Computer question: for help with visual sensitivities

[Outdated]

Interesting.

Fedora is the Research and Development branch of both Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Centos. Those are the preferred operating systems for large financial institutions and companies developing military technology, they simply can't afford to trust Microtoss for security reasons.

And that's why Fedora has such broad hardware support, it needs to be able to run on a very wide range on machines, most corporations aren't going to replace all their computers on a regular basis and will hang on to them until they actually die of old age.

 

[Judge]

Fedora is the Research and Development branch of both Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Centos. Those are the preferred operating systems for large financial institutions and companies developing military technology, they simply can't afford to trust Microtoss for security reasons.

Oh, I know all about Red Hat. And all the controversy they created in going full-on corporate.
Made a whole lot of the Linux community uneasy seeing them go towards "the dark side".

For governments seeking stable entities and contracts, it works for them- but not consumers like us. Some of us don't want to see one more Microsoft- or Apple in the marketplace for good reason.

And the US DOD is up to their eyeballs in Microsoft already. Stable in terms of shareholder equity and contract negotiation and leverage in the marketplace, but mediocre at best in terms of products and services. As for security....don't even go there.

Microsoft continues commitment to US Department of Defense with JWCC selection - The Official Microsoft Blog

 

[Outdated]

And the US DOD is up to their eyeballs in Microsoft already. Stable in terms of shareholder equity and contract negotiation, but mediocre at best in terms of products and services.

Be careful how you read their sales stats, etc.

Most common setup is that the corporation's main server is Linux, and those with the highest security clearance are also running Linux. The rest of the staff are deliberately given Windows machines simply because Windows is not capable of supplying the correct security credentials to access parts of the server considered sensitive. This severely limits the chances of them being successfully hacked by an insider.

A very large contributor to Linux security products including encryption and forensics tools is the US Navy.

 

[Judge]

Be careful how you read their sales stats, etc.

Well...I was a commercial insurance underwriter. Trained to examine corporate balance sheets and apply multiple metrics to determine corporate solvency. With all kinds of tools to determine accuracy and financial subterfuge where it might exist. (In the event a business refused any particular document we requested, an insurance quote was immediately terminated.)

However as a private citizen, I have no such access or business relationship with large corporations to accurately determine the legitimacy of their financial documentation. Though I can say that some of them do in fact indulge in things that may be less than that regarding "generally accepted accounting principles".

If that is what you are alluding to. If you mean statements of equity, that's a federal requirement. An SEC violation if such a corporation misstates much of anything relative to shareholders' equity.

Most common setup is that the corporation's main server is Linux, and those with the highest security clearance are also running Linux. The rest of the staff are deliberately given Windows machines simply because Windows is not capable of supplying the correct security credentials to access parts of the server considered sensitive. This severely limits the chances of them being successfully hacked by an insider.

A very large contributor to Linux security products including encryption and forensics tools is the US Navy.

No secret about the prominence of Linux, even for Microsoft. However given the very nature of Microsoft relative to corporate culture, I wouldn't trust doing business with them on general principle- with or without Linux. But then I'll always have ethical concerns of much of any business entity that IMO first and foremost operates on a premises of "Because we can".

 

[Outdated]

No secret about the prominence of Linux, even for Microsoft. However given the very nature of Microsoft relative to corporate culture, I wouldn't trust doing business with them on general principle- with or without Linux. But then I'll always have ethical concerns of much of any business entity that IMO first and foremost operates on a premises of "Because we can".

I was recently very quietly pleased with a response I got from a researcher in South Australia. He's looking at doing genetic assays on people looking for specific markers that will help define an array of neurodivergent issues, his motivation is from having a brother with Schizophrenia.

Before I put my hand up for that my very first question was "What type of server is this information going to be stored on?". He had the answer ready, apparently it's something he gets asked a lot. South Australian University servers are all Linux with no cloud storage. That made me happy, he can take as many samples as he likes.

Meanwhile in the eastern states people have been sucked into the high flying corporate game and they're all using Microsoft Server and they're constantly back in the news with sad faces explaining that they've been hacked again and more people's details are for sale on the black market.

 

[gj13]

Definitely worth a shot to try Linux on your existing MacBook...macOS is technically a BSD version of Unix. Linux is a different implementation based off Unix. So your existing laptop should be alright.

