Since we have been talking about how difficult it is to get Linux and Windows to peacefully coexist, I thought I would tell you about my latest explorations in Linux-land just to add to your general knowledge.
I've been looking for a small but powerful version of Linux that I can install into a virtual machine on my ASUS tower. I normally limit the size of those machines to 10-12GB, which often can be a problem. For example, just about all the Ubuntu based OS's need more than 20GB even for a mini install version. Although, I will say Ubuntu's LTS is well behaved in that regard. Anyway, sometimes I run into problems with the VB and it's difficult to say if it's the OS itself or the fact that it is cramped for space. If I REALLY want to know which it is, I will install the OS under scrutiny onto a USB or even onto the HDD for evaluation purposes. I probably should just go by the recommended specs, but the minimum disc size requirements are not always published in obvious places.
My latest evaluation candidate is Linux Sparky 5.9. The name is catchy and I like it just for that alone. LOL The major attraction, however, was the fact that they offer several versions. One is the stable release, of course. Then there is the (semi) Rolling release, a Game Over release for gamers, a CLI version which is text only, ARMHF processors release, and an i686 non-pae release. There may be others too. All of the versions come in 32 or 64 bit varieties, and there is a selection of desktop environments that is not extensive as you would think but does include Xfce and LXQt. I've not had any previous experience with the Qt environment, but I have seen references to it in a few places. So, that was my choice for this experiment. The most important feature of Sparky is that it is DEBIAN based. No, it's not some obscure Ubuntu build on Debian. It's pure Debian Sparky. I've learned in the past that Debian isn't my favorite distro (to say it nicely), but heck. I'm experimenting here. Might as well go all the way and try to learn something new.
Installation was a remarkable experience. Sparky does not use the Ubuntu standard installer routine. Thus it has it's own GUI and it's own partition manager. I've not seen a partition manager so easy and straight forward to use. It told me everything I needed to know and did not assume I had an advanced degree in Computer Science. When I hit the "Do It" button I was confident about where the bootloader was going and what device was going to have what partitions. It was represented in better graphics than Gparted, which is really saying something good. The installer asks the usual questions, and when it got to my preferred language it did not have American English as an option. WTF is that all about? It did have English (GB) which is close enough. Other than that, installation went swimmingly.
The desktop consisted of the Sparky wallpaper and a panel along the bottom that was sparsely populated. There is a Menu button that reveals something out of the Windows XP days. Being my first exposure to LXQt it was a bit frustrating trying to determine if there was any logic to the layout. There certainly was no logic to the names of most of the selections. I did recognize FireFox ESR, however. I guess FireFox is like Linux and has the equivalent to an LTS version, but it looks like every other FireFox I've ever seen so I don't know what is the difference. Unfortunately, FireFox would lock up the system after a short period of time. This was not good because that is the program I would use the most in a VB environment. I do my finances that way.
After a few days of frustration with Sparky in a virtual box, I decided to give it more room to operate. Instead of confining it to 10GB of virtual disc space, I would install it on a 32GB USB memory stick. That works out to 28GB when all the overhead is taken into consideration, but that should be more than enough for any credible Linux OS. I also decided to create that Linux on a stick from within the Virtual Box software environment. My reasoning was that being inside the box it would isolate any miscreant tendencies built into this Linux brainchild which might attack my perfectly good Windows operating system. Doing the install via Virtual Box eliminates the need for a CD/DVD iso. All I had to do was put the iso image into my RAM Disk (the fastest bus on my computer) and virtually plug that iso into the IDE port of the virtual box. The USB target would also plug into the virtual box, but via a USB3 port. All this requires is some setup of the virtual box software, but I have lots of experience doing that. It's pretty straight forward after setting things up, and the installation onto the USB stick went flawlessly. I was viewing my Twitter timeline in Windows while the VB was installing Linux on a stick. How sweet that is.
