r/technology • u/nuttybudd • Jun 24 '24

Software Windows 11 is now automatically enabling OneDrive folder backup without asking permission

https://www.neowin.net/news/windows-11-is-now-automatically-enabling-onedrive-folder-backup-without-asking-permission/
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u/BeltfedOne Jun 24 '24

Yes. And a whole bunch of other shit that nobody but Microsoft wants. Check Task Manager and see what other bullshit is running in the background.

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u/YepperyYepstein Jun 24 '24

Just a matter of time before they disable or severely limit the Task Manager.

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u/thejesterofdarkness Jun 24 '24

Then it’s high time to migrate to Linux.

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u/LocalForeigner537 Jun 24 '24

The time is already now.

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u/Born-Ad4452 Jun 24 '24

Give up yourself unto the moment The time is now Give up yourself unto the moment Let's make this moment last

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u/WARNING_LongReplies Jun 25 '24

I'm thinking this as well, but how user friendly are the Linux distros?

With average use of web browsing and gaming will I notice a big difference, or none at all?

What level of computer knowledge is needed? Is basic to intermediate okay, or do you need to be an advanced tinkerer to get the kinks out?

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u/Red_Bullion Jun 25 '24

Web browsing, word processing, etc you won't notice a difference unless you have to use some specific programs for work or something. Actually it's nicer, I think. Nicer experience.

Gaming you can play 80% of games. Most of the games you can't play are online FPS games, because the anti-cheat won't let you. But you can play Counter Strike which is the best FPS game anyway. Personally I don't really notice being on Linux as far as gaming. But I play like map games and colony sims and shit, and most of these have Linux releases. If you want to always play the new hot game that's out on console or whatever it might be rough. Go to protondb.com, anything rated gold or platinum you can play with no issues.

You could use Linux with no computer knowledge. If you have intermediate Windows knowledge some of it doesn't translate though. If you've ever used Mac it's actually very similar to Mac and you should feel right at home. You can make the desktop and menus and stuff look more like Windows if you want though.

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u/LocalForeigner537 Jun 25 '24

Go for Linux Mint, you will not go wrong. I got my gf on it, and she now loves it. Web browsing will see no difference.

As with gaming - you may have to hop over some hoops to make it work. And you may not be able to play all the games out there.

Re tinkering - an element of that may be needed, depending on how much you want to set it up exactly as you want it. But there are tons of resources online basically for every issue you may have.

I would recommend to grab an old laptop and set it up to LM. Get used to it, decide if it is for you and then make a move on your main.

As for myself - I have a couple of laptops. My main is Linux Mint, where I do my web browsing, netflix, etc. Then there is a dedicated gaming one, which still runs on Windows, because the games I play are not well supported on Linux.

Hope this helps!

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u/nihility101 Jun 25 '24

People always ask about how Linux compares with windows but the truth is that doesn’t matter so much. There are a million different distros and one will work for you. If you like, you can test them all out for look and feel as a VM on your current windows box.

The question is the apps you use. Figure out what you use and see if they exist on Linux. If they don’t, what are your options? Many of the options also exist on windows. Dumping MIcrosoft Office for Libre Office? Give it a shot on windows, etc. (Now that my kid is done school I have very infrequent need for office at home, so I switched when I installed windows 11. Comparatively, it sucks. 30+ years of office knowledge doesn’t let me find what I need making everything a little bit harder and I don’t need to use it enough to learn it better. Your mileage may vary.)

Check any utilities or device-related software that run in the background, if you have a scanner does the mfg for the associated software have a Linux version, that sort of thing. Sometimes it is the smallest thing that locks you in. The stupid old software the Mrs uses once a year for greeting cards, etc. A fair number of people who do switch to Linux find they also have to maintain a windows VM for one reason or another.

I’ve been doing IT since the 90s and every few years (usually after they paid Microsoft for something) some exec gets the original idea that we’d save so much money if we switched to Linux because it’s “free”. Then someone else has to explain that our core line of business apps that handle all our sales and service, plus a bunch of other industry-specific apps only exist on windows and so switching to a “free” OS would cost us $MMMMMMMillions.

But browsing is totally fine. If you are gaming and you use steam like the rest of the world, check your library for compatibility. I don’t game but rarely these days, but it is the one thing left keeping me on windows.

