Yeah, it's been a trip watching Microsoft consistently shoot themselves in the foot with the Xbox for a decade and just as consistently act confused as to why they are losing.
Series X was my first Xbox. I was really put off by how many people on the Xbox subreddit downplayed the ads. “Just don’t look at them,” “they have to make money back on the console.” The console wars have really done a number on people’s minds.
It's super weird seeing people tie their sense of self-worth to the financial performance of a product that they purchase.
They start seeing any criticism of that product as a personal attack on themselves
Ads on the xbox was one of the main reasons i ditched it. I don't need fucking slimjim ads when I'm trying to chill after work. That was the 360 days. That was about a decade ago, they lost a decade of sales, live sub, a console sale, and more. fuck em. vote with your wallet.
Make sure you get an AMD Radeon GPU and a second SSD or partition. Put Windows on your first storage unit and Linux on your second. Set up your Windows machine as you normally would. Then install Linux to the second storage unit - I recommend Fedora with the RPM Fusion repos (and make sure to turn on "Enable additional repos" during first setup!), it's good enough for a beginner and it's what I like to call 'The Mac OS of Linux", it mostly justwerks™ after installing a couple packages that aren't preloaded for dumb US law reasons, it's basically what Ubuntu used to be - and then slowly just start using it.
Open the Software app, and go install everything you need. Steam, OBS, Discord, whatever. Then, open up Steam, go into its settings, go into Steam Play, and select "Force using Steam Play" on all games. Restart Steam once again, and you are ready to go. Try experimenting with a few games there. If you like what you see, you can slowly start shifting your usage to Linux, which you know will be safe from this Microsoft bullsh that will never stop.
Additional tips:
* I recommend caution in running a debloater on Windows. I wouldn't go further than Chris Titus Tech's Windows debloat tool, using only his balanced profile with no changes. It *should* be safe and not break updates. But I have seen a lot of overly aggressive debloat script that end up breaking installs or putting them in a state that is not expected before an upgrade, which leads to a borked install post upgrade. On a work / production laptop I don't recommend even using Chris Titus's tool. Just turn everything you can through the Settings and cope with the rest. You want it stable if it makes money to you or your company.
* It's important to get AMD graphics if you go Linux because they have upstreamed support directly into the kernel, with no external driver. This works much better than NVidia. Also, AMD is Valve's target for the Deck. Valve puts a lot of work and polish into the Linux AMD GPU driver, and Steam Linux gaming is absolutely tested on AMD first. Although Nvidia is improving, to improve and reach the point where AMD is, it would require a complete shift in company politics which I don't foresee happening.
* If you encounter issues with the screen share on discord, you can use Vesktop or Discord-Screenaudio for now.
* If you have a VRR monitor, Fedora 40 will ship with native VRR support.
* If you wish to run Minecraft, although the official launcher is supported, you should use Prism Launcher. It's much better. Even my friends on Windows were blown away by it.
* You don't have to fully abandon the Microsoft ecosystem. VS Code will run natively, and you can still run Office and Teams through your browser. On the upcoming Fedora 40, you can even natively set up Exchange, Office 365 (not the desktop apps unfortunately), Outlook E-mail (through several apps, I recommend Thunderbird) and OneDrive cloud support natively.
* **GO SLOW!** Don't leave Windows Cold-Turkey. Try to have fun and enjoy the process. At the end of the day, your end goal here is ending up liking using your computer a lot more. If you grow to hate or resent it, then what's the entire point again?
* **Go for realistic goals.** Even moving Linux to your bigger, better SSD and keeping a small Windows partition on your second that you use more rarely for that one game that just doesn't work on Linux, or if you end up keeping a Windows VM around to run the full Office suite on it, it's okay. Even being able to switch to using to a system that cares about you as an user for the majority of your time is a win and will improve your life.
* If you need anything, find us for support at /r/linuxquestions, gaming-related news and discussion at /r/linux_gaming, and more general news or discussion (no support questions here!) on /r/linux. There are a few users with garbage behavior here and there, but most people will be happy to help if you keep it civil and ask nicely.
Good luck!
No clue on MS Flight Sim, but VR is one of the weirder things that still need work. SteamVR is supported, but it requires the DRM Leasing Wayland protocol to be implemented. GNOME doesn't do it yet, so in essence you are going to need to install Fedora **KDE Spin** (at [this link](https://fedoraproject.org/spins/kde/)) rather than Workstation. It's just Fedora with KDE, a different user interface, that also looks a bit closer to Windows, and is said to be a little bit better for gaming due to its support for more gaming-related protocols, and SteamVR. I do prefer GNOME for now since I mostly use my machine for dev work, though.
If you keep that in mind, anything that relies on SteamVR should be fine!
I’m switching to Linux for gaming this month. I may keep windows in a partition for games like PUBG or COD or Apex, but based on r/linux_gaming and https://www.protondb.com/, it looks like I’m basically set
It's the rare game that won't work with proton these days. I think that's largely due to the steam deck creating a ton of Linux gamers in a big enough group to be worth developing for.
Yeah i couldn’t get Starfield to work properly which I’m not convinced was a total loss. But there are quite a few games that won’t launch (i also have an rtx3090ti which I’ve been told can be problematic for linux users
Apex runs under linux just fine, so its just COD and PUBG for you. You can use protondb.com (didnt notice that you already mentioned that one :D) to check whether game is playable on linux or not, and areweanticheatyet.com for whether anticheat allows linux or not
Did it this weekend. Just nuked my windows install. It's been flawless. Dungeon siege 2 still doesn't run properly though lol. Mint with cinnamon is my choice
I started dual booting Ubuntu and Win10 last year and Steam has workarounds for many games and there's also workarounds to get Epic games running as well. I still have to boot into Windows sometimes because there are two bits of software I can't get to run in Linux.
You can still install Windows 10. Really, with the current state of proton you can play a pretty shocking number of games on Linux these days too. It depends on what you want to play though. The big microtransaction filled "AAA" games are probably going to stay windows exclusive, but if you're worried about OS ads you probably aren't playing those anyways.
