Trying to leave Windows for Linux - bit disappointed. Does it get better?

Bobie8 · 10 Apr 2017 at 14:28

Think the wifi issue affects most distros right now. Pretty sure I saw somewhere that a temp fix was a bash script that would run when your computer wakes and quickly resets your wifi card.

Webster · 11 Apr 2017 at 09:37

Whiffle said:
Thank you - I shall give the Budgie version a whirl over the next couple of days (fingers crossed).

While we are on the subject, what do you reckon about the server side of things?

My current server runs Windows 10 and works fairly well. I have three hard drives (2 x 2TB and 1 x 6TB) pooled as one, (using Stablebit Drivepool) and NextPVR records all my TV via a couple of digtial tuner cards.

I say fairly well, but the biggest thing that bugs me about it is that does go wrong. I run it heedlessly and it works for weeks on end without fault - however, sometimes, it just stops working and needs to be rebooted. Sometimes, it is completely unclear why, sometimes it is following an update and I recently had this weird problem whereby the PC keeps waking up from sleepmode for no reason and then going back to sleep again.

Ultimately, I do get the feeling that Windows 10 is not really designed to be used as a headless server (it needs too much maintenance). My other half is fed up with me constantly tinkering with things, just so she can watch TV.

I do love NPVR (definitely the best windows-based PVR software I have used) but realise that I shall have to sacrifice this in favour of TVHeadend in the name of ultimate stability.

What do you think I should on my server as a replacement?

I have been experimenting with Openmediavault but did not get on that well - I have had various problems with and there just wasn't the forum support there to get everything up and running.

Do you think I should try something like Ubuntu Server instead?

I run a similar setup but just use my main rig, I don't remember the last time I had to reboot. I set mine never to sleep though and have disabled windows updates, pre anniversary windows 10 also seems way better IMO. I love stablebit drivepool, have a large pool & two samsung evos for cache it works so well for software raid.

Habakkuk · 11 Apr 2017 at 17:14

Finally managed to get AMDGPU working on a GCN1.0 graphics card by modifying xorg and mesa, and compiling a custom 4.10 kernel - this means most of my issues with linux have been sorted - also means the fan on the graphics card can be controlled by PWM to spin them down so it's quieter now.

pete910 · 11 Apr 2017 at 17:28

@Whiffle

Well, I had a play with the r580's wifi, Like I initially thought it's ****. Wont work with windows or Linux at all. So not any help. Sorry.

May see if removing and refit helps(If i can) but not holding out much hope tbh .

Whiffle · 12 Apr 2017 at 14:15

pete910 said:
@Whiffle

Well, I had a play with the r580's wifi, Like I initially thought it's ****. Wont work with windows or Linux at all. So not any help. Sorry.

May see if removing and refit helps(If i can) but not holding out much hope tbh .

Thanks for having a try. I have a usb wifi adapter that I can use, so I might just stick with that for the foreseeable future.

I did do a bit of research and the impression I got was that Samsung Laptop's are generally a pain in the bum for Linux. This is a bit of a shame, as it has unfairly tainted my view of Linux - had I been using doing all this testing on another laptop (such as a Dell or Lenovo, as mentioned above), things probably would have been much better.

Almost as a matter of principle now, I am going to keep on going to see if I can get the internal wifi and resume from sleep working.

Mr-White · 22 Apr 2017 at 14:35

I'm running a few distros as VMs until I'm more comfortable

APM · 6 May 2017 at 18:43

I ran Fedora from version 23 but had to install Beesu to get my vpn going,then the install wouldn't update to 24 or 25 etc so I'm on Ubuntu 16.04 now.

The machine needs re-starting every 3 days or it gets a bit laggy but it is a 2006 AMD Athlon X2 so ...

Have also put Ubuntu on to a few old Dell machines with no issues at all reported from the users,though I've probably jinxed myself saying that now.

