The Technology Vent and Rant Thread

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

. . .



Blossom, like myself, just wants a working, easy to use, replacement for WIN 10. Linux Mint does the job, I'd just thought I would point out some of the quirks (for minimal users).

It was Windows XP I'm replacing. I don't think Linux can replace Windows 10. The sophistication of the operating system is just not there for me but Linux does a decent job replacing XP. One problem is lack of vendor support on Linux and lack of ability to edit brightness, contrast, true colors. I wouldn't do any serious graphic design using Linux. For that there is Windows and Mac. The graphical interface of Linux is just so-so. Linux is geared toward using the Terminal not like Windows where everything is done in a graphical interface. It's a huge learning curve and I find software manager buggy so I install programs through the Terminal. One plus running a program through terminal is you can see if it has errors that might cause instability. It's fairly amusing to watch.

For free it's a decent operating system but I understand it's designed not for the average personal user. It's for the programmer. It does give new life to an old computer. I will use it to replace Vista in a couple years when it becomes completely obsolete like XP.

Sent from my Moto E

[Greg Anos]

My apologies.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Dennis, on PCs I am a tool user, not a tool builder. (I do <that> professionally on the mainframe).

I began on mainframes too. I suspect that colors your approach to Linux.

With Linux Mint, there is a lot of "mothballing" for beginners (like me). You can go to the menu, select software manager and select a package for download, and it will install like a windows installer app. No terminal commands required. However, the download software looks for particular repositories kept by the Mint organization. (All mothballed away from the user's eye.) Those Mint org repositories go away when the support term ends for that particular release.

They don't, really. You just have to add them to the places your package manager can look.

Now you can "get under the hood" and redirect the repository name (if you have a copy) and have the "mothballing" software to load from the new name. Or you can "open the hood" and get things with the terminal command.

Yes you can, and I have done so on occasion with Ubuntu.

Am I getting the most out of Linux? Absolutely not! But one of the "rules" of Linux has always been - you can run any release you like, no matter how old. So I <don't> upgrade a working, stable, system to a new release (I do upgrade patches to the release on the "dirty" (internet) box, but not the sterile box). 'Til death of the hardware do we part. . .

The only times I have seen problems with releases were hardware related.

One was the old netbook I mentioned earlier, where a new release of Ubuntu had a new kernel that needed PAE support my machine did not have. The new kernel failed to install, and things went to hell in a bucket on reboot.

Another instance happened at an employer. I got tasked to order more of the 1u Dell rackmount servers that were our standard, install them in our colocation facility, and get them configures and running. The problem was that the previous servers we had used Perq 5 controllers. The new ones used Perq 6 models. Our standard OS was Centos 4.5, which did not support the Perq 6. CentOS 4.5 would not see the installed drives when I tried to install it. Dell support said I needed at least CentOS 4.6, so I downloaded it to install. I called my boss to tell him about it. He wasn't happy, but recognized he was stuck with it, and we really had to go to a newer release of CentOS. (He was another chap who believed in staying behind the curve in OS releases.)

Save for hardware incompatibilities, I don't recall ever seeing an app not run on an older Linux version. It may well occur, but in general, Linux apps use a base set of OS functions that are likely to be there across versions. The bigger issue will be having the required library versions, but Ubuntu (and Mint) do a good job of tracking dependencies and adding any you don't have to the download when you install an application.

It's not like Windows, where new releases add new things to the API that programs look for, and a current program may not successfully install and run on an older Windows version because it is looking for API stuff that doesn't exist on the older version.

I have an old machine that has Win2K Pro, and various things I have need at least XP and won't run on it. I have another machine with XP Home, and various other things I have want at least Win7 because of newer added APIs. There are reasons why I keep current on OS releases, and one use of Linux here is a mid-life kicker for old hardware that won't run a current Windows version, but will run a recent flavor of Linux.

