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The downsides of Linux

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  • 30-06-2014 12:24pm
    #1
    Dally
    Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭


    Hi All,

    Along with my partner, I recently decided to get rid of cable TV and get a dedicated entertainment PC instead. We bought a brand new PC and installed Linux Mint.

    So far, so good, it works well (apart from occasionally freezing - no worse than Windows on that front), and I'm happy to not be using Windows.

    I'm now considering doing the same with my laptop - I'll be getting a new laptop soon, and want to leave Windows behind and switch to Linux on that too.

    But before I take that leap, are there any downsides I should be aware of? Or is it all positive?
    Tagged:


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    #2
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    Dally wrote: »
    But before I take that leap, are there any downsides I should be aware of? Or is it all positive?

    It all depends on what you want to do.

    I have documented a number of issues I have had with Linux on this forum. However, I consider myself a power user and have a very broad range of needs.


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    #3
    Xennon
    Registered Users Posts: 931 ✭✭✭Xennon


    apart from occasionally freezing

    It shouldnt, you need to find out why its freezing and fix that before you go any further.


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    #4
    solomafioso
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,095 ✭✭✭solomafioso


    Dally wrote: »
    But before I take that leap, are there any downsides I should be aware of? Or is it all positive?

    Just be wary of any windows-only programs. WINE should help.

    And peripherals / drivers. Do a bit of googling to ensure that they will connect!

    And as another poster mentioned, might be helpful to seek out why your machine is stalling. Do some hardware tests on it. (Using a diagnostics disk eg hirens boot cd).


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    #5
    PrzemoF
    Registered Users Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭PrzemoF


    Dally, do you know how to access logs? Freezing af a linux box is not normal.

    Can you switch to console (Ctrl-Alt-F1 /F2 and so on) after the freeze? If you can that's nor a real freeze, just windows manager/xorg crash, but it still should not happen.


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    #6
    Dally
    Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭Dally


    PrzemoF wrote: »
    Dally, do you know how to access logs? Freezing af a linux box is not normal.

    Can you switch to console (Ctrl-Alt-F1 /F2 and so on) after the freeze? If you can that's nor a real freeze, just windows manager/xorg crash, but it still should not happen.

    I'm not sure. The cursor still moves. Sometimes the desktop disappears for a minute, and comes back saying 'Cinnamon has crashed'. Next time it happens I'll pay more attention.


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    #7
    Kinet1c
    Closed Accounts Posts: 824 ✭✭✭Kinet1c


    I spend most of my time on the CLi or browser so find there's very little that I can't do on my linux machines. The keyboard shortcuts in Unity are almost the same as W7/W8 so it doesn't affect my workflow too much either.


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    #8
    PrzemoF
    Registered Users Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭PrzemoF


    Dally wrote: »
    I'm not sure. The cursor still moves. Sometimes the desktop disappears for a minute, and comes back saying 'Cinnamon has crashed'. Next time it happens I'll pay more attention.
    Ok, so it's not a kernel/xorg crash, but cinnamon crash. I won't ba a good help as I use gnome.

    You might check this [1]. It's not a fix for the problem, but might help you a bit.

    [1] http://www.gregfreeman.org/2012/recovery-from-cinnamon-crashes-and-freezes-in-linux-mint/


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    #9
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,991 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Dally wrote: »
    Hi All,

    Along with my partner, I recently decided to get rid of cable TV and get a dedicated entertainment PC instead. We bought a brand new PC and installed Linux Mint.

    So far, so good, it works well (apart from occasionally freezing - no worse than Windows on that front), and I'm happy to not be using Windows.

    I'm now considering doing the same with my laptop - I'll be getting a new laptop soon, and want to leave Windows behind and switch to Linux on that too.

    But before I take that leap, are there any downsides I should be aware of? Or is it all positive?

    Try to ensure that the hardware in the laptop is Linux compatible ...... not easy at times ...


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    #10
    Dally
    Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭Dally


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    Try to ensure that the hardware in the laptop is Linux compatible ...... not easy at times ...

    How do I do that?