My first attempt was to make a MBR formatted stick. All virtual box machines are MBR by default, but UEFI is an option. I put the MBR formatted Sparky on a stick into the laptop and it was not recognized. That was actually a good thing. The laptop is UEFI and should not recognize MBR formatted devices. It worked fine in the tower which is both UEFI and MBR. My ultimate goal was to run Sparky on the UEFI laptop, so that I did the virtual box install again, but set it to UEFI this time. The installer noted that I didn't create the necessary ESP partition and gave me a stern warning. It was an oversight and I complied willingly. The rest of the stick became ext4. After that minor glitch, installation went perfectly. The stick booted on the UEFI laptop without going through the Windows boot manager. That's because I have the BIOS set to look at USB port before it looks at the HDD. So BIOS never got to looking at the Windows boot manager. It just handed off to the Sparky on a stick GRUB and went with that.
I have yet to give Sparky a full evaluation. The fact that it's Debian based and is currently using the LXQt desktop means I must go through a learning curve. To my surprise some programs I normally install post process already existed in the menu. Gparted isn't available and I don't know what they call their partition manager. That's all to be discovered when it's convenient. One significant point I want to make here is that Sparky can be installed the old way using MBR only, or it can be installed booting via UEFI. This is a good thing. Not all Linux distros have both versions available. Another significant point to be made here is that Sparky on a stick (as well as a few other Linux distros I have on a stick) is separate and apart from whatever Windows is doing. When I hit the power key on the computer, it boots unassisted into Sparky's Grub. When the stick is removed BIOS selects the HDD which is where the Windows boot manager is located. Probably more amazing than either one of those significant points is the response time. Sparky on a stick might just as well be Sparky installed on a HDD. Frankly I don't see any lag or delays in downloading, but I am sure the downloads must be slower. Memory sticks simply don't write as fast as HDD's. Or, do they? USB3 is really amazing if it can keep up with a 5700rpm hard disk.
That's what I did this afternoon. I really am liking the virtual box installation method. This is only my second attempt at it so that I may yet run into problems down the line. Sparky is lean and mean from what I can tell. I prefer a desktop with a graphical menu, but that would add to the overhead and slow things down. If things work out with Sparky I might even be tempted to install it on the SSD and then try out WINE. If I can run my favorite Windows programs in WINE, then good-bye Microsoft. I've not been able to do that in the past, but maybe they fixed WINE by now. Otherwise it's not big deal. I'll keep Windows 7 isolated on it's own hard drive until hard drives become obsolete. Any linux-ing I do will be USB, or one of the three I already have working along side Windows 10 on the laptop.
Sparky Linux
Re: Sparky Linux
I learned something new yesterday.
A lot of places sell bootable LInux USB sticks for only around 15 to 20 bucks, HOWEVER they are nothing more than Live Distro's not installed Distro's.
Was out west to do some shopping and stopped in my computer store.
If you want Linux INSTALLED on a USB stick that will boot from any PC MBR or UEFI, in both 32 bit and 64 bit versions of the Linux Distro, they will cost anywhere from 125 to 150 dollars for ONE Distro with half the stick available for data storage.
They also had Windows 7, and 8 on USB sticks for 265 dollars. OUCH. The price is so high due to the License Fee.
They would not tell me how they do it, but said it is not that hard to install a Linux OS on a USB stick, if you know what you are doing, hi hi. They did tell me you must first make the USB stick bootable, then there are many different ways one could go about installing a Distro. But there is no guarantee it will boot from any PC without knowing how that is done the right way.
He said when college started back in August, they sold over 150 sticks in that month alone, most with Linux Mint or Ubuntu and about 25 with Windows 7 home premium, but with only the extra programs that come in the Windows 7 package.
On Linux Distro's they add several packages the users will need or want.
I'm curious, with so many Distro's out there that are not well maintained or truly stable, why are you messing with them?
I think sticking with one of the Ubuntu releases, like Kubuntu would serve you best if you want lightweight.
A lot of places sell bootable LInux USB sticks for only around 15 to 20 bucks, HOWEVER they are nothing more than Live Distro's not installed Distro's.
Was out west to do some shopping and stopped in my computer store.
If you want Linux INSTALLED on a USB stick that will boot from any PC MBR or UEFI, in both 32 bit and 64 bit versions of the Linux Distro, they will cost anywhere from 125 to 150 dollars for ONE Distro with half the stick available for data storage.
