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Linux and UNIX stuff - a place to discuss alternative OSs.

Darat said:
I still - despite using it since System 7 - don’t like Mac OS’s desktop.

My first real exposure to Unix was SCO Xenix, installed that and provided support for dozens of companies. If my recollection is correct it took literally dozens of 5.25 floppy discs for a typical installation. What has always stuck with me is how fast line printers can go through paper when someone manages to pipe output of a terminal to the printer spooler.
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I have a set of Microsoft Xenix installation diskettes.....
 
I still have an OS/2 Warp CD and all the diskettes for DOS 6.22 and Win 3.1. Only one old laptop in my museum with a 3.5" drive, mind you.
 
Wudang said:
Same here. I don’t think it was until warp I could get it on CD. Did I even have a cd drive? Forgotten.
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I was once paid to install WordPerfect onto a country library computer.

The problem was that the software was on 3.5 inch disks, and their computer only had a 5.25 inch drive.

Fortunately I had a portable 3.5 inch drive with me (massive fluke) and was able to do the job.

I remember recommending to them that they have a 3.5 inch drive installed, but they were very suspicious of that advice.
 
MVS/XA and upgraded it to ESA. TSO, JCL, CICS, ISPF. Started off as a tape jockey. They had an old DOS/VSE box with an big emergency red stop button on it. The old hands could tell where a long running batch job was up to by how the lights were flashing.
I implemented one of those fancy new SQL databases. It was magical.

Windows just gets more annoying without adding anything. Win11 the OS is better than Win 10 but they kill it with the bloatware.

I keep wondering if I should just move to Linux. It's more hands on but it just does what it has to do.
 
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John Albert said:
I'm preparing to switch that desktop PC over to Linux some time in the coming weeks. My main concern at the moment is how well it can run certain kinds of games.
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If the game is on Steam, you're fine. Proton (Steam's WINE fork) is phenomenal these days.

The only game categories I have trouble with are the ones where the publisher insists on having the "game" really just install a launcher for the company with all the always-on data-gathering hooks in the system you might expect, and then the launcher itself tries to install the game however the publisher feels like doing it that day.

Do you have a particular game in mind?
 
Beelzebuddy said:
If the game is on Steam, you're fine. Proton (Steam's WINE fork) is phenomenal these days.

The only game categories I have trouble with are the ones where the publisher insists on having the "game" really just install a launcher for the company with all the always-on data-gathering hooks in the system you might expect, and then the launcher itself tries to install the game however the publisher feels like doing it that day.

Do you have a particular game in mind?
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What about VR games?

Can Linux handle VR content through an NVIDIA 5090 adapter?
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Richie’s Plank Experience, Work Simulator, Half Life Alyx, Skyrim VR, Walking Dead S&S, Space Pirate Trainer, Into the Radius...

Stuff like that
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John Albert said:
What about VR games?

Can Linux handle VR content through an NVIDIA 5090 adapter?
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If the brand of Linux you install can handle Nvidia, which is not guaranteed, then you can check the Steam store page and see if a game is Steam Deck certified if it is, you're probably golden.
Non-certified may still work, I think Proton has a more nuanced rating system somewhere, if you're willing to tinker with it or put up with some jankiness.
 
Mongrel said:
If the brand of Linux you install can handle Nvidia, which is not guaranteed, then you can check the Steam store page and see if a game is Steam Deck certified if it is, you're probably golden.
Non-certified may still work, I think Proton has a more nuanced rating system somewhere, if you're willing to tinker with it or put up with some jankiness.
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It doesn't matter which distro I choose. I can install the nvidia nonfree driver in any one.

My main concern is support for my HP Reverb G2 VR headset and controllers.
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[EDIT] Ignore this -see Mongrel's post below

Discussed here but 5 years old so may be out of date.
steamcommunity.com

Linux and VR Headsets... Valve Index vs HP Reverb G2 :: SteamVR General Discussions

Both the Reverb G2 and the Valve Index appear to list a Windows operating system as a requirement for use of these VR headsets, however I've heard some say they're going with the Valve Index because it supports Linux. Anyone know anything about this? I was a bit surprised to see the Windows...
steamcommunity.com steamcommunity.com
 
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Wudang said:
Discussed here but 5 years old so may be out of date.
steamcommunity.com

Linux and VR Headsets... Valve Index vs HP Reverb G2 :: SteamVR General Discussions

Both the Reverb G2 and the Valve Index appear to list a Windows operating system as a requirement for use of these VR headsets, however I've heard some say they're going with the Valve Index because it supports Linux. Anyone know anything about this? I was a bit surprised to see the Windows...
steamcommunity.com steamcommunity.com
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This is a bit more up-to-date, but Linux and VR are not my interests so YMMV
 
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Are niche and hobbyist operating systems on topic here?

HamsterOS (Work in progress)
A complete 32-bit desktop OS on a single 1.44 MB floppy. The current master image boots through a trimmed FreeDOS wrapper, launches the 32-bit HamsterOS kernel with HAMLOAD.EXE, and runs a real windowed desktop on 386/486-era hardware. It can also install to and boot from an ATA hard disk via INSTALL.APP.
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GentleOS32 [GitHub]
Hobby operating system for vintage 32-bit PCs
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After Linus posting that AI is welcome etc I'm seriously considering converting my Linux laptop to OpenBSD. I haven't touched BSD Unix since 1984.

ETA: it's been bubbling under for a while. The latest issues with systemctl, snap installs, and so on

ETA 2.0. Anyone have experience of OpenBSD vs FreeBSD etc? Old HP laptop, looks like I can install my very old Intellij, zdoom, Libre Office etc which cover 98% of my laptop use.
 
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John Albert said:
These days, with actual neo-Nazis bullying people on every social media platform....

Do you think that too many hyperbolic comparisons served to desensitize people to their evil, or defang them in the public opinion?
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There's some self-awareness for you!
 
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