Linux @lemmy.ml amazingsparrow @lemm.ee 1 mo. ago

Help me decide if I can switch to Linux, I have some questions

Recommendations for Notepad++ replacement. Desired features:

- Tabbed with ability to have multiple files open via tabs at the top
- find and replace with regex ability, find and replace over multiple files in folder, find pop-out that shows all the lines with the desired text and allows clicking to jump to them. 
- Ability to jump to line via inputting number
- basic tools for conversion like URL decoding/encoding and base64 decoding/encoding (or addons for such, no I don’t like pasting potentially sensitive info in random converter websites), 
- column select mode (alt on notepad++), 
- encoding settings switch
- code language highlighting, 
- dark mode (dark background option)
- line operations like trim trailing space (or all excess space), ability to view and manipulate (find/replace) symbols like end of line, whitespace, carriage return, etc.
- Not driven entirely by three dozen memorized keyboard shortcuts 
- I am NOT coding in this, I am at most editing some markup files (xml, lua) or doing some find and replace for updated functions, doing text manipulation, using as an intermediary step in managing large sets of data.
- Ability to open fairly large files without freezing up (e.g. 400mb text file opens instantly in NPP but locks up windows default notepad)

I have an iPhone, I like to back it up and sync music via a cable to it using iTunes. Would it work fine to have a persistent Windows VM on Linux with iTunes installed? Any issues?
I do some gaming. I own several games exclusively on the EA App (they’ve rebranded it from origin), the Command and Conquer series and Dragon Age at this point I think are the ones I don’t have elsewhere and care about. Anyone have any thoughts to share on that and how well it works? I know several of the C&C games are rated as “garbage” on WineHQ so that worries me. I have no worries about my Steam games given the work they’ve done and the fact they have a Linux client though I do worry about my GoG games a little. I suppose I could run these in a Windows virtual machine but I worry how well that will work, I’m not sure older games will necessarily take well to being run in a VM of a modern OS like Win10. I also off and on play WoW though I gather from WineHQ that it works well. I don’t do any competitive online stuff other than that though.
How do Xbox One controllers work wired with Linux? Is there something I can install where it just works with supported games as it does on Windows or is it likely I’ll need to mess with things each time?
Recommendations for GUI mpv frontend?
Suggestions for an FFmpeg GUI wrapper? >> NOT handbrake <<. I already use that, it’s not useful when I don’t want to operate on video but only audio or only extract subtitles, etc. Preferably something easy to use but hard to master in that it works without too much tinkering as expected but it has a lot of depth and options? I’m looking for something that I can drag say an mkv file to with video and audio and subtitle tracks and I can choose to convert ONLY the audio which is say DTS-HD MA to FLAC or Opus and set the quality level, channels, etc. (I previously used a Windows software called xmediarecode)
I use software called AdvancedRenamer. I’m looking for software on Linux that >> via GUI << allows mass renaming using things like replace <stringa> with <stringb> or adding text at the beginning or end of file names by pattern, regex, removing things by pattern or by count from the start end of a filename, incrementing/decreasing numbers in names by a set amount, that kind of thing. I like a preview window of the results before I click commit.
Keyboard shortcuts. Control+C and V I believe work the same but is there a way to get common windows key shortcuts working in a similar-ish fashion on Linux? For example winkey+L locks the session without logging out but requires a password and I tend to do this all the time, multiple times a day, is there a way to get Linux to respond to those key-presses and do the same thing? Other key combos I like would be win+d for hiding windows and showing the desktop. Others I can probably deal with learning new combos but those two are pure muscle memory.
I don’t understand Linux distro segmentation especially when it comes to software availability. On Windows it’s simple, there’s either a download for Windows or there isn’t and short of it being for something ancient like Win98 it’ll tend to just work with Win10 with compatibility enabled. But with Linux often there are multiple files for different flavors, one for Ubuntu, one for Debian, one for Mint, one for Arch, one for CentOS, etc. Sometimes there’s just one option for Linux but it specifies it’s for something like Arch. If I run into a software I need and it specifically indicates it’s for another flavor of Linux than the one I run, how likely is it that I can get it to work on another distro without any real trouble? (Real trouble meaning I need to do web searches and edit config files or add flags that vary by software to the executable launch)
Last but not least. I’m looking for suggestions for a Linux distro to use that fits my needs.

