Win10 refugee, saying Hi
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Win10 refugee, saying Hi
Hi folks
I finally made the jump, after Win10 on my old laptop became unbearable. Always thought Linux wouldn't work for me, because I was so invested in MS software, so I was pleasantly surprised to find Libre Office, VLC, Chrome, etc. Even installed Wine and got my trusty 20-year-old PaintShop Pro working, albeit not exactly as it is on Windows. I've installed GIMP as well, but its very different to what I'm used to, and my needs are pretty simple (hence still using PSP from 2004!).
One thing I was hesitant about was losing the ability to use xcopy for quick and easy backups, but I'll give LuckyBackup (or rsync) a spin and see how I get on.
Getting used to the file structure here might take a while, but I'm sure I'll get there. Might even try my new best friend, the search tool "everything", to see if it will work here; I'll be a little sad if it doesn't.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to settling in, in the coming weeks.
DW
I finally made the jump, after Win10 on my old laptop became unbearable. Always thought Linux wouldn't work for me, because I was so invested in MS software, so I was pleasantly surprised to find Libre Office, VLC, Chrome, etc. Even installed Wine and got my trusty 20-year-old PaintShop Pro working, albeit not exactly as it is on Windows. I've installed GIMP as well, but its very different to what I'm used to, and my needs are pretty simple (hence still using PSP from 2004!).
One thing I was hesitant about was losing the ability to use xcopy for quick and easy backups, but I'll give LuckyBackup (or rsync) a spin and see how I get on.
Getting used to the file structure here might take a while, but I'm sure I'll get there. Might even try my new best friend, the search tool "everything", to see if it will work here; I'll be a little sad if it doesn't.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to settling in, in the coming weeks.
DW
Re: Win10 refugee, saying Hi
Welcome to this forum of Linux users!
I still have Windows 10 in dual boot on my computer and can therefore make a good comparison.
For me, Linux Mint (Cinnamon) is much more mature and user-friendly than Windows, at least I have noticed it more often.
Take for example the simple function "keep windows in the foreground". This is only available for Windows as part of an additional program that I first had to find. In Linux you have it with rightclick on each windows title bar.
I also find the availability of several workspaces very helpful. As far as image programs are concerned, I make do with the French PhotoFiltre Studio (also older) in Windows. Here in Linux I use Pinta for simple things, which is available in the application manager. But there are also additional modules for the file manager Nemo to resize or rotate photos. And the image program Pix already offers basic functions...
I still have Windows 10 in dual boot on my computer and can therefore make a good comparison.
For me, Linux Mint (Cinnamon) is much more mature and user-friendly than Windows, at least I have noticed it more often.
Take for example the simple function "keep windows in the foreground". This is only available for Windows as part of an additional program that I first had to find. In Linux you have it with rightclick on each windows title bar.
I also find the availability of several workspaces very helpful. As far as image programs are concerned, I make do with the French PhotoFiltre Studio (also older) in Windows. Here in Linux I use Pinta for simple things, which is available in the application manager. But there are also additional modules for the file manager Nemo to resize or rotate photos. And the image program Pix already offers basic functions...
How you get better results when searching for yourself.
Re: Win10 refugee, saying Hi
Welcome to the forum.
You might take a look at recoll https://www.recoll.org/index.html if search (everything) does not work for you. I am using it on my laptop and it does a great job indexing my Nextcloud folder. It allows me to easily find almost any document with just a few keywords.
Bob
You might take a look at recoll https://www.recoll.org/index.html if search (everything) does not work for you. I am using it on my laptop and it does a great job indexing my Nextcloud folder. It allows me to easily find almost any document with just a few keywords.
Bob
Pop_OS! 22.04 {Dell Inspiron 15 5510}
Linux Mint Cinnamon 21 {Minisforum UM700}
Pop_OS! Thelio Mira ;-)
We have met the enemy and he is us. - Pogo
Linux Mint Cinnamon 21 {Minisforum UM700}
Pop_OS! Thelio Mira ;-)
We have met the enemy and he is us. - Pogo
Re: Win10 refugee, saying Hi
There are lots of linux backup utilities. Timeshift is installed by default - think of it like a win restore point, but better. Use it. Point timeshift at an ext4 partition on another drive if you can. Timeshift takes snapshots, first time you use it it copies everything (except home), thereafter it only copies changes so quick.
Timeshift does nothing for your data - not what it is for.
For backup of your data (contents of home) I use backintime (works like timeshift, takes snapshots) which can be installed from software manager. If luckybackup isn't a fit for you try it. rsync is the terminal utility that the majority of linux GUI backup utilities use. You can use it direct or write your own scripts, easier to use a GUI utility where someone else has done the hard work for you.
Pinta has already been recommended. If you want something more complex try krita, not as alien as gimp, but I still have to google every time I use it (infrequently).
Thinkcentre M720Q - LM21.3 cinnamon, 4 x T430 - LM21.3 cinnamon, Homebrew desktop i5-8400+GTX1080 Cinnamon 19.0
Re: Win10 refugee, saying Hi
Thanks mate. Win10 on the lappy (it came with 7) had various things not working, and it was inability to access Settings that pushed me over the edge. I still have it on another lappy that was sold with 10, but it's just a safety net now.Dan-cer wrote: ⤴Fri Mar 22, 2024 9:50 am I still have Windows 10 in dual boot on my computer and can therefore make a good comparison.