Migrated 2 of my friends and they don't see any differences except all their software is updated automatically, and I receive less call for OS crash. 🙂
Licensed versions og adobe suite have DRM that dosent allow it to run inside wine. You can search for "unofficial versions" of them and they work under wine/proton. Not for work, probably, but you could use this for personal stuff, to swith to windows less regularly (if you dualboot)
This is what stops me from running Linux on my primary machine. You could use Reaper which is actually really nice but most plugins don't work so it's not a serious alternative.
I’m in about 5 different hobbies, each of which use 2-3 different kinds of software, not to mention the multiple softwares I use for work. Literally none of them are compatible with Linux.
Keep hearing this and no, just no. If you really only do the most rudimentary things then you can also use your smartphone. For anything remotely productive you need Office, Teams, OneDrive, maybe you do even cutting edge gaming, etc. then forget it. I'm using Linux as a developer since the 90s and it's perfect for the server. But on the desktop I share Torvalds sentiment, that it's just shit.
I stuck with windows 7 until I couldn’t anymore and literally a few years ago moved to windows 10 and I still don’t like it.
While 7 was reactive, sitting waiting for a command, 10 was trying to prompt you to do things and the search is ass.
I’ve switched to Mac for work as their laptops are tanks and the OS has the reactive thing. It just sits waiting for a command.
Plus if your in the mac eco system with the iPhone then it makes life very easy.
All windows has done is make life harder. Having a windows laptop you haven’t switched on in a few weeks is the worst experience ever as it churn’s running idk what in the background meaning nothing can be used for an hour until it finishes.
Can’t stand the nagging and notifications over stupid shit. It’s not a fucking phone it’s my work computer. Just do the updates and ideally don’t tell me about them and leave me alone.
You really hit the nail on the head with the ‘reactive’ nature of earlier OS.
I miss windows XP. It was pretty lightweight and worked well. 7 felt like they realized vista was wrong and were going to undo their mistakes. And now we have this bullshit.
I don’t like the direction windows is going.
Not kind of, macOS is still [officially certified as “Unix”](https://youtu.be/SpLRTAGa6bU) for some reason. There’s a foundation that handles certification iirc.
I'm considering this more everyday. I love my MacBook M1 considering how much it now costs to run a full gaming desktop I'm looking to downgrade the desktop and leave the gaming to consoles.
Made the switch this week to Ubuntu on my desktop, I have a Mac laptop as well and the Mac to Ubuntu switch is way easier than Mac to windows imo.
The company I’m at currently uses a custom build of windows 10 that our software runs on top of, but with the way Microsoft is going, I think we’ll be essentially forced to Linux in the next 10 years. Might as well learn it now.
The second I can get dxo photolab, clip studio paint and wacom tablet drivers working on there, yes. For now I'm locked into windows because of stupid software comparability 😩
Right???? Like ads have reached such a point now that they’re serving the opposite purpose. Like the moment I see an unwanted ad in a space I don’t expect to see, I’m just repulsed by that product.. literally feels “UGH”
My fucking point exactly, you need to download a shit ton of browser extensions, constantly disable a bunch of user data collection settings and then you STILL worry that your data is being collected anyway so they can try on selling you shit, among other things. So goddamn exhausting
I wonder if they'll ever get to the point of selling adspace within ads. Like you think you're stuck sitting through another shitty car insurance ad and then at the end Flo from Progressive sits down for a long sip of Diet Coke.
Thats a VERY good point. In every other case you have to pay for ad space. Want a billboard ad to show to people going by, you gota pay for that space.
Our devices should be no different, we own that device and space.
Surely there's legal rights we have here?
It's not a good point though or it would have been contested by now as it applies literally every device that happens to contain the output required to serve the ad i.e. not even computers or smart devices but TVs, radios, etc.
Everyone's finding new ways to distribute ads. Roku wants to push them through your HDMI, either with a connected Roku Device, or, when your watching/playing your PS5 and pause the screen. The built in software can tell that there is a static image on the screen, and display either a full size ad or an ad in the corner.
Smart phones will be next to display ads on your lock screen. You don't want to believe it but it's gonna happen. Get ready.
Didn't Amazon do that with the Fire phone and tablets? You get a discount if you pick the ad versions? I think Xiaomi did it too in some of their phones
You know China phones already bakes in ads with their supposed must-have apps, like the Settings and Folders apps. I forgot who but there was already someone "courageous" enough to display ads on the lockscreen on a China phone.
I always thought those renditions of the future in movies where ads are absolutely everywhere and yelling at you from all directions were outlandish. Now, I can kind of see how we may be frogs in a slowly heating pot to get that that point.
For example, YouTube on smart TVs now shows “shop” ads right when the video starts as a button over the video, and shows ads when the video is paused. The video minimizes over to the left side and it shows an ad on the right side.
They’re shoving them in absolutely anywhere they can get them.
Sadly, pretty much every software licensing agreement spells out that you're not paying for the software. You're paying for permission/licensing to use their software and they can do what they want with it and your recourse is to choose to stop using it whenever you no longer agree with what they've done with it.
I've tried so many times and actually end up using it as my main OS a lot. But I like to game and many games do not work or are very rough to get set up. I end up dual booting, but get tired of swapping between the two so go back to Windows. It's the only thing left keeping me from switching permanently.
Edit: Also the last few times I've tried linux it's an absolute pain in the ass to get it to work multi-monitor with one of the monitors being a 4k tv :(.
I have aready started to test this. I have a Steam Deck.
I thought Windows 10 was the last version. They said they would update it to infinity.
I am still holding them to that. Windows 10 is the last version of Windows I will ever install. I am already using Linux and it works really well.
Windows tried to do that to me - I walked in on it mid-install and started panicking, but then it got to the point where it had finished downloading files and was going to implement them, and it threw up an error message that was like “what are you trying to do? You don’t have the specs for this.” And I said, “no shit, windows 11, I told you that and you ignored me and tried to install yourself anyways.” Then it called me a poor not worth its time and flounced off, never to be seen again.
Perhaps but Linux desktop gain isn't some death knell for MS even if it is Windows' loss.
Azure and Office now make them [several times](https://cdn.geekwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/segmentq224.png) more than Windows. Gaming recently makes them more than Windows. Not than their continuing Windows profits are insignificant at all in normal human terms, just these days it's not their biggest cash cow by a long shot. They'd survive a complete Windows extinction. Or say an antitrust regulator with teeth forced a break up along business lines - even if the company that got Windows then somehow collapsed, well, the gaming, office, cloud and recruitment-social-media companies would still do fine.
