Obviously, a bit of clickbait. Sorry.

I just got to work and plugged my surface pro into my external monitor. It didn’t switch inputs immediately, and I thought “Linux would have done that”. But would it?

I find myself far more patient using Linux and De-googled Android than I do with windows or anything else. After all, Linux is mine. I care for it. Grow it like a garden.

And that’s a good thing; I get less frustrated with my tech, and I have something that is important to me outside its technical utility. Unlike windows, which I’m perpetually pissed at. (Very often with good reason)

But that aside, do we give Linux too much benefit of the doubt relative to the “things that just work”. Often they do “just work”, and well, with a broad feature set by default.

Most of us are willing to forgo that for the privacy and shear customizability of Linux, but do we assume too much of the tech we use and the tech we don’t?

Thoughts?

  • dragnucs
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    3 months ago

    Generally, when things work on windows, it is the effort of whomever made the device or software. Microsoft generally does not develop drivers. However, when things work on GNU/Linux it is the effort of GNU, Linux, or the community. The manufacturer probably did nothing. This simply explains why we are generally relaxed or “give Linux too much benefit of the doubt relative to the “things that just work””.

    So fairly comparing a Linux distro to raw windows, Linux is better. When you install a distro, things just work, when you install windows, most stuff do not work and you need to complete setup. Unless you use tools provided by the manufacturer, but then again, it is same story.

    • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      Windows works nearly every time any more - I don’t have to do anything during setup. Drivers are automatic during setup.

      Not sure where you get this idea from.

      My Logitech mouse doesn’t work at all on Linux unless I search for why and go find third-party software for it. Windows sees it as a generic HID and treats it as such. I can go get the Logitech software if I want, but have no need of it. Linux? Nope. Probably the most prolific mouse on the planet and Linux can’t even use it, at all, natively.

      On windows it just works.

      Now let’s go deploy 300, or 3000 machines.

      • SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Linux is far, far better at handling generic USB devices than Windows. Your inability to plug in a peripheral seems like PEBCAK.

      • EarthShipTechIntern@lemm.ee
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        3 months ago

        You get your panties in a twist because you have to install Solaar?

        It’s a very simple, very functional piece of software Built For Logitech Devices.

        All my keyboards & mice are (mostly second hand) Logitech. No problems here.

        Not even sure I’ve had to install Solaar with Mint or Ubuntu in the last 10 years.

      • youmaynotknow
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        3 months ago

        Then you must not be very bright. All my Logitech and Razer hardware just works on every Linux distro I jump on while distro hopping.

      • Nibodhika@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        First of all you’re missing the point.

        Drivers are automatic during setup.

        That still means third-party drivers, so it’s still not a Windows win but rather a “windows is so ubiquitous that Logitech (or whoever) was forced to release a driver for it”, which is what the comment you’re replying was talking about.

        Secondly, bullshit. In my 20 years using Linux I have never, ever, plugged in a mouse that didn’t get immediately recognized and worked as expected. What mouse do you have? You said Logitech, which model? The only thing that I ever needed specialized software on a Logitech mouse was to configure extra buttons or to pair it to a different dongle (both stuffs that also need specialized software only provided by Logitech on Windows)

      • BCsven@lemmy.ca
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        3 months ago

        I have the opposite. Old Logitech bluetooth mouse on W10, Windows will pair with it but next boot it totally will not reconnect, no matter what, unless I delete paired device and re-add it. It was fine on W7. Linux has no issue reconnecting to it.

      • Kyouki@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Weird. My Logitech G502 Lightspeed just plug and plays on my Linux distro. Only thing is that I cannot configure it but I can read the battery w/o additional software unlike the other platform.

      • dragnucs
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        3 months ago

        My logitech mx master 3 works instantly on fedora with all it’s features. I also have various wired and worless keyboards and mouses that work instantly on Fedora.

        For same mouse on windows, I need to wait for it to download and install outs drivers.

        Maybe you got things confused or are using LinuxFromScratch or something.