9 ms·

Until the time when Microsoft realises this and creates a privileged API just for Microsoft Recall so that It can see the screen. Better switch to Linux. It's

Until the time when Microsoft realises this and creates a privileged API just for Microsoft Recall so that It can see the screen. Better switch to Linux. It's not perfect but I am sure that you will be fine using Linux(Unless you want to use Adobe Suite or Few Corporate applications which won't be used by many)

glimshe 1y ago
Or most professional audio applications...
- louthy 1y ago
  Bitwig works on Linux, but the problem I had was that my pro-audio soundcard [1] didn’t have supported drivers and I couldn’t get the open source drivers to work. I tried switching to a Dante based solution: none of the Dante based apps worked, so I tried AES67 (open source Dante), still no joy — I just could not get my Dante/AES67 AD/DA converters (which attach to everything in my studio) to be ‘seen’ on Linux. So after weeks trying to get a high-channel count I/O solution working, I gave in, I found the best thing to do was to just get a M4 Mac Mini for my audio/studio work. And leave Linux for everything else. I was setup within an hour on macOS. There’s unfortunately still too much resistance and it can cost $1000s trying to get to a working solution or ultimately in my case: a non-working solution. It cost me about $6000 trying various options — not all wasted, but still, not cheap to find out that nothing works. [1] https://rme-audio.de/hdspe-madi-fx.html https://rme-audio.de/hdspe-madi-fx.html
  - glimshe 1y ago
    "It works BUT" summarizes my experience with running my top applications on Linux, unfortunately :(
    - dotancohen 1y ago
      Which apps are those?
      - gchamonlive 1y ago
        I was able to run Ableton on Linux once, but it was finnicky and didn't give me the confidence if I ever had to do a performance live with it. Unfortunately there are fields that couldn't care less about software freedom and ownership and Microsoft abuse this for profit.
        amanaplanacanal 1y ago
        I'm an old guy who has run Linux off and on from the very beginning. Every so often I attempt to replace my windows laptop with Linux, and it always turns into days of dinking around with configuration hacks and installing this and that and the other thing trying to get all my software to work. There always some roadblock that prevents migrating completely. Eventually I always end up going back to Windows. I wish it weren't so.
        bigyabai 1y ago
        As a young guy that hasn't installed Windows in 6 years, I do hope you hold out faith!
        amanaplanacanal 1y ago
        I think part of the problem is I have decades invested in proprietary software in the Windows ecosystem. If I didn't have that investment it would likely be easier. Don't make my mistake! :)
        gchamonlive 1y ago
        This is a sunk cost that in a few years will have been mitigated. You already understand the value proposition for Linux, otherwise you wouldn't have attempted this transition multiple times. So I think it's a matter of getting used to it. But I also think context matters. Maybe you also need work that motivates you to use Linux or is impossible or quite inconvenient to do on Windows. In any case, using Windows is fine. I don't think the user is to blame for the shortcomings of the brand. It's like with conscious consuming products that don't harm the environment. It's important to seek those, but if you have to go out of your way it's just not gonna happen.
  - dfedbeef 1y ago
    The reliable way to do this (I found) is check the kernel source tree first. The supported pro sound cards are, typically, kind of old. Because FOSS developers aren't just gifted hardware and documentation to write the drivers so they're a generation or two behind. Counterintuitively; using the latest kernel can be more stable as bug fixes are merged. RME does have a few supported cards (I use one) but they're mostly the ADAT ones. And the driver is in-tree.
    - louthy 1y ago
      > The reliable way to do this (I found) is check the kernel source tree first Sure, in general that's good advice, but it becomes more complicated depending on the solution/situation... I’d bought the RME card long before I was hoping to make it work with Linux. I'd been running Windows for a long time for work reasons, so I had my dev work and my music setup on the same computer (a 64 core Threadripper machine, with 128gb of RAM, and fast NVMe drives). A few months before, I'd sold my company, so for work at least I didn't need to be on Windows any more. Then I started getting random audio dropouts! Presumably because of all the crap Microsoft keep loading onto the OS with after every update. The audio dropouts was the straw that broke the camel’s back. If a machine like that, with nothing else running on it other than my DAW, could start having audio dropouts, then you know something has gone horribly wrong with the OS. That's why I wanted to get my existing RME card working on Linux. When I wasn’t able to use it, I then assumed I’d be able to get a network based protocol running (Dante/AES67). There was plenty of discussion about it online, it seemed viable, and it's a network, Linux can do networking! Also, I kinda like the idea of network based audio, I think it's likely to be more future proof. So, I replaced one of my Ferrofish A32 Pro interfaces with a Ferrofish A32 Pro DANTE ($4300) [1]. It supports both Dante and AES67. I figure if I can’t get Dante running then the open protocol AES67 (with support in Linux-land) should work. That didn’t feel that risky. But no amount of finagling would make the interface appear via the virtual sound-card/router concept. This had already taken weeks (maybe months) to not get anywhere, so I looked for a Class Compliant sound-card (or, one that definitely had Linux drivers) that could support the number of channels I needed (96 channels in and out), it also needed to support the AD/DA interfaces interfaces I already had (so connectivity via MADI or Dante/AES67), but there just wasn't anything. The only other sound-card out there was another RME interface. So, that’s when I opted for a Class Compliant sound-card [2] for casual use on Linux ($324) and a new RME Digiface Dante sound-card ($1543) [3] that I could use with a newly purchased M4 Mac Mini ($3000). I also needed to replace another one of my Ferrofish A32 Pro interfaces with another Ferrofish A32 Pro Dante ($4300) to make the setup work. I realise now that my earlier estimate of $6000 was wildly out, it cost $13467 to leave Windows and to get an alternative pro-audio setup working. There may well have been alternative approaches and I may well have missed a possible solution that could have either worked with the original RME card (which would cost nothing) or AES67 (that would still require me to replace 3 x Ferrofish A32 Pro interfaces, so would end up about the same cost), but I felt like I'd been pretty thorough. I guess the reason I'm writing War & Peace here is that it's often not possible to know ahead of time whether any one setup might work. Drivers is one thing, but a pro-studio setup has more moving parts, and so if you don't know ahead of time whether any one setup will work, then it can be an expensive process to walk through the different options. And that's a problem that neither Windows nor Mac has. It's a real shame, because the stability of Linux should make it the best platform for pro-audio. [1] https://www.ferrofish.com/a32pro-dante-converter-multimode/ https://www.ferrofish.com/a32pro-dante-converter-multimode/ [2] https://solidstatelogic.com/products/ssl-2-plus-mkii https://solidstatelogic.com/products/ssl-2-plus-mkii [3] https://rme-audio.de/digiface-dante.html https://rme-audio.de/digiface-dante.html
  - mystifyingpoi 1y ago
    Linux audio is definitely hit and miss. Even with the most standard soundcard in existence (Scarlett) I still had problems with it. After fiddling a bit it works okay-ish, but there were definitely moments of "screw it, I'm buying a Mac".
    - louthy 1y ago
      This works well for me on Linux Mint: https://solidstatelogic.com/products/ssl-2-plus-mkii https://solidstatelogic.com/products/ssl-2-plus-mkii It has pro quality converters and is plug-n-play.
    - bigyabai 1y ago
      The Scarlett should be USB class-compliant. I've got a Motu 2i2o DAC that I've been using on Linux for 3 years now, and before that used a Behringer U-Phoria without issues.
      - mystifyingpoi 1y ago
        It is class-compliant - but to this day, I've never figured out, how to use the multitrack out with Pulse. The widget shows all the outputs and testing individual outs works, but Reaper duplicates the sends, so the outputs overlap. Works with JACK though, but JACK is just strange. Also no control software (aside from one open-source thingy that looks awful), so any change requires reboot to Windows or VM passthrough.
  - curtisblaine 1y ago
    The DAW is just a small part of it. You need all the plugins to work too :(
    - bigyabai 1y ago
      Unless you bought Audio Units (let's be honest, you knew you were fucked), VSTs have multiple options for running on Linux: https://airwave.fxarena.net/ https://airwave.fxarena.net/ https://github.com/robbert-vdh/yabridge https://github.com/robbert-vdh/yabridge
    - louthy 1y ago
      Who uses plugins? ;) The reason I have a need for so much IO is that nearly all of my processing goes through external hardware (EQs, compressors, delays, reverbs, filters, phasers, chorus, summing mixer, multi-FX units like Eventide H3000 & H8000) and I have a wall of modular gear + about 20 synths and drum machines.
- wltr 1y ago
  Which are on macOS
- Root_Denied 1y ago
  CAD software options are severely lacking as well. There's an unofficial snap package for Fusion360 but it's hit or miss depending on the distro, the day of the week, the weather, and whether Oracle's stock price is a prime number.
  - constantcrying 1y ago
    Onshape (free for non-commercial) and Solidworks (50Euros a year non-commerical) both are Browser based.
    - LiamPowell 1y ago
      Their horrible xDesign thing is browser based. Regular Solidworks is still a Windows application. Onshape is a very good alternative to Fusion assuming it has the features you need.
pjc50 1y ago
As mentioned at the bottom, there's another API, which is to flag the window as containing DRM'd content. Although I suppose there's not really anything to stop AI vendors doing copyright infringement if they want.
- delusional 1y ago
  DRM'd content was never implemented out of fear of "copyright infringement" it was built to solidify corporate connections. Microsoft implements DRM mechanisms to incentivize copyright holders to provide better service on their platforms. AI doesn't have less respect for Copyright than any other tech company. AI has less need for the corporate connections to those copyright holders. This of course comes from the neoliberal philosophy where the only remedy you have is to withdraw service. We've gutted the actual rights of actual creatives.
- Almondsetat 1y ago
  If you flag your browser as DRM content then people won't be able to take screenshots, except maybe with the included browser utility
- ChocolateGod 1y ago
  Couldn't that negatively effect accessibility tools?
  - hbn 1y ago
