Linux is looking better every day.

[Audioaficionado]

I've downloaded Manjaro and Mint Cinnamon. eeny meeny miny moe. I'll also try that BSD DE link. I've already installed True OS in a VM. All it needs is some GUI love.

 

[ihrsetrdr]

TrueOS 'should' ship with a DE called Lumina, I don't recall if there were operations required at installation time to enable it.

 

[Audioaficionado]

Nope, they got rid of it. Wanted to bring the focus back to the base OS (tuned version with a solid freeBSD base)

 

[ihrsetrdr]

Just as well, I didn't care for Lumina anyway.

 

[habbajabba]

I tried reinstalling windows and then after getting it to boot I realized I did not want to deal with the headache of updating and configuring it all over again (takes a couple days at least). It worked fine before the clean install but had a couple small issues. Veeam backup boot disk didn't work as it kept complaining about a vcruntime140_clr0400.dll file missing BS. I re-installed veeam, used wsus, installed java, flash, etc., etc., and it still won't work.
2 minutes to create an MXLinux boot disk, <1 minute to boot to it, and 2 more to install it, and <1 more minute to boot back into a working desktop environment that needed no drivers whatsoever and any actual updates took all of 2 minutes as well. I'm talking a TOTAL of ~8 (that's EIGHT) minutes from a windows desktop to a fully functional, updated, Linux OS desktop with all the software one could ask for preinstalled and updated as well. Normally a PITA 2day install configure reboot ad-nauseum process.
Now if I could only fix the dll BS problem with Veeam. I'll be going BACK to clonezilla for backups. It is boot only so it works with raw discs and doesn't gas about no missing dll's. I wasted at least 2 hours reinstalling windows and another 2 trying to get veeam to revert my changes.
FYI

In MX this is the 1st time ever I imported a browser profile into another's perfectly (extensions everything). Plus in linux it never installs a bunch of language files. You speeka da english? That's the only language the program will too. TFG password safe runs in linux (debian). It imported the txt db perfect. MX will soon support init.d by default though it is not in v18.3 Continuum just yet. Protonvpn works great but is terminal only atm. Once setup, it takes one line of code to run and then you just pick a server. Be glad when a proper gui comes out.
The longest I ever ran linux was when SalineOS was out (debian w/xfce and 1 dev!). Sadly he stopped and so the OS died 7yrs ago. I stupidly went back to windows.

 

[knoober]

Can't be said enough, Linux FTW

Lots of VPN have ovpn config files to use with openvpn. Openvpn will integrate with standard network manager, but I am not sure how it will work with your chosen distro so... Ymmv.

 

[habbajabba]

Once it's installed and initialized with the proper keys, at boot all I have to do is 'sudo protonvpn-cli -connect', then pick a server, or simply 'sudo protonvpn-cli -f' which will automatically pick the fastest one. It's not too bad but does need a gui. Any US servers are at the bottom of a keyboard only scrollable list, like 400+ lines down. And the list tells you everything but server load. I restart conqy to see the new wan ip.

 

[wagex]

Once it's installed and initialized with the proper keys, at boot all I have to do is 'sudo protonvpn-cli -connect', then pick a server, or simply 'sudo protonvpn-cli -f' which will automatically pick the fastest one. It's not too bad but does need a gui. Any US servers are at the bottom of a keyboard only scrollable list, like 400+ lines down. And the list tells you everything but server load. I restart conqy to see the new wan ip.

you can also just create a cronjob at startup to run the command.

 

[habbajabba]

Sudo cronjob. I'll stick with copyq.
As protonvpn has no gui or tray icon. I don't really want to automatically connect to any one specific server at boot.
sudo pvpn -p2p: torrents
sudo pvpn -f: fastest
sudo pvpn -US-TX#4-TOR udp: Tor network
sudo pvpn -c IS-US#1 udp: Iceland's full anonymity with US server 'facade'
sudo pvpn -c: This brings up the dos window so you can choose
Depends on what I do as to which server to connect to. -f is good for general browsing
It'd be nice if they had a tray icon and gui.

 

[Culbrelai]

Mint Linux (Ubuntu), Mint Linux Debian Edition and Manjaro (Arch) look the best so far. Stable older LTS or well tested bleeding edge. Maybe divi up an SSD and install both.

I really liked Fedora Linux when I tried it, even though its apparently for ‘experienced unix users’

 

[Audioaficionado]

Winten purposely dragged my daughter's 10 year old PC down to the dirt with a forced 1903 feature update and when I tried to repair it within the OS and later roll it back with the latest installer, it was rendered unbootable. Linux Mint to the rescue. Now her computer is running as light as a feather instead of all the MS crapware dragging it down to zero.

 

[EarthDog]

Sounds like it's time for a new undercarriage not a body kit.

 

[Audioaficionado]

Sounds like it's time for a new undercarriage not a body kit.

With its new engine and tranny (free of charge) she's good for several years. It was a Core2 based Asus ROG. I can put an inexpensive pin modded quad core in there to at least triple the CPU power.

 

[knoober]

This thread makes me smile. Glad it's still running. Vive le Linux!

 

[ihrsetrdr]

I really liked Fedora Linux when I tried it, even though its apparently for ‘experienced unix users’

Lol, "experienced users" that like using broken stuff and filing bug reports.

That said, I do enjoy Fedora sometimes, it gives me the opportunity to post inquiries about broken stuff on fedoraforums...they are very understanding there.

 

[Audioaficionado]

My daughter's Linux Mint Cinnamon PC is working like a champ. No automatic updates at all. I just check on it and update when it pleases me and when it's convenient. Now I'm getting ready to install Manjaro KDE on my main rig as a dual boot option for now.

 

[specific]

Anyone here ever tried Void? It's been on my machines for a few years. It's very fast, the xbps package system is excellent and runit is very KISS. Highly recommend.

 

[Audioaficionado]

Never heard of Void. Manjaro KDE dual boot installation ran like a Swiss watch. Just watched a few YouTube videos and it worked well. It's Arch based, but is a separate distro with its own repositories. It doesn't have a huge pile of apps installed like Ubuntu, but not as bare bones as Arch. Now all I have to do is find LInux versions of the windows apps I used. I've installed Wine for those few apps I really don't want to give up.

Now I have to figure out how to run FAH in Manjaro. Most people use Ubunto, but I will have to insist on staying with Manjaro and maybe Arch down the road.

 

[knoober]

I tried Void for a minute on an old laptop that only had a single core Pentium. It ran well, but I didn't want to tinker with it. All the extreme lightweight distros like Puppy, DSL and such (I don't recall if Void runs in ram like these other distros or not), are awesome... but also ugly. I realize that with some polish they could be close to perfect from a UI/UX perspective, but that stuff is more fun on the mainstream distros.

I've been looking hard at UI/UX between distros and other under the hood differences (for example KDE on Ubuntu Vs Kubuntu Vs KDE Manjaro) and I think most folks associate a particular UX with a particular distro when the true hero is the DE. What I mean is that some folks will say they like Ubuntu Vs Arch, but what they really like is Gnome Vs Unity Vs (insert DE of your choice). Mostly still just glad folks are kicking Windows to the curb

 

[Audioaficionado]

I'm booted in Manjaro KDE and plan to stay there for a long while while I install only the apps that I need. I'm also working on installing drivers that are needed for FAH to run properly. I've installed Timeshift so I can recover when I break the system lol.