They also had Windows 7, and 8 on USB sticks for 265 dollars. OUCH. The price is so high due to the License Fee.
They would not tell me how they do it, but said it is not that hard to install a Linux OS on a USB stick, if you know what you are doing, hi hi. They did tell me you must first make the USB stick bootable, then there are many different ways one could go about installing a Distro. But there is no guarantee it will boot from any PC without knowing how that is done the right way.
He said when college started back in August, they sold over 150 sticks in that month alone, most with Linux Mint or Ubuntu and about 25 with Windows 7 home premium, but with only the extra programs that come in the Windows 7 package.
On Linux Distro's they add several packages the users will need or want.
I'm curious, with so many Distro's out there that are not well maintained or truly stable, why are you messing with them?
I think sticking with one of the Ubuntu releases, like Kubuntu would serve you best if you want lightweight.
Re: Sparky Linux
It IS easy to make Linux on a stick that is both MBR and UEFI bootable. I can say that from experience. It's all a matter of how you partition the memory. The additional knowledge needed to make it all work is the location of the repository with the scripts for UEFI booting and Grub. You put those scripts into their respective partitions and then you too can sell a $10 memory stick for $150.
That's the theory. I am living proof that it does not work in all cases. I gave a lengthy dissertation of my failed attempt at making said USB that is UEFI and MBR bootable. Truth is that I did make the stick and it did work as advertised. However, the BIOS in my ASUS tower had some demands of it's own that would allow such a stick to boot only one or the other. The laptop has exactly opposite requirements. Thus the USB memory stick that is both UEFI and MBR compatible only is that way if I go into the partition table and set the appropriate flags. You, on the other hand, with an entirely different set of hardware and BIOS firmware may not have this problem. The bottom line here is that the firmware in your computer will determine what you can or cannot boot. Hopefully that shop is willing to give a refund to people who have the problems that I have.
There is a rather slick solution to the problem of mixed booting. It's something invented by a guy named Rod Smith and goes by the name of rEFInd. Check out the website if you are interested. The exact problem you were experienced with the conflict between Grub and Windows bootloader is solved by replacing the boot manager with this rEFInd. The GUI for it is graphical and simple. It runs BEFORE booting starts and allows you to select one of the bootloaders already installed on your machine. Neither Windows nor Linux controls the boot process. rEFInd takes charge initially and then hands off booting to whatever you pick from the menu. It's something worth considering to install on my tower and in the laptop so that I don't have to be concerned about which OS is battling to be first.
Also, I've use Virtual Box to install 3-4 Linux on a stick systems. That's not a lot but it does have some advantages that are appealing. The greatest advantage is that it isolates the memory stick from the rest of my computer system. In effect I can now make USB sticks in a sandbox environment. A lot of people have slow computers or not much memory so that the VB solution isn't suitable for them. But, if I stick to VB there will be no more destruction of MBRs and I can toss my boot repair disk. Well, I won't go that far, but it is a very safe way to make memory sticks.
Kubuntu ... well ... what can I say? You get what you pay for in that case too. I tried it to follow some of the leads you gave me and was disappointed with it. It has a desktop environment that was imported from Pluto where they only speak Klingon. Thank you for the suggestion, but no thank you.
That's the theory. I am living proof that it does not work in all cases. I gave a lengthy dissertation of my failed attempt at making said USB that is UEFI and MBR bootable. Truth is that I did make the stick and it did work as advertised. However, the BIOS in my ASUS tower had some demands of it's own that would allow such a stick to boot only one or the other. The laptop has exactly opposite requirements. Thus the USB memory stick that is both UEFI and MBR compatible only is that way if I go into the partition table and set the appropriate flags. You, on the other hand, with an entirely different set of hardware and BIOS firmware may not have this problem. The bottom line here is that the firmware in your computer will determine what you can or cannot boot. Hopefully that shop is willing to give a refund to people who have the problems that I have.
