I’ve been running Linux Mint under XFCE for a while now and I am growing tired of it. I originally had cinnamon which I did not really like so I decided to go with XFCE and customize it to my liking....
I used to use xfce quite a lot (very lightweight and great for anything virtual, especially). I recently installed the latest Ubuntu with gnome. It’s actually pretty good, but… Oh man do I ever wish that top notification bar could be merged with the task bar (and relocated to the bottom). Also, the extensions designed to auto-hide it no longer work!
My reflex action to close a window is to mouse up to the corner of the screen and click. This is ineffective if there’s an immovable top bar there in the way and taking up limited screen real estate.
I’d switch to KDE (or Sway, or…?) , but they don’t have a Wayland RDP server… yet. (I use this.)
Anyway, give it a try. Gnome is okay when you get used to it, but my impression is that it seems to resist flexibility for its users, and this is quite sad, actually. (I’m still using it, and I’m eager to be wrong here.)
I’ve been seeing all these posts about Linux lately, and looking at them, I can honestly see the appeal. I’d love having so much autonomy over the OS I use, and customize it however I like, even having so many options to choose from when it comes to distros. The only thing holding me back, however, is incompatibility issues....
The LibreOffice stuff generally has a workaround, even if frustrating. Most general use stuff on Linux is fine (again, not without pain wrt interoperability with my other systems).
My issue with Linux is the stuff that just doesn’t run at all (software and HW). For niche stuff, you can occasionally find a halfway implemented bridge utility made by a well-meaning (and brilliant!) enthusiast, but, in my cases, it either doesn’t work or is too glitchy to be anything more than a effort to see if I can get it to run as opposed to doing the task I set out to do originally. Add to that the fact that your (paid) software and HW is explicitly unsupported and at best at a “you’re on your own” status, and it becomes a high risk proposition.
Make no mistake - trying to get stuff to work is fun in and of itself. I use Linux. It’s fun. It’s breathed fresh life into old machines. It was my daily driver for years. Etc.
Ultimately, I really, really wish more proprietary software and associated HW supported Linux. I’m happy to pay for stuff I need/want that is outside of the FOSS world. But until devs of commercial products recognize the value of investing in Linux, it’s a game of whackamole.
In meantime, I still try to get my stuff to work on Linux. It’s a much better OS, but to successfully run the stuff I need I am confined to Windows (with WSL) - unfortunately.
Used to run Linux as daily driver about 20 years ago, so I recently converted an old laptop to Linux to breathe new life into it.
It’s definitely good for many things, but many things are simply not doable. And some things are not doable simply.
Would love to see broader support from companies so that devices worked (with resorting to clever, yet incomplete guesswork scripts from helpful enthusiasts). I don’t see evidence of this changing anytime soon. So my main machine will just have to remain Windows until then. Unfortunately.
I also wish Wayland had broader adoption amongst distros and that some essential tools existed for it (remote desktop server, for example - gnome’s works, but you have to been confined to gnome…)
But, many things will improve over time. It’s a lot of fun.
Mainly issues around music production. NI Maschine does not function. There’s an old attempt at a driver for a previous version that sort of works for a trivial part of the functionality on an older device, though not any of the bits I actually need to use if it did work. Unsupported either way. Pretty much simply undoable. (running virtual would not work as I’d need to do a very large install of libraries and keep it up to date and in sync during transition).
Guitar hardware is unsupported (helix). Official recommended suggestions is that a) it’s not supported and you’re on your own, and b) maybe try to run virtually or dual boot (defeating the purpose!)
Not having much luck with audio plugins (the DAW is easy - Reaper is great). NI Access only runs via wine on the old installer (insanity to put my lot in something not only unsupported, but official unsupported and sunsetting). I’ve had very little luck getting essential (to me) paid plugins to run. Have tried wine /bottles /yabridge/every combination of drivers/configs I can think of. No joy. Most plugins (not all) might have an answer, but after many days’ effort, I would categorize this as not doable simply. (unless one is lucky (or not unlucky) - and it’s still not actually supported).
Adobe Lightroom is a non-starter. Yes, darktable exists. It’s great, but not actually covering the use case that makes Adobe worth paying for - full integration across devices syncing both ways, and allowing to separately backup originals via my NAS onto Wasabi or wherever. Free software is fine, but I’m happy to pay for something like this.
Commercial support is what’s needed. I am happy to pay for stuff I use (and I believe others should as well) but my core use cases are not covered, and until companies see the business case for support, very little will change. I know Kilohearts was asked about Linux support recently - they said considered it, but it’s not worth their while. This is a great, newish, company that is not even burdened by technology debt constraining them to Win/Mac and it’s not worth it for them…
Apple is best in class for music, but ecosystem is so closed - plus you can’t easily upgrade HW! I am not a fan.
Windows works very well (yes - it’s quirky, but it works well for me). I am not happy with the direction it’s drifting though.
In meantime, I keep trying to make this stuff work in Linux - I actually do use it happily - but it’s not workable as my main machine.
That’s pretty much the point. (ie - stuff I need won’t work in wine or won’t work at a HW level).
Wine is fun, but are a growing number of features that are not supported and likely never will be. (by way of example - NI Access 2 installer uses UAC calls. Not workable.
It becomes a game of whackamole trying to find workaround after workaround (and a coin toss as to whether or not one actually exists…)
Project Bluefin: A Linux Desktop for Serious Developers (thenewstack.io)
From The New Stack
Linux Mint XCFE -> Gnome?
I’ve been running Linux Mint under XFCE for a while now and I am growing tired of it. I originally had cinnamon which I did not really like so I decided to go with XFCE and customize it to my liking....
How do y'all deal with programs not supported on Linux?
I’ve been seeing all these posts about Linux lately, and looking at them, I can honestly see the appeal. I’d love having so much autonomy over the OS I use, and customize it however I like, even having so many options to choose from when it comes to distros. The only thing holding me back, however, is incompatibility issues....
deleted_by_author
"Timed Mute" or equivalent for communities..?
Please ignore - in error, I have asked lemmy where I should not have. (can’t figure out how to delete the post)...