The alternative title would be: Everything you always wanted to know about Linux but always were afraid to ask...
So, as you can see bellow my avatar, I'm posting under Linux. :)
Well, not entirely exact... I'm just experiencing Linux, I didn't installed it yet.
That's a good thing Linux has. You can see it "working" before install it.
Not only you can get a feeling about what this thing is but you can also see the kind of trouble you're in... :)
First thing I noticed is that I can connect to the Internet. Nice.
The second one is that I have no sound...
But first things first.
Linux comes in a seemingly endless variety of "distributions" (the natives calls it "distros") and "flavours".
Don't worry, they're basically the same just wrapped into different appearances to better catch us, the Windows Knights.
I've chosen a particularly attractive specimen that goes by the name of "Ubuntu Mate". She told me that she would be very light on consuming my old laptop resources so I kept her... besides "mating" was something that seemed to me interesting.
Now, for the scientific part. You have three options for the most of these distributions.
1. Install it. (no more windows)
2. Dual boot. (you'll have a screen asking you each time you open the pc what operative system you want to use)
3. What I've done so far. See how it works.
The third option will allow you to, if you want, jump to the second. Not my plan, I intend to jump directly into the enemy's territory... :)
To be continued... (depending on my mood... and survival :) )
Try Mint Mate. It's the same Ubuntu under the hood, but prettier on the surface. But if you are looking for "light on resources", then Xfce is lighter.
Try Mint Mate. It's the same Ubuntu under the hood, but prettier on the surface. But if you are looking for "light on resources", then Xfce is lighter.
Yes... well, I prefer not to use something that remembers me 386 processor's times and that's what Xfce screenshots remembered me. I'm not sooo low on resources I can't use a bit of shining thinghies.
(I know you're a fundamentalist... I remember you defending the usage of text-only browsers... :) )
As for Mint Mate, I don't know. I suppose first love is the best love. :)
So I'll stick with this one.
----------
I discovered that I have sound but only at my headphones. I'll wait for install definitely at the pc for start solving that. I still have to discover how hardware detection and drivers works.
It has been a pleasant walk in the garden until now. Refreshing but a little bit strange.
Xfce can look like many things. In Mint it looks more or less the same as the other Mint flavors. If you're talking about my Xfce, which looks a bit like Windows 98/Me/2000 — that's my choice and preference.
Yes, Xfce can look many things. My Xfce is lately combined with Openbox. I'm not aware of any distro doing this by default.
If you're not low on resources, then I recommend Cinnamon, in my opinion the best out-of-the-box desktop available in the Linux world. It's the flagship of Linux Mint. And it lately acquired a fine XP theme http://segfault.linuxmint.com/2015/08/cinnxp-makes-cinnamon-look-like-windows-xp/
As for Mint Mate, I don't know. I suppose first love is the best love. :)
So I'll stick with this one.
Don't fall in love too easily. It can break your heart.
I discovered that I have sound but only at my headphones. I'll wait for install definitely at the pc for start solving that. I still have to discover how hardware detection and drivers works.
For some time, reorienting the sound from loudspeakers to headphones and vice versa went automatically, but currently there's some innovation that everybody is struggling with, so often we have to readjust it manually. When I first installed Manjaro Xfce, it took up HDMI display and sound automatically, but these days I have to adjust it in the controls to get it right.
Okay... finally entered without fears into Linux land. Installed and working...
Sound problems were gone by magic with the full install. Maybe an update it did solved the problem, I'll never know.
There's a general feeling of things running smoothly and what's really really nice is that I'm using very low memory.
This is a dual core, 1Gb Ram with a 256Mb Nvidia laptop and I'm actually using just about 33% of memory using:
A desktop with Midori browser - 3 open tabs;
A second desktop with System Monitor (kind of task manager)
and a third desktop with Caja (files and folders), Transmission (torrents) and listening to some music with Audacious (kind of Winamp).
This is very good, while at windows I would be probably bordering 90% memory...
Now, some beautiful pictures.
Desk1
(https://dndsanctuary.eu/imagecache.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FqVT8cyV.png&hash=03413007385929deb4a28cdc54ee9dfa" rel="cached" data-hash="03413007385929deb4a28cdc54ee9dfa" data-warn="External image, click here to view original" data-url="http://i.imgur.com/qVT8cyV.png)
Desk2
(https://dndsanctuary.eu/imagecache.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FEApFzk9.png&hash=1ff0f811342ee293666d0f07d4cb8bcf" rel="cached" data-hash="1ff0f811342ee293666d0f07d4cb8bcf" data-warn="External image, click here to view original" data-url="http://i.imgur.com/EApFzk9.png)
Desk3
(https://dndsanctuary.eu/imagecache.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FbvppA5w.png&hash=c32b1a756c11d1186a98614e89b0c2cb" rel="cached" data-hash="c32b1a756c11d1186a98614e89b0c2cb" data-warn="External image, click here to view original" data-url="http://i.imgur.com/bvppA5w.png)
As you can see, Midori doesn't renders too much well our quotes here in the forum... :) But I like it, light and goes generally well. Firefox works fine.
Now, it's time to begin my Adventures... :)
How did you get the OS identify as Mac? Did you tamper with Midori's UA?
And does F3 do anything in Caja?
How did you get the OS identify as Mac? Did you tamper with Midori's UA?
No, the "Automatic" setting identifies as Mac OS, see here (https://dndsanctuary.eu/index.php?topic=1424.msg44824#msg44824). The MSIE thing must've been set by me in some forgotten past, unless that was the default.
And does F3 do anything in Caja?