Ubuntu is very popular as is Mint (essentially a branch of Ubuntu).

Ubuntu has a large support community, I've never had any issue finding a solution to a problem. You should be able to customize it the way you need and turn off any visual features you don't need. I wouldn't be surprised if there are open source accessibility packages for Ubuntu but I haven't any experience in that regard.

Fedora is good as well. I used it many years ago but not much experience with the latest build.

Try the liveUSBs and then you can pick a version of Linux that fits best for you.

I would recommend sticking to LTS (long term support) branches or similar. They are more stable.

Gluck and hope you find something that fits your needs and helps with your migraines.

 

[Judge]

Meanwhile in the eastern states people have been sucked into the high flying corporate game and they're all using Microsoft Server and they're constantly back in the news with sad faces explaining that they've been hacked again and more people's details are for sale on the black market.

Reminds me of working for a corporate entity most everyone here has heard of, which depended on Microsoft for much of anything server-based. Yeah, lots of "sad faces". Inevitably having to farm out anything based on their "Active Server Pages" to outside contractors.

Always made me cringe knowing of PHP and MySQL which ran considerably better while even mentioning it would always fall on corporate deaf ears. "Married to Microsoft".

 

[MC1Rcat]

If you're going to be trying a few different computers I strongly suggest you stick to Fedora as your test version of Linux, it's actually the test version of a commercial product and uses the average user to help find problems, and it has support for a much broader range of hardware than any other system. In that regard no other system even comes close, it'll run fine on your old Mac and it'll run fine on the latest hardware and technology available.

I went through the same issue when I bought my little laptop, Ubuntu couldn't recognise half of it's hardware and failed to boot to the desktop. Installed Fedora instead and everything's sweet.

Fedora Cinnamon Spin

That's really good to know. I was looking around a lot on the Linux forum that you linked to in a post.... and it looks like different versions of Linux can work differently on the same computer. I was wondering about how I could find out about compatibility between different laptops and different types of Linux. There are so many! Is it because some types of Linux are heavier and need more RAM? Or some other hardware issue? It seems like some experimentation is going to be a constant... especially because updates can change things. But, I am going to keep in mind that I can try out the newer versions via the USB stick before downloading them onto a computer. I was also looking at how you have to be very careful when downloading Linux to the hard drive, that you do it properly...some people said they bricked their computer doing it the wrong way. I am gonna have to get very good instructions before trying that..

I also saw that you can run Linux and Windows on the same machine and just pick which one to use at starting up. Can you do that on any computer? I was reading where people were having problems doing that sometimes.... and am wondering if it works better on certain types of PCs vs others. It seems like having Windows already on the computer could be problematic for some types of Linux, but I don't know if that is really a thing or if the people were having another issue like memory or their processor.

 

[Judge]

That's really good to know. I was looking around a lot on the Linux forum that you linked to in a post.... and it looks like different versions of Linux can work differently on the same computer. I was wondering about how I could find out about compatibility between different laptops and different types of Linux. There are so many! Is it because some types of Linux are heavier and need more RAM? Or some other hardware issue? It seems like some experimentation is going to be a constant... especially because updates can change things. But, I am going to keep in mind that I can try out the newer versions via the USB stick before downloading them onto a computer. I was also looking at how you have to be very careful when downloading Linux to the hard drive, that you do it properly...some people said they bricked their computer doing it the wrong way. I am gonna have to get very good instructions before trying that..

I also saw that you can run Linux and Windows on the same machine and just pick which one to use at starting up. Can you do that on any computer? I was reading where people were having problems doing that sometimes.... and am wondering if it works better on certain types of PCs vs others. It seems like having Windows already on the computer could be problematic for some types of Linux, but I don't know if that is really a thing or if the people were having another issue like memory or their processor.

Dual-booting? I know some have difficulty with dual booting. Though I prefer using removable SSDs. Only takes about ten seconds to switch operating systems. Although at the moment I'm in no hurry to get Windows 11. May just wait for Windows 12!

The biggest concern is that Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 set in your BIOS. Some Linux distros have no problem with TPM 2.0 while others do. With Linux Mint 22 you can boot it with or without TPM running. With Pop!OS22.04 I cannot. Go figure....

How to Dual Boot Linux Mint 21 alongside Windows 11

 

[MC1Rcat]

Definitely worth a shot to try Linux on your existing MacBook...macOS is technically a BSD version of Unix. Linux is a different implementation based off Unix. So your existing laptop should be alright.