    Yes > We were partly inspired by Signal’s blocking of Recall. Given that Windows doesn’t let non-browser apps granularly disable Recall, Signal cleverly uses the DRM flag on their app to disable all screenshots. This breaks Recall, but unfortunately also breaks the ability to take any screenshots, including by legitimate accessibility software like screen-readers. Brave’s approach does not have this limitation since we’re able to granularly disable just Recall; regular screenshotting will still work. While it’s heartening that Microsoft recognizes that Web browsers are especially privacy-sensitive applications, we hope they offer the same granular ability to turn off Recall to all privacy-minded application developers.
  - 1y ago
bitexploder 1y ago
You have to opt in to Recall. You must have a “Copilot+ PC” which has an “NPU”. The snapshots are stored and processed locally.
- falcor84 1y ago
  > The snapshots are stored and processed locally. Even if that's the design, it's a massive new attack surface for malware to try to exfiltrate.
  - roetlich 1y ago
    Then don't turn it on?
    - falcor84 1y ago
      Oh, I won't, but MS has the unfortunate recurring habit of turning features on against users' will, at best giving the option to "Remind me in 3 days".
      - wlesieutre 1y ago
        Or the old "oops we installed an upgrade and accidentally flipped your setting by on purpose not having QA" I don't know how many times I've had to tell Windows that I don't want Edge to be my default browser and OneDrive should not open at login.
        hbn 1y ago
        My "favorite" tactless Windows update story in recent memory was when an update pinned a Copilot link to my taskbar. I unpinned it, then a few weeks later another update added the Copilot link back to my taskbar, but not as a pinned app. Rather it replaced the god damn "show desktop" button in the bottom right of the screen! They replaced an always on-screen OS navigation button that's been there since Windows 7 with an ad!! I hope to god that Valve takes the opportunity they have with Steam OS to give us a potential real alternative to Windows that focuses on gaming support. Cause that's literally the only reason I'm forced to continue using this Microsoft adware slop of an OS.
bobajeff 1y ago
Well for those who are stuck with Windows because of some applications or simply because of familiarity. My suggestion is to stay on an older release as long as possible. If that isn't possible I would recommend keeping the computer turned off most of the time and only briefly using it for your purpose and try to keep from doing anything embarrassing or personal too much. Another thing that might help is calling up your local government and ask them to do something about this. You can also call Windows customer service up and let them know that you are displeased about what they've done and will not be recommending it to your friends as a result.
- ekianjo 1y ago
  > Well for those who are stuck with Windows because of some applications or simply because of familiarity its a pain for most people at first but its never too late to do the switch.
  - dotancohen 1y ago
    Most people use Windows for little more than running the web browser today. I've literally switched dozens of people over to Ubuntu variants (actually Kubuntu) over the years, and it's only getting easier and easier as everyone moves everything to the web browser.
- johnisgood 1y ago
  I also recommend https://github.com/LeDragoX/Win-Debloat-Tools https://github.com/LeDragoX/Win-Debloat-Tools to debloat your Windows 10-11. Familiarity is not really a good reason against Linux, however. Just install a Linux distro that comes close in looks. What are these Linux distributions these days? Pop OS? Elementary OS? Most people are only using their browsers anyway.
  - __rito__ 1y ago
    Linux Mint remains the most stable, least babysitting required, solid distro for beginners. Ubuntu is also okay. Pop, Zorin, Elementary, etc. are great choices, too. But if you ask me one, I will suggest Linux Mint. All Linux Mint releases are Long Time Support (LTS) versions, btw. With support for five years.
999900000999 1y ago
Linux is great if you're hardware is supported. I've never been able to get Linux working right on one of my laptops, on another only rolling releases work. These rolling releases like to break every 3 to 6 months. Windows is much more stable on both laptops. With my mini PC eGPU combo Linux just won't recognize the eGpu at all.
- juujian 1y ago
  Obligatory "my experience diverges." Which manufacturers were those? New flagship devices or more established hardware?
  - aitchnyu 1y ago
    5k screens over DP are two screens in a trenchcoat. I saw this abstraction broken with menubar (only on half the screen), blue light filter (have to program both harlves), screen placement (have to drag both halves into place). FreeDesktop Gitlab has been tracking this since 2017 but IME only 2023 Ubuntu got it perfect, IIRC KDE got it perfect later.
  - 999900000999 1y ago
    https://www.asus.com/laptops/for-home/vivobook/asus-vivobook-s-14-oled-m5406/ https://www.asus.com/laptops/for-home/vivobook/asus-vivobook... Maybe it's been fixed, but I brought this on release last year, it never worked right with Linux. Hours upon hours of trying to fix it for naught. I actually prefer Linux as a daily driver, I have the Ultra Core V2 version of the same laptop and rolling releases are generally fine for 3 to 6 months. At which point I just reinstall , while leaving Windows intact. I guess if you want to buy a slightly older laptop or at least one with a slightly older CPU things are fine. Refurbished Thinkpads excel particularly well here.
- eYrKEC2 1y ago
  This was true for me until ~2014. I haven't had substantial hardware compatibility issues on Ubuntu since then. Sure, a few google searches for the right nvidia driver, but otherwise I've found Ubuntu to just work for many years.

