Why you should replace Windows 7 with Linux
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@veljanovski There is also "Double Commander"
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To make the easiest transition from Windows to Linux it is worth dual-booting with Mint.
Mint is geared towards living with Windows and will import a bunch of stuff from your user profile.Out of the box it can make use of windows drivers for many network devices so you are not stuck without a connection.
The non-OEM versions are pre-loaded with a lot of useful software and codecs.
You will want to use a regular non-OEM version so media works as expected in Vivaldi.Desktop users would do well to add a second internal drive and install Linux to that.
Laptop users will need to clear as much space as possible before resizing the partition.
mini tools partition wizard is powerful and free. You can use that for dynamic resizing of partitions.
Make sure you scan the disk for any filesystem errors before resizing a partition.NOTE: Linux stopped kernel support for x32 so current 32bit distros will not be maintained for long.
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I use opensuse. Been using Linux since 2000. Never looked back since. Been a chore trying to get my family to jump ship. But oh well. Not trying to says windows is bad. But Linux is taking over.
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As far as the desktop goes, KDE has always been my "go to" there. Gnome seems to just adopt whatever program provides what it is missing, meaning that the standard programs feel inconsistent.
I started with Linux in 2000; in 2005 or thereabouts I got a computer from my brother that he'd been running without antivirus which I reformatted and ran only Linux on for perhaps 5 more years. (He'd actually been running it with no internet for a couple of years; about a week after he finally decided to get broadband it had so many viruses that he could no longer use it. Naturally he decided that was a good excuse for an upgrade.) My biggest problem at the time was printer support. But then again, I'm not a gamer nor do I use it in an office.
These days printer and other hardware support is better; even games and office software are better. The only real problem is that you can't buy a computer with Linux installed at most "brick and mortar" stores.
Though really, they should also be telling those people still using XP (!) to switch to Linux. They can't even run current versions of Vivaldi (or just Chromium), they aren't receiving updates for their OS, ... if you can't get them to switch what chance do you have to convince Win 7 users?
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@sgunhouse said in Why you should replace Windows 7 with Linux:
As far as the desktop goes, KDE has always been my "go to" there. Gnome seems to just adopt whatever program provides what it is missing, meaning that the standard programs feel inconsistent.
I started with Linux in 2000; in 2005 or thereabouts I got a computer from my brother that he'd been running without antivirus which I reformatted and ran only Linux on for perhaps 5 more years. (He'd actually been running it with no internet for a couple of years; about a week after he finally decided to get broadband it had so many viruses that he could no longer use it. Naturally he decided that was a good excuse for an upgrade.) My biggest problem at the time was printer support. But then again, I'm not a gamer nor do I use it in an office.
These days printer and other hardware support is better; even games and office software are better. The only real problem is that you can't buy a computer with Linux installed at most "brick and mortar" stores.
Though really, they should also be telling those people still using XP (!) to switch to Linux. They can't even run current versions of Vivaldi (or just Chromium), they aren't receiving updates for their OS, ... if you can't get them to switch what chance do you have to convince Win 7 users?
The best way to convince a Win7 user is, that he runs Linux from a life CD (or pendrive). This way he can check if it's worth it or not
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The author has good stats, 1/4 of all users still run Windows 7, but the point that should be made here should account for application upgrades. If the user has migrated applications since 2001 with XP, then changing to Linux or Windows 10, for that matter is out of the question. Neither platform supports migration of the registered applications. Address that issue and grow your audience. Meanwhile, Windows 7 represents the last great operating system for most folks. What are the steps to upgrade Windows 7 and still maintain their applications?
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@mossman: I suspect that downloading and installing an app is a bit of overkill for a registry fix or a simple group policy edit. Group Policy edit - gpedit.msc - Local Computer Policy | Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Data Collection and Preview Builds. The Allow Telemetry option is not on or off so the default is used. Click it off (disabled).
Alternatively:
Regedit - go to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Windows\DataCollection Create a new DWORD (32 bit) Value and it must be named Allow Telemetry. There is a Value Data screen there and it should be set to 0. This, like the group policy edit above, will shut it down.
Save yourself putting unknown and unnecessary software on your Windows system. -
@Jrl22 said in Why you should replace Windows 7 with Linux:
The author has good stats, 1/4 of all users still run Windows 7, but the point that should be made here should account for application upgrades. If the user has migrated applications since 2001 with XP, then changing to Linux or Windows 10, for that matter is out of the question. Neither platform supports migration of the registered applications. Address that issue and grow your audience. Meanwhile, Windows 7 represents the last great operating system for most folks. What are the steps to upgrade Windows 7 and still maintain their applications?
This is the problem, once support for Windows 7 is finished, updates are not possible. Although I believe that due to the existence of a large number of users, the end of the support will be postponed for quite some time, as they did with the XP, where the support is also It lasted even several years from the announced end. MS wants to sell and has no interest in losing users. At least I have enough doubts about the end of support in January. Anyway, it is advisable to be prepared and have a pendrive on hand with some distro in case it is necessary or have it installed on dual boot, if he do not intend or can upgrade to W10.