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    #11
    Stuxnet
    Registered Users Posts: 3,735 ✭✭✭Stuxnet


    Your probably using the default open-source graphics driver, go to menu > type "drivers"...it will download and install the necessary proprietary graphics driver if needed, ...might help with your cinnamon crash :)

    ...and be sure to have updated you fresh install, using the update applet, or 
    sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get upgrade -y
    followed by a reboot in a terminal


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    #12
    Johnboy1951
    Registered Users Posts: 13,991 ✭✭✭✭Johnboy1951


    Dally wrote: »
    How do I do that?

    Buy from someplace that will allow you to boot from a LiveUSB and check all the hardware is properly recognised, would be one suggestion.


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    #13
    10-10-20
    Registered Users Posts: 6,693 ✭✭✭10-10-20


    Johnboy1951 wrote: »
    Buy from someplace that will allow you to boot from a LiveUSB and check all the hardware is properly recognised, would be one suggestion.

    Or buy a second-hand mainstream laptop. Buying cutting-edge is always going to have driver issues as development of linux/Ubuntu drivers isn't a top priority over Windows drivers. I stick to underspec'd ~2yr old systems, then upgrade the memory and HDD (and CPU if possible) to end up with a solid base for Mint. My only Windows system in the house is my work one, all others are Mint (Mate) or Ubuntu XFE.
    :)


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    #14
    Dally
    Registered Users Posts: 75 ✭✭Dally


    Stuxnet wrote: »
    Your probably using the default open-source graphics driver, go to menu > type "drivers"...it will download and install the necessary proprietary graphics driver if needed

    You're right - I opened the driver manager and it says 'No proprietary drivers are in use'. However, I don't see any option to find or install propriety drivers - I guess I need to find and install it manually?


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    #15
    Kinet1c
    Closed Accounts Posts: 824 ✭✭✭Kinet1c


    I'd run a software update on the machine via the command line using the following:
    sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get -y upgrade

    Once complete, run it again and it will most likely show some kernel upgrades that were left out. Copy those after the following:
    sudo apt-get -y install <kernel upgrades>
    - will look something like linux-headers-image, will probably be a few of them. Reboot and you should be fully up to date, see how your gpu is running then.

    Lastly, what sort of graphics card is in it?


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    #16
    Stuxnet
    Registered Users Posts: 3,735 ✭✭✭Stuxnet


    Dally wrote: »
    You're right - I opened the driver manager and it says 'No proprietary drivers are in use'. However, I don't see any option to find or install propriety drivers - I guess I need to find and install it manually?
    It depends, do a system update first anyway. If nothing appears, most likely you are using integrated graphics on your cpu, and you dont have a graphics card ?...so no need of a driver :)


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    #17
    GreenWolfe
    Registered Users Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭GreenWolfe


    Stuxnet wrote: »
    It depends, do a system update first anyway. If nothing appears, most likely you are using integrated graphics on your cpu, and you dont have a graphics card ?...so no need of a driver :)

    OP, the handiest way to check is to open a terminal and run 'lspci'. It will list hardware connected to PCI buses, including graphics cards.


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    #18
    long_b
    Registered Users Posts: 4,931 ✭✭✭long_b


    Have you gotten Netfix to work on your HTPC ? I found that a little tricky (for a noob).


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    #19
    long_b
    Registered Users Posts: 4,931 ✭✭✭long_b


    As it happens, Neflix just got a whole lot easier with the latest Chrome Beta and Ubuntu 14.04 or better

    http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2014/08/netflix-linux-html5-support-plugins

    Works fine on Linux Mint 17 (32 bit)


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    #20
    human 19
    Registered Users Posts: 838 ✭✭✭human 19


    Dally wrote: »
    How do I do that?
    regafrding checking the hardware compatibility...Intel are very good. I have just bought a Dell inspiron (5000) from their site...intel processor/ memory/graphics. 1 download required from the linux repository for the broadcom wificard. Unfortunately I had to pay some dosh to Microsoft as windows was installed but that only lasted about 2 hours
    Dally wrote: »
    You're right - I opened the driver manager and it says 'No proprietary drivers are in use'. However, I don't see any option to find or install propriety drivers - I guess I need to find and install it manually?


    I try to avoid propietary drivers as much as possible. The open source drivers should be sufficient nowadays. An update or googling would be a better option in sorting out the freezing/ crashiung


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