glimshe 1y ago

Or most professional audio applications...

louthy 1y ago
Bitwig works on Linux, but the problem I had was that my pro-audio soundcard [1] didn’t have supported drivers and I couldn’t get the open source drivers to work. I tried switching to a Dante based solution: none of the Dante based apps worked, so I tried AES67 (open source Dante), still no joy — I just could not get my Dante/AES67 AD/DA converters (which attach to everything in my studio) to be ‘seen’ on Linux. So after weeks trying to get a high-channel count I/O solution working, I gave in, I found the best thing to do was to just get a M4 Mac Mini for my audio/studio work. And leave Linux for everything else. I was setup within an hour on macOS. There’s unfortunately still too much resistance and it can cost $1000s trying to get to a working solution or ultimately in my case: a non-working solution. It cost me about $6000 trying various options — not all wasted, but still, not cheap to find out that nothing works. [1] https://rme-audio.de/hdspe-madi-fx.html https://rme-audio.de/hdspe-madi-fx.html
- glimshe 1y ago
  "It works BUT" summarizes my experience with running my top applications on Linux, unfortunately :(
  - dotancohen 1y ago
    Which apps are those?
    - gchamonlive 1y ago
      I was able to run Ableton on Linux once, but it was finnicky and didn't give me the confidence if I ever had to do a performance live with it. Unfortunately there are fields that couldn't care less about software freedom and ownership and Microsoft abuse this for profit.
      - amanaplanacanal 1y ago
        I'm an old guy who has run Linux off and on from the very beginning. Every so often I attempt to replace my windows laptop with Linux, and it always turns into days of dinking around with configuration hacks and installing this and that and the other thing trying to get all my software to work. There always some roadblock that prevents migrating completely. Eventually I always end up going back to Windows. I wish it weren't so.
        bigyabai 1y ago
        As a young guy that hasn't installed Windows in 6 years, I do hope you hold out faith!
        amanaplanacanal 1y ago
        I think part of the problem is I have decades invested in proprietary software in the Windows ecosystem. If I didn't have that investment it would likely be easier. Don't make my mistake! :)
        gchamonlive 1y ago
        This is a sunk cost that in a few years will have been mitigated. You already understand the value proposition for Linux, otherwise you wouldn't have attempted this transition multiple times. So I think it's a matter of getting used to it. But I also think context matters. Maybe you also need work that motivates you to use Linux or is impossible or quite inconvenient to do on Windows. In any case, using Windows is fine. I don't think the user is to blame for the shortcomings of the brand. It's like with conscious consuming products that don't harm the environment. It's important to seek those, but if you have to go out of your way it's just not gonna happen.
- dfedbeef 1y ago
  The reliable way to do this (I found) is check the kernel source tree first. The supported pro sound cards are, typically, kind of old. Because FOSS developers aren't just gifted hardware and documentation to write the drivers so they're a generation or two behind. Counterintuitively; using the latest kernel can be more stable as bug fixes are merged. RME does have a few supported cards (I use one) but they're mostly the ADAT ones. And the driver is in-tree.
  - louthy 1y ago
    > The reliable way to do this (I found) is check the kernel source tree first Sure, in general that's good advice, but it becomes more complicated depending on the solution/situation... I’d bought the RME card long before I was hoping to make it work with Linux. I'd been running Windows for a long time for work reasons, so I had my dev work and my music setup on the same computer (a 64 core Threadripper machine, with 128gb of RAM, and fast NVMe drives). A few months before, I'd sold my company, so for work at least I didn't need to be on Windows any more. Then I started getting random audio dropouts! Presumably because of all the crap Microsoft keep loading onto the OS with after every update. The audio dropouts was the straw that broke the camel’s back. If a machine like that, with nothing else running on it other than my DAW, could start having audio dropouts, then you know something has gone horribly wrong with the OS. That's why I wanted to get my existing RME card working on Linux. When I wasn’t able to use it, I then assumed I’d be able to get a network based protocol running (Dante/AES67). There was plenty of discussion about it online, it seemed viable, and it's a network, Linux can do networking! Also, I kinda like the idea of network based audio, I think it's likely to be more future proof. So, I replaced one of