a couple of hours uninstalling all the junk software that it came with and configuring the OS so that she could use it.
I had another older computer that needed a fresh OS install, so I put KDE Neon on it. The whole process from start to finish took about 30-minutes, and it "just worked".
I hate Windows.
Couldn't you have just wiped the computer and installed Windows from scratch? The fresh installs don't have any of the manufacturers bloatware. I personally dislike the invasive data collection, having antivirus software, and miss the linux command line when I use Windows but it's stuff all non-linux users are completely accustomed with.
Anyway, the stuff Windows has historically beaten linux hands down on are actively being worked on so hopefully the linux desktop will eventually catch on. Honestly, the last things linux needs to really take off are more OEM's willing to preload it, support for apps that keep people constrained to windows like Office and the adobe suite, and maybe its own exclusive killer apps.
0 Likes
Well that's refreshing indeed - also Ubuntu has changed more than I knew since I last used it.Hmm... I do not think [this screen](https://itsfoss.com/ubuntu-data-collection-stats/) is that bad of a way to ask.
But the fact that it lets you opt out of data collection at first launch instead of asking you to opt in still doesn't feel right. It's not the Linux way, if I have any authority to say so myself.
Very cool that Forbes is writing about Linux.
2 Likes, Who?
I have been seeing people get blown away by Linux package management for as long as I have been using it.
There is no doubt that Linux has come a long way in the last ten years, and I am glad to see that people like Jason are recognizing this and enjoying it, but I can't help but feel that it often does not get enough credit for what is has been doing well for decades.
There is no doubt that Linux has come a long way in the last ten years, and I am glad to see that people like Jason are recognizing this and enjoying it, but I can't help but feel that it often does not get enough credit for what is has been doing well for decades.
2 Likes, Who?
Well, improvements to Wine don't just apply to games . . . and for everything short of rendering video, productivity applications generally make a lot less demands in terms of speed than games. Nobody's going to be worried if Acrobat is a few frames per second slower in Linux . . .My wife recently bought a new laptop with Windows preinstalled. I spent a couple of hours uninstalling all the junk software that it came with and configuring the OS so that she could use it.
I had another older computer that needed a fresh OS install, so I put KDE Neon on it. The whole process from start to finish took about 30-minutes, and it "just worked".
I hate Windows.
Couldn't you have just wiped the computer and installed Windows from scratch? The fresh installs don't have any of the manufacturers bloatware. I personally dislike the invasive data collection, having antivirus software, and miss the linux command line when I use Windows but it's stuff all non-linux users are completely accustomed with.
Anyway, the stuff Windows has historically beaten linux hands down on are actively being worked on so hopefully the linux desktop will eventually catch on. Honestly, the last things linux needs to really take off are more OEM's willing to preload it, support for apps that keep people constrained to windows like Office and the adobe suite, and maybe its own exclusive killer apps.
2 Likes, Who?
Aside from gaming what are the most cited missing applications? MS Office? Visual Studio? Autocad? Adobe's suite of software? Anything else?
0 Likes
Chronarius 5 Sep 2018
Instead, what I try and share with people about Linux is the freedom it offers - I'm in full control of what's on my computer, and it's never going to do anything like what the author mentions and force an update at an inconvenient time (and if for some reason any distro tries that, you can all but guarantee there will be a fork that doesn't within days).
Never say Never! I was shocked as I restarted Ubuntu 18.04 and it wanted to install "Unattended Updates" in Windowssytle. You know if you shutdown or reboot your Windows-PC, and Windows begins installing Updates. WTH?!?!
https://wiki.debian.org/UnattendedUpgrades
https://help.ubuntu.com/lts/serverguide/automatic-updates.html
0 Likes
Chronarius 5 Sep 2018
Well that's refreshing indeed - also Ubuntu has changed more than I knew since I last used it.
But the fact that it lets you opt out of data collection at first launch instead of asking you to opt in still doesn't feel right. It's not the Linux way, if I have any authority to say so myself.
Absolutely! That isn't the Linux way. But IMHO Canonical does a good job in explaining and documenting. The used Tools are open sourced, you get informed about it. 100% transparent. Only an Opt Out would be nice! A lot better then that what Microsoft does.
