Just now it hit me: I haven't seen any threads on which OS's are you guys running.
I've been using different Linux distros since 2009 (Ubuntu, Crunchbang, Bunsen Labs, Viperr, Fedora, Mabox and finally Manjaro). Right now, I'm using (not liking it at all) Manjaro KDE, and testing Open Suse Tumbleweed on a virtual machine. I've been very happy with Fedora for several years, but 34 and 35 have gone straight to hell.
In any case, any more nixers around here? What distros are you guys using?
I avoid windows like the plague. I don't do any credit card transactions that don't have 2-factor authentication on it. I use windows for work, due to the ubiquity of powerpoint and word, but even these days, the bugs in routinely using those programmes makes them not worth it. I guess I still use windows for some gaming, occasionally, but I game very, very little these days.
I'm generally on the Ubuntu flavors. Ubuntu used to do very well, but then they changed their OS interface trying to make it into the mobile markets. I have Ubuntu on a phone! And it works for calls and internet broadcasting, although not for whatsapp. After Ubuntu changed their default interface, I moved into Linux Cinnamon. It worked like a dream, until they moved to systemd. After that, I'd find my computer's graphics card was running abnormally high all the time, and that's in every version. I have difficulties with every Ubuntu and Linux Mint upgrade, often feeling like they brick my laptops. Ubuntu and its flavours also have over the past few years given me regular errors on fresh installs, and regular warnings about those errors.
Recently, I have had the most success with Pop! OS and Devuan. I hate their default interfaces, so I normally install cinnamon (sudo apt cinnamon), which is my favorite windows manager. It looks the nicest, and is simple enough. Pop! OS works reasonably well for windows gaming, especially if you use Steam's new compatibility options. Not as good as windows itself for all games, but good enough that I don't feel the need to use windows for them. Devuan uses a non-systemd bootloading, and feels slick. Both have had issues with wifi drivers, where I have had to run some extra commands to get rtl recompiled and working. They work like a dream after that though.
I've been a linux user (and windows user) for decades. It really "came into its own" in the mid 10s though.
I once crashed a laptop of mine with an unfortunate number of bitcoin on a fully encrypted linux drive as I was simulating some memory intensive things, which corrupted the drive. (Perhaps it was recoverable, but it 99.99% isn't now.) I avoid linux drive encryption on most drives because files can be corrupted and irrecoverable too easily. Linux drive encryption has come a long way though in terms of compatibility, and is much easier than it used to be, despite its risk -- so think carefully about what you encrypt v not.