my Ferrofish A32 Pro interfaces with a Ferrofish A32 Pro DANTE ($4300) [1]. It supports both Dante and AES67. I figure if I can’t get Dante running then the open protocol AES67 (with support in Linux-land) should work. That didn’t feel that risky. But no amount of finagling would make the interface appear via the virtual sound-card/router concept. This had already taken weeks (maybe months) to not get anywhere, so I looked for a Class Compliant sound-card (or, one that definitely had Linux drivers) that could support the number of channels I needed (96 channels in and out), it also needed to support the AD/DA interfaces interfaces I already had (so connectivity via MADI or Dante/AES67), but there just wasn't anything. The only other sound-card out there was another RME interface. So, that’s when I opted for a Class Compliant sound-card [2] for casual use on Linux ($324) and a new RME Digiface Dante sound-card ($1543) [3] that I could use with a newly purchased M4 Mac Mini ($3000). I also needed to replace another one of my Ferrofish A32 Pro interfaces with another Ferrofish A32 Pro Dante ($4300) to make the setup work. I realise now that my earlier estimate of $6000 was wildly out, it cost $13467 to leave Windows and to get an alternative pro-audio setup working. There may well have been alternative approaches and I may well have missed a possible solution that could have either worked with the original RME card (which would cost nothing) or AES67 (that would still require me to replace 3 x Ferrofish A32 Pro interfaces, so would end up about the same cost), but I felt like I'd been pretty thorough. I guess the reason I'm writing War & Peace here is that it's often not possible to know ahead of time whether any one setup might work. Drivers is one thing, but a pro-studio setup has more moving parts, and so if you don't know ahead of time whether any one setup will work, then it can be an expensive process to walk through the different options. And that's a problem that neither Windows nor Mac has. It's a real shame, because the stability of Linux should make it the best platform for pro-audio. [1] https://www.ferrofish.com/a32pro-dante-converter-multimode/ https://www.ferrofish.com/a32pro-dante-converter-multimode/ [2] https://solidstatelogic.com/products/ssl-2-plus-mkii https://solidstatelogic.com/products/ssl-2-plus-mkii [3] https://rme-audio.de/digiface-dante.html https://rme-audio.de/digiface-dante.html
- mystifyingpoi 1y ago
  Linux audio is definitely hit and miss. Even with the most standard soundcard in existence (Scarlett) I still had problems with it. After fiddling a bit it works okay-ish, but there were definitely moments of "screw it, I'm buying a Mac".
  - louthy 1y ago
    This works well for me on Linux Mint: https://solidstatelogic.com/products/ssl-2-plus-mkii https://solidstatelogic.com/products/ssl-2-plus-mkii It has pro quality converters and is plug-n-play.
  - bigyabai 1y ago
    The Scarlett should be USB class-compliant. I've got a Motu 2i2o DAC that I've been using on Linux for 3 years now, and before that used a Behringer U-Phoria without issues.
    - mystifyingpoi 1y ago
      It is class-compliant - but to this day, I've never figured out, how to use the multitrack out with Pulse. The widget shows all the outputs and testing individual outs works, but Reaper duplicates the sends, so the outputs overlap. Works with JACK though, but JACK is just strange. Also no control software (aside from one open-source thingy that looks awful), so any change requires reboot to Windows or VM passthrough.
- curtisblaine 1y ago
  The DAW is just a small part of it. You need all the plugins to work too :(
  - bigyabai 1y ago
    Unless you bought Audio Units (let's be honest, you knew you were fucked), VSTs have multiple options for running on Linux: https://airwave.fxarena.net/ https://airwave.fxarena.net/ https://github.com/robbert-vdh/yabridge https://github.com/robbert-vdh/yabridge
  - louthy 1y ago
    Who uses plugins? ;) The reason I have a need for so much IO is that nearly all of my processing goes through external hardware (EQs, compressors, delays, reverbs, filters, phasers, chorus, summing mixer, multi-FX units like Eventide H3000 & H8000) and I have a wall of modular gear + about 20 synths and drum machines.
wltr 1y ago
Which are on macOS
Root_Denied 1y ago
CAD software options are severely lacking as well. There's an unofficial snap package for Fusion360 but it's hit or miss depending on the distro, the day of the week, the weather, and whether Oracle's stock price is a prime number.
- constantcrying 1y ago
  Onshape (free for non-commercial) and Solidworks (50Euros a year non-commerical) both are Browser based.
  - LiamPowell 1y ago
    Their horrible xDesign thing is browser based. Regular Solidworks is still a Windows application. Onshape is a very good alternative to Fusion assuming it has the features you need.