Blossom, like myself, just wants a working, easy to use, replacement for WIN 10. Linux Mint does the job, I'd just thought I would point out some of the quirks (for minimal users).

Those quirks are unlikely to bite Blossom. Her use cases shouldn't encounter them.
______
Dennis

[Adoby]

If you are concerned about some app, and want to make sure it will run on future Linux versions, you can package or get it as a snap, flatpak, appimage, docker or even as a Virtual Machine.

That way all the dependencies can be included with the app and it will run fine even if the host machine has incompatible libs. And the other way around, the app can be updated to use new libs, without negatively affecting the host or other apps.

Or even, when it comes to VMs, run the app in completely different OS. That may be safer, more efficient and robust than keeping a old computer with an outdated OS around. Much easier to backup. Just copy/clone the image.

I mainly use dockers on some of my NAS and snaps on my Ubuntu PC and Laptop. A few VMs as well, for custom programming environments and bookkeeping.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Adoby

If you are concerned about some app, and want to make sure it will run on future Linux versions, you can package or get it as a snap, flatpak, appimage, docker or even as a Virtual Machine.

That way all the dependencies can be included with the app and it will run fine even if the host machine has incompatible libs. And the other way around, the app can be updated to use new libs, without negatively affecting the host or other apps.

Or even, when it comes to VMs, run the app in completely different OS. That may be safer, more efficient and robust than keeping a old computer with an outdated OS around. Much easier to backup. Just copy/clone the image.

I mainly use dockers on some of my NAS and snaps on my Ubuntu PC and Laptop. A few VMs as well, for custom programming environments and bookkeeping.

I've been doing this method.
https://www.ostechnix.com/download-p...ocally-ubuntu/

Am I right to think DEB files are like APK files that Android uses? So saving them with the dependencies DEB files in that one folder is all needed to reinstall should I have to do a reinstall of my system?

I have one appimage; Scrivener, It reminds me of a portable program for Windows.
I prefer to install them so they are on the start menu. I am sure that's not what it's called in Linux. I am still learning the lingo. lol Taskbar = Panel

[Adoby]

Yes, but DEBs are usually more fine-grained. I believe APK often include code libraries.

Actually calibre is a good example of an app that is distributed as a binary package together with most of the dependencies. Kovid did this the "hard" way, well before there were "standard" ways to include dependencies using snaps, flatpaks or appimages. And it works fine. That means tha Kovid don't have to get calibre working on every variant of Linux there is. He can be sure exactly what code libraries are available, since they are included with calibre.

If somebody gets a windows program working in Linux, using wine, then the windows program can be distributed as a flatpak, for instance, complete with correctly configured wine to make it work OK. ("wine" stands for "Wine is Not an Emulator. And it is (almost?) a windows environment emulator.)

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I've been doing this method.
https://www.ostechnix.com/download-p...ocally-ubuntu/

Am I right to think DEB files are like APK files that Android uses? So saving them with the dependencies DEB files in that one folder is all needed to reinstall should I have to do a reinstall of my system?

DEB files aren't quite like APKs. You can think of them as similar to Windows MSI files - a form of archive that contains both the code to be installed and instructions to the package manager on how to install it and update the system configuration.

But yes, stashing copies of them in a known location will work to do a local reinstall. Obviously, you hope you won't have to.

The nice thing about Android here is that most of what I have is sourced from the Play Store, which keeps a record of what I've downloaded. If I must reinstall on a device, or am setting up a new one, the Library tab in the Play Store display lists what I previously downloaded, and I can pick the ones I want this time and queue them for download and installation.

(Other stuff mostly comes from the F-Droid repository of open source Android applications. It gets a little confusing because there are apps that can be found in both places, but it's "pick one source and stick to it." They have different digital signatures, so new versions must come from the same place you got the existing version you want to upgrade, and you need to recall where you got stuff.)