The split view thingy they removed from Nautilus? I guess it ought to.
Yeap, sure it does, F3 gives you two separate panels, it adds a second tab. You can add more. Handy.
As for the Mac OS, I'm inoccent. :)
Changed the automatic in Midori for Midori identification. Now it's correct, it shows Linux, but I suppose I prefer Midori to "hide" under some other identification for certain websites.
Yeap, sure it does, F3 gives you two separate panels, it adds a second tab. You can add more. Handy.
Good. In Xfce I don't have it and I miss it, so I made a workaround. I launch Midnight Commander inside the selected folder and I get triple panes!
(https://vivaldi.net/media/com_easysocial/photos/6757/84293/ekraanipilt-2015-08-14-11-30-38_original.png)
By the way, the specs of your laptop look weakish. How big is the screen? Maybe you could benefit from a considerably lighter desktop where you can launch apps always maximised? My 1GB RAM netbook looks like this.
(https://vivaldi.net/media/com_easysocial/photos/6757/40542/e155356fbf18ea405c23526c1a042d4c_original.jpg)
By the way, the specs of your laptop look weakish. How big is the screen? Maybe you could benefit from a considerably lighter desktop where you can launch apps always maximised? My 1GB RAM netbook looks like this.
I can perfectly launch apps maximised without no problem, do it constantly. Screnshots were meant to show to those that never tried Linux how the desktop looks, not the applications per itself.
Screen is 1440x900. Using the maximum resolution at 60hz. I'll have to try with a second monitor, I'm used to that for image editing software.
Laptop it's an Acer Aspire 9420.
How did you get the OS identify as Mac? Did you tamper with Midori's UA?
I've seen the same with Midori on NetBSD, IIRC Midori identifies as Safari by default. Or some people think anything using webkit is Safari.
Screen is 1440x900. Using the maximum resolution at 60hz. I'll have to try with a second monitor, I'm used to that for image editing software.
Laptop it's an Acer Aspire 9420.
17 inches and wider aspect ratio. I have never had such a big screen myself. Mate should be a very good choice for it.
How did you get the OS identify as Mac? Did you tamper with Midori's UA?
I've seen the same with Midori on NetBSD, IIRC Midori identifies as Safari by default. Or some people think anything using webkit is Safari.
I don't care much for Midori, so I haven't tested it much. I remember Midori had an additional interface option on Linux Mint that has been removed in other distros (i.e. removed in the official release of Midori and only Mint applies a patch to get the option back) but I have forgotten now what the option was. Probably it was the option to hide the tabbar with just one tab.
The title of the thread it's not innocent.
I know perfectly that I'm being fooled by the efforts made to turn Linux accessible to everyone.
While things can be made/solved/fixed with graphical interfaces, just read it and choose what option you want, things are easy.
The moment that doesn't work and any Windows user will be completely lost at these Wild-Lands.
The problem is even worst. Anyone can Google "Linux" "how-to xxxxxxxx" "guide" "beginners". It will not solve anything.
Either you'll be redirected to "pure" Linux, I mean, you do everything at command lines or you'll need to search by "distributions" or whatever you have. In that case, you'll go directly to... forums.
Forget it. No "technical" forum will ever teach you anything, but a few and honorable posts at such forums. A rare thing to happen.
There's a gap for intermediate users that has no information.
I really don't know if I want to do such a boring path.
Tomorrow will be another day.
So... ain't this a nice picture? :)
I wonder how many times Firefox will "have a problem..."
Currently it has been twice a day at least.
(https://dndsanctuary.eu/imagecache.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FjceDb19.png&hash=282f6152679930aa95d721bae39364ef" rel="cached" data-hash="282f6152679930aa95d721bae39364ef" data-warn="External image, click here to view original" data-url="http://i.imgur.com/jceDb19.png)
Firefox problems are not Linux-specific. Firefox crashes with the same error messages on all platforms.
The best Linux documentation in the world is Archwiki which most directly applies to the distros called Arch and Manjaro, but other *nix users should be able to adapt and adopt from it too. And the net is full of solutions for Ubuntu that you are using.
For example subscribe to Nixie Pixel. She'll teach you all the helpful dirty tricks.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x73WTEltyHU[/video]
For example subscribe to Nixie Pixel. She'll teach you all the helpful dirty tricks.
I'll give it a look. My knowledge is probably spotty in places. :P
Firefox problems are not Linux-specific. Firefox crashes with the same error messages on all platforms.
The error message might be the same on all platforms but it never occurred to me on Windows since I'm using Fx alongside Opera Presto. I've started using Fx as soon as Opera anounced its move to Blink.
Side note:
It would be interesting for Nix noobs like me to hear about some honest pros and cons regarding Linux vs Windoze.
I've experienced myself a few, years ago when I was looking for a decent Windoze replacement. At that time I ended up with a Debian based distro called Katonix.
However it would be interesting to read the expertise of some dedicated Linuxistas who also have some sound Windoze experience. :)
For example subscribe to Nixie Pixel. She'll teach you all the helpful dirty tricks.
I'll give it a look. My knowledge is probably spotty in places. :P
sudo rm -rf /
There's a dirty trick right there.
I prefer Spatry's reviews and guides, for example check out Spatry's Xfce 4.12 review (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJvJC3TZCns). Yup, I prefer the old guy who says "Awrright, guess what, kids..." instead of the young lady who says "Yay, we just executed a command... We wouldn't want our heads explode from the sheer volume of bash commands now, would we?" but the point is that Nixie Pixel promotes Ubuntu most of all, while Spatry is good for distro hoppers (with some special attention on Manjaro).
