MX Linux Forum

Only a very few Xers in my circle, most are Boomers like me (71), and a few Silent Generation (born from 1928 through 1945).

My wife and I are Boomers (79 and 80 yrs) and longtime Linux users. I tried to interest some other local Linux users recently in forming a "rescue a PC" service for people planning to junk their Win 7 (yep) or Win 10 computer after they'd bought the latest and shiniest Win 11 model. The rescued PC would run Linux. Well, not much interest, really, because who'd want Linux on old hardware? I've had exactly one person tell me they're thinking about Linux because they don't like the ads and spyware on Windows, but said person hasn't gone beyond thinking and probably won't.

I think that Linux for personal and general computing is and will remain a niche interest, mainly for people who want at least some control over what their digital device can do. But what's wrong with niche, piggybacking off developments in the server world where Linux rules?

@user101
You wrote

I consider it a blessing if there were actually no updates from companies pretending to care about security while extensively spying on us

There will probably be no updates, but are you sure the spying will end?
I'm less optimistic...

(Old Boomer, I guess. b. 1943)

linuxbobtas wrote: Fri Jun 06, 2025 3:54 am My wife and I are Boomers (79 and 80 yrs) and longtime Linux users. I tried to interest some other local Linux users recently in forming a "rescue a PC" service for people planning to junk their Win 7 (yep) or Win 10 computer after they'd bought the latest and shiniest Win 11 model. The rescued PC would run Linux. Well, not much interest, really, because who'd want Linux on old hardware? I've had exactly one person tell me they're thinking about Linux because they don't like the ads and spyware on Windows, but said person hasn't gone beyond thinking and probably won't.

I think that Linux for personal and general computing is and will remain a niche interest, mainly for people who want at least some control over what their digital device can do. But what's wrong with niche, piggybacking off developments in the server world where Linux rules?

Personally, I think that it is going to take a major event like One Drive crashing and burning or Microsoft forcing an annual subscription for Windows rather than the lease for the life of the machine model that we use now before we see anything close to a mass migration.

(soliloquy) Essence of Linux is "Straight and genuine Computing (based on UNIX like theory)", That's not suitable ordinary people.
MS always pay effort to "Windows suitable for ordinary people!" Then they distorts Essence of computing, So Far from Straight and genuine Computing.

Then I think Linux not suitable for normal people essencially. It means no need to spread to ordinary people Linux.

We (Linux Enthusiast) are eccentric more than we think. Society looks us as a starange people. but we shoud proud it.

j2mcgreg wrote: Fri Jun 06, 2025 8:42 am

linuxbobtas wrote: Fri Jun 06, 2025 3:54 am My wife and I are Boomers (79 and 80 yrs) and longtime Linux users. I tried to interest some other local Linux users recently in forming a "rescue a PC" service for people planning to junk their Win 7 (yep) or Win 10 computer after they'd bought the latest and shiniest Win 11 model. The rescued PC would run Linux. Well, not much interest, really, because who'd want Linux on old hardware? I've had exactly one person tell me they're thinking about Linux because they don't like the ads and spyware on Windows, but said person hasn't gone beyond thinking and probably won't.

I think that Linux for personal and general computing is and will remain a niche interest, mainly for people who want at least some control over what their digital device can do. But what's wrong with niche, piggybacking off developments in the server world where Linux rules?

Personally, I think that it is going to take a major event like One Drive crashing and burning or Microsoft forcing an annual subscription for Windows rather than the lease for the life of the machine model that we use now before we see anything close to a mass migration.

I also think Linux is mostly for rescuing old hardware. As someone who has invested thousands of hours into "learning" Linux it pains me. But I also see the other side of the coin. Windows comes preinstalled. A system without dependencies and shared libs on the application level is a lot easier to maintain.

The real pain points of Windows are opaque (and clunky) updates and included spyware. The day people give up on Windows is probably the same day they give up on macOS, Android and iOS.

linuxbobtas wrote: Fri Jun 06, 2025 3:54 am My wife and I are Boomers (79 and 80 yrs) and longtime Linux users. I tried to interest some other local Linux users recently in forming a "rescue a PC" service for people planning to junk their Win 7 (yep) or Win 10 computer after they'd bought the latest and shiniest Win 11 model. The rescued PC would run Linux. Well, not much interest, really, because who'd want Linux on old hardware? I've had exactly one person tell me they're thinking about Linux because they don't like the ads and spyware on Windows, but said person hasn't gone beyond thinking and probably won't.

I think that Linux for personal and general computing is and will remain a niche interest, mainly for people who want at least some control over what their digital device can do. But what's wrong with niche, piggybacking off developments in the server world where Linux rules?

Have to disagree here. As more and more people understand the invasive properties of Windows and MAC, I think more people will adopt Linux as a way to get clear. While slow to happen, we are seeing push back at Google and others for over reaching, and windows has become a hot bed of issues, and MS has decided that it will double down on this.

dreamer wrote: Fri Jun 06, 2025 12:54 pm
I also think Linux is mostly for rescuing old hardware. As someone who has invested thousands of hours into "learning" Linux it pains me. But I also see the other side of the coin. Windows comes preinstalled. A system without dependencies and shared libs on the application level is a lot easier to maintain.

The real pain points of Windows are opaque (and clunky) updates and included spyware. The day people give up on Windows is probably the same day they give up on macOS, Android and iOS.

I think at this time.. .many people believe Linux is "for rescuing older hardware"... however... I have been building machines for Linux for near 5 years, and as long as you keep your hardware 'sane' an inline with Linux drivers etc... a new machine is QUITE spectacular on Linux! My current daily driver is very high end (not so much video though as I dont need that.) and the machine RIPS with no issues.

j2mcgreg wrote: Fri Jun 06, 2025 8:42 am
Personally, I think that it is going to take a major event like One Drive crashing and burning or Microsoft forcing an annual subscription for Windows rather than the lease for the life of the machine model that we use now before we see anything close to a mass migration.

As someone that supports approx 250 machines, I can tell you that OneDrive has already exploded into a serious mess. Actually... better stated... MS has DECIDED to make it that! By setting up one drive to 'move all your data' to the cloud, then link back to your Documents, Desktop and Pictures... it has created the most twisted and non working mess I have ever seen 'created'.

The list of applications that this 'simple' change wreaks havoc with is too long to list, but 3/4 of the apps that people 'need' ... this entire "\user\onedrive\xxx" concept breaks!

AND MS has already decided that it wants to be a subscription model... they just havent figured out how to bring THAT concept to the mainstream yet.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/windows-12-m ... bscription
https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterp ... ly-service
https://www.stratodesk.com/windows-10-beyond-2025/

And despite users rejection of it.. and security people crying foul... MS is doubling down on Recall. Coupled with Click to Do, Semantic indexing, "auto features", Copilot, "Next Gen Office 365 writing AI" and "Helping Telemetry Technology" ... MS is all in and all set to drive $ and security right out the window!.

Using Linux on modern machines here as well, with RME audio hardware (mainly RME HDSPe AIO models), and the absolutely latest cutting edge software (taking into account any platform). Among my friends, Linux is seeing plenty of use on very powerful recent hardware for AI development, game development, audio and 3D graphics. From where I look at things, I've come to see it as a power user operating system more than "for old computers" :-3 ... but it is what you make of it, power user or not. And of course, it does power all of the world's fastest supercomputers, but that's different from desktop/workstation use, heh. (Also, if it's not for your use case, that's okay too. As in, when a toolchain / software environment just isn't really happening on Linux, and using it is an informed decision, then yep, better to run it on something else.)