Linux. I should have done this years ago.

[CaseyJ955]

I've stepped into the light, no longer under the damp murky shadow of MS (sort of).  I tried out Linux Mint, supposed to be pretty intuitive for windows users. I had to make a few adjustments to get it to dual boot with win10, and mount my FLAC library to be accessible in Linux.  Thankfully there is plenty of documentation online and most of it is pretty easy to read and understand, even for a less techy guy like me.  I run a GTX1080 so I had to get and adjust those drivers to get my sound and vid just as I like, although it worked right out of the box.  Learning code and bash commands honestly seems grueling to me, I'm learning that slowly through messing with Pi boards, and I've only just begun. I needed none of that to get it up and working, and very little of it afterwards.  The cool thing is you can put Linux on a bootable thumb drive and try it out without even installing it. 

I would have done this years ago, I've hated MS with the burning passion of a thousand suns since win95. Linux was always behind in supporting modern games. I play games about as much as normal people watch TV, so kind of a lot.  Now Steam supports Linux, to what degree I'm going to find out.  I've read that Uplay works too with a couple of adjustments. I plan to keep win10 to boot to just in case.  I've never done this before only because of lack of support for games, now that is not such a problem. 

I've only just started sorting Linux out and I'm fast falling in love with it. I shoudl not say sorted, it's easier to tweak than Windows by a fair margin it really illuminates how bloated and heavy Windows is. I'm going to highly recommend anyone that's just a bit down on MS to look into this. I've also dramatically cut all that network traffic to MS and Google, which is all blocked anyway. I like being in control again.

[uncledj]

ZQUXID...C,LOHBL, OHOHIII.COMM...DEOSYWY.

That's about what I understood.  LOL...Glad it's working out for you.

I'm NOT a techy guy, and it works to my detriment.   At work we've finally switched from paper service reports to EVERYTHING done through a tablet.

I HATE that thing.

The 12 year old IT people don't understand why it's a problem, but I'm not alone in my misery.  I'm one of the senior techs, and I talk to other techs as well as the dispatchers as well as the service manager, and we're all having trouble.

 "Just download these files, add them to a zip file, send them to the drive then find them, rename them and fill the forms out and send them back.   ?????

Horrible system.   Several apps to work through for what used to be simple stuff and constant responses of "I don't know why it's doing that".

I think the problem is that they tried to form their own systems, as compared to purchasing the programs commonly used in my trade.

It seems that anymore what's important is getting all the 'puter stuff straight, and wrenching on the equipment is second to that.   

I find that I now spend half of my time fiddling with the tablet, all while being pressured to get more of the wrench work done quicker.

I'm a mechanic, not an IT guy.

Paper always worked.

ARRRRGGGGHHHH !!!

[Guest divey]

As we Silver Surfers know, sometimes we have trouble with our computers.

Yesterday, I had a problem, so I called Georgie, the 11 year old next door, whose bedroom looks like  Mission Control, and asked him to come over.

Georgie clicked a couple of buttons and solved the problem.  As he was walking away, I called after him, 'So, what was wrong?

He replied, 'It was an ID ten T error.'

I didn't want to appear stupid, but nonetheless inquired, 'An, ID ten T error? What's that? In case I need to fix it again.'

Georgie grinned .'Haven't you ever heard of an ID ten T error before?

'No,' I replied.

'Write it down,' he said, 'and I think you'll figure it out.'

So I wrote down:

ID10T

I used to like Georgie, the little $hit head!

[bpate4home]

14 hours ago, divey said:

ID10T

I use this all the time. I wrote my first program on an early CP/m machine (I think) when I was 14 or 15. Wrote an inventory DB for a small auto parts store in trade for parts for a 66 Mustang we picked up for me to drive ('nother story there). That was somewhere around 1980 or 81. They were given a PC with a 'piece of junk' monitor in trade valves and rings to someone rebuilding an engine. Turned out the Monitor was the best part. It was a 'touch screen' so to speak (part of the other story). Any way I started using SCO Xenix and then Linux very early on. At that point they were a PIA to get setup right. Loading from a 5 /14 disc was lengthy process. I've even had to compile the kernel myself many times. Ran my own business on it with early SMTP/UUCP for email before email was a thing. I should grab an old machine out and try it again. I have no issues with MS in general other than the constant phone home stuff. What I really dislike is Apple and other like them. IE Apple and other sued MS years ago for 'forcing' apps onto customers and now Apple does this to the delight of everyone. The general populace is force to get 'stuff' only from their store and it is not as secure as MS at this point there's a 3rd story behind this one).  I've been thinking of getting my wife a newer machine as hers is a pig at the moment. Maybe I use that machine to try a Linux variant. Who knows, when I get home from work I don't want to see another computer. LOL

[saddlebum]

14 hours ago, uncledj said:

ZQUXID...C,LOHBL, OHOHIII.COMM...DEOSYWY.

