Microsoft moving windows to a monthly subscription service?

[Minxy]

On my laptop keyboard I commonly use about 50 of the available keys and most of them are alphabetic, I have no idea what around 40 of the other keys do and frankly don't have a great deal of interest in finding out.

... you do know that there are only 26 letters in the alphabet don't you ...

 

[The Dotties]

There was no such thing as a calculator in my school, I had a slide rule.

We dreamed of slide rules in my school.
We had to share a square of paper, a small square mind you, and a stub of pencil.
Our class had second go on Fridays.

 

[Doctor Dave]

We had a slate marked with squares on one side and lines on the other. Then a piece of chalk in the right hand - unless you were left handed and then the chalk was still in the right hand, although it wasn't right it was wrong, as they tried to force you to change.

All perfectly true BTW.

Dave

 

[2657]

We had a slate marked with squares on one side and lines on the other. Then a piece of chalk in the right hand - unless you were left handed and then the chalk was still in the right hand, although it wasn't right it was wrong, as they tried to force you to change.

All perfectly true BTW.

Dave

We were posh we had inkwells and ink monitors, metal pen knibs stuck on a bit of wood and.......paper

 

[Larrynwin]

Boot??.....I just switch mine on

Something to do with wellies no doubt

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[hilldweller]

We dreamed of slide rules in my school..

I had the only one. We all had log tables and in a recent Big Clear Out I could not bring myself to throw out my book of 5 figure log tables, all in Roman numerals and Latin text.

In fact here is the slide rule, my daughter has it, she didn't know she was rich.





( OK I exaggerate about Roman and Latin ).

 

[Gellyneck]

@Gromett

Decent write up about Mint 19 here which you may have seen?
https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-linux-mint-desktop-continues-to-lead-the-rest/

Thought to myself, to he** with it let's upgrade one of the 18.3 boxes and see what it's like.
Obviously, only sensible folk run it in a live environment to test it first!
So off we go with an install from the iso and low and behold we're in a bug***s muddle after it.

Booted (eventually) but couldn't update (problem with some package or other), couldn't run a lot of the software, etc.

So, and to the purpose of this diatribe (or should that be drivel?), we says to ourself let's see if this Timeshift thingy works. See, not so stoopit as all that having done a back-up of the 18.3 instance prior to the install (first one ever!). After a wee while lo and behold the box reboots and gives us the grub loader (box dual boots Windows 7 and 18.3) and we're off into 18.3 again!

For those Windows folk Timeshift is similar software for Linux as Macrium Reflect, Acronis TrueImage, etc is like to Windows.

Anyway, would suggest to those sensible Funsters on here running Linux have a look at Timeshift as it may get you out of a hole if you're as expert with a shovel as me!

So, still wanting to try 19 out we run the iso again however do a clean install after splitting the 18.3 disc partition into two. Everything goes OK apart from 19 not showing in the grub loader but we get that fixed by a bit of jiggery pokery.

So far not done a lot on the new instance yet, apart from installing a few software packages by both Software Manager and Terminal, but it does seem a bitty slicker and faster. Or, maybe that's wishful thinking after the exploits to get to where we are?

One thing to point out to others who may want to migrate to 19 is that the update process now defaults to and installs all updates immaterial of their Impact Level. Believe the rationale behind this is you can use Timeshift to rollback if any issues found. Not sure I'm too comfortable with that strategy but you can manually amend the selected Impact Levels in Update Manager Preferences.

We now have a tri-boot box and I'm off to see what I can break next!

 

[Langtoftlad]

Life's too short - can I buy a desktop or a laptop with this linux stuff pre-installed?

 

[Gromett]

@Gromett

Decent write up about Mint 19 here which you may have seen?
https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-linux-mint-desktop-continues-to-lead-the-rest/

Thought to myself, to he** with it let's upgrade one of the 18.3 boxes and see what it's like.
Obviously, only sensible folk run it in a live environment to test it first!
So off we go with an install from the iso and low and behold we're in a bug***s muddle after it.

Booted (eventually) but couldn't update (problem with some package or other), couldn't run a lot of the software, etc.

