A Windows user tries out Linux Mint

On 27Mar2021, Linux Mint ate Microsoft Windows 10 on Legolas. Three months on, I conclude beyond any doubt that wiping out Windows was the best decision I ever made. The second best decision I ever made was to test Linux Mint in Virtual Box five years ago. The third best decision I ever made was to take ownership of the learning curve that migrating in Windows really entails. A quick reminder: what’s Microsoft Windows like nowadays? I still need to use Windows at work. I cannot easily describe how painful it now is to use Windows. So I’ll try to describe it difficultly. My work machine is a powerful beast, but it exhibits constant latency. For a keyboard-orientated power user, this means that some keystrokes go walkabouts when other services on the Windows machine go to nuclear war with each other, scrambling to feed their narcissistic self-importance for besieged system resources wholly at the user’s expense. Something on Windows tends to clear the keyboard buffer randomly, resulting ...

Life got a little bit busy in 2020.  Can't think why.  It might be something do with the world throwing its brains out of the window and doing the proverbial headless chickens about a supposed disease with a measurable mortality rate so low that, of course , it justifies nonsense because, after all, we need to abolish death by natural causes.  Even though the same promoters of this nonsense also believe that the world is overpopulated.  Go figure. So the game is back on to move away from Microsoft.  And also from other mainstream IT providers.  They all seem to want to engage heavily in "cancel culture".

The project is to build a Linux Mint machine to have the identical functionality and ergonomics as the existing Windows 10 machine. Having established that there is no way to migrate fully from Windows to Linux , the project now needs to consider running Windows apps in Linux.   This is a big change to the strategy of the project.   This is a big change to the deployment of a Linux workstation, a crushing admission of failure, and the opening of a whole new world of risks to an otherwise secure operating system. Environment & required functionality For this blog post, Wine was tested on: The Linux Mint Xfce 19 virtual machine " Bilbo ", on host Windows 10 laptop " Saruman " The Linux Mint Xfce 18.3 virtual machine " Gimli ", on host Windows 10 host " Legolas ". Alternatives There are alternatives to Wine/PlayOnLinux, notably the paid software Crossover. Software selection Wine and PlayOnLinux are present in L...

The project is to build a Linux Mint machine to have the identical functionality and ergonomics as the existing Windows 10 machine. This stage relates to testing full-disk encryption using VeraCrypt . Environment & required functionality Full-disk encryption needs to run on the following machines: The Linux Mint Xfce 18.3 laptop " Gandalf "; The Windows 10 laptop " Legolas ". The objective requirement is to protect user data from the physical theft of the physical machine, to provide an additional line of defence against data loss. This is probably more important for Windows than for Linux Mint.   Even so, in both cases, the operating system is likely to log activity which can reveal personal data and user (meta)data. Full-disk encryption does not mitigate against Microsoft’s sinister telemetry functionality, for which the main solutions seem to be: Either to use tools whose developers are constantly on the prowl, hunting for t...

The project is to build a Linux Mint machine to have the identical functionality and ergonomics as the existing Windows 10 machine. After a few months of continuous use of Linux Mint – mainly for simple browsing during workday lunchtimes and weekdays –   the headline of the project remains that wholesale migration from Windows to Linux is not functionally possible , for the reasons cited therein.   In this instance, the short story is no Microsoft Excel, no Foxit PDF browser for Windows, no on-the-fly VPN client. Consequently, there is no further development use of Gandalf.   Gandalf has other issues as well: even in last days as a Windows machine, the hard drive had developed a nasty habit of intensive operation, wasting time and resources on misadventure not commanded by the user.   The habit has returned to Gandalf as a Linux machine, meaning that the user needs to sit around for up to fifteen minutes from time-to-time while Gandalf faffs around for no g...

The project is to build a Linux Mint machine to have the identical functionality and ergonomics as the existing Windows 10 machine. This stage relates to scanning paper documents to PDF and digitising the scanned text via optical character recognition. Environment & required functionality The scan-and-OCR function needs to run on the following machines: The Linux Mint Xfce 18.3 laptop " Gandalf "; A Linux Mint Xfce 18.3 virtual machine " Gimli "; The Windows 10 laptop " Legolas ". In any modern office - whether at home or at work - some transactional documents and documents from public authorities still arrive by snail-mail. This requires the ability to scan all documents, optionally with the digitisation of scanned text (typically via optical character recognition). The hardware is an old HP OfficeJet Pro 276dw, connected to the LAN instead of directly to a workstation. Alternatives There are two strategies: To use the software pr...

