Technology

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[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

I love Linux. I really do. I would say 99.9% of all services I self-host are things I run on Linux. And the other 0.1% I’m actively looking for a way to run on Linux or just don’t run at all. But as a desktop, there are things that I just can do as well or at all on Linux. And most of that are drivers or utilities that just either ignore Linux or half-ass it. Which is not Linux’s fault, but it is what it is.

An example: I have a laser cutter in my shop. I use Lightburn. They essentially have stopped all development on the Linux version years ago. So I have an old Macmini running the Mac version (I despise windows with the passion of 1000 suns). So no Linux there. I haven’t looked for a decent Linux version so something might exist. But what I have works and I have other more fun things to try.

But Linux on the desktop can have advantages. At work, the desktop management shit is really getting annoying and increasingly affects my Mac desktop. I don’t need some central office making choices on my desktop/laptop when I know more than most of them. Not to mention I do weird things with networking for my lab that is so outside of normal, I guarantee they have never even considered. Case in point, they were forcing reboots to upgrade the day of any OS update. Even dot 0 releases. I’m like WTAF. I got them to allow a week which is better I guess. They haven’t figured at how to force that on Linux yet so there is a reason to move to Linux for sure. But this advantage for Linux is basically due to the same thing. Linux is ignored on the desktop.

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[–] HrMoon@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago (1 child)

You have to do the essentials on Linux. You have to fight for it. The more people turn on Linux and bitch about stuff not working, the more likely companies/people will start building drivers for it. It’s a fight, no shame if it doesn’t work, just use other operating system to get it working but spit on it while doing it

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[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 3 points 9 hours ago

You’re not wrong. And we have several people in my group especially since most of us are geeks and technical, that are running Linux as a desktop.

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[–] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 0 points 10 hours ago (1 child)

Linux can be made to do those things too. That’s a management issue. Head office is dumb and doesn’t know what they are doing and they make that your problem.

As for the CNC, aren’t those all some variation of GRBL anyway? I feel like there’s a major disruption opportunity for retrofitting a more standard control system onto existing CNC machines. Something supported by Linux/bsd/temple/whatever. The CNC machines are technological anchors for any shop and honestly they don’t need to be. They aren’t as complex as people think.

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[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 1 point 9 hours ago

I know. Just don’t tell central IT. Plus the few number of Linux desktops is also reasonable n to not bother. And anybody running Linux as a desktop has way more of a clue than some admin running windows 11.

It’s not the GRBL that’s the issue. It’s the turning things into GRBL that’s the issue. Like I said they probably exist. It’s just a matter of being lazy and not fixing something that already works. If it was windows only, I’d be more inclined.

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[–] rekabis@lemmy.ca 2 points 9 hours ago

I still run a small constellation of programs (some obscure) that are required for my workflows that have neither a Linux version that is perfectly file-compatible, nor can be run reliably under WINE.

Plus, I also provide tech support for others, so being able to “mirror” actions on my own iron as I’m helping them is a massive plus. Differences between installs has helped me catch config issues on many occasions.

So unfortunately, running Windows is still a must-do for the foreseeable future. Now granted, I also have a good half-dozen workstations, which also run MacOS, OpenBSD, OpenSUSE, and various other virtualized fun shit (HaikuOS, etc.).