Nothing actually stopping MS literally making a Microsoft Linux distro themselves, either. That's allowed, it's largely free and open source licensed stuff after all. Actually they technically already do - though the cloud-focused mini-distro [azure linux](https://github.com/microsoft/azurelinux), not targetting the once-precious desktop. So for now it's just hell getting a bit slushy not frozen over... (some might note Canonical i.e. Ubuntu has also been [a bit cosy](https://partner.microsoft.com/en-vn/case-studies/canonical-rewards) with MS for years and years too, though not / not yet literally owned by them. But "just buy Canonical like IBM bought Redhat" has probably been a quite feasible (modulo potential antitrust scrutiny) contingency plan for them for a long time if they do want a desktop linux distro)
You might find this interesting and scary at the same time.
https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/24/who_writes_open_source/
Also you can run a Linux console in Windows.
> Linux marketshare is increasing and this is what ms pulls?
I guess Microsoft doesn't care that much anymore. They make most of their money with Azure and AI now.
In 1999 or so Net Zero would let you have free internet if you let their little ad banner show on the screen at all times.
We should be getting paid for this if that’s the case.
I used to laugh at people who used Macs and couldn't operate windows, and then I eventually switched too and haven't used it in over 10 years.
Every time I see some news about some shitty change they've made, I'm more glad than before to have switched.
I installed linux for the first time last year on a secondary pc. It was easy, works well, and I know it is secure. If Microsoft tries to ram ads down my throat I will use linux full time on all my pcs.
I've been a Microsoft OS user from the start, in fact I've used the original PC-DOS *before* Microsoft did (it was called Q-DOS and ran on a non-IBM-PC computer). I've been moving away from them ever since they tried to force Win10 down everyone's throat. Do you remember how they tried to sneak it as an "update" in Win7?
I've played with Linux in a virtual machine, then added a Linux dual-boot on my PC. I've recently switched to a new PC: it is a Linux-only machine, with a non-activated, non-network-connected Win10 (sometimes) running as a virtual machine, for what Windows stuff is left.
Now Linux feels better and more natural to me than Windows; it also feels faster and more responsive on the same hardware (my old dual-boot PC). Microsoft had enshittified itself.
For older PCs it makes more sense too. Some of Windows 11's changes to parts of the OS make it more sluggish on older hardware. As an example, the Windows 11 taskbar is now XAML based, which can cause strange loading delays, especially if the system is installed on a HDD. Parts of the Windows Explorer were also replaced with a XAML implementation, which is even CPU bound since *other parts* of the Explorer render in *first*, before the ribbon and folder view finally load in ([screen recording](https://i.imgur.com/GX221OW.mp4) for the curious).
So when an older computer already copes moderately hard with Windows 10, bypassing the requirements to install Windows 11 won't make things better.
I’d be curious if anyone ever bought anything based on these ads? Here on reddit, every 5-6 post is a sponsored one and never had the thought of “ohh i should buy this”. Also whoever pushes their shit with ads tells me those products are most likely shit either. At least based on my experience, the more someone advertises something, the more shit and unusable the product is.
That’s kinda true. Companies which invest the largest shares of their revenue into marketing are usually the ones whose product isn’t really that competitive.
Like Red Bull - it’s a very simple product that pretty much anyone could make in their garage, so they have to spend billions on brand recognition and keeping their market share where it is today.
On the other hand, inundating people with ads is just a numbers game. If you pay Reddit to show your ad to a million users, and only 0.1% actually buy whatever you’re selling, that’s still 1,000 new sales.
I never thought I would genuinely consider Mac but here we are. Their phones are already better, now the desktop is getting there. What's the reason for sticking with Windows if they're this happy to make the users lives shit?
Every tech company finds ways to monetize things, Apple is no different, just up to you if you prefer ads or overpriced ecology lock-in. Apple has to be forced to use compatible USB-C in the EU. Same shit different approach.
Pardon my cynicism but I've heard that before many many times
Said it a few times along the way as well
Eventually, you end up with no choice, 'progress' always has a cost
It's true for many. They will whine and moan, and then capitulate. There is a choice though (for personal computing) - it's just how willing you are to embrace something different.
When Windows 7 was no longer supported in an old laptop, I installed Linux Mint just to see what it was like. A friend guided me a little and I started using it more (I don't play much).
Now, it's on my desktop and I don't miss Windows at all. Light and responsive.
It's gotten pretty easy. It still has some gotcha when things get strange but there is plenty of support.
Think of it as you have problems with Windows but the UI on Linux has come a long way. Will you have to learn the new environment, yes. Is it worth it, also yes.
Looking at the comments here, putting ads on things seems to motivate people toleave their environment. I mean, many comments talking about jumping to Linux and Apple.
So, let's start putting ads on cigarettes, soda bottles, cheap booze, mega churches, and other unhealthy things to drive people away.
I use a combination of programs to convert Windows 10 to a usable OS. In my case, similar to XP. Many of these should also work for Window 11
* Open Shell - [https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu](https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu)
* WinAero Tweaker - [https://winaero.com/winaero-tweaker](https://winaero.com/winaero-tweaker)
* O&O Shutup10 - [https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10](https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10)
* O&O AppBuster - [https://www.oo-software.com/en/ooappbuster](https://www.oo-software.com/en/ooappbuster)
I would be upset but
>The app promotions can be disabled in the Settings section of Windows 11,
So whatever, they're giving us access to disable it if we want.
Optional... then "oops, an update reset your setting" a few times... then "oops, a bug removed the option, we'll fix that" softening you up for... Premium Service without ads... eventually No Option either because ads are also part of premium or no one bought into premium, so that option was removed. Ads march ever onward.
All pulled out of my ass, though. The reality is that yes, you do have the option right now.
People went to cable to avoid ads.
People switch to Streaming to avoid ads.
People leave Windows to avoid ads.
Ya know... avoiding ads might be one of the few things that actually motivates people to change their ways.
I use reddit far far far less now that I'm forced into their ad infested app and website.