...
As far as image programs are concerned, I make do with the French PhotoFiltre Studio (also older) in Windows. Here in Linux I use Pinta for simple things, which is available in the application manager. But there are also additional modules for the file manager Nemo to resize or rotate photos. And the image program Pix already offers basic functions...
Last night though, I tried to boot my even older W7 desktop with Mint, so I could install it as a dual-boot option, but no go. Tried both USB and DVD as 1st boot option, but it just booted to W7 either way. It's no big deal, as W7 is working fine there, but offline only, so I thought Mint would enable me to use it online again.
Thanks for the tips re image progs; I'll maybe take a look and see what's useful.
Re: Win10 refugee, saying Hi
Thanks Bob. I was only introduced to everything recently (by the same guy who's been encouraging me towards Linux generally, and Mint specifically), when I couldn't find a file I knew was in there somewhere. Its ability to index nearly a million files in a couple of minutes is astonishing—at least, when compared with normal Windows search. If Recoll comes anywhere near, it'll still be good.BwingBob wrote: ⤴Fri Mar 22, 2024 9:58 am You might take a look at recoll https://www.recoll.org/index.html if search (everything) does not work for you.
Re: Win10 refugee, saying Hi
Helpful basic hotkey combosI've installed GIMP as well
shift+j centers the image
shift+c opens the " crop " tool for when you're ready to remove parts of the image
alt+i , then s allows you to change the resolution ( dealing with scaling) of the image
== I use all three of those tools..often when I'm downloading movie wallpapers to use as .jpg image files for all my movies
alt+f, then x exports the final image
Welcome to the Linux world!
Remember to backup your data and system
Timeshift and Foxclone are both excellent friends
Timeshift ..leave on defaults " EXCEPT " target a separate drive imo.
Foxclone is good for system image backups or full drive aka disk clones. ( the main dev.. AndyMH is an active forum member here who has helped out many across the years )
Mint 21.2 Cinnamon 5.8.4
asrock x570 taichi ...bios p5.00
ryzen 5900x
128GB Kingston Fury @ 3600mhz
Corsair mp600 pro xt NVME ssd 4TB
three 4TB ssds
dual 1TB ssds
Two 16TB Toshiba hdd's
24GB amd 7900xtx vid card
Viewsonic Elite UHD 32" 144hz monitor
asrock x570 taichi ...bios p5.00
ryzen 5900x
128GB Kingston Fury @ 3600mhz
Corsair mp600 pro xt NVME ssd 4TB
three 4TB ssds
dual 1TB ssds
Two 16TB Toshiba hdd's
24GB amd 7900xtx vid card
Viewsonic Elite UHD 32" 144hz monitor
Re: Win10 refugee, saying Hi
Thanks Andy. I've had a bit of a nosey, and got the impression there are lots of options for lots of things in Linux, backups included. I think I read about Timeshift, and about it being for system files only, so that's fine. And yes, I always keep backups on an external drive. Ext4... another thing I'm going to have to get used to; what's the other one - fsh?AndyMH wrote: ⤴Fri Mar 22, 2024 2:52 pm There are lots of linux backup utilities. Timeshift is installed by default - think of it like a win restore point, but better. Use it. Point timeshift at an ext4 partition on another drive if you can.
...
rsync is the terminal utility that the majority of linux GUI backup utilities use. You can use it direct or write your own scripts, easier to use a GUI utility where someone else has done the hard work for you.
... something more complex try krita, not as alien as gimp ...
Xcopy is pretty much the only thing I do on the Windows command line, though I write batch files to do the work. To that extent, I won't find the Terminal completely alien* (I can even remember a few Unix commands I used to use, about 30 years ago!).
* I found the Konsole, in BigLinux, unsettling, when I briefly tried that distro, but Mint's Terminal seems fine.
Krita — sounds promising
Re: Win10 refugee, saying Hi
welcome, and if you dont like lucky backup, check out freefilesync and be sure to enable versioning. not sure if luckybackup does versioning.ozalba wrote: ⤴Fri Mar 22, 2024 8:58 am Hi folks
I finally made the jump, after Win10 on my old laptop became unbearable. Always thought Linux wouldn't work for me, because I was so invested in MS software, so I was pleasantly surprised to find Libre Office, VLC, Chrome, etc. Even installed Wine and got my trusty 20-year-old PaintShop Pro working, albeit not exactly as it is on Windows. I've installed GIMP as well, but its very different to what I'm used to, and my needs are pretty simple (hence still using PSP from 2004!).
One thing I was hesitant about was losing the ability to use xcopy for quick and easy backups, but I'll give LuckyBackup (or rsync) a spin and see how I get on.
Getting used to the file structure here might take a while, but I'm sure I'll get there. Might even try my new best friend, the search tool "everything", to see if it will work here; I'll be a little sad if it doesn't.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to settling in, in the coming weeks.
DW
Re: Win10 refugee, saying Hi
I'll nose around GIMP in the weeks/months ahead, so thanks for those pointers.
Backup: yes, I'll be organising that ASAP; I keep an external HDD for the purpose.
I'll check out Foxclone, but want to run a file-by-file backup as well.