I tried Ubuntu a couple of years ago and I hated it. Among other things the settings app was too simple and didn’t have 1/10th of the kind of options I am familiar with on Windows, it looked like the settings for a phone or smart system like a streaming device. I know GUI settings are not a strong suite of Linux but I have to admit I hate, hate, hate the idea of too much stuff via command line/shell or editing config files. That said if that’s how it’s going to be I think I might be able to deal with it.

I’d describe myself as a power user. I use arcane and strange programs from time to time to meet odd needs and every 4-6 months I find myself searching up some odd problem or need I have and pouring over old forum posts. I game (mostly older stuff). I use mods with games. I manage a media server among other services in my home so have to work with video files, audio tracks, subtitles, etc. I do not like the command line but I’m not afraid of it. Just because I can problem-solve and troubleshoot does not mean I want to spend my free-time doing so or babysitting an unstable distro.

So I’m caught between not wanting a beginner, simple-use-case (think someone who browses the web, edits some basic text or docx files and almost nothing else) distro AND not wanting one that’s bleeding edge experimental or super strange in execution so it’s breaking all the time or needs troubleshooting so I need to go into the terminal for every single thing I do or so I have to go and make forum posts asking for help every 4 months.

I do want something actively developed with regular and prompt security updates in response to vulnerabilities. So it needs to have a certain size and userbase, not be a bespoke hobby project.

I use an NVIDIA graphics card (1070 because I'm not rich and haven't needed anything more yet) so I’ll need something that allows installation of the necessary (proprietary) drivers for that and doesn’t cause a big fuss with that if there’s a problem.

I am going to be using firejail and want to be able to use opensnitch firewall. I also need to remote desktop connection to a Windows server (GUI) and have a stable connection to that. I am also likely to have a Windows10 virtual persistent installation via virtualbox (unless someone knows a better option) which I will use for a few things but have no interest in using most of the time for common tasks or heavy programs which need to run native on Linux if I’m switching.

Strong preference all options offered be free as in beer (small 1-time fees are fine, subscriptions are not).

However they may be based on non-free licenses and have proprietary/closed source code if it’s the best option. (Do try and keep suggestions somewhat mainstream, don’t just search for me and suggest the first thing you find on github with all of 2 stars made by a user named notmalware 3 months ago or something else sketchy. I'm looking for personal or heard experience and suggestions. If I don't get any I'll search myself.)

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62 comments

I feel like you're destined to use Windows for the rest of your life. You want to replicate your Windows workflow to GNU/Linux, and I think that's the main problem and the reason why people change their minds and go back to Windows.
- I have things I need to do. If Linux cannot help me do them then in what way is it a widely suitable mass operating system as proponents are constantly claiming instead of merely a hobby tool that can do a very limited range of things.
  
  Notice other than games I'm fond of I haven't demanded compatibility of specifics. I've presented problems (ex. I own an iPhone, I'm happy with it, I'm not changing it, I can either work around it with Windows via a VM a few times a year or I can't).
  
  For my ask about Notepad++ I'm looking for features I use commonly. If a text editor doesn't have them all I might be able to get along but this is trimmed down list. Fact is I don't like the idea of having to have a dozen different pieces of software when I used to be able to use just one. Who would?
  
  I've searched extensively for replacements for many of my programs and these are about the last of the hold-outs. Don't want to give advice based on personal experience? Then don't. Want to tell me that Linux can't do these things for me? Then do so in a straight-forward manner.
  
  Frankly answers like yours that are just a brush-off don't help. People say it's okay to switch to Linux because the community is helpful, that they will help you when you have problems.
  
  So my problem is whether to switch and people like you think I'm a lost cause. You talk about workflows. I'm talking about tools, software, programs. As in replacements and equivalents. I'm okay with replacing some of my NPP workflow with another program, I'd like if something existed that did it all which is why I ask, to source knowledge from those who have experience and may know off the top of their head an option.
  