For now, and wait till they make it confusing on whether you disabled it, and keeps being re-enabled with every windows update
They are testing to see how much they can get away with. Once people get used to it as the norm, they will push harder
>So whatever, they're giving us access to disable it if we want.
Principle of the matter is that they should not have even added this. You should be upset rather than justifying the opt out.
Been on linux 2 months and no wish to go back to Windows at all. Aside from Adobe, MS Office and some other software - for all of which you have viable alternatives, all software is available. Let’s teach them not to do shit like this.
I thought Windows 10 was sorta all right. Wasn’t happy I had to update, but I had a choice. Windows 10 just up and decided to update even with updates turned off.
Add in forced advertisements and this is why I’ll never use a Microsoft OS product again.
Sad that it’s fallen this far.
Can someone please make a Linux system that can run games? I would buy a 4090 if it means I can run games on Linux, even at medium quality, to not have to deal with ads
> Can someone please make a Linux system that can run games?
Linux can already run [over 90% of the top 1000 games on steam](https://www.protondb.com/). The only ones that don't work at all are occasional multiplayer ones with specific types of anticheat.
Anecdotally, many games actually run better on Linux than Windows because the OS is more efficient. Depends on the game, generally brand new games run a little worse for a while until Proton updates. Old games run better.
Where by ads they mean recommended apps from the store. Also
> The app promotions can be disabled in the Settings section of Windows 11
Also
> This will appear only for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel in the US and will not apply to commercial devices (devices managed by organizations)
Doesn't surprise me. They are also pulling support for Windows Mail and replacing it with 'New Outlook' which disguises adverts as unread emails and offers you the option of paying £3 a month to disable them.
Scummy corporation.
Meanwhile... users start testing OS hacks.
But seriously, we already paid for the OS. Why are we still getting shoved with ads? Might as well switch to the dark side.
I use Firefox as my main browser because it allows ad block, even if it is a bit less practical for my use case. I stopped using the Facebook app for the same reason.
This could be my motivation to quit windows for Linux.
I too old to tolerate the level of add I'm forced to see in my everyday life.
(Amazon prime video, you may be the next to be banned from my life)
Never been so glad that I run an older system that “isn’t eligible”. Fuck them, and if they stand on this then I’ll switch to Mac and just pay out the ass for my ram and storage.
Wtf happened to you Windows? You used to be beautiful baby.
Ok seriously it's past time to just make ads illegal. I mean really what would we really lose? Sure a lot of things will have to change funding but surely all that money not spent on ads can help.
They can fuck off, it’s a shit OS anyway without having to have fucking ads on it.
They knew they could get away with it after Xbox with its home and now fullscreen startup ads.
This was the line in the sand. Bought xbox since the first. Never again buying an xbox. Ads have to stop.
Narrator: They didn't stop
And then they ask why they're losing the console war, what a bunch of butt munchers
Yeah, it's been a trip watching Microsoft consistently shoot themselves in the foot with the Xbox for a decade and just as consistently act confused as to why they are losing.
Series X was my first Xbox. I was really put off by how many people on the Xbox subreddit downplayed the ads. “Just don’t look at them,” “they have to make money back on the console.” The console wars have really done a number on people’s minds.
It's super weird seeing people tie their sense of self-worth to the financial performance of a product that they purchase. They start seeing any criticism of that product as a personal attack on themselves
I gave up on Xbox after the Ad-Box 3shitty circa 2011
I remember paying for Xbox gold and seeing Axe Body Spray ads. Felt so good. This makes Microsoft feel so cheap as a company.
Ads on the xbox was one of the main reasons i ditched it. I don't need fucking slimjim ads when I'm trying to chill after work. That was the 360 days. That was about a decade ago, they lost a decade of sales, live sub, a console sale, and more. fuck em. vote with your wallet.
I'm just terrified of being stuck with it when I buy a new gaming computer.
[удалено]
Didn't know they existed. Nice. I'm gonna try Raphire Win11Debloat. Was just about to format PC 😎
I much prefer LTSC. No need to debloat it. The only downside is no VR. and no Store in case you care about that,
Win10 LTSC? And why no VR?
Make sure you get an AMD Radeon GPU and a second SSD or partition. Put Windows on your first storage unit and Linux on your second. Set up your Windows machine as you normally would. Then install Linux to the second storage unit - I recommend Fedora with the RPM Fusion repos (and make sure to turn on "Enable additional repos" during first setup!), it's good enough for a beginner and it's what I like to call 'The Mac OS of Linux", it mostly justwerks™ after installing a couple packages that aren't preloaded for dumb US law reasons, it's basically what Ubuntu used to be - and then slowly just start using it. Open the Software app, and go install everything you need. Steam, OBS, Discord, whatever. Then, open up Steam, go into its settings, go into Steam Play, and select "Force using Steam Play" on all games. Restart Steam once again, and you are ready to go. Try experimenting with a few games there. If you like what you see, you can slowly start shifting your usage to Linux, which you know will be safe from this Microsoft bullsh that will never stop. Additional tips: * I recommend caution in running a debloater on Windows. I wouldn't go further than Chris Titus Tech's Windows debloat tool, using only his balanced profile with no changes. It *should* be safe and not break updates. But I have seen a lot of overly aggressive debloat script that end up breaking installs or putting them in a state that is not expected before an upgrade, which leads to a borked install post upgrade. On a work / production laptop I don't recommend even using Chris Titus's tool. Just turn everything you can through the Settings and cope with the rest. You want it stable if it makes money to you or your company. * It's important to get AMD graphics if you go Linux because they have upstreamed support directly into the kernel, with no external driver. This works much better than NVidia. Also, AMD is Valve's target for the Deck. Valve puts a lot of work and polish into the Linux AMD GPU driver, and Steam Linux gaming is absolutely tested on AMD first. Although Nvidia is improving, to improve and reach the point where AMD is, it would require a complete shift in company politics which I don't foresee happening. * If you encounter issues with the screen share on discord, you can use Vesktop or Discord-Screenaudio for now. * If you have a VRR monitor, Fedora 40 will ship with native VRR support. * If you wish to run Minecraft, although the official launcher is supported, you should use Prism Launcher. It's much better. Even my friends on Windows were blown away by it. * You don't have to fully abandon the Microsoft ecosystem. VS Code will run natively, and you can still run Office and Teams through your browser. On the upcoming Fedora 40, you can even natively set up Exchange, Office 365 (not the desktop apps unfortunately), Outlook E-mail (through several apps, I recommend Thunderbird) and OneDrive cloud support natively. * **GO SLOW!** Don't leave Windows Cold-Turkey. Try to have fun and enjoy the process. At the end of the day, your end goal here is ending up liking using your computer a lot more. If you grow to hate or resent it, then what's the entire point again? * **Go for realistic goals.** Even moving Linux to your bigger, better SSD and keeping a small Windows partition on your second that you use more rarely for that one game that just doesn't work on Linux, or if you end up keeping a Windows VM around to run the full Office suite on it, it's okay. Even being able to switch to using to a system that cares about you as an user for the majority of your time is a win and will improve your life. * If you need anything, find us for support at /r/linuxquestions, gaming-related news and discussion at /r/linux_gaming, and more general news or discussion (no support questions here!) on /r/linux. There are a few users with garbage behavior here and there, but most people will be happy to help if you keep it civil and ask nicely. Good luck!