Hades · 13 May 2017 at 14:08

I have just bought a used Thinkpad T530 to use specifically for learning web development outside of my main job. I needed a machine that I could play around with, without risking breaking my main desktop which is used for my main job and also by my son. So a used Thinkpad fitted the bill perfectly. I'm going to decide on a Linux distro (probably either Mint Cinnamon or Ubuntu Gnome) and try using Linux exclusivey on this machine. I deliberately chose a Thinkpad for several reasons including their strong compatibility with Linux. I was pleasantly surprised to find it has the optional nvidia GPU as it was advertised with the Intel chipset instead (although Intel would have been fine for what I want and probably more compatible). I believe I can switch between nvidia and Intel in the BIOS if it causes any issues.

I'm testing everything I need in a VM first to ensure I won't have any compatibility issues. Then I'll install it natively.

FatRakoon · 20 Jul 2017 at 04:21

I would love to ditch Windows and go Linux full time, but the simple fact is, that Windows runs 100% of all software, and while there is many alternatives for Linux and indeed, with Wine, I can run so much Windows apps, there is still so many issues that come with it.

Dont ditch windows "just because"

Ditch it, if you have a valid reason.

A perfectly valid reason, is if you just want basic Email / Web access and to write the occasional letter or do a spreadsheet etc, those are valid reasons, but otherwise Windows works just fine.

Woden · 20 Jul 2017 at 11:58

APM said:
I ran Fedora from version 23 but had to install Beesu to get my vpn going,then the install wouldn't update to 24 or 25 etc so I'm on Ubuntu 16.04 now.

The machine needs re-starting every 3 days or it gets a bit laggy but it is a 2006 AMD Athlon X2 so ...

Have also put Ubuntu on to a few old Dell machines with no issues at all reported from the users,though I've probably jinxed myself saying that now.

Have you made a cron job to reboot the pc for you? Set it for a time its not in use.

APM · 20 Jul 2017 at 19:59

Could do I guess,as it is now I just run it until it freezes and re boot manually.

Will have to consider that.

dekez · 20 Jul 2017 at 23:18

I've tried to switch a few times, latest attempt - I've just got an Asus Zenbook flip and installed Ubuntu dual boot, it worked fine but the battery drain was crazy. I get about 8 - 9 hours on Win10 but half that on Ubuntu. I tried all the power saving tricks off of Google but nothing really had much of an impact. So I've gone back to Windows and run Ubuntu in virtual box. Shame as I'd love to run purely Linux but there always seems to be something keeping me from ditching Windows.

Schnippzle · 21 Jul 2017 at 09:14

dekez said:
I've tried to switch a few times, latest attempt - I've just got an Asus Zenbook flip and installed Ubuntu dual boot, it worked fine but the battery drain was crazy. I get about 8 - 9 hours on Win10 but half that on Ubuntu. I tried all the power saving tricks off of Google but nothing really had much of an impact. So I've gone back to Windows and run Ubuntu in virtual box. Shame as I'd love to run purely Linux but there always seems to be something keeping me from ditching Windows.

Unfortunately I found the same, apart from Fedora 25 which seems to be a little more reasonable. One issue I had with Mint & Cinnamon was that Cinnamon really wasn't reporting battery draw & use correctly so even when the laptop was fully charged the desktop environment would think it was running low.

stopper · 23 Jul 2017 at 00:49

dekez said:
I've tried to switch a few times, latest attempt - I've just got an Asus Zenbook flip and installed Ubuntu dual boot, it worked fine but the battery drain was crazy. I get about 8 - 9 hours on Win10 but half that on Ubuntu.

That's because Ubuntu isn't optimized for laptops, you need to install laptop-mode-tools. Once you do that your battery will work as per norm.
The desktop Linux userbase is still very small and you have to customize your install quite a bit, especially when using a laptop.

dekez · 23 Jul 2017 at 22:24

stopper said:
That's because Ubuntu isn't optimized for laptops, you need to install laptop-mode-tools. Once you do that your battery will work as per norm.
The desktop Linux userbase is still very small and you have to customize your install quite a bit, especially when using a laptop.

Thanks, I'll give that a try if I give it another go. It's running pretty smoothly in Virtualbox at the moment so will keep using that for the moment.