Yeah, I keep seeing this and it's never been my experience in 20+ years of desktop Linux.
Yeah, every now and then there is the asshole and troll. Go to a supermarket and you'll find them too, go to your job and you'll find those too. I don't call all supermarkets asshole conglomerates, it's simply the world, there are asshats in the world.
I've talked directly to main developers of many systems like LVM, PHP, and so on who spent time to help me fix my issues. Who ever got to talk directly to an Apple dev or Microsoft dev?
It's not just Linux, it's like that with all open source. Yes, there are negative players everywhere, but mostly it has been a very welcoming and helpful group
I'll second this. Maybe they're coming from Reddit? I've seen some pretty awful screenshots from there. And I'll also second the helpfulness of the FOSS devs - I've reached out to the OpenSSH maillist to try to better understand the functionality of cert auth and they were super helpful.
Agian, I'm sure there are asshats out there, maybe even just people having a bad day, but generally people in the Foss community are helpful and super nice. Just my experience
Oh absolutely. Some people are just unpleasant (and as you say, sometimes it's down to a bad day). And sometimes, it's just personality clash/philosophy on OSS (ex. the former "benevolent dictator" of vim, RIP).
Isn't that that thing that always broke and made me feel like Linux wasn't very good for personal computers. I remember playing a game that took me hours to get running just for my computer to lock the screen and soft lock the whole computer. The lock screen captured the input after the game already captured the inputs and neither one of them worked.
Also as a kid running a script to fix screen tearing from online that happens to break the whole desktop or the weird things happening when you plugged in a second monitor.
Don't ask me how xorg works I've tried. I say good riddance, the king is dead long live the king.
The Configurator: All problems are configuration problems. The fact that a user has a problem means they configured their machine incorrectly. All help requests are an opportunity to lecture others about configuration files.
The lumberjack: Insists on logs no matter how simple or basic the question. "How do I get the working directory in the terminal?" -Sorry, I can't help you unless you post your log. "What does the -r flag do?" -You need to post a log for me to answer that question. "Is there a way to make this service start at boot?" -We have no way of knowing unless you post your log. When a user posts their log, the lumberjack's work is done. No need to reply to the thread any further.
The Anacdata Troubleshooter: Failed to develop a theory of mind during childhood. Thinks their machine is representative of all machines. If they don't have an issue, the user is lying about the issue.
The Jargon Master: Uses as much jargon as possible in forum posts. If a user doesn't know each and every term, that's on them. If you did not commit to mastering every aspect of a piece of software before asking for help, were you even trying to solve the problem?
The Hobby Horse Jockey: All problems are caused by whatever thing the contributor does not like. Graphics driver issue? Snaps. Computer won't post? Obviously, Snaps. Machine getting too hot? Snaps. Command 'flatpack' not found? Oh you better believe snaps did that.
The Pedantfile: Gets mad because everyone asks their questions the wrong way. Writes a message letting the user know they asked their question wrong. Message usually appears within a minute or two of someone providing a solution to the user.
So you're saying that there are some asshats out there? Those are everywhere.
The open source community, and Linux community in specific mostly is a very positive and helpful bunch. I've been on IRC and fora for years and yes, yes, sometimes somebody says something negative, gee wiz.
So far the most negative types out there seem to be in this post all complaining about how negative everyone is while in reality it's not that bad
These types exist for most any technical problem. The last one is the whiny one who also slams someone with a solution they don't approve of. Even if the solution satisfies the person asking for help or perhaps because it satisfies them.
yeah I felt this. I'm having a specific issue with my mint install that I can't figure out for the life of me and no one has any answers (or bothered to leave any comments on the forum...)
edit: I love y'all for helping me so much but I somehow broke tf out of my mint install on the flash drive. I have no idea how. it literally says "something went seriously wrong" in the BIOS and then shuts the PC off when I try to launch the mint OS. gonna do a clean install... again...
oh boy
ok so I'm running a mint cinnamon edge install on my laptop, booted off a flash drive for now. currently, my biggest issue is the mic. Presently, whenever I try to use my mic, it instead takes whatever audio output my system is currently producing (be that music from YouTube or system sounds) and thinks that that is the input. it does not however, pick up anything with my voice. this happens both with my built in laptop speaker and when I connect my Bluetooth headphones and try to use the mic on those.
I've fiddled with pavucontrol settings for a while and wasn't able to fix it. it seems like it's not detecting my built in mic, saying it's unplugged or something, but that doesn't explain why I have the same issue with my headphones.