@krake
Spatry has at least two videos comparing major features of Linux with Windows, but you'd probably think he's dishonest. Anyway, YT is full of such comparisons from many aspects.
I think I've discovered why had Firefox crashing. An extension.
Very handy thing, speeddial's like. Disabled it and having no more crashes for now. I'll wait a couple more days until I'm convinced that was the cause. Hope so.
I'll have a look at those videos Ersi, the command line (terminal, they call it in this system) seems to me to be where tricks are done for many things. I suppose it's used much more than a simple user will use it at Windows.
The error message might be the same on all platforms but it never occurred to me on Windows since I'm using Fx alongside Opera Presto. I've started using Fx as soon as Opera anounced its move to Blink.
I've never seen that error message before in my life on any OS. :P
It would be interesting for Nix noobs like me to hear about some honest pros and cons regarding Linux vs Windoze.
For most intents and purposes there are no differences. Most programs I use on a daily basis are cross-platform and don't differ too much from Windows and Mac OS. Mostly it's just harder to get settled on something because there's so much choice.
There's a dirty trick right there.
Yeah, I'm not spotty on what
that means. :P But actually I shouldn't be that spotty anyway; it's just that all the shell can do so many things.
I'll have a look at those videos Ersi, the command line (terminal, they call it in this system) seems to me to be where tricks are done for many things. I suppose it's used much more than a simple user will use it at Windows.
You don't need to use it any more than in Windows. It's just so
useful. Just try something like
pngquant *.png in a GUI. In Windows I've long enjoyed the same usefulness through Cygwin, because the MS-DOS prompt is rather primitive compared to Bash, let alone zsh.
It would be interesting for Nix noobs like me to hear about some honest pros and cons regarding Linux vs Windoze.
For most intents and purposes there are no differences. Most programs I use on a daily basis are cross-platform and don't differ too much from Windows and Mac OS.
It actually depends on the specific intents, purposes (and
needs too). My own experience with Linux radically transformed the way I related to computers. Both during my first baby steps with Linux about 15 years ago and after my decisive move to dump Windows, hardly anything was comparable or similar.
For example,
if you prefer the console, you definitely
are much better off on Linux.
You don't need to use it any more than in Windows. It's just so useful. Just try something like pngquant *.png in a GUI.
Or it runs things that are so useful, such as elinks+irssi+mutt which is as close as it's possible to get to Opera that we have lost.
If I type at the line user interface
sudo apt-get install otter
it will install the otter browser in my computer without the need of doing anything else?
No. Add the PPA https://launchpad.net/~otter-browser/+archive/ubuntu/release
Eh eh, it works... :)
Thank you ersi. Now, I'm going to analize the Otter browser.
(https://dndsanctuary.eu/imagecache.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FsfARq9s.png&hash=f804576a537962fb82c65d4fad43a14b" rel="cached" data-hash="f804576a537962fb82c65d4fad43a14b" data-warn="External image, click here to view original" data-url="http://i.imgur.com/sfARq9s.png) (http://imgur.com/sfARq9s)
For most intents and purposes there are no differences.
This is mostly what I've experienced myself. :)
It's also the main reason I didn't install Kanotix (or some other distro) on my newer computer which had Win7 preinstalled on it.
However things might change in the future. The reason is my growing (http://www.techworm.net/2015/08/new-windows-788-1-updates-spy-on-you-just-like-windows-10.html) suspicion (http://www.infoworld.com/article/2911609/operating-systems/kb-2952664-compatibility-update-for-win7-triggers-unexpected-daily-telemetry-run-may-be-snooping.html) towards MS.
For example, if you prefer the console, you definitely are much better off on Linux.
I'm extreme lazy when it comes to typing. :D
I prefer a frugal but powerful GUI with lots of buttons. :)
'm extreme lazy when it comes to typing. :D
I prefer a frugal but powerful GUI with lots of buttons. :)
So do I. But do you also prefer an operative system that takes you 90% of your computer resources just for working? And that you actually have to pay for it?
This Linux thing I got has a nice Gui (not different from windows and even with many better things) and comparing the same usage, I'm using about one third up to half of ram capacity that I would be using it with windows. It's like doing an upgrade on hardware for free. :)
Do as I done, install it as a dual boot. Experiment it. It's free. Be courageous. :)
I'm starting to like this thing and believe me I'm not someone easy to convince.
You'll need not to type anything but what your own curiosity demands from you. Blame your curiosity. :)
But do you also prefer an operative system that takes you 90% of your computer resources just for working? And that you actually have to pay for it?
(https://dndsanctuary.eu/imagecache.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FwBqxWOg.png&hash=de296dd1ffe2455838b2265516ff7097" rel="cached" data-hash="de296dd1ffe2455838b2265516ff7097" data-warn="External image, click here to view original" data-url="http://i.imgur.com/wBqxWOg.png)
As you can notice in the picture above, resources are not an issue on my mashine. The OS was preinstalled on the mashine (besides I got also an OEM CD).
It was a special offer. A similar mashine without any OS preinstalled on it would have been more pricey.
This Linux thing I got has a nice Gui (not different from windows and even with many better things).
I don't care about how the desktop looks. The more modest the better. Aero was among the first things I've disabled in Win7.
As for many and better things, you made me curious. What are those things? :)
Do as I done, install it as a dual boot. Experiment it. It's free. Be courageous. :)
It's not a matter of courage.
So far I'm still pleased with Win7. As soon as I won't be anymore (for whatever reason) I'll switch to another OS and it won't be dual boot. At least not one with MS as an option. ;)
Okay Krake.