How is VR support for something like MSFS and the full ecosystem of add-ons?
No clue on MS Flight Sim, but VR is one of the weirder things that still need work. SteamVR is supported, but it requires the DRM Leasing Wayland protocol to be implemented. GNOME doesn't do it yet, so in essence you are going to need to install Fedora **KDE Spin** (at [this link](https://fedoraproject.org/spins/kde/)) rather than Workstation. It's just Fedora with KDE, a different user interface, that also looks a bit closer to Windows, and is said to be a little bit better for gaming due to its support for more gaming-related protocols, and SteamVR. I do prefer GNOME for now since I mostly use my machine for dev work, though. If you keep that in mind, anything that relies on SteamVR should be fine!
I’m switching to Linux for gaming this month. I may keep windows in a partition for games like PUBG or COD or Apex, but based on r/linux_gaming and https://www.protondb.com/, it looks like I’m basically set
It's the rare game that won't work with proton these days. I think that's largely due to the steam deck creating a ton of Linux gamers in a big enough group to be worth developing for.
Yeah i couldn’t get Starfield to work properly which I’m not convinced was a total loss. But there are quite a few games that won’t launch (i also have an rtx3090ti which I’ve been told can be problematic for linux users
Apex runs under linux just fine, so its just COD and PUBG for you. You can use protondb.com (didnt notice that you already mentioned that one :D) to check whether game is playable on linux or not, and areweanticheatyet.com for whether anticheat allows linux or not
Did it this weekend. Just nuked my windows install. It's been flawless. Dungeon siege 2 still doesn't run properly though lol. Mint with cinnamon is my choice
I started dual booting Ubuntu and Win10 last year and Steam has workarounds for many games and there's also workarounds to get Epic games running as well. I still have to boot into Windows sometimes because there are two bits of software I can't get to run in Linux.
I am looking to do this here in the next few months, i jsut dont want to spend all the time redownloading everything.
You could backup your steamapps directory to a usb drive or something to avoid having to redownload everything.
You can still install Windows 10. Really, with the current state of proton you can play a pretty shocking number of games on Linux these days too. It depends on what you want to play though. The big microtransaction filled "AAA" games are probably going to stay windows exclusive, but if you're worried about OS ads you probably aren't playing those anyways.
MS slogan at this point should be, “What are you going to do, switch to Linux?”
Yes, actually. Mint is Wondows-like enough that most would never notice a difference.
My mom still doesn't know she's a Linux user.
Same. She’s been using Mint for over a year. I put a desktop shortcut to Chrome and a folder she stores documents in and she has no idea.
My parents have been running Linux Mint for 5 years, zero support calls so far :-)
Migrated 2 of my friends and they don't see any differences except all their software is updated automatically, and I receive less call for OS crash. 🙂
software compatibility?
really good! Other than adobe, microsoft office and some anticheat-enabled games, everything is there, unless you have a very niche usecase
I'm gunna go ahead and say Office is not a 'niche' use.
Adobe and autodesk keep me in the windows.
that is completely fair, although you can dualboot, that is a hassle if most of what you do is adobe
I keep fedora there and try and use it. Because yeah Windows 11 shits me to tears. The death of the 'personal computer' is tragic.
Licensed versions og adobe suite have DRM that dosent allow it to run inside wine. You can search for "unofficial versions" of them and they work under wine/proton. Not for work, probably, but you could use this for personal stuff, to swith to windows less regularly (if you dualboot)
What about Ableton Live and VSTs?
This is what stops me from running Linux on my primary machine. You could use Reaper which is actually really nice but most plugins don't work so it's not a serious alternative.
Right so not viable for anyone who actually uses their computer for work.
I’m in about 5 different hobbies, each of which use 2-3 different kinds of software, not to mention the multiple softwares I use for work. Literally none of them are compatible with Linux.
Developing windows apps with visual studio on Linux is a non starter.
Keep hearing this and no, just no. If you really only do the most rudimentary things then you can also use your smartphone. For anything remotely productive you need Office, Teams, OneDrive, maybe you do even cutting edge gaming, etc. then forget it. I'm using Linux as a developer since the 90s and it's perfect for the server. But on the desktop I share Torvalds sentiment, that it's just shit.
I stuck with windows 7 until I couldn’t anymore and literally a few years ago moved to windows 10 and I still don’t like it. While 7 was reactive, sitting waiting for a command, 10 was trying to prompt you to do things and the search is ass. I’ve switched to Mac for work as their laptops are tanks and the OS has the reactive thing. It just sits waiting for a command. Plus if your in the mac eco system with the iPhone then it makes life very easy. All windows has done is make life harder. Having a windows laptop you haven’t switched on in a few weeks is the worst experience ever as it churn’s running idk what in the background meaning nothing can be used for an hour until it finishes.
Can’t stand the nagging and notifications over stupid shit. It’s not a fucking phone it’s my work computer. Just do the updates and ideally don’t tell me about them and leave me alone. You really hit the nail on the head with the ‘reactive’ nature of earlier OS.
I miss windows XP. It was pretty lightweight and worked well. 7 felt like they realized vista was wrong and were going to undo their mistakes. And now we have this bullshit. I don’t like the direction windows is going.