There is a rather slick solution to the problem of mixed booting. It's something invented by a guy named Rod Smith and goes by the name of rEFInd. Check out the website if you are interested. The exact problem you were experienced with the conflict between Grub and Windows bootloader is solved by replacing the boot manager with this rEFInd. The GUI for it is graphical and simple. It runs BEFORE booting starts and allows you to select one of the bootloaders already installed on your machine. Neither Windows nor Linux controls the boot process. rEFInd takes charge initially and then hands off booting to whatever you pick from the menu. It's something worth considering to install on my tower and in the laptop so that I don't have to be concerned about which OS is battling to be first.
Also, I've use Virtual Box to install 3-4 Linux on a stick systems. That's not a lot but it does have some advantages that are appealing. The greatest advantage is that it isolates the memory stick from the rest of my computer system. In effect I can now make USB sticks in a sandbox environment. A lot of people have slow computers or not much memory so that the VB solution isn't suitable for them. But, if I stick to VB there will be no more destruction of MBRs and I can toss my boot repair disk. Well, I won't go that far, but it is a very safe way to make memory sticks.
Kubuntu ... well ... what can I say? You get what you pay for in that case too. I tried it to follow some of the leads you gave me and was disappointed with it. It has a desktop environment that was imported from Pluto where they only speak Klingon. Thank you for the suggestion, but no thank you.
Re: Sparky Linux
Yeppers on the computer store giving your money back if their USB sticks don't work.
However, that being said, they are mainly selling them so they will work on the Schools computers as well as on the Library computers, which are probably set up about the same way.
Yes, I've seen the rEFind mentioned in a few places. I'm just leery about downloading things from the internet that are not available in a fully trusted source.
FWIW: The computers at the library only have 4 gigs of memory in them, except for the two brand new ones, they both have 8 gigs is all. So VB type of sticks might run way to slow for the kids on them.
Like the rEFind you mentioned, there are several out there for sale like Life Cycle, Array Boot, etc.
They work like they are the only OS on your system, so your system boots into it and gives you a screen for which OS to boot from. I also heard there is one now, probably like VB that you don't have to reboot to use the OS of choice, just change to it and wait for it to load, which is why I think it is more like VB.
Speaking of Ubuntu. I once tried their Edubuntu, which was supposed to be like a server, and the computers like work stations. My first problem was I did not have enough memory in my main computer to use it as the server for Edubuntu.
Then once I did have a computer with enough memory, I learned you almost can't find programs you can run as multi-user from a server. Each workstation would have to have its own program installed, which to me defeated the purpose.
Although, I guess in a classroom situation where the teacher can look at each students computer to see what they are doing might be a benefit in that scenario.
What I wanted to use it for was a no go.
I downloaded kubuntu once, but didn't like the kde desktop, or the way it worked either for that matter.
Also tried Lubuntu, but in the end had to install the full Ubuntu package to get my computer set up the way I wanted.
This is technically how I learned to get what I wanted and why I went to using Debian instead of the turn-key programs.
However, that being said, they are mainly selling them so they will work on the Schools computers as well as on the Library computers, which are probably set up about the same way.
Yes, I've seen the rEFind mentioned in a few places. I'm just leery about downloading things from the internet that are not available in a fully trusted source.
FWIW: The computers at the library only have 4 gigs of memory in them, except for the two brand new ones, they both have 8 gigs is all. So VB type of sticks might run way to slow for the kids on them.
Like the rEFind you mentioned, there are several out there for sale like Life Cycle, Array Boot, etc.
They work like they are the only OS on your system, so your system boots into it and gives you a screen for which OS to boot from. I also heard there is one now, probably like VB that you don't have to reboot to use the OS of choice, just change to it and wait for it to load, which is why I think it is more like VB.
Speaking of Ubuntu. I once tried their Edubuntu, which was supposed to be like a server, and the computers like work stations. My first problem was I did not have enough memory in my main computer to use it as the server for Edubuntu.
Then once I did have a computer with enough memory, I learned you almost can't find programs you can run as multi-user from a server. Each workstation would have to have its own program installed, which to me defeated the purpose.
Although, I guess in a classroom situation where the teacher can look at each students computer to see what they are doing might be a benefit in that scenario.
What I wanted to use it for was a no go.
I downloaded kubuntu once, but didn't like the kde desktop, or the way it worked either for that matter.
Also tried Lubuntu, but in the end had to install the full Ubuntu package to get my computer set up the way I wanted.