From the beginning. Since I'm exploited by Germans, I have to use my old laptops instead the new 8 Gb of ram, quad core machines you use thanks to explore me.
I defend efficiency. Having the best for the less resources. That's what I'm exploring with Linux.
When I said better things at the desktop, I mean clever ways of presenting things, clever ways of doing things. Install it and you will see it.
Glad that you will not install a dual boot but a full install. We've a brave man, bad thing you hesitate so much... :)
Do you know what really made me install Linux? because I upgraded seven for 10 for curiosity. And I got stucked with a user password request when I had no password at 7. No way to get around that. Enough of Microsoft, I've already paid them a fortune for what? controlling me? destroying my data?
Enough.
For example, if you prefer the console, you definitely are much better off on Linux.
Well, like I somewhat vaguely stated, I'd been using Cygwin in Windows since the early 2000s for easy access to Bash and GNU utils like wget. Admittedly, this was probably only after some of my early ventures into Linux alerted me of just how poor the MS-DOS Prompt was in comparison.
Back in 2011, when I switched to Linux as my primary OS, there were only two applications that felt slightly problematic: µTorrent (http://fransdejonge.com/2011/06/switching-%C2%B5torrent-from-windows-to-linux/) and foobar2000 (http://fransdejonge.com/2011/01/a-decent-audio-player-on-linux-or-how-to-replace-foobar2000/). Both of these actually ran perfectly in Wine, which is how I managed for a while. The blog post I linked to details how I switched over to the Linux server version of µTorrent, but a combination of µTorrent's decreasing and qBittorrent's increasing quality made me switch. In foobar2000's case I also eventually switched to Deadbeef, which in some ways is reminiscent of the early versions of foobar2000. That being said, I still use foobar2000 via Wine for ReplayGain tagging.
For certain use cases, such as Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office, and Adobe Reader, I do maintain a variety of Windows VMs, courtesy of Modern.ie (http://modern.ie). I could actually install stuff with a proper license, but why waste the time. And for playing games like Dreamfall Chapters I maintain a Windows 7 install, recently upgraded to Windows 10 for gaming performance reasons.
For example, if you prefer the console, you definitely are much better off on Linux.
Well, like I somewhat vaguely stated, I'd been using Cygwin in Windows since the early 2000s for easy access to Bash and GNU utils like wget.
To be able to graft GNU utils to Windoze platform is nice, same as the ability to get Windoze apps running on Linux by means Wine or such, but it's only half of the story. It's an incomplete and unnative solution. The complete solution would provide the same experience as on the native platform, don't you think? Surely you agree that Wine is rather glitchy.
The other half of the story with Cygwin would be ability to boot into console prompt (and do everything from there that Linux can) or to have your fav Linux terminal emulator installed. Looks like the free choice on Windows is rather limited http://lifehacker.com/5857540/the-best-terminal-emulator-for-windows
Surely you agree that Wine is rather glitchy.
Just make sure to check Wine HQ first. ;) But yeah, I probably use those Windows VMs more frequently than Wine.
The other half of the story with Cygwin would be ability to boot into console prompt (and do everything from there that Linux can) or to have your fav Linux terminal emulator installed. Looks like the free choice on Windows is rather limited http://lifehacker.com/5857540/the-best-terminal-emulator-for-windows (http://lifehacker.com/5857540/the-best-terminal-emulator-for-windows)
I used PuTTYcyg (https://code.google.com/p/puttycyg/).
First problem I had, the Grub program that allows for dual boot kapput. :eyes:
It doesn't presents any choice, loads Ubuntu and loads it badly.
Well, armed with my proverbial courage I went to consult Google's oracle and in small but decisive and brave steps into Terminal witchcraftery I was able to load the repair feature, to upgrade the repair feature, to open the repair feature and, finally, to repair it! :)
All that while having my morning coffe. Course the coffe took me all the morning, but I did it eh eh :D
Working as a charm. You can give me congratulations.
Congrats!
Parabéns!
I haven't had troubles with dual boot installed by Linux side by side with Windows. It's strange that you had to repair it. But then, it's Ubuntu... :right:
It's strange that you had to repair it. But then, it's Ubuntu... :right:
I believe that some troubles I got while using Otter browser to acces a particular website of shit, that forced me to press the shut off key several times, had something to do with it.
Computers are always reluctant with abrupt shut offs, after three or four times something will go wrong.
Anyway, I like the Otter browser, it made me smile many times remembering me the old Opera and the huge ammounts of time I spent customizing it. :)
If it weren't for the lack of a mail client, I'd be using Otter by now.
It's strange that you had to repair it. But then, it's Ubuntu...
Lol, I quit installing Xubuntu on my son's computer. Not sure what he does to break it but it goes boom!
All Ubuntu 15.04 versions failed to install on mine. But Mint and Peppermint work perfectly.
I enjoy to watch the terminal running lines and lines while I' don't have a clue about what's going on... people thinks that I'm an expert. :)
Very surprisingly the computer keeps on working.
(https://dndsanctuary.eu/imagecache.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.improgrammer.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F01%2Flinux_world_map_by_fabianinostroza-d5xa079.jpg&hash=8ea39a58d5889a4775450349ad7a5e31" rel="cached" data-hash="8ea39a58d5889a4775450349ad7a5e31" data-warn="External image, click here to view original" data-url="http://www.improgrammer.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/linux_world_map_by_fabianinostroza-d5xa079.jpg)
There are several such maps. Dedoimedo also made a couple.
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/linux-world-map.html
http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/linux-world-map-reloaded.html
eh eh, nice map, it should be at the opening post. :)
Kind of game of thrones.