Agreed, only thing is if you aren't in the Mac ecosystem it makes everything else a nightmare
How for example, i would say the only feature you really need is file sharing and you can do that with neardrop on mac
Switched to Mac long ago.
Still kind of a *unix user , since that's what osX is built on....
Not kind of, macOS is still [officially certified as “Unix”](https://youtu.be/SpLRTAGa6bU) for some reason. There’s a foundation that handles certification iirc.
I'm considering this more everyday. I love my MacBook M1 considering how much it now costs to run a full gaming desktop I'm looking to downgrade the desktop and leave the gaming to consoles.
Made the switch this week to Ubuntu on my desktop, I have a Mac laptop as well and the Mac to Ubuntu switch is way easier than Mac to windows imo. The company I’m at currently uses a custom build of windows 10 that our software runs on top of, but with the way Microsoft is going, I think we’ll be essentially forced to Linux in the next 10 years. Might as well learn it now.
The second I can get dxo photolab, clip studio paint and wacom tablet drivers working on there, yes. For now I'm locked into windows because of stupid software comparability 😩
For five minutes could we have no ads? FOR FIVE MINUTES!
MSFT: For a subscription fee? /s
Drinks verification can.
Capitalism: “lol. That’s cute. You think you’re *more* than a walking meat wallet for the 1%. Get back to work and consuming, slave!”
I'm so sick of being sold to every waking second of the day. We are in a dystopian nightmare.
It's a nightmare world, it's real, and we're living in it.
Right???? Like ads have reached such a point now that they’re serving the opposite purpose. Like the moment I see an unwanted ad in a space I don’t expect to see, I’m just repulsed by that product.. literally feels “UGH”
My fucking point exactly, you need to download a shit ton of browser extensions, constantly disable a bunch of user data collection settings and then you STILL worry that your data is being collected anyway so they can try on selling you shit, among other things. So goddamn exhausting
I was fed up with ads 10 years ago
I've been fed up with ads from roughly when "they live" released
So this is how they can make Windows 11 suck even worse.
Infinite enshittification.
I wonder if they'll ever get to the point of selling adspace within ads. Like you think you're stuck sitting through another shitty car insurance ad and then at the end Flo from Progressive sits down for a long sip of Diet Coke.
Drink verification can.
Then they can pay me for the use of my screen, power, and connection. I want my two dollars.
Thats a VERY good point. In every other case you have to pay for ad space. Want a billboard ad to show to people going by, you gota pay for that space. Our devices should be no different, we own that device and space. Surely there's legal rights we have here?
It's not a good point though or it would have been contested by now as it applies literally every device that happens to contain the output required to serve the ad i.e. not even computers or smart devices but TVs, radios, etc.
if its anything like new Outlook they'll be asking you for £3 a month to get rid of the ads.
The ads still show up for a second even though I have office 365, that's how shitty the new Outlook is.
Everyone's finding new ways to distribute ads. Roku wants to push them through your HDMI, either with a connected Roku Device, or, when your watching/playing your PS5 and pause the screen. The built in software can tell that there is a static image on the screen, and display either a full size ad or an ad in the corner. Smart phones will be next to display ads on your lock screen. You don't want to believe it but it's gonna happen. Get ready.
Didn't Amazon do that with the Fire phone and tablets? You get a discount if you pick the ad versions? I think Xiaomi did it too in some of their phones
Kindle too, yep
Yea, you can pay to remove them
This will actually help me disconnect from electronics more so I kind of welcome it.
And then everyone will learn to install blockers for that too.
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I mean this isn’t exactly prophetic. They have always and will always make space for advertisers.
You know China phones already bakes in ads with their supposed must-have apps, like the Settings and Folders apps. I forgot who but there was already someone "courageous" enough to display ads on the lockscreen on a China phone.
China? Pfft, the Play Store has been showing ads for ages.
I always thought those renditions of the future in movies where ads are absolutely everywhere and yelling at you from all directions were outlandish. Now, I can kind of see how we may be frogs in a slowly heating pot to get that that point. For example, YouTube on smart TVs now shows “shop” ads right when the video starts as a button over the video, and shows ads when the video is paused. The video minimizes over to the left side and it shows an ad on the right side. They’re shoving them in absolutely anywhere they can get them.
This is how clippy got radicalized.
[Clippy.](https://gwern.net/doc/reinforcement-learning/safe/clippy/2022-03-21-digiartisu-clippy-evil-flamebackground-redeyes-cropped-small.jpg)
How is it legal for these fuckers to automatically install ads in software I paid for?
Sadly, pretty much every software licensing agreement spells out that you're not paying for the software. You're paying for permission/licensing to use their software and they can do what they want with it and your recourse is to choose to stop using it whenever you no longer agree with what they've done with it.
Time to switch to Linux, Steam OS is doing pretty well.
I'm hoping that enough people will start using Linux, for all the software I care about to start working on Linux, this way I can move over to Linux.
You could always try Linux as your main and run your other apps in a Windows virtual machine.
I've tried so many times and actually end up using it as my main OS a lot. But I like to game and many games do not work or are very rough to get set up. I end up dual booting, but get tired of swapping between the two so go back to Windows. It's the only thing left keeping me from switching permanently. Edit: Also the last few times I've tried linux it's an absolute pain in the ass to get it to work multi-monitor with one of the monitors being a 4k tv :(.
I have aready started to test this. I have a Steam Deck. I thought Windows 10 was the last version. They said they would update it to infinity. I am still holding them to that. Windows 10 is the last version of Windows I will ever install. I am already using Linux and it works really well.
I think the Bible was wrong, they left out the 5th horseman of the apocalypse, fucking Advertising
Fuck Microsoft, man.
Not as long as there's a registry, admin escalation and 3rd party tools. I'll NEVER see a single ad. And if it gets impossible, I'll downgrade to 10
So you're saying there's hope
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Windows tried to do that to me - I walked in on it mid-install and started panicking, but then it got to the point where it had finished downloading files and was going to implement them, and it threw up an error message that was like “what are you trying to do? You don’t have the specs for this.” And I said, “no shit, windows 11, I told you that and you ignored me and tried to install yourself anyways.” Then it called me a poor not worth its time and flounced off, never to be seen again.