pjc50 1y ago

As mentioned at the bottom, there's another API, which is to flag the window as containing DRM'd content. Although I suppose there's not really anything to stop AI vendors doing copyright infringement if they want.

delusional 1y ago
DRM'd content was never implemented out of fear of "copyright infringement" it was built to solidify corporate connections. Microsoft implements DRM mechanisms to incentivize copyright holders to provide better service on their platforms. AI doesn't have less respect for Copyright than any other tech company. AI has less need for the corporate connections to those copyright holders. This of course comes from the neoliberal philosophy where the only remedy you have is to withdraw service. We've gutted the actual rights of actual creatives.
Almondsetat 1y ago
If you flag your browser as DRM content then people won't be able to take screenshots, except maybe with the included browser utility
ChocolateGod 1y ago
Couldn't that negatively effect accessibility tools?
- hbn 1y ago
  Yes > We were partly inspired by Signal’s blocking of Recall. Given that Windows doesn’t let non-browser apps granularly disable Recall, Signal cleverly uses the DRM flag on their app to disable all screenshots. This breaks Recall, but unfortunately also breaks the ability to take any screenshots, including by legitimate accessibility software like screen-readers. Brave’s approach does not have this limitation since we’re able to granularly disable just Recall; regular screenshotting will still work. While it’s heartening that Microsoft recognizes that Web browsers are especially privacy-sensitive applications, we hope they offer the same granular ability to turn off Recall to all privacy-minded application developers.
- 1y ago

bitexploder 1y ago

You have to opt in to Recall. You must have a “Copilot+ PC” which has an “NPU”. The snapshots are stored and processed locally.