I particularly like items such as "Unity Fortress" and "The Great Compile" in those maps. I would like to see more of them. "OpenRC Flagship" and "Systemd Backdoor" come to mind.
So, Belfrager chose the Mate desktop. I have been quite satisfied with Xfce for long now, but lately some minor details get on my nerves. In Openbox and i3wm I can tell specific programs to spawn a certain kind of window. For example VLC to launch Always On Top. And when I need to toggle Always On Top away, I can configure midclick or something similar really simple for this. Not so in Xfce (xfwm). This is why I have been using Openbox as the window manager for Xfce for a while now. (Edit: Alt+F12 in xfwm is not the same thing, particularly when in conjunction with Always On Top I need Omnipresent/Always On Active Desktop, for which there is a titlebar button both in Xfce and Openbox.)
Another nice desktop in my opinion is KDE, even though I have not carefully explored its features. There are just so many settings in KDE that it would take an eternity. Manjaro KDE a few version numbers ago was absolutely fabulous and I installed it for someone who is very happy with it.
Right now the latest Manjaro Cinnamon looks absolutely fabulous and seems to answer my mini-concern with Xfce: Always On Top can be set with midclick. Cinnamon is really the greatest Haven in the Wild-Land of Linux these days. (Edit: The Haven has its own bad apples though, such as Gedit, whose unconfigurable non-toolbar-titilebar is seriously out of place. Should I install Leafpad there?)
I have been quite satisfied with Xfce for long now, but lately some minor details get on my nerves. In Openbox and i3wm I can tell specific programs to spawn a certain kind of window. For example VLC to launch Always On Top. And when I need to toggle Always On Top away, I can configure midclick or something similar really simple for this. Not so in Xfce (xfwm). This is why I have been using Openbox as the window manager for Xfce for a while now.
I didn't know Openbox could do that. I prefer to use a third-party app like devilspie2 (http://devilspie2.gusnan.se/) which will work with any WM.
And when I need to toggle Always On Top away, I can configure midclick or something similar really simple for this. Not so in Xfce (xfwm).
Hm, interesting. I figure you can set a keyboard shortcut, but I don't see an obvious way to set up mouse actions.
Hm, interesting. I figure you can set a keyboard shortcut, but I don't see an obvious way to set up mouse actions.
It's Alt+F12 out of the box in Manjaro Linux, but since there's another move that I do at the same time with mouse, I want to do toggle Always On Top with mouse too. I have searched the web to no avail so, if it's possible, it's not easy enough. Now I already installed Cinnamon.
There's a trade off between the amount of time one spents customizing and tweaking systems and the amount of time one actually spents using it.
These days I'm less and less willing to do the first and more willing to do the second.
I find Mate desktop plain simple, not too much customizing possibilities but it goes fine, it's simply clean. I had enough customizing time waisted with the good old Opera browser to realize these things are always ephemeral. Not again.
These days I'm less and less willing to do the first and more willing to do the second.
I agree. But note that in Linux it's super easy to copy over your preferences (stored in plain text files in your profile), while Windows hides tons of stuff in an inaccessible registry.
These days I'm less and less willing to do the first and more willing to do the second.
I agree. But note that in Linux it's super easy to copy over your preferences (stored in plain text files in your profile), while Windows hides tons of stuff in an inaccessible registry.
Well, I am not doing this lightly. I have given it ample thought and luckily I am fast and efficient at copying over my settings etc.
But note that in Linux it's super easy to copy over your preferences (stored in plain text files in your profile), while Windows hides tons of stuff in an inaccessible registry.
That's good but I still have to understand the Linux file system so I can know where things are.
I'm not really paying too much atention. Lazy boy. :)
System-wide config tends to reside in /etc, but for most of your daily purposes thing'll just be stored in your home directory (/home/Belfrager or whatever :P). Meaning you could just reuse that entire thing, although that might not always be the best idea.
/etc? what a name for storing important things... :)
Well, it seems to be the right place, it's full of enigmatic content.
I need to study it, /home/Belfrager directory being just the windows like division for storing documents, music, pictures, etc.
(And nope, it's not Belfrager. :P )
If you're interested, you can find out what the directories mean here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_filesystem#Conventional_directory_layout). I agree that /etc sounds somewhat odd. Much (but not all) of your own config is in ~/.config (~ is a shorthand for /home/username). Putting a . in front of a file or directory name makes it hidden.
Ah, thank you very much Sir Frenzie.
Most material in the internet is written by Americans and they don't know how to explain things. Even worst are the videos, no patience. :whistle:
I have been quite satisfied with Xfce for long now, but lately some minor details get on my nerves. In Openbox and i3wm I can tell specific programs to spawn a certain kind of window. For example VLC to launch Always On Top. And when I need to toggle Always On Top away, I can configure midclick or something similar really simple for this. Not so in Xfce (xfwm). This is why I have been using Openbox as the window manager for Xfce for a while now.
I didn't know Openbox could do that.
Openbox does everything like Xfce and is generally more configurable, except for two things that matter to me.
1. There's no inbuilt drag-and-snap feature. (Snapping and tiling by keybinds can be emulated though, without any need for external apps, and it works better than in Xfce, if configured carefully.)
2. The titlebar ellipsis occurs in the middle of the titlebar text, instead of truncating the end of it. I need to read filenames from VLC's titlebar, but I can't quite do it in Openbox. In Openbox, I have to enable VLC's statusbar to see the filenames properly. I have not found how this titlebar ellipsis could be configured (without recompiling, I mean).
Other than the annoyance #2, Openbox is the most perfect window manager for the way I work.