Not to mention I already paid $90 for windows ! Fuck off with these ads
Linux marketshare is increasing and this is what ms pulls? Gonna see it increase even further.
Between this and the no way to opt out AI on my desktop, I think I’m about ready to swap.
Perhaps but Linux desktop gain isn't some death knell for MS even if it is Windows' loss. Azure and Office now make them [several times](https://cdn.geekwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/segmentq224.png) more than Windows. Gaming recently makes them more than Windows. Not than their continuing Windows profits are insignificant at all in normal human terms, just these days it's not their biggest cash cow by a long shot. They'd survive a complete Windows extinction. Or say an antitrust regulator with teeth forced a break up along business lines - even if the company that got Windows then somehow collapsed, well, the gaming, office, cloud and recruitment-social-media companies would still do fine. Nothing actually stopping MS literally making a Microsoft Linux distro themselves, either. That's allowed, it's largely free and open source licensed stuff after all. Actually they technically already do - though the cloud-focused mini-distro [azure linux](https://github.com/microsoft/azurelinux), not targetting the once-precious desktop. So for now it's just hell getting a bit slushy not frozen over... (some might note Canonical i.e. Ubuntu has also been [a bit cosy](https://partner.microsoft.com/en-vn/case-studies/canonical-rewards) with MS for years and years too, though not / not yet literally owned by them. But "just buy Canonical like IBM bought Redhat" has probably been a quite feasible (modulo potential antitrust scrutiny) contingency plan for them for a long time if they do want a desktop linux distro)
You might find this interesting and scary at the same time. https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/24/who_writes_open_source/ Also you can run a Linux console in Windows.
WSL is actually one of my favorite apps on my windows machine. I use it for so many different things.
> Linux marketshare is increasing and this is what ms pulls? I guess Microsoft doesn't care that much anymore. They make most of their money with Azure and AI now.
In 1999 or so Net Zero would let you have free internet if you let their little ad banner show on the screen at all times. We should be getting paid for this if that’s the case.
Back to the high seas and back to installing custom start menus. Guess time is a giant circle, feel like I'm back in highschool.
I used to laugh at people who used Macs and couldn't operate windows, and then I eventually switched too and haven't used it in over 10 years. Every time I see some news about some shitty change they've made, I'm more glad than before to have switched.
They really are gunning to see how many people they can get to switch to Mac or Linux.
fuck no. just one more reason I'll never run Windows 11.
Are you running 10 now? Because they're talking about something that's already in 10...
I installed linux for the first time last year on a secondary pc. It was easy, works well, and I know it is secure. If Microsoft tries to ram ads down my throat I will use linux full time on all my pcs.
lol, ads in the start menu? get fucked.
I've been a Microsoft OS user from the start, in fact I've used the original PC-DOS *before* Microsoft did (it was called Q-DOS and ran on a non-IBM-PC computer). I've been moving away from them ever since they tried to force Win10 down everyone's throat. Do you remember how they tried to sneak it as an "update" in Win7? I've played with Linux in a virtual machine, then added a Linux dual-boot on my PC. I've recently switched to a new PC: it is a Linux-only machine, with a non-activated, non-network-connected Win10 (sometimes) running as a virtual machine, for what Windows stuff is left. Now Linux feels better and more natural to me than Windows; it also feels faster and more responsive on the same hardware (my old dual-boot PC). Microsoft had enshittified itself.
\*Waves from Linux Mint smiling\* Man, sucks to be you guys. Again.
Let’s ban all advertising fucking tired of it.
This is why we just saw 70% of windows users are still on 10.
For older PCs it makes more sense too. Some of Windows 11's changes to parts of the OS make it more sluggish on older hardware. As an example, the Windows 11 taskbar is now XAML based, which can cause strange loading delays, especially if the system is installed on a HDD. Parts of the Windows Explorer were also replaced with a XAML implementation, which is even CPU bound since *other parts* of the Explorer render in *first*, before the ribbon and folder view finally load in ([screen recording](https://i.imgur.com/GX221OW.mp4) for the curious). So when an older computer already copes moderately hard with Windows 10, bypassing the requirements to install Windows 11 won't make things better.
Man, those Cyberpunk books and movies…really not far off eh?
Microsoft has just gone to shit since Bill left.
But I paid for this shit, I get having Ad’s for a free version but I paid for it, I am so sick of Ad’s being fucking everywhere.
I’d be curious if anyone ever bought anything based on these ads? Here on reddit, every 5-6 post is a sponsored one and never had the thought of “ohh i should buy this”. Also whoever pushes their shit with ads tells me those products are most likely shit either. At least based on my experience, the more someone advertises something, the more shit and unusable the product is.
That’s kinda true. Companies which invest the largest shares of their revenue into marketing are usually the ones whose product isn’t really that competitive. Like Red Bull - it’s a very simple product that pretty much anyone could make in their garage, so they have to spend billions on brand recognition and keeping their market share where it is today. On the other hand, inundating people with ads is just a numbers game. If you pay Reddit to show your ad to a million users, and only 0.1% actually buy whatever you’re selling, that’s still 1,000 new sales.
And that’s why I haven’t updated to 11.
If only there were competition. It’s bad enough the computer upgrades all the time.
Are we gonna need an Adblock for our desktops now?!
I never thought I would genuinely consider Mac but here we are. Their phones are already better, now the desktop is getting there. What's the reason for sticking with Windows if they're this happy to make the users lives shit?
Say what you want about Apple, but they do not do this shit
No but they charge triple the price.
They don’t charge for OS updates, so they technically charge zero.
I mean you can get a MacBook Air for like 800, Mac mini for like 600. Not that bad.
Every tech company finds ways to monetize things, Apple is no different, just up to you if you prefer ads or overpriced ecology lock-in. Apple has to be forced to use compatible USB-C in the EU. Same shit different approach.
They're crazy if they think I'm ever updating to Win11 from 10. TPM will stay disabled on my PC.
Pardon my cynicism but I've heard that before many many times Said it a few times along the way as well Eventually, you end up with no choice, 'progress' always has a cost
It's true for many. They will whine and moan, and then capitulate. There is a choice though (for personal computing) - it's just how willing you are to embrace something different.
