Preparing your Linux setup questions now. Let me know what you need!
Preparing your Linux setup questions now. Let me know what you need!
I understand this might become repetitive, especially when another Windows user tests Linux for their personal needs. Let's clear up some aspects I rely on with Windows. I plan to switch to Windows 10 SSD when required—this is mainly for convenience and because of my established workflow.
For gaming, I’m open to using Linux setups, Wine, or similar tools. In video editing, I’m comfortable with the software I already use on Windows, though I’m willing to explore alternatives. Audio and image editing are also familiar tasks; I’m ready to try new approaches if needed.
Linux suits my daily tasks: browsing, bill payments, productivity apps, email, etc. Many of the small programs, card games, media organizers we use on Windows should work here too. If not, we’ll look for comparable options.
The concern about Microsoft data collection is real, and we’re not keen on a “smart” home setup. We already have a SAMBA share on our Raspberry Pi 2 that we want to maintain. We also need to keep using older printers and scanners that only work with irfanview due to missing drivers.
A Logitech wireless F710 controller and a 360 controller are essential for gaming.
Regarding questions:
1. What alternatives can replace OneNote and OneDrive, ensuring access from Android devices?
2. Can we read and edit Word/Excel files from multiple platforms without relying on Microsoft services?
3. After trying Mint, what other options stood out to me—especially since I disliked Amazon integration on Ubuntu and the Apple look?
4. Are there any other considerations we haven’t thought of yet? We’re eager to learn.
Thanks for your patience—I’m here to understand this better together.
SAMBA share functions well overall, appearing in the network file browser. 3: Mint is decent but not outstanding; Cinnamon desktop has some issues (I'm using Mint Cinnamon 19). I'm unsure what to replace OneNote with, but Dropbox might be a better option than OneDrive. There are many experienced users here who can help more. @firelighter487 could provide additional insights or tag relevant people.
Yes, SAMBA should work perfectly, and also the printers shouldn't be a problem. If you just want to read and edit notes maybe evernote would work as OneNote replacement (I think there is an unofficial linux client). For your Word and Excel files you can use every open source office alternative. For access from various places I use ownclound which works just fine for me.
For gaming, many people mention Steam Play and Proton on Linux. These could be useful choices.
I'm looking for specific issues you're encountering. That's what I need to understand better.
Other options include LibreOffice, SoftMakeroffice, and cloud-based solutions. Consider OpenSUSE as well.
1. Dropbox functions across multiple operating systems including Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS.
2. By "various places" you likely refer to different environments or configurations.
3. Mint or any other Ubuntu-based system should work well. Search for Ubuntu distributions on https://distrowatch.com/ for more options. Games tend to perform better on Windows than on Linux, so consider using Windows for gaming. The scanner issue is also worth noting; if the model isn't known, it's hard to confirm compatibility. SAMBA and Xbox controllers should work out of the box.
Should have mentioned devices like phones, tablets, laptops, etc. OneDrive is where we store everything now at home so anyone with access can view the files we need. The scanner used is a Canoscan 8400F. It’s fine if it runs on Windows, but if it becomes too cumbersome during a typical day, Linux might start to seem more appealing.