My first encounter with Openbox was on Crunchbang. This is a Debian-based distro where Openbox is configured to perfection out of the box. It needed hardly any tweaking after the installation. (Except that I was not so happy with Debian.)
My second encounter with Openbox was on Manjaro. Manjaro used to provide an official Openbox version, but it required some tweaking to get it right for the way I work. This nice tutorial got me started https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5RO9H2bw9U
When someone is looking for a lightweight window manager, I recommend Openbox above anything else. But when someone is looking for the absolute best window manager in the Linux world, then that's Cinnamon.
Besides looking nicer and feeling more comfortable than any other window manager, Cinnamon provides more features and configuration options for snapping and tiling, titlebar handling and window layers than Xfce. These are the features that matter to me most.
At the same time, there are some annoyances in Cinnamon.
1. A window on the top layer sometimes stays on top of a fullscreened app. Fullscreen should always get priority over everything else.
2. A window set to display on all workspaces seems to occasionally lose its all-workspaces status for no apparent reason.
3. The design of the sound applet (the volume icon) is just plain wrong in principle. And it's getting worse (http://segfault.linuxmint.com/2015/09/cinnamon-2-8-better-sound-applet/).
4. There's a neat highly useful window list button in systray that lists windows on all workspaces. I wish it could be set under Alt-Tab like in Openbox. Probably there's a downloadable applet that does this, but I haven't found it. Instead of ruining the built-in sound applet, Alt-Tab should have development priority as a highly configurable built-in core feature. (Cycling windows on all workspaces is still available via Ctrl-Alt-Tab.)
Cinnamon developers also provide Linux Mint, indisputably the best distribution for Linux newcomers. In my opinion, Mint fully deserves its #1 fame.
Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu. Ubuntu was originally a comfortably installable Debian, but now Mint is an improvement over Ubuntu.
Debian is a respectable historical distro. There are a number of respectable, more fundamental distros that provide the base for derivative distributions. Debian originally provided the base for its derivative Ubuntu, but now Ubuntu is independent to the extent that it's itself the base for innumerable other distros.
Fundamental distros are often hard (geeky) to install, such as Slackware, Arch or Gentoo. I have never even tried those. So it's nice to have derivative distros that make fundamental distros easy to install. Salix is a comfortably installable version of Slackware. Manjaro is a comfortably installable version of Arch. Sabayon is a comfortably installable version of Gentoo.
PS Microwatt R8 (wattOS) also has a reasonably well configured Openbox, but the more recent Microwatt R9 features the tiling i3wm instead.
for the way I work.
You work in a very complicated way... :)
for the way I work.
You work in a very complicated way... :)
It only seems this way when I explain it. It's true that I waste a lot of time tweaking things, trying to figure out ways to be more efficient. But this is okay because it has indeed substantially reduced my work load and it's an important hobby for me at the same time.
Here's a little about my workflow.
1. Point the home browser to my job intranet.
2. Download a bunch of sound files to harddisk.
3. Play the files as a list in VLC.
4. Open up the editor on top of the browser (because I insist on maximum space for composing texts).
5. Since the editor is on top of the intranet interface where I must see some stuff, make the editor transparent.
6. In order to not lose VLC while switching between other windows, VLC must be set Always On Top (and I actually use several workspaces, so VLC must be Omnipresent or Show on All Desktops too), but to keep it reasonably out of the way, it has to sit in screen corner with just the essential info and buttons visible.
I just booted into Manjaro Mate. Last time was almost a year ago. This edition has considerably improved. Mate, Xfce and Cinnamon are equivalent in most ways. Preference between them comes down to taste and familiarity. Only some more advanced aspects may prove decisive when choosing between them.
For example, if I wanted to embed Openbox or some other window manager into the desktop environment, I think I'd have to pick Xfce. If I wanted a screensaver nicely integrated with the desktop environment, then I'd have to go for Mate or Cinnamon, whereof Cinnamon has more other bells and whistles (literally, for example sound themes).
This screensaver/screenlocker detail is important because Wine apps invariably crash for me when I lock Xfce which directs into login manager. But in Mate, both under Manjaro and Mint, I have noticed that compositing (=the transparency effect) is not switched on by default. I wonder why.
Mint's Cinnamon has the best uniform app interface design in the world. In other distros, Cinnamon fails to provide a menubar and a sensible titlebar in Evince and Gedit, but Mint still does it. In Mint Cinnamon, Evince and Gedit are probably patched somehow. (Don't look for Evince and Gedit in Mate. Their equivalents in Mate are Atril and Pluma. And it's good this way.)
1. Point the home browser to my job intranet.
Leave the job. You'll spare all the other subsequent steps. :)
Until now I find most of these Ubuntu apps to have maybe too much childish level kind of options and settings. But if this gives me processing and memory power then that's enough. The more I use computers the less I have patience for waiting and spending my precious time around these idiotic machines.
The more I use computers the less I have patience for waiting and spending my precious time around these idiotic machines.
Same here. Which is why I take the time and make the effort to figure out how to automate tasks ever more efficiently.
Yes, I understand that Ersi, it's a matter of
sagesse. :)
Now, I have a problem under Linux, I'm needing three different browsers.
- One, Firefox, fails to render my rss feeds aggregator (netvibes), it says that particular website doesn't allow for something (iframe?) wich is false, it works perfectly with other browsers.
- The other, Otter, fails to keep cookies, what forces me to login every time I enter DnD and other sites. No patience.
(keep the excellent work, Emdek, I look forward to Otter to become my only browser. :) )
- The third, Midori, it's a very honest, light and clean browser, that also reminds me the old Opera, but the bookmark system it's horrible. Besides, it also crashes with one of my daily newspapers.