So, and to the purpose of this diatribe (or should that be drivel?), we says to ourself let's see if this Timeshift thingy works. See, not so stoopit as all that having done a back-up of the 18.3 instance prior to the install (first one ever!). After a wee while lo and behold the box reboots and gives us the grub loader (box dual boots Windows 7 and 18.3) and we're off into 18.3 again!

For those Windows folk Timeshift is similar software for Linux as Macrium Reflect, Acronis TrueImage, etc is like to Windows.

Anyway, would suggest to those sensible Funsters on here running Linux have a look at Timeshift as it may get you out of a hole if you're as expert with a shovel as me!

So, still wanting to try 19 out we run the iso again however do a clean install after splitting the 18.3 disc partition into two. Everything goes OK apart from 19 not showing in the grub loader but we get that fixed by a bit of jiggery pokery.

So far not done a lot on the new instance yet, apart from installing a few software packages by both Software Manager and Terminal, but it does seem a bitty slicker and faster. Or, maybe that's wishful thinking after the exploits to get to where we are?

One thing to point out to others who may want to migrate to 19 is that the update process now defaults to and installs all updates immaterial of their Impact Level. Believe the rationale behind this is you can use Timeshift to rollback if any issues found. Not sure I'm too comfortable with that strategy but you can manually amend the selected Impact Levels in Update Manager Preferences.

We now have a tri-boot box and I'm off to see what I can break next!

I always wait for the x.1 release before updating.

Never had any issues with updates before.

I know my way around linux intimately so if any was to break I wouldn't fear the fix. However I have had less issues with Linux than I did with Windows.

 

[Lenny HB]

There was no such thing as a calculator in my school, I had a slide rule.

I remember going around the Science Museum with my kids and saw a Thortens Slide Rule in a display case and I proudly said "I've got one of those at home" I was greeted with a completely blank look.

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[Gellyneck]

I always wait for the x.1 release before updating.

Never had any issues with updates before.

I know my way around linux intimately so if any was to break I wouldn't fear the fix. However I have had less issues with Linux than I did with Windows.

Ah know, ah know but patience being a virtue is something I find difficult to subscribe to!

 

[RogerThat]

If this is true you will end up having to pay each month for windows like you do for office 365

Interesting...

And on the opposite side of that, a few years ago you used to have to pay for MacOS but Apple have made it completely free now

 

[Teuchter]

There was no such thing as a calculator in my school, I had a slide rule.

Slide rule!! - seriously in the 50's we had log tables - slide rules were considered cheating therefore banned!!

If my old maths teacher could see what modern technology has done to ease solving his beloved integration, equations, dv/dt etc. he would spin in his grave for ever!

 

[Teuchter]

And me, Faber Castell, still have it somewhere but it's operating system is lost somewhere in the depths of my brain never to be seen again, log log's anyone

I had a Thorntons one but that was at "tech college" in the Navy

 

[hilldweller]

Funsters on here running Linux have a look at Timeshift as it may get you out of a hole if you're as expert with a shovel as me!:rolleyes:

Thank you. Two clicks and it's installed in seconds.

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[Pilote87]

There was no such thing as a calculator in my school, I had a slide rule.

Me too. I still have an extra long version, an Otis-King cylindrical one. Now, if only I could remember how to drive it.

J

 

[ShiftZZ]

I was under the impression that Linux was very similar to UNIX.

 

[hilldweller]

I was under the impression that Linux was very similar to UNIX.

Spot on. UNIX cost a fortune so the Linux guy wrote a similar one and gave it away.

Microsoft had their Xenix.

 

[Gromett]

I was under the impression that Linux was very similar to UNIX.

It is. same family/heritage but no direct relation...

In this image you can see that Stallman started writing the tool chain (GNU) which was intended to be a free replacement for Unix. However the Kernel never really happened.
Linux Torvalds did the Kernel, driver architecture and bootstrap stuff and overlaid the Gnu toolchain. He (Stallman) frequently tries to take credit for Linux and gets disgruntled when people just call it Linux.

Linus inspiration to get started was Because Minix a unix like OS for 16bit computers was too expensive and didn't run all that well on 32bit computers. So Linus wrote his own and released it totally for free. Both monetarily and free to do what you want with it. Sometimes called copyleft. He then moved this over to the GPL V2 license which is AMAZING!!!!!

Anyway, that is it in a few short paragraphs.

 

[ShiftZZ]

Used SCO UNIX and Informix, horrible combination, VI commands, ps-fe etc..