I'm thinking it has something to do with the fact that it's a live session from a flash drive instead of a full install on my PC, but I'm hesitant to do a full install without finding fixes for issues I might run into first.
if you can figure something out, that'd be incredible and I would thank you sincerely and owe you one; if not that's fine, I really don't know what I'm gonna do other than take the plunge and full install, hoping that'll fix it
I'm no linux expert, but I think that issues like that are pretty common with a flash boot - based on BIOS boot sequences or similar issues, the drive likely doesn't have as many permissions or permissions in the right order as a ssd would. As an intermediary step, you could try partitioning your drive first then doing a full install on a small partition.
Currently have windows booted to partition my drive and make space for a full Linux install, so I can't do that command right away. here's an inxi -Fxz command though from before, does this help any?
This laptop seems to use ALC236, which seems to have a lot of problem on linux. If you search on the web, people seems to have different issues with different fixes on various laptop with ALC236. I'm not quite sure what's the issue in your case, but searching for "ALC236" linux mic might yield some relevant results, such as this one. Most solutions are probably not applicable unless you install linux permanently on your disk first though.
I only just realized my previous comment formatted like total ass, I'm so sorry. I'll check it out, but it seems like I fucked up the Linux install somehow, to the point where it says "something went seriously wrong" in the BIOS before shutting my PC off. I have no idea what I did wrong since I didn't even touch the flash drive it was on.
Could try the approach of posting a rant that mint can't even do what you're trying to do with it, therefore it sucks and anyone that likes it is wrong and a bad person and it's easier to just deal with Windows.
I'm a proponent of RTFM, (real documentation has a lot more thought put into it then some random response you would get on IRC or a mailing list, and it's rude to ignore the effort the documentation author put into real documentation) but I always link the user to the appropriate documentation instead of just telling them off.
If you want to support that, a good first step would be to improve TFM, because much of it is far too dense to actually read. Technical writing, knowing how to summarize things through human knowledge,, is a critical skill for tech businesses, and most open-source programmers lack it.
This kind of behavior mystifies me. I get that it can be frustrating to deal with lazy folks, but especially with how shit google/ddg are nowadays, when people are looking for help and are met with this kind of treatment it’s pretty discouraging! I’ve been an Arch user for about a decade, and sometimes I run into problems that should be googleable but aren’t.
It’s especially concerning, considering how tech illiterate the next generation is. They’re very used to walled gardens, and if they can barely manage a MacBook, they’re going to really struggle starting with things like the command line.
Lighting a candle leaves you with two lit candles. There’s no reason to gatekeep knowledge.
If 10% of newb questions were just answered plainly in forums then google would index those and these easy solutions would be actually google-able. Nerds gatekeeping basic info by forcing people deep into man pages to find the needle in the haystack argument that is used for 99% of commands surrounded by a bajillion arguments that are basically dev-tools used for bash scripts make adopting to a CLI mega frustrating.
Most forum advice is about obscure driver issues for some random piece of hardware or "help! update broke my shit" type of posts.
That being said, just yesterday I looked at the man page for gcc because I wasn't sure how to use a specific option and it was very useful. Gave me exactly the info I needed.
Maybe there is some merit to simply reading the documentation instead of asking to be spoon fed... I'm prepared to be downvoted to oblivion for this opinion.
True but people need to know to look to the documentation, it's not something we're born with. People learn to ride a bike, to drive a car, use their TV, etc without reading much documentation. We should educate people on how to figure things out rather than shame them for not knowing as much as you.
Don't assume everyone can learn as easily as you can or has a background that would facilitate their grasping of the topic. Here you are casually saying "just read the man page" and referencing gcc, it would take my mom a week of education to get to the point where she'd be able to understand what gcc even is and why it has a man page.
And if you don't want to help them, ignore the noobs, don't push them away.
to be fair, the documentation that came with products used to be alot better, Ive had plenty of "manuals" come with products now that just say how to start the device and follow a setup wizard.
I mean, if you are already know you're using GCC, knowing to browse the manpage for info is easier.
The problem with manpages is, in my experience, they are vastly ill-suited for the "modern" / desktop-like workflow of the distros. They're point is they're not the tool for that, they are reference manuals focused on the tool, not training pamphlets focused on the use. Like, what is the manpage for "my desktop icons disappeared"? Even assuming there's one. Or for "my desktop is in Italian but my start menu is in Swahili"? Or for "after video driver update and reboot my screen is monochrome"? Heck, for most of those even figuring out a proper info page (the "competitor" of man page) would be next to impossible.