:mad:
Firefox is the browser that should be compatible with just about everything. I don't understand why it wouldn't work.
- I just tried to subscribe to Netvibes with FF. What's the issue you are having?
- I also get cookie problems with Otter, when I block all and then allow them per-site. And certificates throw up repeated warnings.
- Midori could be nice, but somehow isn't (crashy, and the direction of the development is lately to remove options instead of adding them). Qupzilla also has its quirks. I only have them these days if they were on board from the beginning and I didn't care to uninstall them.
My home browser for the last few years has been Seamonkey. I keep also Opera 11 around for the mailer and for sentimental reasons.
Firefox because I see no reason to uninstall it. When I borrow my computer to someone else, they usually use FF. I have zero interest in Vivaldi these days, but sustained interest in the likes of Luakit, Qutebrowser, Elinks...
And I made this post in Otter, which is one of the browsers where DnD cookies are intact. I have forgotten the password :(
And I made this post in Otter, which is one of the browsers where DnD cookies are intact. I have forgotten the password :(
You can simply reset your password provided the e-mail address you provided is still current?
Firefox is the browser that should be compatible with just about everything. I don't understand why it wouldn't work.
It did. Recently Netvibes stopped displaying some websites content and says "this website prevents embedding via iframe" but it works perfectly with any other browser so the sites aren't preventing anything.
The main reason I still need to use Firefox it's because Otter and Midori freezes/crashes with a pt daily newspaper, a problem with scripting. Disabling scripts prevents freezing but makes that I lost the hability for reading each article's second page.
Firefox was fabulous against IE, these days it irritates me with all those extensions.
Meanwhile a new Otter install solved the cookies thing. It seems that I need not to login each time.
Probably the repeated amount of times I had to shut it down abruptly did damage something.
By the way, I just remembered that I need to see if Tor works well in Linux.
This never stops...
/me wants to move the mouse pointer by means of keyboard.
Hard to do in Linux. Windows apparently has a tool for it http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000542.htm
Specifically, I sometimes want to centre the pointer to the focused window by hitting a key on the keyboard. That's it.
When you cycle to the wanted window by keybind, but your mouse pointer is elsewhere and you have "focus follows mouse" switched on, then the selected window will lose focus. To keep the focus in these cirumstances, the mouse pointer must be centred to the window. Since cycling occurred by keybind, it would be convenient to centre the mouse pointer also by keybind, not by reaching for mouse.
Searching the net for a solution, I found that there's a Sawfish extension that does it http://sawfish.wikia.com/wiki/Move-resize-by-key-cursor "If mouse is not used for doing move/resize, the cursor will be placed in a good position for moving/resizing using keyboard."
Except that I have no plans to use Sawfish. I also found a tool called xwit but this apparently doesn't distinguish windows by focused versus unfocused to move the mouse pointer. It can only select/focus the window that is currently under the pointer or move the pointer relative to windows identified by other features than focus.
Looks like this minimal move for the mouse pointer by keybinds would be something for window managers in general to consider, specify and implement. For example it would be cool to have "focus mouse pointer to the selected window" as an option in window cycling (Alt-Tab).
Hard to do in Linux.
Maybe, maybe not (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mouse_keys&oldid=651402596#Enabling). :) (NB I haven't actually tried it myself.)
Hard to do in Linux.
Maybe, maybe not (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mouse_keys&oldid=651402596#Enabling). :) (NB I haven't actually tried it myself.)
Wow, it works as described for Windows! Like this:
- Do
setxkbmap -option keypad:pointerkeys- press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+NumLk
Now the number keys in numpad move the pointer. However,
- 5 does not move the pointer. It only focuses the window that resides currently under the pointer.
- My specific request to bring the pointer, either by means of a keypress or automatically upon cycling, to the currently focused window remains unaddressed. Only Sawfish has an extension for it, as far as I have found.
* ersi wants to move the mouse pointer by means of keyboard.
You can do it with a wacom tablet and a pressure pen. It adds a new vector, pressure, over all the 360 degrees directions.
Up, down, left and right seems to me very limited in terms of directionality. Very squared kind of movements, you'll miss circles and spirals, the biologic movements.
You'll die.
Up, down, left and right seems to me very limited in terms of directionality. Very squared kind of movements, you'll miss circles and spirals, the biologic movements.
You'll die.
Actually, it moves diagonally too.
Anyway, my plan was not to replace my awesome newly acquired Kensington trackball with keyboard. I had a slightly different specific aim: To centre the mouse pointer on the active window either automatically or by a single keypress.
After more searching, I found that a thing called Autohotkey does it for Windows, among many other functions it has. In my opinion, this simple mouse pointer move should be part of window managers' specification in general.
Edit: Here's a link http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=16997.msg158575#msg158575
After more searching, I found that a thing called Autohotkey does it for Windows, among many other functions it has. In my opinion, this simple mouse pointer move should be part of window managers' specification in general.
A few years ago I read that autokey (https://github.com/autokey/autokey) is basically the Linux AutoHotkey equivalent, but I'm not sure whether it's currently still maintained nor have I tried it.
Thanks for the tip, Frenzie. This version seems perhaps more update https://github.com/guoci/autokey-py3
But it's a thing that does too much. Learning to use wmctrl (a dependency of autokey) would achieve the same effect.
But it's a thing that does too much. Learning to use wmctrl (a dependency of autokey) would achieve the same effect.