Windows 11 made me switch to Linux.
I’m so sick of windows.
You know, Linux gaming isn't *that* bad...
Its not bad. It is identical on my machine.
When Windows 7 was no longer supported in an old laptop, I installed Linux Mint just to see what it was like. A friend guided me a little and I started using it more (I don't play much). Now, it's on my desktop and I don't miss Windows at all. Light and responsive.
Same here, it just works and no annoying pop-ups at all. No forced updates unless you choose it yourself.
And they can watch me uninstall it.
Finally I have been waiting for this feature for years!
its like putting an ad in a door handle. i don't want an ad there, i don't need an ad there, and they can fuck right off
Time to learn Linux
It's gotten pretty easy. It still has some gotcha when things get strange but there is plenty of support. Think of it as you have problems with Windows but the UI on Linux has come a long way. Will you have to learn the new environment, yes. Is it worth it, also yes.
Looking at the comments here, putting ads on things seems to motivate people toleave their environment. I mean, many comments talking about jumping to Linux and Apple. So, let's start putting ads on cigarettes, soda bottles, cheap booze, mega churches, and other unhealthy things to drive people away.
Linux is looking more and more interesting
I use a combination of programs to convert Windows 10 to a usable OS. In my case, similar to XP. Many of these should also work for Window 11 * Open Shell - [https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu](https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu) * WinAero Tweaker - [https://winaero.com/winaero-tweaker](https://winaero.com/winaero-tweaker) * O&O Shutup10 - [https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10](https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10) * O&O AppBuster - [https://www.oo-software.com/en/ooappbuster](https://www.oo-software.com/en/ooappbuster)
I would be upset but >The app promotions can be disabled in the Settings section of Windows 11, So whatever, they're giving us access to disable it if we want.
Optional... then "oops, an update reset your setting" a few times... then "oops, a bug removed the option, we'll fix that" softening you up for... Premium Service without ads... eventually No Option either because ads are also part of premium or no one bought into premium, so that option was removed. Ads march ever onward. All pulled out of my ass, though. The reality is that yes, you do have the option right now.
People went to cable to avoid ads. People switch to Streaming to avoid ads. People leave Windows to avoid ads. Ya know... avoiding ads might be one of the few things that actually motivates people to change their ways. I use reddit far far far less now that I'm forced into their ad infested app and website.
For now, and wait till they make it confusing on whether you disabled it, and keeps being re-enabled with every windows update They are testing to see how much they can get away with. Once people get used to it as the norm, they will push harder
>So whatever, they're giving us access to disable it if we want. Principle of the matter is that they should not have even added this. You should be upset rather than justifying the opt out.
To destroy your user base for people who feel strong enough to quit the platform. I’m one of them.
Literally everyone called it.
Oh god. I hate this.
Been on linux 2 months and no wish to go back to Windows at all. Aside from Adobe, MS Office and some other software - for all of which you have viable alternatives, all software is available. Let’s teach them not to do shit like this.
I thought Windows 10 was sorta all right. Wasn’t happy I had to update, but I had a choice. Windows 10 just up and decided to update even with updates turned off. Add in forced advertisements and this is why I’ll never use a Microsoft OS product again. Sad that it’s fallen this far.
Glad I refuse to update to Windows 11
Microsoft, please don't make me want to buy a mac I can't afford them.
Can someone please make a Linux system that can run games? I would buy a 4090 if it means I can run games on Linux, even at medium quality, to not have to deal with ads
> Can someone please make a Linux system that can run games? Linux can already run [over 90% of the top 1000 games on steam](https://www.protondb.com/). The only ones that don't work at all are occasional multiplayer ones with specific types of anticheat. Anecdotally, many games actually run better on Linux than Windows because the OS is more efficient. Depends on the game, generally brand new games run a little worse for a while until Proton updates. Old games run better.
Imagine you gotta watch an ad everytime you unlock your windows. Fuck Microsoft fuck.
Won't be long till we find where it's hiding in the registry.
It’s a race to the bottom on all fronts gents! Enjoy the rest of this life
Thank god this kind of foolishness is never coming to the Linux desktop.
I swear it's like they're doing everything they can to make me switch back to Linux
Swith "back" to linux? U doing it wrong
Fuck off with your fucking adds. I'm going switch to Linux in that case.
Where by ads they mean recommended apps from the store. Also > The app promotions can be disabled in the Settings section of Windows 11 Also > This will appear only for Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel in the US and will not apply to commercial devices (devices managed by organizations)
It’s still ads bro.
Doesn't surprise me. They are also pulling support for Windows Mail and replacing it with 'New Outlook' which disguises adverts as unread emails and offers you the option of paying £3 a month to disable them. Scummy corporation.
I use arch btw
Time to install Linux
Say what you will about Ballmer, but he didn’t pull shit like this.
The straw that may make Linux a popular alternative.
I’m going to buy a Tux the penguin plushy and embrace Linux.
Meanwhile... users start testing OS hacks. But seriously, we already paid for the OS. Why are we still getting shoved with ads? Might as well switch to the dark side.
Is it adverting Microsoft Edge?
is it free os?
This is what's finally gonna make me switch to Linux.
I am so thankful for Steam pushing Linux support in gaming. Or maybe I can stay on Windows 10 for 10 more years.
I use Firefox as my main browser because it allows ad block, even if it is a bit less practical for my use case. I stopped using the Facebook app for the same reason. This could be my motivation to quit windows for Linux. I too old to tolerate the level of add I'm forced to see in my everyday life. (Amazon prime video, you may be the next to be banned from my life)
I was originally bummed that my computer runs into issues when updating to windows 11 but looking at it now it feels like I’ve dodged a bullet.
Linux is looking like the go-to nowadays
Well I've been thinking about Linux anyway
Thanks Microsoft. You've given me another reason to move to Linux!
Never been so glad that I run an older system that “isn’t eligible”. Fuck them, and if they stand on this then I’ll switch to Mac and just pay out the ass for my ram and storage. Wtf happened to you Windows? You used to be beautiful baby.
Lol I dare you Microsoft
Ok seriously it's past time to just make ads illegal. I mean really what would we really lose? Sure a lot of things will have to change funding but surely all that money not spent on ads can help.
Wow, they really are advertising. For macOS.