Win10 refugee, saying Hi

[ozalba]

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

[Dan-cer]

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...

[BwingBob]

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

[AndyMH]

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.

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).

[ozalba]

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...

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.

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.

[ozalba]

You might take a look at recoll https://www.recoll.org/index.html if search (everything) does not work for you.

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.

[motoryzen]

I've installed GIMP as well

Helpful basic hotkey combos

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 )

[ozalba]

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 ...

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?

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

[TaterChip]

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

welcome, and if you dont like lucky backup, check out freefilesync and be sure to enable versioning. not sure if luckybackup does versioning.

[ozalba]

Helpful basic hotkey combos
...
Remember to backup your data and system
Timeshift and Foxclone are both excellent friends

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.

[ozalba]

... be sure to enable versioning.

Something else to look up!

[TaterChip]

... be sure to enable versioning.

Something else to look up!

These will point you in the right direction.

ksnip_20240323-075817.png (21.03 KiB) Viewed 170 times

When I set mine up I changed the default naming convention from 'replace' to what is shown.

[ozalba]

These will point you in the right direction.

Right - saving discrete, dated backups, rather than overwriting a single backup? Gotcha