This is technically how I learned to get what I wanted and why I went to using Debian instead of the turn-key programs.
Re: Sparky Linux
I've run across Rod Smith's articles a couple of times and have been duly impressed with his knowledge and writing skills. I used his rEFind on one of my USB installs (Linux Neon) and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone with boot problems. UEFi and booting in general was all very overwhelming when I started looking into this stuff. Rod had done a lot to make things clearer for me. Unfortunately, he is way over my head most of the time. LOL
Of all the desktops I've used, I think the KDE folks make the worst of the lot. I'm convinced some disgruntled employee at Microsoft got a job in KDE-land and is getting even with the world by writing obnoxious code in Linux. I know you are a fan of fee and open choices, but frankly that leaves groups like KDE wide open to waste a lot of people's time with their crazy-assed ideas. I'm finding a lot of that as I explore various Linux distros.
Of all the desktops I've used, I think the KDE folks make the worst of the lot. I'm convinced some disgruntled employee at Microsoft got a job in KDE-land and is getting even with the world by writing obnoxious code in Linux. I know you are a fan of fee and open choices, but frankly that leaves groups like KDE wide open to waste a lot of people's time with their crazy-assed ideas. I'm finding a lot of that as I explore various Linux distros.
Re: Sparky Linux
I hear ya Yogi, which is why I stick with the base the biggest and best ones are built on.
Debian is a lot easier to install now than it was way back when I first started using it.
Honestly, what I do like about it is simple, it's not full of bloat.
And if there is a program I want they didn't put in, I can fetch it from the repositories.
I did try out several Distro's in the beginning, and I did not like KDE at all either.
I also did not like the other strains of Linux such as BSD, CentOS, SUSE, etc.
Seems like sticking with GNU/Linux Debian has been the best choice for me so far.
Debian is a lot easier to install now than it was way back when I first started using it.
Honestly, what I do like about it is simple, it's not full of bloat.
And if there is a program I want they didn't put in, I can fetch it from the repositories.
I did try out several Distro's in the beginning, and I did not like KDE at all either.
I also did not like the other strains of Linux such as BSD, CentOS, SUSE, etc.
Seems like sticking with GNU/Linux Debian has been the best choice for me so far.
Re: Sparky Linux
Aside from my chronic intellectual curiosity, my adventures in the world of Linux has a purpose. In short I was looking for a potential replacement for Windows. Now that I know what I know, I've come to the conclusion that I cannot totally dispense with Microsoft's money maker. Linux simply is not up to replacing Windows. I might have to eat my words after I test out WINE again. But that exploration is quite a ways down the road. I doubt the games I play on Windows only will run very well in WINE so that the current strategy is to keep Windows 7 until I no longer play those games. I see a time when I might configure the tower to run Windows 10 as the default OS. WIndows 7 would be the gaming OS. Then all the Linux distro's I can fit on the remaining hard drives would be available too. Before I can do that, however, I need to convert the ASUS tower to UEFI. Right now I'm not sure it's worth it. I may just build another super tower with UEFI as the default. We'll see.
Re: Sparky Linux
I still have a Windows XP computer, but it has an overheating problem so is usually turned off.
Even so, I have a 4-computer KVM switch, so can bounce around different computers with ease.
XP Pro MCE is on #1, Linux Mint Maya 17 on #2, Linux Mint Maya 19 on #3, and Debian on #4, this one, the Silver Yogi.
Now I do have other Distro's installed on each, most are quad boot.
My accounting computer is stand-alone, no internet connection except when I need to transfer files over the LAN. It too is Debian, an older version, probably Debian 8.
Plus Debi's computer that had windows 10, now has Linux Mint Maya 19 on it also, and finally starting to get used.
When I have time I will play with WINE on it or perhaps Play on Linux, not sure which yet.
All I need for it to do is work with her Big Fish on-line games and she'll convert to Linux also.
I don't know what you do that can't be done on Linux.