Then we also have (open)Suse which doesn't even mention that they are collection statistics. That it is all you get about it from opensuse: https://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Statistics
IMHO I have no problem with selecting telemetrics to get a clear picture about what installation base we really have. So far we relying on some magically generated "web based" statistics. Which gave an estimated market share from 0,5% up to 4%
But I want to be informed about it, and I want an option which lets me Opt-In. I think in 18.04.1 they added an "agreement" page which you have to accept before data will be submitted. For more details see here: https://github.com/ubuntu/ubuntu-report/#send-data-to-server I think I kinda can live with that. Can't say for sure as it seems the report is not generated and sent on other Ubuntu Flavours (e.g. XFCE & Budgie) yet.
Last edited by Chronarius on 5 Sep 2018 at 9:22 am UTC
2 Likes, Who?
you will need to whitelist "*.trustarc.com" or the website (Forbes) wont load, really effing anoying how they managed to take a simple concept like cookie consent and make it so you have accept MORE cookies to opt out -.-'
2 Likes, Who?
Chronarius 5 Sep 2018
My wife recently bought a new laptop with Windows preinstalled. I spent a couple of hours uninstalling all the junk software that it came with and configuring the OS so that she could use it.
I had another older computer that needed a fresh OS install, so I put KDE Neon on it. The whole process from start to finish took about 30-minutes, and it "just worked".
I hate Windows.
Same here esp. Windows 10. Best is to buy it with the hardware otherwise you will run in lots of issues. Beginning with creating an Installation medium. Took me a while to figure that out. To get Linux on an USB-Stick I need only dd, but for Windows you need an extra Tool. It seems they haven't heard about hybrid installation images yet.
The Installer told me several times that he can not install Windows 10 on several systems, because it might not be able to boot afterwards from that partition. WHAT?!?!. Not to mention that the Installer still looks like from the 90s.
Finally I got installed it on my wife's laptop, but with a hell lots driver missing. No WiFi, no Bluetooth, no graphics card, and so on. WTH?!?!? Every Linux Distribution takes about 15-30 Minutes to install and runs fine on it. But that is the point where I gave up. The Laptop Vendor doesn't offer Windows 10 support, so no drivers on his website. Sorry, times are long gone that I start looking for drivers on the Internet esp. if Linux does meanwhile a hell lot better then Windows.
It is running now, where it belongs. In a Window.
1 Likes, Who?
Chronarius 5 Sep 2018
Aside from gaming what are the most cited missing applications? MS Office? Visual Studio? Autocad? Adobe's suite of software? Anything else?
You can remove Visual Studio from that list!
https://code.visualstudio.com/Download
0 Likes
I always bring up freedom and security first. In fact, I don't sell it on what Linux does do, but what it doesn't do.Except when it comes to games? Games are still software, and when it comes to many of them, they do collect massive amounts of telemetry and contain DRM. And when it comes to security, Xorg is not designed with separation in mind, so a game installed on your system could easily snoop on what you're doing, including passwords.
Linux does not backdoor its disk encryption.
Linux does not forcibly impose system changes.
Linux does not gather massive amounts of telemetry data.
Linux does not censor apps from its repositories.
Linux does not have a universal backdoor.
etc, etc
I wouldn't care if only ten crummy games ever existed for Linux, I would still choose it as my gaming platform because I refuse to let proprietary software make me it's bitch.
I'm a pragmatist myself, and I play proprietary games including on Windows, but unlike many Linux users I don't go around preaching free software while carving out exceptions for myself, like running old or new proprietary games natively or in emulators or compatibility layers which often come with issues.
If anything, I think it's more sympathetic to use proprietary software for work because it's the best tool for the job than willingly choosing to use proprietary software for non-essential entertainment.
In other words, yeah be pragmatic, but don't act so high and mighty at the same time.
(BTW I did not mean to point the finger at you specifically, but the Linux community in general.)
2 Likes, Who?
Patreon
PayPal
How to set, change and reset your SteamOS / Steam Deck desktop sudo password
How to set up Decky Loader on Steam Deck / SteamOS for easy plugins
See more from me