So, there is of course merit to reading the documentation. But for that someone has to first isolate the workflow and write that documentation. I'm not interested in the man page for "steel" or for "lacrimals"; I need the usage pamphlet for "Slicing onions with a kitchen knife".
There is a lot of merit in reading man pages - as long as you understand what they are talking about. Something most newcomers lack. I've read more than one man page that was so poorly written that unless you were a top developer, I was worse off than before I started.
Technical writing is an art form and very few in the FOSS world, (and even the rest of the world), are really good at it. It always pays to be mindful of just how unskilled your audience is.
There are administration tools available for system deployment but they're generally closed source and limited to the software selection available.
Unsure about command line, but PC Decrapifier is useful for removing preloaded software.
Ninite is useful to install software in batch.
Ninite can also install Malwarebytes, which is quite useful.
Between Windows Defender and Malwarebytes I generally don't recommend anything else. And then Malwarebytes, which is extremely effective for free, is the only security suite worth paying for if you want to "set it and forget it".
On the Microsoft side of things, a great deal of software can be deployed via command line.
It's possible to build an offline installer for Office and Office 365 for example via the office deployment tool.
Additionally, it looks like if you pay for Ninite Pro, it supports command line.
There's winget but it has almost nothing on it and no matter how new the iso it typically doesn't work out of the box and you need to update it through Microsoft store. Tried using it instead of downloading stuff off the Internet. Only the most popular apps and not even all of them are there which is pretty annoying. It's also so much slower that most package managers and tries the Microsoft store first unless you specify.
It's an improvement but it's not fixing any of the real issues with modern windows.
That sounds like an interesting read. Before I switched to Linux I thought of making an app that watches driver websites and either notifies or pulls updates for you to install.
Short of some sort of user maintained database of download links and support page links/product number (for database lookup), I don't think I could have scaled it at any real capacity. I wonder if GitHub frowns on a project using it as a big database of yaml or json files.
An important context that's missing from the blog post is Keivan Beigi is one of the core contributor of Sonarr, a popular app in the *arr scene. Microsoft probably realized it late after offering him a job, got cold feet and ghost him.
I try to help an be supportive to newcomers. There's always someone who thinks shaming someone for using non free software or something like an Nvidia GPU will change their mind. There's also people who disagree with you and respond to every comment but don't offer a real solution in return. I love the people who say it works on mine without explaining what they did to make it work on their system.
The quickest way to get the right answer in any community, in my experience, is to provide the wrong answer. People will come out of the woodwork to correct you.
7 cups green cabbage , finely shredded (Note 1)
▢1 medium carrot , shredded (1 1/2 cups)
DRESSING
▢1/2 cup Hellman's mayonnaise (or other whole egg mayo)
▢1/2 cup sour cream or yoghurt, full fat is best
▢1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or sub with white wine vinegar)
▢2 tsp Dijon mustard
▢2 tbsp white sugar
▢3/4 tsp celery salt
▢1/4 tso black pepper
Arch has the best documentation. Most documentation is either too dumbed down or too advanced. Arch documentation splits the difference and gives you basic information along with general context that opens your curiousity about other aspects of the system without overwhelming you.
If you pull on a thread you want to find a rope instead of getting blasted with a firehose.
One way or another I'm moving to Linux for my next PC. but damn I finally think I understand enough to decide Debian would be a good 'it just works' distro and then Linux users out the woodwork telling me its actually a pain in the ass and to use XYZ (all disagreeing) distros instead. I'm like 90% sure its going to be Debian, Ubuntu or Mint but beyond that its more uncertain than the inside of a black hole.
I know exactly what you mean. I'd also prefer Debian, Mint or Fedora. Each has its weaknesses, but you got to start somewhere. Go for it, then decide for yourself. It's not that hard to switch again.
Best advise I can give after 20+ years of distro hopping is to be ready to try a few different ones to see which one might resonate the best with you. Because not all of them will feel right. But you will find one that fits you best. It might be Debian or Ubuntu or Fedora or Suse or Mint or even Arch. (I don't run Arch BTW)
In the long run, it don't matter which distro you use - they are all Linux under their petticoats anyway. Just choose the one that works for you and makes YOU happy. And if you decide to change your distro of choice at any point for something different, that's all good too.
Very good choice going with Debian. It is simple, clean, can be as minimal or as "bloated" as you wish, and once you've worked out the kinks it will happily run for years without maintenance (except updates of course).
