Windows 8

[Miasma]

228 sliding tiles, obviously.  Now that I think of it it's almost like Windows 8 was designed by one of those people who keep dozens of links to programs and files all over their desktop instead of using a sane, organized system.

[KallDrexx]

228 sliding tiles, obviously.  Now that I think of it it's almost like Windows 8 was designed by one of those people who keep dozens of links to programs and files all over their desktop instead of using a sane, organized system.

Um, most computer users I know that aren't tech savvy operate this way.

[schild]

228 sliding tiles, obviously.  Now that I think of it it's almost like Windows 8 was designed by one of those people who keep dozens of links to programs and files all over their desktop instead of using a sane, organized system.

Um, most computer users I know that aren't tech savvy operate this way.

Most computer uses shouldn't have access to a Save button let alone something beyond a Chromebook. What's your point?

[Fabricated]

I liked the start button. :(

Since I can get a full copy of just about any MS product for free I may actually try 8.1 if I feel a burning need to reinstall my OS...



Nah.

[bhodi]

The most ridiculous thing to me was that you couldn't adjust the sizes of the metro app squares. Even though some defaulted to larger than others.

[veredus]

Just right click the tile and you can pick big or small size (one square or two basically). More and smaller sizes certainly would be nice though.

[Yegolev]

Did you try a multitouch drag?

[Engels]

So on advice of this thread I decided to download and try KDE for Mint. It has totally horked up my fonts in Cinnamon. I switched back from KDE and it munged it all up  Finally figured out how to reset Cinnamon to default.

[Salamok]

So on advice of this thread I decided to download and try KDE for Mint. It has totally horked up my fonts in Cinnamon. I switched back from KDE and it munged it all up  Finally figured out how to reset Cinnamon to default.

How do you reset Cinnamon to default?

[Pennilenko]

How do you reset Cinnamon to default?

Reinstall it?

[Engels]

How do you reset Cinnamon to default?

Reinstall it?

[ghost]

So on advice of this thread I decided to download and try KDE for Mint. It has totally horked up my fonts in Cinnamon. I switched back from KDE and it munged it all up  Finally figured out how to reset Cinnamon to default.

I don't think it's recommended to try and switch from KDE to Cinnamon, or vice versa.  That's why they don't typically come together.  But I'm not an expert, by any means, simply a highly unskilled end user.

[Engels]

Oh, I know you didn't recommend switching, that was just me and my bright ideas.

[ghost]

Oh, I know you didn't recommend switching, that was just me and my bright ideas.

Lol.  I have no recommendations regarding how to deal with Linux.  I'm lucky to get it on my machine intact. 

[Venkman]

I've always been curious:

Is there any reason for a non developer to install Linux beyond achieving a workable installation of Linux?

[Engels]

If you don't play computer games or require a Windows office software environment, don't need to do any soft of 'specialized' software that's windows/apple only, then yes, there's all the reasons in the world to do Linux. Unfortunately, most people fall into at least one of the above categories.

[Pennilenko]

I've always been curious:

Is there any reason for a non developer to install Linux beyond achieving a workable installation of Linux?

No, I'm still worried if I am going to be capable of figuring it out for school.

[ghost]

I've always been curious:

Is there any reason for a non developer to install Linux beyond achieving a workable installation of Linux?

No, I'm still worried if I am going to be capable of figuring it out for school.

It's actually pretty easy.  Hell, I've even done an Arch install and I have no idea what I'm doing. 

[Pennilenko]

I was thinking about buying a decent version of some VM software or another and then using that to learn linux.

I still don't know much, I just learned about the usefulness of VMs in school.

[Engels]

I like Virtual Box, myself. Its free, I think. Not sure what the restrictions are.

[Sky]

I use VMWare but VirtualBox was pretty darn handy before we got the VMWare licenses. I wish I had time to do more with virtualization. If I were still in school, I'd be focused on virtualization, security or both.

[Yegolev]

I've always been curious:

Is there any reason for a non developer to install Linux beyond achieving a workable installation of Linux?

Download porn without worrying about malware.

[Hammond]

I have used vmware, virtualbox, parallels and microsofts virtual pc software. Honestly just download virtualbox or vmware player and just go with it. Its super easy to spin up a image to play around with and at least get a feel for what the OS is going to be like. I test drive all new OS's this way. Paid versions give you more features like versioning, backups, "clones" and more granular configuration options. The thing is in college there is no reason to pay for that.

[Lantyssa]

VMplayer if you have a Windows install you want to put the VM host on.  ESXi if you want to put the host on the bare metal and run your VMs off that.

