This year we made good progress. You know, Linux gaming becoming better, Reddit fucking up, Metaverse failing etc. But on the other hand Big Tech has or are planning to make some moves. Such as, Google’s Web Enviroment Integrity API (EDIT: they backed off), UK’s encryption bill, etc.

So what do you think of the future? I’m currently optimistic. I think the best recent event was Reddit fucking up. Obviously one of the biggest information sources going down that path isn’t something to celebrate. But it was bound to happen. I believe decentralized social networks becoming more popular is what Aaron Swartz would have wanted if he saw how Reddit was being managed.

  • RovingFox@infosec.pub
    401·
    11 months ago

    I am seeing it as a net positive. Especially because of the Windows 12 bit, the more Windows is an inconvenience, the more will jump ship, and some will land on linux.

    • Facebones@reddthat.com
      131·
      11 months ago

      What are some good distros these days to dip my toes in as a gamer who is certainly no pro but knows his way around/isn’t afraid of a terminal window?

      • swordsmanluke@programming.dev
        71·
        11 months ago

        Ubuntu is a decent place to start.

        Before anybody decides to jump down my throat over it, there are some very good reasons to not use Ubuntu generally. I know.

        That said, I still recommend it as a first distro because it’s

        • well supported - if someone puts out Linux support, it’s likely been tested on Ubuntu.
        • simple to install - everything from WSL to a live boot USB drive to a full install, you’ve got lots of options
        • pragmatic - yes, it’s compromised vs being truly FOSS. Otoh, your consumer grade Windows-supported hardware will likely work out of the box. For a first timer, I think that’s critical.

        There are many other, better distros out there for specific needs. Manjaro is a great one for gaming in particular, but can be a little harder to get setup with, or to find help for when things go wrong. But I still think Ubuntu is the best “starter” distro I’ve encountered.

        • Bannanable@feddit.nl
          7·
          11 months ago

          I’d just like to say that if something says Ubuntu support it will very likely work on all Debian based distros unless its something really low level and your running one that swapped out systemd or something. They normally just mean that they ship their software as a .deb file and even that can be installed on non Debian distros if your willing to do some special stuff. Also as for drivers/firmware I’ve never had any issues except when trying to use a distros that doesnt include non-free firmware.

          • swordsmanluke@programming.dev
            3·
            11 months ago

            Yup, agreed on all counts.

            I just feel that if it’s your first distro, it’s probably better to stick to vanilla Ubuntu until you better understand the subtle differences between the various Debians.

            Still and all though, it’s easier to install a Linux than it’s ever been. My first Linux was actually an OpenSUSE, soon replaced by Debian Etch. I bought the latter online and they mailed me the installation CDs! It took me days to get the installs working.

            Now, you just pop in a USB and follow the friendly install wizard. It’s friggin awesome.

            • EngineerGaming@feddit.nl
              2·
              11 months ago

              I didn’t want to deal with certain Canonical shenanigans so my first distro was actually Debian Cinnamon. I was an absolute zero and it was still easy to use.

        • pragmakist@kbin.social
          2·
          11 months ago

          Yeah, I’m on Manjaro and things occasionally go wrong and can be frustrating to fix.

          Until you’re comfortable with being in charge of a linux installation, don’t go there.

      • irmoz@reddthat.com
        2·
        11 months ago

        I recommend Nobara - it’s based on the rock-solid stable Fedora, with extra tweaks to make gaming easier.

        • Facebones@reddthat.com
          2·
          11 months ago

          I ended up installing Nobara on one of my drives. I was going to try Garuda but Fedora seemed liked it’d be less hassle dual booting so here we are! Thanks for the rec, you and everyone else!

          I’ve been self hosting on a pi so felt like a good time to get back into a Linux desktop environment.

      • RovingFox@infosec.pub
        1·
        11 months ago

        Not the best solution but right now I am using Geforce now. Not gaming on linux but I am gaming while on linux. Didn’t need to touch my windows partition for the past 3 months.

    • intrepid@lemmy.ca
      41·
      11 months ago

      I wish I was as optimistic as you are about people ditching Windows. I see that happening only with people who are too poor to afford a monthly subscription. The (relatively) poor people are also likely to adopt Linux/BSD more since they have modest expectations that Linux/BSD can meet. The rest find it hard to adapt, even though there are good alternatives. Imagine people complaining that you need a CS degree to use Linux.

    • Mio@feddit.nu
      21·
      11 months ago

      Some users are required to use Windows. It could be the professional software for work only runs on Windows. Or system administrator are forced to use it in their IT environment. You don’t want it to get worse, as it will be more pain for them. You want the alternatives to be better, easy to get, (like every PC comes with a menu with what OS do you want to install). Full software support for everything would be a dream.