That's about what I understood.  LOL...Glad it's working out for you.

I'm NOT a techy guy, and it works to my detriment.   At work we've finally switched from paper service reports to EVERYTHING done through a tablet.

I HATE that thing.

The 12 year old IT people don't understand why it's a problem, but I'm not alone in my misery.  I'm one of the senior techs, and I talk to other techs as well as the dispatchers as well as the service manager, and we're all having trouble.

 "Just download these files, add them to a zip file, send them to the drive then find them, rename them and fill the forms out and send them back.   ?????

Horrible system.   Several apps to work through for what used to be simple stuff and constant responses of "I don't know why it's doing that".

I think the problem is that they tried to form their own systems, as compared to purchasing the programs commonly used in my trade.

It seems that anymore what's important is getting all the 'puter stuff straight, and wrenching on the equipment is second to that.   

I find that I now spend half of my time fiddling with the tablet, all while being pressured to get more of the wrench work done quicker.

I'm a mechanic, not an IT guy.

Paper always worked.

ARRRRGGGGHHHH !!!

I fully get your misery. I have been a Mechanic for 50 years (now they call us Automotive Technicians - sounds fancier but does nothing to change the pay scale LOL). I remember when fixing vehicles was our 1st priorty now its keeping up with puter changes and constant upgrades, making sure reports are done in several different formats so everybody and their kid sister world wide knew what we did that day and some how find enough time to fix the truck so the poor driver waiting around impatiently can get back on the road and earn a living. I mis the days when all we had to do was fix the dang truck. Thanks to the IT age many of what were straight forward jobs are getting totally stuffed up.

[CaseyJ955]

21 hours ago, uncledj said:

ZQUXID...C,LOHBL, OHOHIII.COMM...DEOSYWY.

That's about what I understood.  LOL...Glad it's working out for you.

I'm NOT a techy guy, and it works to my detriment.   At work we've finally switched from paper service reports to EVERYTHING done through a tablet.

I HATE that thing.

It's working for me only because the install and use is now so much like windows (at least the distro I got) that getting it on the PC and getting it up and running is quite simple.  Getting it massaged into something that will do as I want/need, that is a little bit of a project after being with windows since 3.11 coming from DOS 6.22.  Also the online support for it has given detailed instruction for virtually everything I need to adjust.  I'm in the process of this and making pi-holes, VPN and stuff on a stack of Pi cards and kits I just got. I'm frequently punching above my weight class with the Linux bones but I've gotten this far just based on internet support. I had no idea where even to start with the older Linux setups.

I remember going from paper charting at work to charting with a effen laptop. I hated it, it slowed down my med pass dramatically.  The only advantage was it was suddenly possible to read what doctors and other nurses enter into the chart/orders.  Still, as it appears in your case, they needed to polish the system instead of going straight from an idea to actual use.  Sorry you had to grit through that enormous frustration.  Those IT people that talk using industry lingo knowing full well that your not following, it's them pulling a hybrid power and dick move.

I'm going to relent and do a bunch of reading and make some pi projects to try and grasp code and bash, and whatever else there is that I have very little understanding of. As I've been following tutorials and workarounds I've been picking stuff up. I still feel like a complete Linux noob.

7 hours ago, bpate4home said:

I use this all the time. I wrote my first program on an early CP/m machine (I think) when I was 14 or 15. Wrote an inventory DB for a small auto parts store in trade for parts for a 66 Mustang we picked up for me to drive ('nother story there). That was somewhere around 1980 or 81. They were given a PC with a 'piece of junk' monitor in trade valves and rings to someone rebuilding an engine. Turned out the Monitor was the best part. It was a 'touch screen' so to speak (part of the other story). Any way I started using SCO Xenix and then Linux very early on. At that point they were a PIA to get setup right. Loading from a 5 /14 disc was lengthy process. I've even had to compile the kernel myself many times. Ran my own business on it with early SMTP/UUCP for email before email was a thing. I should grab an old machine out and try it again. I have no issues with MS in general other than the constant phone home stuff. What I really dislike is Apple and other like them. IE Apple and other sued MS years ago for 'forcing' apps onto customers and now Apple does this to the delight of everyone. The general populace is force to get 'stuff' only from their store and it is not as secure as MS at this point there's a 3rd story behind this one).  I've been thinking of getting my wife a newer machine as hers is a pig at the moment. Maybe I use that machine to try a Linux variant. Who knows, when I get home from work I don't want to see another computer. LOL