Both are free.  Use a spare computer if you go the ESXi route.  You probably don't want your main running as a virtual machine until you know what you're doing, if ever.

[Engels]

VMplayer if you have a Windows install you want to put the VM host on.  ESXi if you want to put the host on the bare metal and run your VMs off that.

Both are free.  Use a spare computer if you go the ESXi route.  You probably don't want your main running as a virtual machine until you know what you're doing, if ever.

Just curious... I imagine that ESXi offers a performance bonus due to its low footprint, but I wonder how much. Its still running VMs off of images, which in and of itself is a performance hit. How about the rest of the hardware integration? Are there boosts to graphics capability by running a bare metal VM?

[Yegolev]

There will always be reduced overhead when using a hypervisor instead of a full OS+virtualizer app.

That reminded me, I do have a spare machine and maybe I need to put ESX on it.  I'll see what the general practice is at work and go for that.

[Pennilenko]

Sorry to hijack windows thread ,but does a vm instance tie up all of the memory allocated to it?

[Ingmar]

Yes and no. In VMWare at least, the memory you assign to a VM is the maximum it is allowed to use. It doesn't (typcially) start out using all of it, but once it grabs some memory the hypervisor never takes it back, so it will grow over time as long as the VM is running, up to the max you assigned.

[Pennilenko]

Yes and no. In VMWare at least, the memory you assign to a VM is the maximum it is allowed to use. It doesn't (typcially) start out using all of it, but once it grabs some memory the hypervisor never takes it back, so it will grow over time as long as the VM is running, up to the max you assigned.

Thanks

[Ironwood]

To be brutal, those thinking about studying Virtualisation in this world of Cloud are wasting their time unless they intend to work for a Cloud provider.  And I'm saying that as someone who just put in a failover Hyper Cluster for a client.  It's like making a valve radio when they should actually be using an IPod.

 

[Lantyssa]

Just curious... I imagine that ESXi offers a performance bonus due to its low footprint, but I wonder how much. Its still running VMs off of images, which in and of itself is a performance hit. How about the rest of the hardware integration? Are there boosts to graphics capability by running a bare metal VM?

VMs will always have a hit as Yeg said.

VMPlayer = Windows - Host - VM
ESXi = Host - VM

I've been quite happy with the VMs I've used, but they're all running on big servers and I'm not doing anything graphically intensive.  You'll always prefer a system running on the hardware for personal use.  VMs just offer benefits like easy portability (no more hosing your system due to changing the motherboard), standardized drivers, and easily spawning copies.

As long as your machine runs well enough the VM isn't a bad option, especially if you know you're going to be mucking around with a test config.  Make a template, make a copy for testing, then blow the copy up when you're done.

Edit:  Ironwood isn't wrong, but I like knowing this stuff myself instead of farming it out.

[Sky]

I did say 'if I was in school'. Because why wouldn't I want to work with the cloud providers?

Speaking of valves. I was all impressed Apple was finally going to allow me to log into a website and do a full end to end transaction as an authorized purchasing agent for the library, no emailing our rep to have them place the order, and especially no faxing a purchase order (we don't even use purchase orders, we made a fake one we only use with apple).

Now I'm only halfway impressed. After two days of setting up the accounts online ( ) I can order a computer fine (awesome). But the two ipods I have to fill out a printed pdf and FAX it back with a purchase order. So we're back to a fax machine and fake purchase orders. Do they listen to 8-tracks in Cupertino or something. I should beep my rep and find out.

FFS. We only have a fax machine still because the public wants one. Even that will scan to email or USB. Or I've heard you can even fill out a PDF and return it.

Then again, these are the same jackasses who won't let me use our purchasing email address, I have to use my own work address, after years of trying to disassociate people's named accounts from purchasing/support accounts (in case someone gets hit by a bus etc). And it took two days and 26 emails plus one phone call to a manager to get that straightened out. And by straightened out I mean backwards.

Ye gods. Do you want me to stop buying your computers, Shirley Bob? 

[Ironwood]

Wasn't directing that at anyone in particular mate, just stating what I see as an inevitability.

Azure isn't quite there tho.  They fucking BROKE IT this past week.  Assholes.

[Venkman]

If you don't play computer games or require a Windows office software environment, don't need to do any soft of 'specialized' software that's windows/apple only, then yes, there's all the reasons in the world to do Linux. Unfortunately, most people fall into at least one of the above categories.

That's all the reasons I currently am not using it. But let's say I spun up another computer just for Linux. As a non-developer, what would I use it for? Like, does it do better online stuff or something?

[Lantyssa]

Networking, safe web browsing, laughing at plebeians...