There's a steep learning curve because as a user you're expected to configure stuff yourself (although defaults are most of the time very sensible), but if you're willing and able to truly learn Linux and the terminal and you're familiar with your hardware, it's one of the best platforms out there.
Been using debian for more than a decade and "it just works" has become truer every year. It's a good distro, if you have no principle objections against systemd (which I do, but am too lazy to do anything about).
The one thing I am not happy about: Audio drivers on a Desktop computer
works out of the box, but then messes up when selecting input devices from:
line in
headphones in
USB camera microphone
Audio in "sinks" - I believe those are channels allowing for active noise cancelling / preventing Audio feedback loops
I had a whole lot of trouble with pulseaudio selecting the correct source when trying to use my mic in the browser.
On a Laptop, I've never experienced such issues, as all devices are integrated (apart from the headphones jack, I guess).
Just when I got familiar enough with pulseaudio, they replaced it with "pipewire", which fucked up output devices:
works on boot
when I plug in headphones: it messes up the Audio output to HDMI and I have to manually re-select (on desktop environment) the headphones
when I then touch the volume control (GUI), the output goes silent again and I have to select the "Port" headphones for the "Built-in Audio Analog Stereo" under "Output Devices"
drives me crazy since the last update - but it's only an issue when using headphones, so for now I am living with it.
I mainly use the external hardware as a workaround for unwanted noise from the pc. It bothers me to no end to hear the mouse cursor scream into my headphone/speakers.
Im on openSuse Leap 15.5 and I moved to Pipewire back when I had 15.3 I believe. I had that issue where all output devices/input devices got smashed together. I stuck with it for couple of months and I believe the later versions fixed that. Now I am painfree and never bother with audio ever again. I used to have frequent pulseaudio crashes which is why I switched over to pipewire.
Debian does just work and is a good choice. I think people typically have good experiences on Mint also. Ubuntu is becoming like the Windows of Linux distros, I used to use it on everything but I won't be installing it on another machine because of Snaps.
If you plan on using Linux to do gaming you might want a more up-to-date distro tho.
The only way to truly make a determination if a distro works for you is to actually try it out and use it. I've never listened to those people because they all have a favorite distro they will push on you for various reasons. I actually find Debian a breeze to use, and the vast majority of stuff meant for Ubuntu or Mint will work on fine on Debian, since it's the base of both those distros.
I know this is just adding to your problem, but I wanna add to the majority and say go with Mint. It's based on Ubuntu, which in turn is based on Debian, so most anything you can do on Debian, you can do on Mint. This is handy to know whenever you see a ".deb" file.
One of the things that makes it an easier transition from windows is that it's a lot less strict about including proprietary drivers and codecs (though apparently Debian now includes a few by default). It also includes a few more GUI tools by default, like the package update manager.
I also have found Mint's Cinnamon desktop environment to be the easiest transition from a Windows environment. KDE is also a good choice in that regard and it's what I use now, but its plethora of options can be overwhelming for new users.
The distro wars can be pretty overwhelming, but I'd say pick whatever appeals most and go with it. If you get to a point where you can't do something that you want to do, you can always come back and ask for advice and maybe switch up a different OS.
i know what you are going through, i am going to install linux on my current pc (when i worked up enough bravery... well at least i already created the boot media). I have already experience selfhosting services with Debian (in the time before Docker), but since gaming is what this PC is built for and i have a NVidia card that´s a pretty poor choice from what i gathered here.
Over the last few months i was thinking about going with Pop_OS ("i really really didn't like Gnome the last time i had to deal with it"), then Arch ("Do i really want to shoot myself in the foot? There's archinstall, but i really don't want to tinker too much on this machine..."), and now i settled for Nobara (the "gaming" Fedora so to speak, using KDE per default).
I'm now 99% sure that it should be the right one for me, but the thought of doing it makes me quite nervous.
i'm still looking for alternatives for a few windows programs; the main one i will miss dearly is Playnite. There seems to be nothing that offers the integration of all my libraries, my ROMs and emulators, automatic downloading of metadata and boxart, achievements, start scripts for games ... i could go on forever :-(
If you don't notice anything else different between x11 and Wayland in your daily workflow and have no need for what Wayland offers, then yes your problem is solved and you can ignore the implications.
For me it doesn't really "fix" anything that I can notice. All my games and software work fine in x11, video works fine. It may be a giant convoluted beast from the 1980s, but damn if they didn't do a good job of keeping it running well on modern machines.