Ubuntu is very popular as is Mint (essentially a branch of Ubuntu).

Ubuntu has a large support community, I've never had any issue finding a solution to a problem. You should be able to customize it the way you need and turn off any visual features you don't need. I wouldn't be surprised if there are open source accessibility packages for Ubuntu but I haven't any experience in that regard.

Fedora is good as well. I used it many years ago but not much experience with the latest build.

Try the liveUSBs and then you can pick a version of Linux that fits best for you.

I would recommend sticking to LTS (long term support) branches or similar. They are more stable.

Gluck and hope you find something that fits your needs and helps with your migraines.

Thanks. I am going to pickup USB drive tomorrow... we shall see how it goes w/ trying it out on my mac. I am going to look at some PCs as well...but one step at a time

 

[Judge]

Thanks. I am going to pickup USB drive tomorrow... we shall see how it goes w/ trying it out on my mac. I am going to look at some PCs as well...but one step at a time

Do you already have a Mac ISO downloader for that USB stick ? If not, here is where you can download balena etcher for Mac OS:

balenaEtcher - Flash OS images to SD cards & USB drives

 

[MC1Rcat]

Dual-booting? I know some have difficulty with dual booting. Though I prefer using removable SSDs. Only takes about ten seconds to switch operating systems. Although at the moment I'm in no hurry to get Windows 11. May just wait for Windows 12!

View attachment 140554

The biggest concern is that Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 set in your BIOS. Some Linux distros have no problem with TPM 2.0 while others do. With Linux Mint 22 you can boot it with or without TPM running. With Pop!OS22.04 I cannot. Go figure....

How to Dual Boot Linux Mint 21 alongside Windows 11

Thanks for the video The problem I was reading about w/ dual booting must have been w/ Windows 11... I remember people mentioning BIOS in their posts on the forum I was looking at. This leads to more thinking about what kind of computer I want to get. I have been considering buying a not- brand new computer.. maybe a refurbished model. Just so that I will feel better about experimenting with it. Maybe not having Windows 11 is a good thing....especially since I am thinking I may not use WIndows that much after all. I guess it really depends on which programs are available for Linux... or what is compatible. I sometimes use SPSS, and have access to a free version for PC through my university. I heard that it is not compatible with Linux, so that would necessitate keeping Windows on the computer. I also sometimes use Excel to analyze data for research, and I am not sure if Libre is capable of everything I need, or if there is another Linux program I could use instead. I really don't want to have to subscribe to Windows Office for occasional Excel use.

The removable SSD sounds like an interesting option. I can see how this could turn into a really fun hobby. So many things to think about. I need to do so more reading / learning about all of this to see what is the best route to take.

 

[MC1Rcat]

Do you already have a Mac ISO downloader for that USB stick ? If not, here is where you can download balena etcher for Mac OS:

balenaEtcher - Flash OS images to SD cards & USB drives

I did not have one yet... thank you so much!!!!!!!!!

 

[Outdated]

I was wondering about how I could find out about compatibility between different laptops and different types of Linux. There are so many! Is it because some types of Linux are heavier and need more RAM?

What makes the biggest difference here is what Desktop program you're running. The program that actually creates all the windows and taskbar, etc. Windows and Mac each only have the one where as in Linux you can have dozens of them and switch back and forth between them.

Some desktops look and behave more similar to Windows, some more similar to Mac, and some that are completely different to anything else. And the fancier the graphical features a desktop has the more computer resources it requires to run. The Windows desktop for example is extremely resource hungry.

The link I gave for Fedora is a version with the Cinnamon desktop, that one is sort of similar to the old Win7 interface, easier to use and nowhere near as resource hungry as some of the others. This is also the same desktop interface that Linux Mint uses.

I also saw that you can run Linux and Windows on the same machine and just pick which one to use at starting up. Can you do that on any computer?

This is a lot easier to do on a desktop computer, or by doing it like Judge does by using external harddrives. That way each different operating system can have it's own drive and is happy. Where people find tricky problems and difficulties is when they're using a laptop and trying to install both systems side by side on the one drive.

 

[MC1Rcat]

What makes the biggest difference here is what Desktop program you're running. The program that actually creates all the windows and taskbar, etc. Windows and Mac each only have the one where as in Linux you can have dozens of them and switch back and forth between them.

