Is ubuntu good?

[Fadednova]

I got a dell xps 13 with ubuntu to save a bit AND get a qwerty keyboard. I am thinking of reinstalling windows onto it BUT i need an opinion of someone who tried ubuntu. Also is there a onenote alternative?

[jevjev]

1 minute ago, Fadednova said:

I got a dell xps 13 with ubuntu to save a bit AND get a qwerty keyboard. I am thinking of reinstalling windows onto it BUT i need an opinion of someone who tried ubuntu. Also is there a onenote alternative?

it is ok for things such as work and youtube web surfing but for gaming it can be a real hassle as you will need things such as wine to run any decent games 

[2FA]

I use Linux on my laptop and I like it but it's not for everyone. If you don't have the patience to figure out how to use the OS effectively, don't bother using it.

[Fadednova]

2 minutes ago, 2FA said:

I use Linux on my laptop and I like it but it's not for everyone. If you don't have the patience to figure out how to use the OS effectively, don't bother using it.

found a usb will partition and try it

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

I still maintain that Windows (as buggy and annoying it can be) and macOS are still the better OSes for daily use. Especially in the UI department and refinement of your most basic applications, I don't think Ubuntu will ever match the two juggernauts.

[Fadednova]

Just now, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

I still maintain that Windows (as buggy and annoying it can be) and macOS are still the better OSes for daily use. Especially in the UI department and refinement of your most basic applications, I don't think Ubuntu will ever match the two juggernauts.

time to try it out

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

1 minute ago, Fadednova said:

time to try it out

Me? I've tried Ubuntu and never got used to it. Fiddled around with Kali because of a Networking course I was taking. Those two never ended up earning a permanent spot on my daily systems. 

 

Oh and I tried Mint but it never got it to install properly. 

[Fadednova]

2 minutes ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

Me? I've tried Ubuntu and never got used to it. Fiddled around with Kali because of a Networking course I was taking. Those two never ended up earning a permanent spot on my daily systems. 

 

Oh and I tried Mint but it never got it to install properly. 

we will see

[Fleetscut]

3 minutes ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

Me? I've tried Ubuntu and never got used to it. Fiddled around with Kali because of a Networking course I was taking. Those two never ended up earning a permanent spot on my daily systems. 

 

Oh and I tried Mint but it never got it to install properly. 

Kali is in no way indicative of a linux desktop experience, as it is not intended to be a usable machine. Try out linux with a tiling enabled wm and you will never want to go back to windows.

[WereCatf]

Just now, Fleetscut said:

Try out linux with a tiling enabled wm and you will never want to go back to windows.

That's terribly condescending, as if your tastes were somehow superior to everyone else's and since you like tiling WMs, everyone will like tiling WMs. I have used Linux in various forms and distros since 90's, including many tiling WMs and the likes, I still ended up going with Windows for my desktop, and no, tiling WMs quite obviously didn't make me want to stick with Linux.

[manikyath]

being brutally honest, if you have to ask if "ubuntu is good", linux is not for you.

 

i like linux, i use linux a lot, but every time i've tried putting linux on my daily driver has resulted in disappointment or failure.

13 minutes ago, Fleetscut said:

Try out linux with a tiling enabled wm and you will never want to go back to windows.

i did, because of folks like you talking like it's a second heaven.. i switched back faster than it took to install the thing.

 

besides, with windows 10 the "tiling experience" really isnt all too bad.

[Fleetscut]

52 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

That's terribly condescending, as if your tastes were somehow superior to everyone else's and since you like tiling WMs, everyone will like tiling WMs. I have used Linux in various forms and distros since 90's, including many tiling WMs and the likes, I still ended up going with Windows for my desktop, and no, tiling WMs quite obviously didn't make me want to stick with Linux.

I think someone needs to look up the word hyperbole...

[JohhnyBravo]

Linux as a whole is wonderful...for geeks. if you just want something for casual everyday use windows is better. installing software on Linux can be pretty annoying. it asks for your password constantly (this helps prevent malicious software from wrecking your shit) and a lot of software does not have installation wizards so you have to compile it yourself which is not hard by any means but is tedious. Also Linux files are sometimes weirdly larger i.e Mankind divided is 80GB on linux and 50 on windows. 

[vorticalbox]

I use linux mint on my work laptop, I am having s much better time than my colleagues.

 

No random restarts for updates

 

Docker doesn't need to run in supervisor like on Windows, they have to ssh into a server to run / build images.

 

The only reason I don't have linux on my home laptop is my other half edits pictures from my DSLR in Photoshop and it has problem under wine when editing large amounts of raws.

 

If you're not tired to software that is Windows only then Ubuntu or any based on it is perfectly fine.

 

Best is to just partition off a 16~32 Gb on your main drive, install and give it a go.

[Worstcaster]

I have it on one of my laptops and like it.  I wouldn't mess around with it for gaming, but for general use I haven't had any problems.