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@Jrl22 said in Why you should replace Windows 7 with Linux:
@mossman: I suspect that downloading and installing an app is a bit of overkill for a registry fix or a simple group policy edit. Group Policy edit - gpedit.msc - Local Computer Policy | Computer Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Data Collection and Preview Builds. The Allow Telemetry option is not on or off so the default is used. Click it off (disabled).
Alternatively:
Regedit - go to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Windows\DataCollection Create a new DWORD (32 bit) Value and it must be named Allow Telemetry. There is a Value Data screen there and it should be set to 0. This, like the group policy edit above, will shut it down.
Save yourself putting unknown and unnecessary software on your Windows system.Obviously it is not necessary to use a specific soft to cut the tap to the W10, but the register is a Comanche area and not all users dare of manipulating it if they don't know exactly what they are doing, running the risk of rendering the system useless.The shutup10 is a trusted software of a known German company, which makes these adjustments safely.
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@ugly said in Why you should replace Windows 7 with Linux:
Use [an external drive] for Linux, it will be more than enough space to install the OS and most of your programs. You can still access the files that you have on Windows (music files, photos, videos, etc.). And I find it easier to deal with using the BIOS to select the boot drive rather than dealing with dual-booting from a single drive (and you have less risk of over-writing something accidentally).
That's an idea that I'm surprised I've never had before! You could end up with a USB key or drive which is your actual "system", then run it on a number of "dumb terminal" machines at home and at work - your laptop, your old desktop, the box you use for TV streaming, etc. That way you keep all your data portable - encrypted, obviously - but together with all the software set up to use it exactly as you like.
I mean I've seen the various portable apps distros etc. but never made the connection to make that the default system instead of a standby backup system.
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@Jrl22 said in Why you should replace Windows 7 with Linux:
@mossman: I suspect that downloading and installing an app is a bit of overkill for a registry fix or a simple group policy edit.
The huge list of options you can change show 1) we are not in fact talking about a simple registry or policy fix, 2) it gives a clear description of what each option does and the consequences of changing it, 3) you can easily set everything to according to three levels of recommendation, 4) it informs you when Windows has re-set an option after updates etc. and 5) updates will let you know whenever Microsoft has invented new tricks to watch out for.
And now back to topic...
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Replace photoshop, huh? I ran photoshop and illustrator on Ubuntu. I'll keep it. Also can run Word just fine. Just need to know what you're doing.
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In Linux there is no problem of using most basic Windows programs with Wine, apart from that in office applications the Libre Office, which comes almost by default in all distros, is compatible with MS Office files. In graphic applications there are also excellent applications. For example Gimp is currently almost as good as Photoshop, Krita and Blender are used even professionally.
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PD Irfanview is perhaps one of the best image / multimedia viewers, but unfortunately only for Windows and it does not have an equally good alternative in Linux, but I have used it in Kubunto without problem with wine
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Obviously for a professional Gimp may be somewhat short (RAW files), but not for 90% of other users, apart with Wine you can also use Photoshop, if necessary. Linux is much more compatible with Windows applications, than Windows with Linux applications. At the level of a normal user, of course there is no need to use Windows applications with alternatives in Linux, apart from specific cases.
>Laptop ACER, AMD Ryzen, GPU AMD Radeon RAM 16GB, SSD 512GB -Win11 Home 64 v24H2| Vivaldi last stable|
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I just run a Debian HyperV instance in Windows 10.
Also, the only folks running Windows 7 still really are older folks who just don't like change. No way those people are moving to Linux.
Fact is Windows 10 and Linux are both fine options. .NET Core is now making Windowa development cross platform ala JRE. Microsoft is open sourcing more of their stuff all the time.
Hell, they even have Linux as an "app" in their store at this point.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10
Granted, there are network stack issues there. Good luck using tcpdump, which I love, but it's not like Wireshark doesn't exist.
Point is Linux and Windows are playing nicer than ever, and that is great for everyone. Freedom baby, yah!
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@catweazle: Powershell is more comparable, and Windows is even starting to do package manager stuff with things like Nuget in .NET.
There really isn't much of a reason for Linux and Windows to have a beef anymore.
If anything, the people holding up the revolution now is Apple.
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@Reign99 said in Why you should replace Windows 7 with Linux:
I just run a Debian HyperV instance in Windows 10.
Also, the only folks running Windows 7 still really are older folks who just don't like change. No way those people are moving to Linux.
Fact is Windows 10 and Linux are both fine options. .NET Core is now making Windowa development cross platform ala JRE. Microsoft is open sourcing more of their stuff all the time.
Hell, they even have Linux as an "app" in their store at this point.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10
Granted, there are network stack issues there. Good luck using tcpdump, which I love, but it's not like Wireshark doesn't exist.
Point is Linux and Windows are playing nicer than ever, and that is great for everyone. Freedom baby, yah!
There is even Ubuntu in the Window Store, which surprised me certainly.
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even if somehow your drivers will work and DE won't crash every other boot there's still huge disparity between available software and it's quality