Some desktops look and behave more similar to Windows, some more similar to Mac, and some that are completely different to anything else. And the fancier the graphical features a desktop has the more computer resources it requires to run. The Windows desktop for example is extremely resource hungry.

The link I gave for Fedora is a version with the Cinnamon desktop, that one is sort of similar to the old Win7 interface, easier to use and nowhere near as resource hungry as some of the others. This is also the same desktop interface that Linux Mint uses.


This is a lot easier to do on a desktop computer, or by doing it like Judge does by using external harddrives. That way each different operating system can have it's own drive and is happy. Where people find tricky problems and difficulties is when they're using a laptop and trying to install both systems side by side on the one drive.

Ok, that's what I needed to know. I am only going to use a laptop... so I will have to get a dedicated external hard drive for the Linux. Thanks so much

 

[MC1Rcat]

I found a link for hardware reviews for Linux Mint
Build software better, together

I have looked at both Mint and Fedora websites in user Q &A boards for experiences w/ 2015 macbook pro. Looks like there are currently a few ppl w/ some issues w/ Fedora workstation 41 not recognizing the built in Webcam. Mint 22 seems to be okay, at least from what 1 person reported. So, I am going to try the Mint Cinnamon first on a live USB for the mac. I am still going to buy a PC laptop, so I can try both on that. Looks like a lot of the people using Lenovo laptops have good luck w/ things running perfectly out of the box with both Fedora and Mint

 

[Judge]

I found a link for hardware reviews for Linux Mint
Build software better, together

I have looked at both Mint and Fedora websites in user Q &A boards for experiences w/ 2015 macbook pro. Looks like there are currently a few ppl w/ some issues w/ Fedora workstation 41 not recognizing the built in Webcam. Mint 22 seems to be okay, at least from what 1 person reported. So, I am going to try the Mint Cinnamon first on a live USB for the mac. I am still going to buy a PC laptop, so I can try both on that. Looks like a lot of the people using Lenovo laptops have good luck w/ things running perfectly out of the box with both Fedora and Mint

Don't be afraid to do a little "Distro Hopping". We all have....with the choice of testing out all kinds of Linux distributions rather than settle too quickly on just one. Besides, the process will give you better perspective of what's out there, and what may best serve your needs as a user.

"Toto, I don't think we're in Microsoftland any more."

 

[MC1Rcat]

Don't be afraid to do a little "Distro Hopping". We all have....with the choice of testing out all kinds of Linux distributions rather than settle too quickly on just one. Besides, the process will give you better perspective of what's out there, and what may best serve your needs as a user.

"Toto, I don't think we're in Microsoftland any more."

I have been distro hopping..WHEEE!!!!.....As a matter of fact I am testing Ubuntu Mate on a live USB right now. I had some issues getting an etcher to work, since my Mac OS (High Sierra) is too old for Balena or for Fedora's website one for mac. I used UNetbootin (from the article you linked earlier in this thread) for all of them so far and it works. YAY!!! The autoload options of Linux that they offer are all way old, so I am downloading the ISO image from each distro's website. I tried Mint, both Cinnamon and XFCE 22.1. They are okay, but despite turning animation off and applying dark theme, I had migraine problems using both on my old mac. The XFCE looks like it may offer more ability to modify the desktop if you use the Compiz Configuration Settings, but those settings didn't take when I tried to use them while doing the live USB. I may try it again in the future. The scrolling was wicked fast and choppy on both spins of mint that I tried. Also, my brightness buttons on my keyboard are not going as dim as they do in mac OS, and I couldn't test the webcam because Cheese wouldnt open. I know some of that is possibly due to the live USB. I am using a 128 gb lexar 3.2 jump drive.