I prefer to install them so they are on the start menu. I am sure that's not what it's called in Linux. I am still learning the lingo. lol Taskbar = Panel

I keep them on the desktop, or in folders on the desktop, but same difference. The fun part with Linux, depending on the UI you use, it that you can have more than one panel.
______
Dennis

[BetterRed]

Apropos - [Sigil] Window size not saved

You might think after 40+ years of building WIMP interfaces we could get the saving of Window sizes right.

I have 'all sorts if problems' with Win 10 and Office 2016 window sizing - sometimes the starting window is reduced to in the top left corner.

Grabbing a resize handle in that situation is a major PITA for me. Other times the window is about a ¼ of the size in which i left it, from which I have difficulty getting it to stretch full height - I have to move it down to the bottom edge and then stretch it upwards -- often several times over to get it to 'stick'.

And every time I update calibre portable some of its modal dialogue windows are almost as big as my 24" 2560x1440 monitor

I've also found Firefox Quaintum for Windows doesn't put its hand up as a candidate PDF handler. Maybe that'll get fixed when Firefox gets even more Blinking Chromified

BR

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Apropos - [Sigil] Window size not saved

You might think after 40+ years of building WIMP interfaces we could get the saving of Window sizes right.

I have 'all sorts if problems' with Win 10 and Office 2016 window sizing - sometimes the starting window is reduced to in the top left corner.

I have Win10 Pro but not Office 2016. (I have an old version of Office 2007 I keep around for Publisher.) I haven't seen the window resize issue.

(I don't have the Sigil issue either.)

Grabbing a resize handle in that situation is a major PITA for me. Other times the window is about a ¼ of the size in which i left it, from which I have difficulty getting it to stretch full height - I have to move it down to the bottom edge and then stretch it upwards -- often several times over to get it to 'stick'

IS this specific to Office 2016?

And every time I update calibre portable some of its modal dialogue windows are almost as big as my 24" 2560x1440 monitor

I have an instance of Calibre Portable on the thumb drive, but use a locally installed version of Calibre on the desktop and don't see that problem.

I'm using built-in Intel HD2000 graphics driving a 23" 1920x1080 monitor. What video card and driver do you use?

I've also found Firefox Quaintum for Windows doesn't put its hand up as a candidate PDF handler. Maybe that'll get fixed when Firefox gets even more Blinking Chromified

What do you mean by PDF handler? Firefox still lets you specify external applications to open file types. I use SumatraPDF, which also handles Mobi and ePub files. Works fine.

I don't want to open PDFs in the browser. I went through an exercise back in the FF 4.x days with that. It would default to loading Adobe Acrobat as a plug-in to view PDFs, but the Adobe process tended to remain in memory after Firefox was exited. The fix for that was a setting in Adobe, not FF.
______
Dennis

[BetterRed]

Oh and did I mention the NBN

The NBN is the OZ 'hi-speed broadband' network. I don't really need or want it.

IMO it's a redux of the Telecom Australia Residential ISDN (Innovation Subscribers Didn't Need) initiative debacle of 30+ years ago. But this time if I don't get it, my ADSL2 service and my landline phone will get cut off in a few months. The speed will be no faster than my existing service, in fact probably slower at the same tariff, and given my ADSL has been fault free for over a decade it'll probably be less reliable.

And because I don't live in the principle residence, it's going to cost me hundreds of dollars to get a crappy HFC connection installed - I wouldn't mind if it was fibre. If I was a billionaire living in a Point Piper mansion, I would get the connection for free and I'd probably have the taxpayers paying the ongoing charges.

And because our government has banned Huawei the chances of getting an affordable working 5G network in Australia in the next decade is zilch. If Huawei stole the 5G technology, why are the companies from whom they stole it not offering comparable solutions - even at twice the price.

BR

[BetterRed]

I didn't do anything to add any of those to the PDF Open With list - Chrome, IV, Edge, XChange and Word did it all by themselves, and prior to installing the Quaintarse version, Firefox did too.