It sounds like we are irritated by some of the same things haha.  MS gets credit for being well refined, but each iteration is more invasive to privacy and takes more control away from it's users. Windows should be free with all the adverts and "premium" services they bundle in, that are impossible to get rid of.  Cortana was the last straw for me, I knew then I needed something better. My last win10 laptop, an HP, was so loaded and clad with junk that could not be uninstalled or turned off that I stopped using it until the day I sort linux enough to go that way. I think that day has finally come. My first boot into Linux Mint was a very happy moment. It feels naked without all the junk, but has also become well refined and highly intuitive to windows users, at least this distro.  I've had it with MS trying to define both my computing and web surfing experiences in their favor.  Besides I've always been a gamer at heart and MS was the best OS to use for that.  Linux seems to be offering solutions for gamers now too, I saw the "Steam Machine" advertised and then realized that times have changed enough that even I can get to it. Linux even 10 years ago was well outside my technical grasp.  I think the difficult setups and need for a technical background scared many of us away.  Now with Linux being so much more user friendly and even feasible for games with some setup I'm in.  My first real test drive of mint has let me know two things for sure,

1.  It's so fast and light, it's come such a long way that even I can use it.  it's subtle differences can be learned

2.  It does get some setup to make it my own, but the community support is stellar and this trend of instructional walk-throughs not only gets me where I need to be but also imparts some knowledge as I go.  I'm a long ways from your level of knowledge.  I think the real milestones are that one can install and use it with very little knowledge, it's no longer outside the grasp of non-technical users, thanks in part to a brilliant database and community online and refinements in the install and setup process.

[bpate4home]

1 hour ago, CaseyJ955 said:

It sounds like we are irritated by some of the same things haha.  MS gets credit for being well refined, but each iteration is more invasive to privacy and takes more control away from it's users. Windows should be free with all the adverts and "premium" services they bundle in, that are impossible to get rid of.  Cortana was the last straw for me, I knew then I needed something better. My last win10 laptop, an HP, was so loaded and clad with junk that could not be uninstalled or turned off that I stopped using it until the day I sort linux enough to go that way.

I do a lot of windows scratch installs in a corporate style environment.  The boatware isn't with MS but with the equipment sellers. This was actually a big reason why MS introed the Surface and the Surfacebook lines.  It was to get a competing product with an iPad style but they even said to the hardware mfgrs "If you cannot sell hardware without all the junk - we will." they followed that too.  My first SurfacePro had 0 bloatware. Not even an Office iteration option.  Just plain Windows, was a great option. Now we use Windows LTSB for the Firm.  This is a non-bloatware or addon Windows and not tied to the quarterly large update that MS produces.  IMHO Apple is far worse with their updates and they relied on security through obscurity for the longest time.

[CaseyJ955]

On 10/21/2020 at 11:34 AM, bpate4home said:

I do a lot of windows scratch installs in a corporate style environment.  The boatware isn't with MS but with the equipment sellers. This was actually a big reason why MS introed the Surface and the Surfacebook lines.  It was to get a competing product with an iPad style but they even said to the hardware mfgrs "If you cannot sell hardware without all the junk - we will." they followed that too.  My first SurfacePro had 0 bloatware. Not even an Office iteration option.  Just plain Windows, was a great option. Now we use Windows LTSB for the Firm.  This is a non-bloatware or addon Windows and not tied to the quarterly large update that MS produces.  IMHO Apple is far worse with their updates and they relied on security through obscurity for the longest time.

When I got my current copy on my desktop I had to go to Best Buy and grab it on the hurry, just an expensive thumb drive with win10 home 64 on it. I see what you mean about the absence of bloatware. I bought an HP laptop a few years ago and it was maddening trying to clean it up, I vowed never to buy another HP again, and have not. I know they are mostly all that way. The next laptop I get will get Linux straight away.  Same when I got my Samsung phone, it was rooted and de-googled in no time. Using anything that has anything to do with Google is a hard no if there is any choice on the matter.

The home Win10 version I'm running is pretty clean with regards to the vendor-specific bloatware. I've been considering all the features that I cant get rid of, like Cortana, as bloatware.  I think my verbiage is faulty.  All the phone home bit has bothered me since installing the Pihole and watching watching the pihole.log live. I could block any/all that I want, and do so aggressively, but Win10 is not alone, I've permanently taken my TV off the net and tossed Roku out once I saw what they were up to. 