Next, I tried Ubuntu Budgie Noble and it was great, except that it has this weird screen fluctuation every few seconds... like getting brighter, then back to normal, etc. I couldn't tolerate it. So, I finally am trying the Ubuntu Mate Noble 24.04 LTS because Ubuntu's website says this one is made for use on older computers. So far, I am able to use it w/ no migraine issues. All I did was go into the Accessability settings and turn off the animation. The wifi, bluetooth and my printer all work. The Libre Office software is fantastic and on par w/ the MS office. I can do all my statistics calculations in it and save to MS office format for sharing docs for people w/ MS. Bluetooth is a lil weird on some of the headphones I tried, but it's ok as long as I have at least one pair that works . The keyboard also is a lil off. Like the cursor moves to the wrong spot sometimes when I am typing... and all the backlighting on the keys comes on suddenly while I am typing this online. It was not a problem while watching a movie. It may all work better once I put it on an external SSD. I tried their webcam app and it does not find my webcam. I may need to get an external one. I did a lot of reading on using Linux on laptops, and in general there can be issues with wifi, bluetooth, keyboard and webcams, especially on older computers. Also, the keys for adjusting screen brightness do not go as dim as mac OS. But, I think I can try putting f.lux for Linux on, once I get on the SSD. My couisin said it works well.

So, I have to get an external SSD now. I am not sure how well it will work w this old macbook pro, 2015, though, because it has USB A ports that do only 5gbps. I don't know if that will cause bottlenecking. I am going to try to find one that might be compatible w/ the old mac thunderbolt 2 ports, since those can do 20 mbps. I don't know if that type of SSD even still exists..LOL. I am also still looking at PCs because I don't have enough space in this mac to dual boot and I don't want to wipe my only working computer. I have been looking at a lot of laptop specs and reading up on Linux web forums about hardware compatibility. Because of the migraine issue, it has been recommended that I either get an OLED screen or a gaming laptop w/ a good refresh rate (I think at least 120 Hz), like @Outdated mentioned earlier. I have also read that I should avoid computers w/ NVIDIA graphics because their proprietary driver is not very compatible w/ Linux and causes a lot of trouble and tinkering to work. AMD is supposed to be a lot better for Linux. I want to make sure whatever new laptop I get is Linux compatible because the Windows OS may not be tolerable for my migraines, and I rather hate Windows in general. I really like Linux. Even booting up on a live USB w/ Linux is faster than using Windows for starting the computer.... which is the thing I hate most about Windows. I want to use my computer right away when I need to.... not sit there waiting God knows how long, for Windows to do all the blasted updates before I can do anything...or have something suddenly stop working because the computer decides to update right then.

Also, I have a question for you...if you are using Linux on a laptop, does it make your computer ever overheat? Some of the forums have threads about users having more overheating issues w/ Linux. Not sure why. I wish I could do a desktop, bc I hear Linux is best on desktops.... but I am stuck sitting up in bed most of the time and I don't know how that could work.

 

[Judge]

Also, I have a question for you...if you are using Linux on a laptop, does it make your computer ever overheat? Some of the forums have threads about users having more overheating issues w/ Linux. Not sure why. I wish I could do a desktop, bc I hear Linux is best on desktops.... but I am stuck sitting up in bed most of the time and I don't know how that could work.

It would seem to be true, though personally I couldn't say. I've been building my own desktop systems for close to 40 years. With two diametrically opposed considerations- thermodynamics and noise. I have yet to ever actually own a laptop given both considerations. I like being able to surf the web with my CPU running mostly in the 20s and 30s Celcius. And not hear more than a whisper. Also I've used a monitor with a screen no less than 27 inches diagonally measured. Anything smaller is too hard on my old tired eyes...

But yes, in general Linux runs faster than Windows right out the gate. And with laptops, faster equates to hotter. If were to buy a laptop, I would want one with a discreet GPU to take the load off the CPU. More expensive, but a better performer.

Though there are websites out there that provide helpful hints about what you might do to limit heat issues while running Linux on a laptop:

Most Effective Ways To Reduce Laptop Overheating In Linux - TechBloat

 

[Judge]

@MC1Rcat : I have just remembered that there is one Linux developer (System76) I know of who not only makes the Pop!OS22.04, but also markets it with a laptop as well. One of the few Linux distros that seems to be marketed towards gamers.

Makes me wonder if System76 is doing something more when it comes to the thermodynamics issues of laptops and Linux. Though it does appear their laptops use a discreet GPU as well, which means better cooling with two fans rather than one dedicated only to the CPU.

That you might also consider experimenting with that distro as well. Another distro I have had much success with, not to mention the GUI is more "Mac-like".

Some of the Linux "gurus" tend to rate it as average, but for me it remains the least problematic Ubuntu-based distro I have found to date. Though I'm acutely aware they are working to deliver a rather different updated version sometime this year.

Laptops