Have used Redhat in the past, mouting drives etc..

Have downloaded MINT, looks ok...

Always found oading software a problem and the software is not always user friendly..

Whoever decided to use esc as enter needs shooting,,

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[Gromett]

Always found oading software a problem and the software is not always user friendly..

No idea what you are doing wrong. I found it easier on Linux to install software.... As for user friendly. Sometimes it doesn't work the same way as an alternative does. However after a little bit of time you forget about the differences until you move back (briefly in my case).

Whoever decided to use esc as enter needs shooting,,

Who? What and Where?

 

[Gromett]

If you want to see how easy it is to install software on Linux Mint check this out.

You may want to go to youtube then full screen it in HD so you can read the text. The download was a bit slow because I was also downloading an ISO (DOH) and my computer was a bit slow on the install because I was compiling a large project.... I should have waited for both jobs to finish before making this video...

Anyway. You can see there is a decent selection of software BUILT RIGHT IN to linux and it is easy to install...

 

[hilldweller]

Used SCO UNIX and Informix, horrible combination, VI commands, ps-fe etc..
,

The horrible stuff is underneath a lovely "windows" user interface these days, but if you want to bring back your youth you can open a Terminal and go native. I'm sat in front of a screen that looks more Windows than Windows.

 

[Camdoon]

One of the advantages of being old is that you just give your money to MrMac and they do all this sh1t for you and the rest of the family. Marvellous. Works, endof - operating systems - don't monkey's give.

 

[ShiftZZ]

No idea what you are doing wrong. I found it easier on Linux to install software.... As for user friendly. Sometimes it doesn't work the same way as an alternative does. However after a little bit of time you forget about the differences until you move back (briefly in my case).


Who? What and Where?

If I'm not mistaken, Linux and Unix both use VI


Now save the file again by pressing Esc to enter the Command mode and typing Shift-ZZ.

And that's where Shift Zz comes from

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[ShiftZZ]

The horrible stuff is underneath a lovely "windows" user interface these days, but if you want to bring back your youth you can open a Terminal and go native. I'm sat in front of a screen that looks more Windows than Windows.

No thanks Brian.

Sar-r 1:1000
Grep
Vi
Mountall
Finger
Ps_fe


Yuk yuk

At least they have got rid of the old techie stuff, it was never user friendly.

 

[Gromett]

At least they have got rid of the old techie stuff, it was never user friendly.

They haven't got rid of it, they have put a nice gui on top which just provides the bits that the user needs.
For us techies we can go under the bonnet and use stuff like
ps aux
netstat -lvanp
Vim
htop
we can even pootle around in /proc

Linux is great for this, it can run on a tiny low power computer on a chip, it can run on a supercomputer, it can be pretty and simple to use or you can get down and dirty in the internals.
It is OPEN and FREE in both senses of the word..

 

[ShiftZZ]

They haven't got rid of it, they have put a nice gui on top which just provides the bits that the user needs.
For us techies we can go under the bonnet and use stuff like
ps aux
netstat -lvanp
Vim
htop
we can even pootle around in /proc

Linux is great for this, it can run on a tiny low power computer on a chip, it can run on a supercomputer, it can be pretty and simple to use or you can get down and dirty in the internals.
It is OPEN and FREE in both senses of the word..

And for the average user, not interested. I also remember UNIX not to be very forgiving. Deleting.. Gone
Windows are you sure??

I may try mint, but I think I'll be hanging on to windows.

 

[Gromett]

No thanks Brian.

At least they have got rid of the old techie stuff, it was never user friendly.

In that video above I showed the pretty. But I need something that I can get right down into the system internals and script anything.. This particular snippet is from a hack I was brought in to clear up. The hackers had hacked every website this server hosted and redirected everyone except search engines to a nasty page. Search engines saw the original page so didn't flag it as dangerous.

I made this into an alias in .bashrc and with a 2 character command I can run it nice and easy.

find /var/www/vhosts/*/httpdocs/*/.htaccess -print | xargs grep -l "aspseek" | xargs -L1 dirname | tr n' 0' | xargs -0 -I {} mv {} /root/hack

So Power and ease.

 

[Yorick]

Us old Unix Sysadmin bods are still snobs and diss Linux

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