I've spent the last couple days in Mint and it has cemented my conviction to switch to Linux, but I realize I might have to keep Win10 around for the foreseeable future.  I think I have more to learn before I kick off the training wheels.  Had I known there were lighter versions of 10 at the time I probably would have ended up with something that would have fit my needs much better.  Actually setting up Linux Mint was easy, getting the dual boot part was a little more detailed since I used a fresh separate SSD hard drive for the Linux install.  Gotta say, I'm excited to learn more.  It's a lot less scary to mess with an OS when there is a backup OS to boot into if it all goes south.

 

[Freebird]

For 12 years, I worked for a Hong Kong based company importing and selling automated electroplating machines.  Primarily for plating circuit boards but also general metal finishing. The macherery ran on Programmable Logic Controllers, mostly Allen Bradley and Omron but the operators interface was all on Unix so I had to do a lot of work with it.  I later installed a version of it on one of my computers and it worked fine but sometimes getting certain programs to work was a royal pain.  Mind you this was all close to 20 years ago.  There have been a lot of changes since then.

I do most overlying on my MacBook Pro now.  Been using them for several years now and can honestly say that I've had zero issues and not a single crash.  I do have Parallels installed so run Windows 10 on the rare occasion that I need a Windows program that I can't find, inexpensively, for the Mac.

[MiCarl]

For those of you looking to try Linux but need Windows programs look into the WINE library for Linux.  WINE gives you the libraries you need to run quite a few windows programs.

Last I looked, and it's been awhile, WINE only supported through Windows XP which was fine for me because I haven't got new software since Windows 2000.  That might have changed since then.

[RDawson]

I thought we spoke English here???? My technophobia is why I didn’t buy that new 18 Venture that was on here for 12k a few months ago. This “everything has to be on a computer” thing drives me nuts. I used to be able to walk out of my office, cross the hall,  stick my head in the chief’s office, and say one of the fire trucks is broke down. 15 seconds flat. Now I have to access the correct forms, fill em out, email em to him, CC in other captains, Bcc in the mechanic so the chief can call me across the hall to ask if it’s broke. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

[Marcarl]

6 hours ago, RDawson said:

I thought we spoke English here???? My technophobia is why I didn’t buy that new 18 Venture that was on here for 12k a few months ago. This “everything has to be on a computer” thing drives me nuts. I used to be able to walk out of my office, cross the hall,  stick my head in the chief’s office, and say one of the fire trucks is broke down. 15 seconds flat. Now I have to access the correct forms, fill em out, email em to him, CC in other captains, Bcc in the mechanic so the chief can call me across the hall to ask if it’s broke. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

Bout the way it is, isn't it. Thinkin Bum would agree.

[CaseyJ955]

On 10/24/2020 at 11:39 AM, RDawson said:

I thought we spoke English here???? My technophobia is why I didn’t buy that new 18 Venture that was on here for 12k a few months ago. This “everything has to be on a computer” thing drives me nuts. I used to be able to walk out of my office, cross the hall,  stick my head in the chief’s office, and say one of the fire trucks is broke down. 15 seconds flat. Now I have to access the correct forms, fill em out, email em to him, CC in other captains, Bcc in the mechanic so the chief can call me across the hall to ask if it’s broke. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

I've got a thing about touch screens and vehicles, especially bikes.  Truth seems to be that tech sells vehicles to some and repulses others, I think it's a great way for mfrs to make old tech look new and cutting edge again.  It seems to be a generational divide.  I want a computer running EFI, IGN, ABS and ride modes, a single switch controls that, no touchscreen needed. I've seen washer/dryer sets and fridges with smart screens, cant think of many more reasons to keep the Kenmore 60 series for another couple decades. I happen to be in agreement with you, it's largely needless, expensive and often counterproductive to try and automate things that just don't need to be "smart". Sometimes simple is good and less is more.

 

[CaseyJ955]

On 10/24/2020 at 8:47 AM, MiCarl said:

For those of you looking to try Linux but need Windows programs look into the WINE library for Linux.  WINE gives you the libraries you need to run quite a few windows programs.

Last I looked, and it's been awhile, WINE only supported through Windows XP which was fine for me because I haven't got new software since Windows 2000.  That might have changed since then.