As at mid-May2019 , it was clear that the path to migration from Windows to Linux was obstructed by a lack of apps that are fit-for-purpose being available in the Linux environment. Since May2019, there has been no change to the apps/functionalities then listed in the section, "Path to migration is obstructed by apps which are incompatible or otherwise unusable."  Developments in the interim have merely confirmed that the apps available for the Linux environment are not fit-for-purpose, and are unlikely to be fit-for-purpose for the foreseeable future . So, it's time for a change of tack.  The time is right to deploy Occam's Razor. In short, the Linux Mint offers a perfect solution to the jaded Windows user.  The only problem with Linux Mint is not of Linux Mint's making.  The problem is a lack of apps that are fit-for-purpose in the Linux environment.  By fit-for-purpose, I mean apps that meet the hygiene requirements of office-based, corporate lackeys wh...

As at mid-May2019 - ~10 weeks since a change to the test environment - it's about time to document the status of the migration from Windows to Linux. Successful path to migration found, a bonus is that the path is bi-directional Linux Mint, WPS Office, GPS Prune, Google Earth and XNView are successfully replicating their functionality in the Windows environment. The changes to the data are successfully read and updated within the Windows environment.  For these apps, the path to migration is achieved, is bi-directional.  For these apps, mission accomplished. Path to migration is visible, but not yet reliable enough to count as a success gscan2pdf has been found over two months to be unreliable, with predictable crashes upon a particular instruction of post-scanning processing.  This could be gscan2pdf itself, or any number of the subsidiary programs it invokes.  It is still worth persistence.  NAPS2 for Windows is still the more reliable app. Path t...

Following the successful test of WPS Office to stand in the shoes of Excel , the test environment needs to change. The virtual Linux machine Gimli is hosted on Windows host Legolas via Virtual Box.  Legolas now needs to share data with the Virtual Box, so as to reduce the workload on synchronisation (grive and google-drive-ocamlfuse), thus stepping closer to a "big-bang" migration from Windows to Linux (where parallel co-existence of the two platforms wouldn't happen). This is nearly a transitional phase.  It enables normal operations in Windows to the extent that apps in the Linux environment are either not available, or there is no time to find them to meet functional requirements. This change took place ~30 days ago, and so far, is proving very successful as a test environment.  The Linux Mint test environment is handling more and more functionality with each month, successfully manipulating "live" data with no prejudice  to the Windows environment or t...

The project is to build a Linux Mint machine to have the identical functionality and ergonomics as the existing Windows 10 machine. This stage relates to finding a spreadsheet package that handles existing data - over 10 years-worth of data - to migrate from Windows to Linux.  LibreOffice failed to meet the required functionality , resulting in the project being downgraded.  Time became available to test WPS Office, the result of which is that the project may continue. Environment & required functionality Excel-like functionality - in particular the use of linked workbook references in formulae such as SUMIF() - needs to be used on the following machines: The Linux Mint Xfce 18.3 laptop " Gandalf "; A Linux Mint Xfce 18.3 virtual machine " Gimli "; The Windows 10 laptop " Legolas ". The synchronisation agent is Google Drive in Windows 10, and either grive2 or google-drive-ocamlfuse in Linux Mint. This test focussed on spreadsheets, with n...

I installed OnlyOffice https://www.onlyoffice.com/. I had intended to test it with my now-standard test suite of two linked workbooks. Unfortunately, in spite of a promising look, I quickly discovered that - with one exception - everything was navigable only by mouse. That makes it a child's toy.  Unfit for purpose!  No point in testing it further. I uninstalled it within 10 minutes of installing it.