Eh, you could say something similar about devilspie2. To do the things I'd want to do with wmctrl I'd have to write something that'd essentially be devilspie2. But I've never used AutoHotkey or autokey, myself. Do they have any sample scripts to illustrate what one would use it for?
But it's a thing that does too much. Learning to use wmctrl (a dependency of autokey) would achieve the same effect.
Eh, you could say something similar about devilspie2. To do the things I'd want to do with wmctrl I'd have to write something that'd essentially be devilspie2. But I've never used AutoHotkey or autokey, myself. Do they have any sample scripts to illustrate what one would use it for?
Autokey has a wiki https://code.google.com/p/autokey/wiki/ContributedScripts and Autohotkey has forums.
I have thought about devilspie2 and pytyle3 earlier, but didn't use them. They do things that in my opinion the window manager itself should provide somewhere somehow via configs. And what devilspie and pytyle provide, I don't need too badly. I don't even need the autocentring of the pointer too badly. I can drag the pointer with the trackball or on the trackpad as I've done thus far, until it occurs to more people that autocentring to the focused window would be a nice touch, just like focus-follows-mouse is a nice thing to use in netbooks.
They do things that in my opinion the window manager itself should provide somewhere somehow via configs.
Eh, the Unix philosophy is basically more dedicated relatively simple tools rather than one super complicated tool. On the other hand a window manager could do these things more organically, like right clicking on the Skype titlebar to tell it to always start minimized or in the background. But I might like it even more if that were just a GUI for e.g. devilspie2, much like the monitor configuration dialogs are a GUI for xrandr.
Upgraded from Ubuntu Mate 14 to 15.10 via software update built in app. Strangely, everything went fine or so it seems.
Notice no differences...
Good, good. :) Security and stability upgrades mostly, I assume.
The other, Otter, fails to keep cookies, what forces me to login every time I enter DnD and other sites. No patience.
That one might be webkit and not the browser itself - I have the same problem with Midori.
Also, Midori has the annoying habit of stopping to run scripts on pages that have been in the background for a while ( no, I don't want them to run in background tabs but they sure should run when the tab comes back to the foreground ). And lastly, it doesn't reliably save the open tabs on exit. When it starts back up it sure opens all tabs but at various points in their history, not necessarily where they were when exiting the browser.
After a few months adventuring myself alone and fearless into the Linux magical woods:
Caminante que no hay camino, tu mismo lo haces al caminar...*
And I will not return back... :)
* Spanish saying about the "Way to Santiago". Walker there is no path, the path is made by your own walking...
Cool. :)
Here are another couple of posts about moving to Linux, in case anybody's interested.
https://medium.com/backchannel/i-moved-to-linux-and-it-s-even-better-than-i-expected-9f2dcac3f8fb
https://evertpot.com/switching-to-linux/
And both are Buntuers. Makes me think that Ubuntu is already the next MS Apple. At least I felt quite limited when on Ubuntu Unity. Moving to Manjaro Xfce was rather liberating, a similar leap like from Vista to Unity. Openbox and OpenRC provided further discoveries.
That's nothing inherent about Ubuntu. The one guy explicitly talks about how much better he thinks KDE (i.e. Kubuntu) is than Unity, and if I were to recommend Linux to a random person I'd probably tell them to give Xubuntu a try. But yes, Manjaro has certainly risen up these past few years.
Admittedly, I also exclusively install and recommend Buntus to random people, inasmuch as Mint is really a Buntu and so is Linux Lite OS. Buntu provides the widest selection of desktops, hardware support and it stays comfy even when unmaintained. Nobody in my circle of acquaintances and friends likes to get dirty with Linux, except myself.
Quite balanced and informative, I keep it among my bookmarks since ages: DistroWatch (http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major)
However, IMO there is no silver bullet distro. Each one has its pros and cons.
Ubuntu and Mint are pretty close to the silver bullet for newcomers to Linux. Newcomers normally don't know about different desktop environments and such, so the plainest choices fit them best for the time being. The first step made, they can familiarise themselves with more options and begin to make more informed choices.
Newcomers normally don't know about different desktop environments and such, so the plainest choices fit them best for the time being.
Yes and no.
Newcomers aren't all equal.
Ubuntu is fine for Microsoft migrants because it offers a similar graphical interface,a lot of "comodities", but what those migrants seeks is more than that in my opinion. I see Ubuntu as a nice entrance door to Linux, an initial step.
Soon I'll install other Linux distros so I can opiniate better about it. I find Ubuntu (Mate) too much "barbie thingy" to my particular taste and not too much stable.
I need something between Ubuntu and some "only terminal command" distro.
But now I'm busy with other (real) things so computers will have to wait.
I have no more enthusiam for computers.
This thread will be no more suported by me. Thank you.
As long as you stay on Linux, adventures never end. Keep learning and make the best of it.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH8Z9zeywq0[/video]
well, rather live usb you can install it at usb.
just make a partition at usb, then use virtual box to install linux at usb flash disk.
nor use two usb, one to install, one is the destination.
i oftenly using linux nor hiren with gparted to troubleshoot, fix or maintenance windows system.
you do not want to have usb windows to fix windows with tons of virus.
coz it will just infect it sobad.
I installed Manjaro when it was still a good nimble distro where the noob user was helped along instead of locked in. Nowadays Manjaro cannot be recommended to new users, while I can still safely update what I installed ages ago.
I'm fairly addicted to uptodate software and the ability to reproduce the opsys/environment on a different hardware. These two important features are said to be available with NixOS that my IRC pals increasingly migrate to. My first feeble attempts of installing it have failed, but perhaps I'll try again and succeed at some point.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp3Iu4Cpfyk[/video]