[linuxgod]

13 hours ago, JohhnyBravo said:

Linux as a whole is wonderful...for geeks. if you just want something for casual everyday use windows is better. installing software on Linux can be pretty annoying. it asks for your password constantly (this helps prevent malicious software from wrecking your shit) and a lot of software does not have installation wizards so you have to compile it yourself which is not hard by any means but is tedious. Also Linux files are sometimes weirdly larger i.e Mankind divided is 80GB on linux and 50 on windows. 

So I should leave my front door unlocked because it's too annoying to unlock it?

 

On topic now, I wouldn't suggest Ubuntu because it's bloated but Lubuntu is exactly the same as Ubuntu but uses 1/4 of the ram so it will feel much more snappy or you could go with Debian.

[Alex Atkin UK]

I still prefer KDE personally as it feels more natural coming from Windows, though haven't tried Kubuntu in ages so not sure what its like.

I ended up on Fedora to stay on the cutting-edge of kernel updates (so any silly little USB devices off eBay usually work) but *buntu has come along leaps and bounds since then, so I have been seriously considering making the switch as *buntu is so much better supported now.

 

Pretty much any software not supported by Ubuntu themselves ends up getting third-party repos or the compile/installation instructions prioritise Ubuntu, so its kinda the more natural choice if you want things to "just work".

[Linus_torvalds]

On 7/28/2018 at 12:05 AM, JohhnyBravo said:

Linux as a whole is wonderful...for geeks. if you just want something for casual everyday use windows is better. installing software on Linux can be pretty annoying. it asks for your password constantly (this helps prevent malicious software from wrecking your shit)

 

1) You should not be annoyed by security feature! And if you are, no problem. one line in /etc/sudoers and you are free to install ANY software without password prompt, but remember so will be ANY malicious software or ANY other human being sitting in front of YOUR computer.

 

On 7/28/2018 at 12:05 AM, JohhnyBravo said:

a lot of software does not have installation wizards so you have to compile it yourself which is not hard by any means but is tedious.

2) You do not! Ubuntu, mint and many other distros have repositories with precompiled packages, you just have to run only one command and that's it software is installed. Also there are software center like programs. You just click install and that's it. On windows you have to download installer then execute it, click YES in UAC dialog, then next->next choos bloat which is installed with your software->next->finish. Linux is much better at software management and MS knows this. That's why it tries to have it's own store for apps.

 

On 7/28/2018 at 12:05 AM, JohhnyBravo said:

Also Linux files are sometimes weirdly larger i.e Mankind divided is 80GB on linux and 50 on windows. 

3) That's simply WRONG! I have 30 games on my steam account 22 of which are native linux games. There is no difference in installed size between windows and linux. On the other hand Linux itself is smaller then windows. For example my arch linux installation with all the programs regular user would need takes 4.8 GBs. Manjaro linux (better for beginers) which includs office software (2 actually linux libreoffice and MS office online) Skype, steam, video player, browser and all the other things takes 6 GBs whereas just windows 10 without anything else takes 14-15 GBs. Nvidia drivers for example for windows are about 500 MBs in size and for linux they are like 80 MBs

 

[nanaki]

6 hours ago, mate_mate91 said:

 

1) You should not be annoyed by security feature! And if you are, no problem. one line in /etc/sudoers and you are free to install ANY software without password prompt, but remember so will be ANY malicious software or ANY other human being sitting in front of YOUR computer.

 

2) You do not! Ubuntu, mint and many other distros have repositories with precompiled packages, you just have to run only one command and that's it software is installed. Also there are software center like programs. You just click install and that's it. On windows you have to download installer then execute it, click YES in UAC dialog, then next->next choos bloat which is installed with your software->next->finish. Linux is much better at software management and MS knows this. That's why it tries to have it's own store for apps.

 

3) That's simply WRONG! I have 30 games on my steam account 22 of which are native linux games. There is no difference in installed size between windows and linux. On the other hand Linux itself is smaller then windows. For example my arch linux installation with all the programs regular user would need takes 4.8 GBs. Manjaro linux (better for beginers) which includs office software (2 actually linux libreoffice and MS office online) Skype, steam, video player, browser and all the other things takes 6 GBs whereas just windows 10 without anything else takes 14-15 GBs. Nvidia drivers for example for windows are about 500 MBs in size and for linux they are like 80 MBs

 

Video drivers on direct x copat cards will always be smaller than on windows esp now that both windows and linux include VK api. In linux there is no native direct x support obviously so the video card drivers  for linux include no direct x files. This is the majority of the file size differences. But also libraries that nvidia ati etc all need to include in windows are already present for linux so the file download size and install size is going to be smaller by far.

 

Do this and you will see how hge direct x is in the drivers. Download say 1 full version older than absolute newest nvdia drivers on windows. Use a download meter for this next step Now close every program that uses the internet and update your nvidia drivers to the next full version number. The 1 version older driver will be as you say around 500 mb and the update which is all the actual driver components and only that will be 75 to 100 mb. This is also true for ati. 