I've been doing all of my personal and business stuff on Linux since 2006, and have never needed to go back to Windows for anything. I do prefer the Windows XP version of the FreeCell game better than the Linux version. But I also play Spyder and like the one on Linux better than the Windows version. There is a FreeCell game in Linux I used to play, and did like it better than the Windows version, but that particular one is no longer available and/or doesn't work right on the latest Debian Distro. Had a couple of other small games that worked great on Debian 8, but are not in the repositories for Debian 9.
By the way, I do have WINE on the Linux Mint Maya 17 machine, and have several old Windows XP games loaded on it, but I think they are in the Debian 8 partition, which is why I forgot about them.
There were several old XP games that had all the DLL files right in the folder with them, so you could copy them from computer to computer and they worked without having to do an actual install. However, they did not work in Vista or Win 7, so got stuck on the old #2 machine in Play on Linux, because they didn't work right in Wine. So there must be some differences between Wine versions and Play on Linux versions.
Even so, I have a 4-computer KVM switch, so can bounce around different computers with ease.
XP Pro MCE is on #1, Linux Mint Maya 17 on #2, Linux Mint Maya 19 on #3, and Debian on #4, this one, the Silver Yogi.
Now I do have other Distro's installed on each, most are quad boot.
My accounting computer is stand-alone, no internet connection except when I need to transfer files over the LAN. It too is Debian, an older version, probably Debian 8.
Plus Debi's computer that had windows 10, now has Linux Mint Maya 19 on it also, and finally starting to get used.
When I have time I will play with WINE on it or perhaps Play on Linux, not sure which yet.
All I need for it to do is work with her Big Fish on-line games and she'll convert to Linux also.
I don't know what you do that can't be done on Linux.
I've been doing all of my personal and business stuff on Linux since 2006, and have never needed to go back to Windows for anything. I do prefer the Windows XP version of the FreeCell game better than the Linux version. But I also play Spyder and like the one on Linux better than the Windows version. There is a FreeCell game in Linux I used to play, and did like it better than the Windows version, but that particular one is no longer available and/or doesn't work right on the latest Debian Distro. Had a couple of other small games that worked great on Debian 8, but are not in the repositories for Debian 9.
By the way, I do have WINE on the Linux Mint Maya 17 machine, and have several old Windows XP games loaded on it, but I think they are in the Debian 8 partition, which is why I forgot about them.
There were several old XP games that had all the DLL files right in the folder with them, so you could copy them from computer to computer and they worked without having to do an actual install. However, they did not work in Vista or Win 7, so got stuck on the old #2 machine in Play on Linux, because they didn't work right in Wine. So there must be some differences between Wine versions and Play on Linux versions.
Re: Sparky Linux
I have a virtual pool game that is pretty cool. I bought the first version back in the days when Windows Vista was the OS de jour. It's a unique version of pool, the likes of which I've not seen elsewhere; and I have looked elsewhere. I'd bet the farm on the fact that this game was created on a Linux machine, but the desktop client does not come with a Linux version. They upgraded the platform a few years ago but never offered Linux versions. Part of the upgrade was the ability to play on line, which I suppose I could do if I had to. I just prefer single user and the performance of the desktop.
Additionally, I use a 3-D chat program to keep in contact with Internet people I've known for years. It's a bit like the Sims game in that there ar animated characters you can control to do things other than chat. Aside from being in contact with the friends I've made, it's addictive for what it is. Likewise they have a desktop client and do not offer a Linux version. I tried this particular program on WINE but it failed miserably because the browser WINE was using at the time was substandard. It predated IE6 if I recall correctly. Now this place has a mobile and a web version of the chat. Like the pool game I can do it in a web browser, but their software for that is notoriously crappy.
I'm a klutz when it comes to editing graphics. When I do need to do it, I do it using Paint Shop Pro. Linux offers Gimp as an alternative, but it's not user friendly. More precisely, it's not Dennis friendly. I know several people who use it, but they do it because it's free. I could learn Gimp. That's an option. But, I don't need to learn PSP.
