I did it, thanks to you!

[davidy]

Nope. That's what proper backups are for. When I got my first pc I must have reinstalled 10 times in the first year alone cause I kept crashing it and didn't have a clue on restore from backups. As a general rule unless you are using some weird hardware setup mx just works without crashing or boot failure. Unless there is some actual windows only software he must run why bother with dual boot at all? Make a windows backup and move on to greener pastures. Linux with MX is not another planet it's just a freer more controllable setup. Like anything new it just takes getting used to.

[andymx]

Speaking as a new user of Linux, I think that one simple criterion is the fact that for many years I could live with Windows without using Linux. Now the reverse is true. It's only been a few weeks, but I don't feel at all the need to go back to Windows. I do enter my Windows system rarely, for very specific purposes. However, all my email, Office tools, video watching and audio listening is adequately covered by Linux. The only thing that I miss a little is browsing with Edge. Having said that, I've been using many of the major browsers over the years, starting with Netscape, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Chrome and a few other lesser known browsers. Therefore, now using Firefox is not unfamiliar to me. I see that MS-Edge is found in MXPI, but I'm not sure if the experience would be worthwhile. Perhaps I could try it with a Live-USB, because I don't want to taint my working system.
[Excuse me for going off topic]

[davidy]

Off topic? It is your topic. You could "live with windows"? Pretty sure everyone 'could' lol. I myself do miss the ability to tweak and configure literally everything easily in windows. ASIO4all type stuff and all the portable softwares you could run such as Dimension4's time server sync software, like many, you could simply copy the folder and it was now portable. I've tried every desktop you can think of too, even some 3d ones which were pretty cool. Alternative windows desktop environments are neat. But windows is so locked down now if you tried to change the desktop environment you would completely and utterly break it. MS is cloning itself into a google environment and that means "fusing" everything together, conning and confusing the user even more, and just like google, removing your ability to actually control anything unless you hack the crap out of it.
Furthermore there are still tons of great software that are windows only. I run a hacked version of 10 which is awesome and boots in like 5 seconds flat on my UM350 but I only use it when I need to print documents.
I wasn't saying get rid of windows I was more implying it deserves it's own box. For lasers and stuff. In reality it would be nothing to put all the software on the damn printer and just connect. But Nooo. We gotta chase down drivers and bs so it will display correctly when it fact it connects perfectly to begin with. IOW computers are so small and cheap now having one on the printer itself so that all it needs is a display and keyboard/mouse is the solution to the "how do I get the printer to blah blah blah?" question. Basic logistics not applied in real life, on purpose. IOT my arse.

[Jakob77]

Speaking as a new user of Linux, I think that one simple criterion is the fact that for many years I could live with Windows without using Linux. Now the reverse is true. It's only been a few weeks, but I don't feel at all the need to go back to Windows. I do enter my Windows system rarely, for very specific purposes. However, all my email, Office tools, video watching and audio listening is adequately covered by Linux. The only thing that I miss a little is browsing with Edge. Having said that, I've been using many of the major browsers over the years, starting with Netscape, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Chrome and a few other lesser known browsers. Therefore, now using Firefox is not unfamiliar to me. I see that MS-Edge is found in MXPI, but I'm not sure if the experience would be worthwhile. Perhaps I could try it with a Live-USB, because I don't want to taint my working system.
[Excuse me for going off topic]

Yes, I often find a test computer that can be banged with a snapshot is best for testing and using some kinds of software.
What is it in specific you miss in Firefox.?
My imagination is not so good, I think it has more than everything. ;-)

We are all different. When I left Windows there was not much looking back. I still have one Windows computer but it is not being used except maybe for backup and format. When I buy a new used computer with Windows I don't bother making a dual boot. I feel a relief giving it all to MX-Linux. :-)

[andymx]

I don't really miss anything in Firefox. I used it for very a long time and I was happy with it. I think it was something about a change in the Firefox engine that would make most of its then current extensions unusable in the future that made me try Chrome. Again, after a while I read positive comments about Edge and I was tempted to try it.

[Jakob77]

andymx

By the way I am impressed by your speed.
A couple of times I have been thinking that you are about to crash because you configure too much and too fast.
But you are still here, and I am starting to wonder about where you will be in a year from now if you continue.
What are your goals.?
Some really difficult software.?
A lot of clients perhaps.?
When you are ready for a challenge just ask. ;-)

[andymx]

@Jakob77 I may be seen as configuring a lot and maybe too fast, but the reason for that is threefold. Firstly, I have to disengage from Windows because the burden of maintaining two OS would be too much for me, secondly I have a bit of tidying to do with my digital files and also to work on TiddlyWiki which has fallen by the wayside recently and thirdly, I'm enthusiastic about Linux and in particular MX Linux. I should add that the responses to my many queries here have been great and that encourages me even more to do my configuration on and learning about Linux.

Alright, a fourth reason is the fact that I have free time on my hands and that's a big advantage.

I think that my goal should be not to enter into the never ending hunt for the ideal-to-me Linux distro. I may experiment with other distros in the future, but it's not my main aim.

As for challenges, currently as a novice Linux user I feel that I'm facing one of the biggest challenges. I try not to bother other users on this Forum, but it's not easy. there's only so much that one can learn in a short period of time, and I don't like to leave many matters pending until I may be able to solve them by myself in the future. Hence I rely on other users' good faith and willingness to answer my occasionally silly queries.

[j2mcgreg]

@andymx wrote:

Hence I rely on other users' good faith and willingness to answer my occasionally silly queries.

As long as they fall within the scope of these forums, there aren't any silly questions.

[davidy]

Yeah but isn't that why I mentioned clonezilla? Make a backup of windows and if the linux fails just clone back to windows. Anyone who doesn't make a backup is doomed to failure, eventually. I thought this was obvious but window and backups don't usually go together so it should never be overlooked or ignored.

[operadude]

@andymx

Late to the party, but:

Good on You

Yes, the Forum is AWESOME

Keep Up the Good Work!