 

There is a very good reason why full driver downloads are this big. Nvidia and ati have no way of knowing if you just installed windows 10 7 8 what ever and need the newest direct x or not. So all the parts for the driver that use direct x are pre packaged. Where as on a update only those parts of the driver related to direct x that have changed are included. Now by direct x install i do not mean direct x api but the parts of the driver needed for direct x support. You can see this when you install a driver sometimes it will say downloading direct x whateverversion. 

 

Sure nvidia could post a ver with direct x support prepacked and one that only includeds what was updated between the last driver and the newest driver. But they know as we all do ends users can be stupid heh and we who are geeks can act stupid sometimes and just grab the first driver we see and end up with a un needed head ache. 

[Linus_torvalds]

1 hour ago, nanaki said:

Video drivers on direct x copat cards will always be smaller than on windows esp now that both windows and linux include VK api. In linux there is no native direct x support obviously so the video card drivers  for linux include no direct x files. This is the majority of the file size differences. But also libraries that nvidia ati etc all need to include in windows are already present for linux so the file download size and install size is going to be smaller by far.

 

Do this and you will see how hge direct x is in the drivers. Download say 1 full version older than absolute newest nvdia drivers on windows. Use a download meter for this next step Now close every program that uses the internet and update your nvidia drivers to the next full version number. The 1 version older driver will be as you say around 500 mb and the update which is all the actual driver components and only that will be 75 to 100 mb. This is also true for ati. 

 

There is a very good reason why full driver downloads are this big. Nvidia and ati have no way of knowing if you just installed windows 10 7 8 what ever and need the newest direct x or not. So all the parts for the driver that use direct x are pre packaged. Where as on a update only those parts of the driver related to direct x that have changed are included. Now by direct x install i do not mean direct x api but the parts of the driver needed for direct x support. You can see this when you install a driver sometimes it will say downloading direct x whateverversion. 

 

Sure nvidia could post a ver with direct x support prepacked and one that only includeds what was updated between the last driver and the newest driver. But they know as we all do ends users can be stupid heh and we who are geeks can act stupid sometimes and just grab the first driver we see and end up with a un needed head ache. 

You did not have to explain i know about that. I just said that there is BIG difference. Linux includes many things but still it's size after installation is 1/4 of windows with same programs.

[wasab]

Been using only Linux since yesteryear. I used to have Windows on my gaming rigs for Witcher 3. But now I finished the game, i have no windows anywhere. My laptop runs Linux deepin(will install manjero on it after I go back to school) while my gaming desktop runs Ubuntu. I run games like company of heroes 2 on it and recently begin playing Star trek online on it every night(with wine and playonlinux)after my 12 hour workshift.

 

In school, it is just my Linux laptop my gaming desktop rig is left behind. I could do everything I need with it. School softwares like Maple and Matlab all have Linux versions. Coding is easier on Linux as well. Installing python modules just needs some apt get install commands. On Windows... Well, idk but I guess it isnt as simple. 

 

Ubuntu is good. A bit less stable and it's desktop is slower than lighter weight distro like mint but it is quite pleasing once you finish setting it up. The hard part about Linux is always first set up. Configuring power management, theming the desktop, getting things to work in general means googling terminal command which is pain. But once that is over, you can start enjoying the OS. Everything will just work.

 

 

[wasab]

16 hours ago, georgezilla said:

So one button install is hard?

I don't know where you are getting your software from that requires you to compile it, I've been using Linux for 20 years, and it's been more the a few years ago that I have had to compile anything.

 

Most distros have a software manager, and/or one click install from an official repo, and/or save it to your desktop and double click it and let the package manager install it.

Linux software installation used to require compiling. Remeber make and sudo make install? Oh yeah... That was the good old times.  Some softwares are still done this way especially the ones you get from GitHub. 

[Guest]

On 7/27/2018 at 10:05 PM, Fadednova said:

found a usb will partition and try it

You can try the software without installing it, it'll give you an option when you boot using usb (from what I experienced)

[Filthyscum]

On 7/27/2018 at 11:02 PM, vorticalbox said:

I use linux mint on my work laptop, I am having s much better time than my colleagues.

 

No random restarts for updates

 

Docker doesn't need to run in supervisor like on Windows, they have to ssh into a server to run / build images.

 

The only reason I don't have linux on my home laptop is my other half edits pictures from my DSLR in Photoshop and it has problem under wine when editing large amounts of raws.

 

If you're not tired to software that is Windows only then Ubuntu or any based on it is perfectly fine.

 

Best is to just partition off a 16~32 Gb on your main drive, install and give it a go.

Just curious, but have have you tried Rawtherapee and/or Digikam ?

[vorticalbox]

52 minutes ago, Filthyscum said:

Just curious, but have have you tried Rawtherapee and/or Digikam ?

I did try rawtherapee for a little while, I like it better but my OH like photoshop better. Plus I work most of the week so don't really get on the laptop much.