I've read that WINE works on most things now. I'm still trying to grasp it all but WINE is still around and said to be highly effective.  Aside from a few favorite games I did not find anything I had to bring from Windows, the Linux versions of the things I was using work great, or better, plus it all seems to be open source so no being locked out of how it works.  If anything I'll try and play some windows games on Linux, I've heard that WINE still works great but Steam Play is supposed to run the vast majority of windows only games with no setup or tweaking. That was a huge stumbling block before.  I guess Valve is a big supporter of Linux, and also come up with some of the coolest games ever, so it's a move in the right direction.  The whole industry seems to be becoming more Linux-friendly as time goes on.  I've also read that if you can make windows only games run on Linux you can make anything run on Linux.  I was ready for some hassles in getting things going and so far all the wrinkles I've run into were solved by a quick duckduckgo search and applying the remedy.

I've got my Linux desktop about all setup and everything working as I like.  I'll see if I can sort through WINE. I've downloaded it but not done anything else with it yet. 

[RDawson]

7 hours ago, CaseyJ955 said:

I've got a thing about touch screens and vehicles, especially bikes.  Truth seems to be that tech sells vehicles to some and repulses others, I think it's a great way for mfrs to make old tech look new and cutting edge again.  It seems to be a generational divide.  I want a computer running EFI, IGN, ABS and ride modes, a single switch controls that, no touchscreen needed. I've seen washer/dryer sets and fridges with smart screens, cant think of many more reasons to keep the Kenmore 60 series for another couple decades. I happen to be in agreement with you, it's largely needless, expensive and often counterproductive to try and automate things that just don't need to be "smart". Sometimes simple is good and less is more.

 

Right there with ya. Wife n daughters have all those touch screens, proximity keys, back up cameras, yada yada yada on their vehicles they somehow convinced me to buy for them. I drive a 20 year old Chevy 4x4 that I can wrench on. I trust that truck over them all, won’t hesitate to go anywhere in it. 

[bpate4home]

On 10/24/2020 at 12:39 PM, RDawson said:

I thought we spoke English here???? My technophobia is why I didn’t buy that new 18 Venture that was on here for 12k a few months ago. This “everything has to be on a computer” thing drives me nuts. I used to be able to walk out of my office, cross the hall,  stick my head in the chief’s office, and say one of the fire trucks is broke down. 15 seconds flat. Now I have to access the correct forms, fill em out, email em to him, CC in other captains, Bcc in the mechanic so the chief can call me across the hall to ask if it’s broke. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

LMAO I was reading the thread again to pick up any tidbits I missed. This brought up my college application process. This was in 85 and I was asked if I had any foreign languages like Spanish or French. I started listing computer languages like Cobol, Fortran, Assembly and a few others. The response was 'Wow that's impressive. You're all set there'. 

[saddlebum]

I have this thing smart things that suddenly was loaded on my samsung with one of my updates (UNASKED FOR BTW) and cannot get rid of it. The only thing it does as far as I'm concerned is use up twice as much battery power so my phone is good for a day instead of week between charges. If I try to remove or disable it,  my blue tooth quits working because smart things has taken control of it. I go to my son to see if has the answers and his response is why do want to get rid of it - its great and proceeds to show me how through his cell phone he can turn lights off and on turn on his robotic vacuum control his radio or TV. I tell him I don't need all that because I got two legs that work just fine and all that crap is A  just laziness and B another window for us to be spied through. He just laughs and say's Dad you need to come out of the middle ages and get with the times. Lot of help he was.

Boy do I miss the so called middle ages of the 50's - 80s. When life was still fun. even though there are a few things I do admit to enjoying about technology such as this website.

Edited October 27, 2020 by saddlebum

[bpate4home]

On 10/27/2020 at 9:43 AM, saddlebum said:

I have this thing smart things that suddenly was loaded on my samsung with one of my updates (UNASKED FOR BTW) and cannot get rid of it. The only thing it does as far as I'm concerned is use up twice as much battery power so my phone is good for a day instead of week between charges. If I try to remove or disable it,  my blue tooth quits working because smart things has taken control of it. I go to my son to see if has the answers and his response is why do want to get rid of it - its great and proceeds to show me how through his cell phone he can turn lights off and on turn on his robotic vacuum control his radio or TV. I tell him I don't need all that because I got two legs that work just fine and all that crap is A  just laziness and B another window for us to be spied through. He just laughs and say's Dad you need to come out of the middle ages and get with the times. Lot of help he was.

Boy do I miss the so called middle ages of the 50's - 80s. When life was still fun. even though there are a few things I do admit to enjoying about technology such as this website.

I agree with you on all the bloat that gets thrown on the devices today.  I still refuse to have Alexa or Google in my house. I do, however, use SIRI when I ride for full hands free stuff like changing the navigation. I don't even need to look at the phone.  If it doesn't work and I absolutely need to do it I pull over to do it by hand.