I have tested PlanMaker with my now-standard test suite of two linked workbooks. PlanMaker looks and feels highly compatible with Excel.  It has comparable menu structures, a choice of Excel 2003-like or Excel 2007-like interfaces.  It feels tight and secure, i.e. no risk of data being lost. So it should have been an ideal candidate to solve the problems unsolved by LibreOffice and OpenOffice. Sadly, no.  It seems that PlanMaker's deployment of XLSX does not extend to linked workbooks in functions SUMIF and SUMIFS.  PlanMaker thus cannot pass this most basic of hygiene factors. Naturally, I put in a comment in PlanMaker's forum for PlanMaker Freeware in Sep2018 and received no useful replies. And now I receive spam from PlanMaker. One other thing that PlanMaker annoyingly does.  When it saves XLSX, it does something that makes Google Drive think it is a ZIP file.  Google Drive preview thus cannot open the file for preview ("Oops!  Somethin...

I have tested gnumeric with my now-standard test suite of two linked workbooks. I found that gnumeric doesn't even recognise the concept of linkable workbooks. gnumeric is fine for ad hoc , one-off calculations without standing data.  The lack of linking views to data, however, make gnumeric a poor choice for on-going financial measurement and reporting. gnumeric was uninstalled within 10 minutes of its installation!

The project is to build a Linux Mint machine to have the identical functionality and ergonomics as the existing Windows 10 machine. This stage relates to on-going work to make LibreOffice Calc workable. Unfortunately, it turns out that LibreOffice isn't fit for purpose.  Specifically, it cannot reliably link workbooks, even in its own native workbooks. As a consequence, the project is now downgraded.  My time is now better spent doing other, more productive things, with a greater chance of success. Background On 29Jul2018, I complied a detailed test using fresh, sample data created specifically for the purpose, in Excel on Windows 10, then had a virtual machine running LibreCalc on Linux Mint to import it. The basic spreadsheet functionality of linked workbooks failed haphazardly. I logged the test results on 29Jul2018 on AskLibreOffice  and, to date, have yet to see any evidence of anybody taking ownership of recognising the issue and thus fixing it. The s...

The project is to build a Linux Mint machine to have the identical functionality and ergonomics as the existing Windows 10 machine. This stage relates to Google Drive. Environment & required functionality Google Drive needs to be used on the following machines: The Linux Mint Xfce 18.3 laptop " Gandalf "; The Windows 10 laptop " Legolas "; The Linux Mint Xfce 19 virtual machine " Bilbo ", on host Windows 10 laptop " Saruman " (that's the employer's laptop, by the way; the clue's in the name). The Linux Mint Xfce 18.3 virtual machine " Gimli ", on host "Legolas". Another Windows 10 machine, name withheld to protect the guilty. The synchronisation agent is Google Drive in Windows 10.  In a prior test , the sync agent has been grive2. But grive2's functionality was too limited: files held in more than one folder in Google Drive cloud are symbolic links to the synchronisation agents installed on...

The project is to build a Linux Mint machine to have the identical functionality and ergonomics as the existing Windows 10 machine. This is a case-in-use study.  The case-in-use relates to the online filing of a UK tax return. Environment & required functionality This case-in-use study featured the following machines: The Linux Mint Xfce 18.3 laptop " Gandalf "; The Windows 10 laptop " Legolas "; A Linux Mint Xfce 18.3 virtual machine " Gimli " running within VirtualBox on Legolas. The synchronisation agent is Google Drive in Windows 10, and grive2 in Linux Mint. This case-in-use study featured the following apps: Chromium internet browser (on Gimli); Google Chrome internet browser (on Gandalf and Legolas); FoxIT PDF browser (on Gandalf and Legolas); Xreader document viewer (on Gimli, pre-installed in Linux Mint); GIMP image editor (on Gandalf, pre-installed in Linux Mint); the printer service. Alternatives The sole alternati...

The project is to build a Linux Mint machine to have the identical functionality and ergonomics as the existing Windows 10 machine. This stage relates to re-filing files. Environment & required functionality Re-filing needs to happen on the following machines: The Linux Mint Xfce 18.3 laptop " Gandalf "; The Windows 10 laptop " Legolas ". The synchronisation agent is Google Drive in Windows 10, and grive2 in Linux Mint. Alternatives There is no useful alternative to filing. Some hardcore IT bods file nothing, in the vague hope that they'll find it anyway.  This is the digital equivalent of the "heap" approach to paperwork. In the real world, normal people tend to structure their paperwork - and e-paperwork - into some sort of order.  The most common method is typically to group documents with a common purpose into a single folder. Software selection Whilst there is a tonne of utilities for both Linux and Windows that rename fil...