And, you know my standard argument. Windows just works. There isn't much I have to learn about it to keep things running smoothly. Linux is great for satisfying my intellectual curiosity and for crashing systems I don't mind having it crash. Windows has crashed too, but, suspiciously, more often than not Linux was involved. Aside from who or what causes problems with the operating system, I'm a hands on kind of guy. I love to troubleshoot technical issues and must say I'm fairly good at it. My troubles with Linux were seldom, if ever, easy to fix. Perhaps if I had as much experience with Linux as I do with Windows, I might consider it easier to deal with. But, I don't have that experience and regret the fact that it's required in order for things to be repaired when they break. All computer software breaks eventually. It's just that Linux has been exceptionally difficult to repair when it does go south.
Some day I may outgrow the games I play, and then Linux might be a better choice. I feel that I gave Linux a fair evaluation. I studied up a lot more Linux than Windows in fact. For now I'm convinced they are lagging behind Microsoft in both philosophy and technology. What I went through trying to learn Linux this past couple months just reinforced a long standing suspicion. It just ain't worth it. I could change my mind. But I don't have a compelling reason at the moment.
EDIT
Sparky Linux, the subject of this thread, has a distribution specifically designed for gamers. It might be worth my looking into to discover what it has that nobody else has. But, to be honest, Sparky doesn't sparkle as much as it's advertised to do. I'm still evaluating it, but I don't see much hope for it as a go-to OS.
Additionally, I use a 3-D chat program to keep in contact with Internet people I've known for years. It's a bit like the Sims game in that there ar animated characters you can control to do things other than chat. Aside from being in contact with the friends I've made, it's addictive for what it is. Likewise they have a desktop client and do not offer a Linux version. I tried this particular program on WINE but it failed miserably because the browser WINE was using at the time was substandard. It predated IE6 if I recall correctly. Now this place has a mobile and a web version of the chat. Like the pool game I can do it in a web browser, but their software for that is notoriously crappy.
I'm a klutz when it comes to editing graphics. When I do need to do it, I do it using Paint Shop Pro. Linux offers Gimp as an alternative, but it's not user friendly. More precisely, it's not Dennis friendly. I know several people who use it, but they do it because it's free. I could learn Gimp. That's an option. But, I don't need to learn PSP.
And, you know my standard argument. Windows just works. There isn't much I have to learn about it to keep things running smoothly. Linux is great for satisfying my intellectual curiosity and for crashing systems I don't mind having it crash. Windows has crashed too, but, suspiciously, more often than not Linux was involved. Aside from who or what causes problems with the operating system, I'm a hands on kind of guy. I love to troubleshoot technical issues and must say I'm fairly good at it. My troubles with Linux were seldom, if ever, easy to fix. Perhaps if I had as much experience with Linux as I do with Windows, I might consider it easier to deal with. But, I don't have that experience and regret the fact that it's required in order for things to be repaired when they break. All computer software breaks eventually. It's just that Linux has been exceptionally difficult to repair when it does go south.
Some day I may outgrow the games I play, and then Linux might be a better choice. I feel that I gave Linux a fair evaluation. I studied up a lot more Linux than Windows in fact. For now I'm convinced they are lagging behind Microsoft in both philosophy and technology. What I went through trying to learn Linux this past couple months just reinforced a long standing suspicion. It just ain't worth it. I could change my mind. But I don't have a compelling reason at the moment.
EDIT
Sparky Linux, the subject of this thread, has a distribution specifically designed for gamers. It might be worth my looking into to discover what it has that nobody else has. But, to be honest, Sparky doesn't sparkle as much as it's advertised to do. I'm still evaluating it, but I don't see much hope for it as a go-to OS.
Re: Sparky Linux
I prefer Linux because when I need a program for some purpose it is usually in the repositories and only a click away to get it up and running. I can't say the learning curve to use Linux programs is any harder than with Windows programs.
Although, some of the Windows programs have more features and are more user friendly, but is the high cost worth it.
I'll answer that for you, by saying YES, some of the Windows based programs are EXCELLENT.
Unfortunately, the companies who are making them seem to go belly up all too often.
And if you've built an entire database on their proprietary system, you are often just SOL.
Family Tree Maker by Broaderbund was the perfect genealogy program. But their later upgrades could not read their earlier files, and then they went belly up. Ancestry took over the program for a short time, but it didn't work the same, and again the older files could not be read in it.
I also liked PhotoShop, AutoSketch, and AutoCAD, but only used the latter on rare occasions.