falcor84 1y ago
> The snapshots are stored and processed locally. Even if that's the design, it's a massive new attack surface for malware to try to exfiltrate.
- roetlich 1y ago
  Then don't turn it on?
  - falcor84 1y ago
    Oh, I won't, but MS has the unfortunate recurring habit of turning features on against users' will, at best giving the option to "Remind me in 3 days".
    - wlesieutre 1y ago
      Or the old "oops we installed an upgrade and accidentally flipped your setting by on purpose not having QA" I don't know how many times I've had to tell Windows that I don't want Edge to be my default browser and OneDrive should not open at login.
      - hbn 1y ago
        My "favorite" tactless Windows update story in recent memory was when an update pinned a Copilot link to my taskbar. I unpinned it, then a few weeks later another update added the Copilot link back to my taskbar, but not as a pinned app. Rather it replaced the god damn "show desktop" button in the bottom right of the screen! They replaced an always on-screen OS navigation button that's been there since Windows 7 with an ad!! I hope to god that Valve takes the opportunity they have with Steam OS to give us a potential real alternative to Windows that focuses on gaming support. Cause that's literally the only reason I'm forced to continue using this Microsoft adware slop of an OS.

bobajeff 1y ago

Well for those who are stuck with Windows because of some applications or simply because of familiarity. My suggestion is to stay on an older release as long as possible. If that isn't possible I would recommend keeping the computer turned off most of the time and only briefly using it for your purpose and try to keep from doing anything embarrassing or personal too much. Another thing that might help is calling up your local government and ask them to do something about this. You can also call Windows customer service up and let them know that you are displeased about what they've done and will not be recommending it to your friends as a result.

ekianjo 1y ago
> Well for those who are stuck with Windows because of some applications or simply because of familiarity its a pain for most people at first but its never too late to do the switch.
- dotancohen 1y ago
  Most people use Windows for little more than running the web browser today. I've literally switched dozens of people over to Ubuntu variants (actually Kubuntu) over the years, and it's only getting easier and easier as everyone moves everything to the web browser.
johnisgood 1y ago
I also recommend https://github.com/LeDragoX/Win-Debloat-Tools https://github.com/LeDragoX/Win-Debloat-Tools to debloat your Windows 10-11. Familiarity is not really a good reason against Linux, however. Just install a Linux distro that comes close in looks. What are these Linux distributions these days? Pop OS? Elementary OS? Most people are only using their browsers anyway.
- __rito__ 1y ago
  Linux Mint remains the most stable, least babysitting required, solid distro for beginners. Ubuntu is also okay. Pop, Zorin, Elementary, etc. are great choices, too. But if you ask me one, I will suggest Linux Mint. All Linux Mint releases are Long Time Support (LTS) versions, btw. With support for five years.

999900000999 1y ago

Linux is great if you're hardware is supported. I've never been able to get Linux working right on one of my laptops, on another only rolling releases work. These rolling releases like to break every 3 to 6 months. Windows is much more stable on both laptops. With my mini PC eGPU combo Linux just won't recognize the eGpu at all.

juujian 1y ago
Obligatory "my experience diverges." Which manufacturers were those? New flagship devices or more established hardware?
- aitchnyu 1y ago
  5k screens over DP are two screens in a trenchcoat. I saw this abstraction broken with menubar (only on half the screen), blue light filter (have to program both harlves), screen placement (have to drag both halves into place). FreeDesktop Gitlab has been tracking this since 2017 but IME only 2023 Ubuntu got it perfect, IIRC KDE got it perfect later.
- 999900000999 1y ago
  https://www.asus.com/laptops/for-home/vivobook/asus-vivobook-s-14-oled-m5406/ https://www.asus.com/laptops/for-home/vivobook/asus-vivobook... Maybe it's been fixed, but I brought this on release last year, it never worked right with Linux. Hours upon hours of trying to fix it for naught. I actually prefer Linux as a daily driver, I have the Ultra Core V2 version of the same laptop and rolling releases are generally fine for 3 to 6 months. At which point I just reinstall , while leaving Windows intact. I guess if you want to buy a slightly older laptop or at least one with a slightly older CPU things are fine. Refurbished Thinkpads excel particularly well here.
eYrKEC2 1y ago
This was true for me until ~2014. I haven't had substantial hardware compatibility issues on Ubuntu since then. Sure, a few google searches for the right nvidia driver, but otherwise I've found Ubuntu to just work for many years.