For many people, the #Linux vs #Windows vs #Mac debate is a privilege — it assumes you can choose.

[purrperl@noc.social]

@codemonkeymike

It's time we show windows the door.

It's a castle made of sand, and I feel a wave of freedom coming.

Just a moment...

(rant.li)

[ferihumh@mastodon.social]

@codemonkeymike
Pixel 3a -> Ubuntu Touch
Surface Pro 3 -> Ubuntu 24.04
HP-ZBook -> Ubuntu 24.04

On the Raspberry´s
NextCloud, pihole, Wireguard VPN, Trilium, Paperless ngx.................

[purrperl@noc.social]

@codemonkeymike @thegardendude

I am an experienced Linux user and excited about nixOS. Doesn't it require some scripting though, compared to other distros?
This looks very good. I hope you put together some more sections on the webpage, like a FAQ, describing how you have made it easier.

I'm planning to derive a distro from nixOS, and replace the nix language with an existing, popular, battle-tested scripting language like Ruby or Perl. ( Ruling out Python & Raku ). This could drive adoption.

[purrperl@noc.social]

@Metamere @thegardendude

I agree. I was also excited about Ubuntu, though they have added snap packages, and other proprietary extensions.

[grumpyoldtechie@hostux.social]

@codemonkeymike I fully agree, but prefer FreeBSD when the computer is for my own use. Ubuntu desktop linux for other people because support is more available.

[kbm0@mastodon.social]

@anatudor @vwestlife @codemonkeymike There is a whole generation of senior citizens who made the effort to achieve basic IT literacy around the early 2000s but have only ever used Windows. I find they are the most resistant to change, and will often cling stubbornly to old Windows installs packed with malware. In the end if you can get them to try something like an Xfce desktop with LibreOffice they will eventually feel right at home.

[candela@mastodon.nl]

@codemonkeymike try finding a 32-bit distribution that works. For some reason, distributions have abandonded 32-bit Linux, while many old PC's and laptops will only run that. I have a HP Notebook (formerly 32-bit 32 XP) and I still fail to find a working Linux distro.

[zeddiria@mastodon.social]

@codemonkeymike You are generally right, of course, i also hate that Microsoft / Apple is doing this.

But there are still easy and not forbidden ways to install Win11 on older Machines and there is also a (kinda costy) Windows 10 LTSC version that is supported till 2032.

Also i have strong feelings against people who say that Linux makes an old system fast. That is often not the case, and after hearing this everywhere people keep posting frustated on our unix-board about their core2duo & co

[mikesiegel@infosec.exchange]

@codemonkeymike I've worked with these folks and the first step is re-image them with Linux https://worldcomputerexchange.org/

[librefaso@hostux.social]

@codemonkeymike

Hi.
What's that "computer upcycle project" ?

[fenouilla_systema@mathstodon.xyz]

@Aphelie_epi_dor
Moreover, Tux is cuuute!

[elizafox@social.treehouse.systems]

@codemonkeymike ... unless it has a shitty wifi chip... or an unsupported sound chip... then good luck :p. It's a paperweight at that point, unless you run an ancient OS.

[zer0unplanned@friendica.rogueproject.org]

@purrperl @thegardendude @codemonkeymike
NixOS doesn't require traditional scripting. Instead of writing imperative shell scripts to install packages or configure services, you define your entire system's desired state in a declarative configuration file using the Nix language.

This means you declare what your system should look like (e.g., "I want Firefox and a web server enabled"), and NixOS handles the "how" automatically. This approach provides powerful benefits like reproducibility, atomic upgrades, and easy rollbacks, replacing ad-hoc scripts with a single, version-controllable source of truth.

There is no other way..

[zer0unplanned@friendica.rogueproject.org]

@codemonkeymike Fedora Atomic version for the win, really.
Not only the upgrades are rollback but it's immutable> there get to know containers!
They can hack your container or a tool of it but not the host at all.

All tools are in their Podman under the hood container form named Toolbox ( an easy way to manage tools in a container with just 1 command)
As running all tools NOT exposed to internet in a container, for other tools THAT USE INTERNET CONNECTION or others you can take Flatpak > on fedora they are Sandboxed.

[zer0unplanned@friendica.rogueproject.org]

@tschenkel @vwestlife @codemonkeymike Dual boot a linux on it!
As base, if you want more install DistroBox and put another Distro Linux on it on top.
On this pc I use hypervisor to run my Linux with greatest part of SSD but others as refurbished iMac's are all Linux from boot.

[fasnix@fe.disroot.org]

@Metamere @thegardendude

Instaed of Ubuntu, check out Solus, which is pretty well maintained and doesn't need to hide.

I use it as my main distro since ~ a year and like it.

[swestfisher@social.themoto.network]

@codemonkeymike , after I retired a few years ago I switched my personal computers to Linux. I do still have one with Win 11 for a couple of programs that only work on it. I wish FreeBSD would get better laptop support, I've always been more comfortable in BSD, HP-UX, AIX, etc. than System V stuff.

[zer0unplanned@friendica.rogueproject.org]

@m1rk0 @codemonkeymike you are full of bloat and AI knows everything you do. That is the argument.

[desantis@mastodon.bida.im]

@thegardendude @codemonkeymike I work in research and a lot of new converts use either Ubuntu or Linux Mint. Personally, I use Fedora/Budgie, before that Fedora Gnome. As another has already mentioned, check and see if the distro has a “Live” version, meaning you can burn the ISO to portable storage and try the O.S. before committing.

[codemonkeymike@fosstodon.org]

@Elizafox true but that's few and far between in my experience. But yes this does happen.