QCAD is not as easy to use as AutoCAD, but if you only need to use it perhaps once every other year for personal use, AutoCAD is just not worth the super high price for it. So we have to use something that may not be as robust, but it doesn't make sense to pay the high price for something you will only use perhaps once before you have to upgrade again.
As far as Linux crashing, it is the most stable of all, which is why it is used commercially around the globe.
Linux also was made as a workhorse, not a gaming platform, so it is greatly lacking in the gaming arena.
Although, some of the Windows programs have more features and are more user friendly, but is the high cost worth it.
I'll answer that for you, by saying YES, some of the Windows based programs are EXCELLENT.
Unfortunately, the companies who are making them seem to go belly up all too often.
And if you've built an entire database on their proprietary system, you are often just SOL.
Family Tree Maker by Broaderbund was the perfect genealogy program. But their later upgrades could not read their earlier files, and then they went belly up. Ancestry took over the program for a short time, but it didn't work the same, and again the older files could not be read in it.
I also liked PhotoShop, AutoSketch, and AutoCAD, but only used the latter on rare occasions.
QCAD is not as easy to use as AutoCAD, but if you only need to use it perhaps once every other year for personal use, AutoCAD is just not worth the super high price for it. So we have to use something that may not be as robust, but it doesn't make sense to pay the high price for something you will only use perhaps once before you have to upgrade again.
As far as Linux crashing, it is the most stable of all, which is why it is used commercially around the globe.
Linux also was made as a workhorse, not a gaming platform, so it is greatly lacking in the gaming arena.
Re: Sparky Linux
And there you have it folks: two people doing the same thing and arriving at different conclusions. LOL
So, what else is new? There is a lot of personal comfort involved with using computers. I think that comfort factor is a heck of a lot more difficult to satisfy than is the maintenance of any OS. If there was only one operating system in the entire universe, you and I would still disagree on it's utility because our comfort zones are in different places. You don't do what I do; why should we agree? Be that all as it may, I don't want to cut off any criticism of what I like. It's good to have an outside view of the swamp when you are shoulder deep in alligators. One reason I am looking at Linux at all is to try and determine what people like about it. Your thoughts on that are helpful as well.
So, what else is new? There is a lot of personal comfort involved with using computers. I think that comfort factor is a heck of a lot more difficult to satisfy than is the maintenance of any OS. If there was only one operating system in the entire universe, you and I would still disagree on it's utility because our comfort zones are in different places. You don't do what I do; why should we agree? Be that all as it may, I don't want to cut off any criticism of what I like. It's good to have an outside view of the swamp when you are shoulder deep in alligators. One reason I am looking at Linux at all is to try and determine what people like about it. Your thoughts on that are helpful as well.
Re: Sparky Linux
I thoroughly enjoyed my Windows computers, up until they released ultimate spyware OS called Vista!
That was my turning point where I looked back at Linux once again.
Also, living on a small fixed income sorta negates my spending thousands of dollars to continue with Windows for the things I do on the computer.
Windows may be adding some of the features we've enjoyed for decades on Linux machines, but it is still not the Linux way.
Some people drive Fords, and some people drive Chevy's. It's all a matter of what they like!
That was my turning point where I looked back at Linux once again.
Also, living on a small fixed income sorta negates my spending thousands of dollars to continue with Windows for the things I do on the computer.
Windows may be adding some of the features we've enjoyed for decades on Linux machines, but it is still not the Linux way.
Some people drive Fords, and some people drive Chevy's. It's all a matter of what they like!
Re: Sparky Linux
In my lifetime I've talked to enough people about operating systems to know it's mostly about personal preferences of the end user. The software engineers, however, have a different take. They look at things from an efficient use of resources standpoint, a POV that is mostly transparent to the average computer user. I don't think there is a consensus, but there are generally accepted practices for good programming. I believe at the kernel level it's all very elegant if not metaphysical. What you and I see is well separated from that core and subject to the programming whims of people who think they are better than god. In the world of Linux it's pantheism. Wndows fans are monotheistic.
Re: Sparky Linux
Ha ha, well, I do have to agree with you on that one Yogi!