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by Gnewt 3519 days ago
I used to be fond of trying out new desktop environments, playing with "fun" stuff etc. At this point in my life I no longer gain a lot of enjoyment from just fiddling around (at least not usually). These days a laptop is just a tool -- and ideally, one that works efficiently so I can do the work I need to do and get on with my life.

The reason I've used a MacBook Pro for so many years is because it really does "just work," or at least consistently has in the past. It's very, very rare (in my personal experience) to run into any system-related issues. I used to run Linux on a laptop and spent ages fiddling around with my Xorg, troubleshooting wireless issues, dealing with buggy desktop environments, etc...

I think a lot of other people are in a similar position, in that the "neat things" and "fiddling" are a negative. I just want a machine that works well with minimal configuration. Is desktop Linux at that stage right now? Popular opinion seems to say no, but I haven't actually tried running desktop Linux since for years.

(I do use Linux every single day, but it's always over ssh/tmux)

2 comments

I'm with you, I just want to get work done, I don't customize anything, the last thing I want to do is waste time configuring every machine I use (i.e. work provided machine and personal dev machines). Since I usually work in big dumb corps I use Cygwin on Windows (it has been really good for a few years now). I've been using Ubuntu for personal use since 2008. Desktop Linux has been good enough for a long time in imo. With caveats that you should research your hardware before you buy.

Nowadays a lot stuff just works, like tonight I just connected a bluetooth key board to my dechromed acer c720 running xubuntu 14.04. It paired and everything worked first time. Even reconnected after restart. I even exclaimed to my wife how surprised I was. Dechroming and getting xubuntu on there was a bit of work, but the guides online were good enough. Ymmv of course.

It's so weird that you say that, because my DE is exactly why I use linux. I install debian, sync down my config settings from home, and (aside from wifi/sound) I'm done. I have a very minimal DE/WM setup that gets out of my way, and lets me work. I very rarely have to fiddle with anything