I haven't run an external PDF reader in Firefox for years - when I want to use a fancier viewer I hit the download button in the built in viewer and then open it in PDF XChange, or in Word if i want to edit content beyond annotations, or convert to EPUB.

I've never liked Sumatra - except for its EPUB IFilter dll, which is a boon that they don't seem to want people to use.

I suspect my Office 2016/Windows 10 window size problems maybe related to the Office add-ins I use - but I couldn't live without tabbed documents, Epub Tools dialogue checker, data visualisation etc etc.

Graphics :

Dell S2417DG (2560x1440@59Hz)
2047MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB (Dell)
ForceWare version: 391.25

BR

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Attachment 169948

I didn't do anything to add any of those to the PDF Open With list - Chrome, IV, Edge, XChange and Word did it all by themselves, and prior to installing the Quaintarse version, Firefox did too.

As it happens, Firefox Quantum can display PDFs in the browser.

Go to Options/General/Applications, scroll down the list to get to PDF, and change the default from Always Ask to Preview in Firefox. I have that set to Always Ask because I usually want to download the file for future reference.

(My recollection is that is not a change in Firefox behavior as of Quantum, but was how it acted before. Memory may be failing me.)

I haven't run an external PDF reader in Firefox for years - when I want to use a fancier viewer I hit the download button in the built in viewer and then open it in PDF XChange, or in Word if i want to edit content beyond annotations, or convert to EPUB.

I have had very mixed results converting PDF to ePub, and prefer to get ePub in the first place, with PDF an "only if it's the only form available" option.

I've never liked Sumatra - except for its EPUB IFilter dll, which is a boon that they don't seem to want people to use.

I have full Adode Reader, but Sumatra does what I normally need, which is viewing. I almost never need to do things like fill in a form provided as a PDF.

I suspect my Office 2016/Windows 10 window size problems maybe related to the Office add-ins I use - but I couldn't live without tabbed documents, Epub Tools dialogue checker, data visualisation etc etc.

I'd disable them, see if I still had the issues, then add them back in one by one till I found the non-compliant culprit.

Graphics :

Dell S2417DG (2560x1440@59Hz)
2047MB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB (Dell)
ForceWare version: 391.25

I assume the driver version is current?
______
Dennis

[BetterRed]

I would not be able to get things done if I removed the Add-ins

Besides, it didn't happen with Office 2013 on Win10 1703 and none of the Addins have changed since, so in my book that's a bug in Office. Which MS have acknowledged.

As they have with the bug they introduced in Version 1901 (Build 11231.20174) Word now loses highlighting when highlighted text is overtyped. I'm hoping that one will be fixed in next update.

Graphics driver updates. Yeah - Nvidia are forever sticking their oar in with software updates that do nothing, installed one yesterday. Their drivers tend to be generic, i.e. a family of devices will share the same software. So, when they spawn a new card all people who have a card in the same family get an update - even though it does nothing on their particular cards. But new video drivers don't seem to create disaster's that they often did 20 years ago, but I know sites who wouldn't install new video drivers if you paid them a billion bucks.

BR

[GrannyGrump]

Why am I the only user who seems to find Sumatra abominably slow to render?
I have used it on my XP Dell desktop, Win8 Asus laptop, now on Win10 HP laptop. All have been 64-bit machines, with plenty of ram and drive space, and I always find Sumatra takes 6 to 10 seconds to load each page, one at an excruciating time (except for pdfs that are image pages only with no text layer, which are fairly snappy.)

I have tried it off and on ever since it was in beta, donkey's years ago, and my experience has never changed.

PDF-XChange has been my default reader for years now, and I couldn't be happier.

Is there a trick to using Sumatra that I need to know?

[cc_in_oh]

Office 2016 was a waste of money for me also. 2007 was having some issues with large workbooks that I expected 2016 would fix, but it actually made them worse. I was also under the impression that 2016 had more robust features for using tables in VBA but the improvements were too minimal to buy me anything. I should have used the $100 toward an older version of Access.