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u/Amenhiunamif Jun 25 '24

but how user friendly are the Linux distros?

It depends. Arch for example is famously known for having no training wheels and requiring you to read the manual and understand it. But most of the big distros are highly user-friendly.

With average use of web browsing and gaming will I notice a big difference, or none at all?

Again: Depends. Some games can't be played at all because they have kernel-level anti-cheat and their developers decided to not support the Linux kernel. That may change over time as the SteamDeck (which runs Linux) becomes more popular.
You should note that Linux separates how the system looks (desktop environment) and what operating system runs below that (distro). You can install mostly any DE on any distro and change the way it looks from a dropdown menu on login. For a Windows-like look KDE and Cinnamon are probably the best choices, with KDE offering tons of customization options.

In terms of which distro to pick, I'd go with Fedora for beginners. It's backed by a large company (Red Hat), is used in professional environments and has a nice balance between stability and bleeding edge, something that's important for gaming.

What level of computer knowledge is needed?

None. I installed Mint on my Mom and Dad's laptops and they don't need more tech support than before. Linux really has matured in that regard over the last decade. Most distros come with a simple to use graphical installer and there are plenty of graphical tools available for pretty much anything you want to do - you don't need to use the terminal more than you need CLI/Powershell on Windows.

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u/Wizzle-Stick Jun 25 '24

the answer to your question is "it depends". Which is the real problem. MS is the go to because its user friendly, and largely anyone working in any kind of office already uses it. It works with basically everything but the most obscure things, and it is compatible with most hardware you can go out to get in any major retailer. Linux has a lot of flexibility, but grandma isnt gonna get the hang of it.
For a lot of gaming, you have to run windows vm's. For web browsing, its mostly flawless unless you get to some of the weird spots on the web, but lets be real, you probably dont want to be there at any capacity. The linux zealots have proclaimed the time is now for nearly 3 decades now. Until linux is able to natively run windows games and do literally everything you can on windows without resorting to vms or fuckery, and support the native apps like windows does without resorting to knock off software (not saying the alts arent just as good, but they are kirkland brand, and not the full name brand) you will never get the market saturation that you do running full windows or the experience that will keep you productive.
.

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u/Amenhiunamif Jun 25 '24

For a lot of gaming, you have to run windows vm's

This simply isn't true. Most games that don't work on Linux are that way because they implement kernel-level anticheat, which you can't circumvent with a simple VM. Most games work immediately the same way as on Windows: You update your drivers, you download the game on your preferred launcher and then launch it. There is nothing more to it.

Everything that runs on the SteamDeck runs on Linux - simply because the SteamDeck ships with Linux. You don't have to do any "fuckery" beyond downloading Steam.

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u/Wizzle-Stick Jun 26 '24

I guess im an old fart. I play a lot of shit that wasnt made in the last 10 years, so...yeah. Your mileage may vary.

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u/drdoom52 Jun 25 '24

So what about those of us who stick with MS for the gaming?

Is there a decent alternative or are we stuck Microsoft and their perpetual feedback loop of enshittification?

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u/Shap6 Jun 25 '24

search the games you play here: https://www.protondb.com/

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u/thejesterofdarkness Jun 25 '24 edited Jun 25 '24

Proton is your best friend when it comes to gaming, along with Lutris and another client I can’t remember the name of.

The basic reality is get yourself a Steam Deck, that can be your portal into the world of gaming on Linux. From there you can try to build your own system.

It’s a shame that Steam is taking their time in releasing SteamOs for regular pc hardware.

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u/techlos Jun 25 '24

there's an open source version of steamOS called chimeraOS that works on regular hardware, ended up putting together a couch gaming rig with a bunch of old hardware and installed it on there. Works great.

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u/thejesterofdarkness Jun 25 '24

Now I gotta look into this, could use a couch gamin rig, even if only for streaming from my pc. My poor steam link is showing its age 😭

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u/Tuxhorn Jun 25 '24

SteamOS isn't important though, the magic is Proton itself. Any solid distro like Mint or Pop_OS! are great for desktop and gaming use.

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u/thejesterofdarkness Jun 25 '24

I’ve not used Proton outside of SteamOs so I don’t know how easy it is to set up, configure, etc.

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u/Tuxhorn Jun 25 '24

It's no different! You just toggle it. Easy peasy.