  You are telling me and everyone else watching this post that it's TOO MUCH for Linux to ask to be able to play a handful of games, to do some simple text manipulation tasks that one program in Windows can handle, to find a GUI wrapper for a freely usable open source mass adopted program like FFmpeg and to find a powerful renamer that's GUI driven. Because that's all I've really asked. The rest at the end is just opinions and context about my previous experiences and how I use a computer.
  
  It’s not that Linux can’t do what you specify, but that it may not do it in the way you require, which is based on your windows experience. Lots of what you describe can be done
  
  For example, using command line tools like sed, rename, ffmpeg, find, etc.., you can do all of the text manipulation you can imagine.
  
  But you also specify that you want gui wrappers, and in all likelihood, there are gui wrappers for what you want to do, but to meet your exact specifications, maybe not.
  
  If you’re willing to do some adapting, which it sounds like you are, the. I think you can pretty easily adapt to Linux, as it’s perfectly capable of handling your high level requirements. It’s in the minutiae of how those requirements are met that is in question.
  
  It's not that it's not widely usable, it's just that you should be open to different workflows
  
  An oven and a toaster can both toast bread, but you wouldn't expect someone who's just bought a toaster after using an oven to complain because it doesn't have a door or shelves
  
  Hey man, while I do understand your frustration with such a dismissive response as the one you received, IMO it would help you try a little harder to take what's useful and disregard what is not.
  
  I have things I need to do. If Linux cannot help me do them then in what way is it a widely suitable mass operating system as proponents are constantly claiming instead of merely a hobby tool that can do a very limited range of things.
  
  That holds true for absolutely every operating system. There's just a lot that I wouldn't be able to do if I went back to Windows or if I moved to MacOS, and those are the 2 most mainstream desktop operating systems "widely used by the masses". That alone invalidates your comment (no animosity here, just being direct and blunt).
  
  For my ask about Notepad++ I'm looking for features I use commonly. If a text editor doesn't have them all I might be able to get along but this is trimmed down list. Fact is I don't like the idea of having to have a dozen different pieces of software when I used to be able to use just one. Who would?
  
  When I used windows, Notepad++ was my favorite text editor. I found it to be frictionless and intuitive like nothing else out there short of a full IDE. I get your resistance to move away from it and wishing to find something closely resembling your work flow with it. Unfortunately, while you will be able to find replacements in Linux that will far outdo anything you're able to currently do with Notepad++ easily, it's unlikely that you will find an alternative that allows you to retain such workflow. Having said that, here's a good place to start with a simple list: https://itsfoss.com/notepad-alternatives-for-linux/
  
  I've searched extensively for replacements for many of my programs and these are about the last of the hold-outs. Don't want to give advice based on personal experience? Then don't. Want to tell me that Linux can't do these things for me? Then do so in a straight-forward manner.
  
  Again, I understand your frustration, it sucks to be asking for suggestions from what is supposed to be a friendly community (which it is for the most part) and get dismissed like that, but understand that this is not unlike any other group of people. There's all types here, you get to choose how you react to those, and even IF you want to react at all. As for "can't do", at least for me, I still have to see that thing I haven't been able to do in Linux, even if some require some extensive workarounds.
  
  For the rest of your comment, some of the other guys have already provided pretty spot on solutions, and I can't stress enough the suggestion to run a VM or install on some older hardware before you decide if you want to try the road or just go back (remain?) to Windows.
  
  The work flow is completely different from Windows, but I for one didn't really go through any pains once I chose to make the move and never look back. The feeling of owning my computer was never there until I did that, which may have something to do with how biased I am with Linux being the best desktop choice in existence.
  
  Everyone's experience is different, and I hope you give it a shot, and don't let little things like individuals lead you astray from what you want to achieve.
  
  If Linux cannot help me do them then in what way is it a widely suitable mass operating system as proponents are constantly claiming instead of merely a hobby tool that can do a very limited range of things.
  
  Not sure what you mean by this as I have used tons of linux machines to earn a living for the last 20 years or more. Just because you haven't delved into it doesn't mean it is just a hobby tool. No offense, but if that is your attitude towards this then it might be best to not switch. Things might not always be up to par with what you are used to, but I have seen some pretty cringy things go on in current mainstream windows. Try having an issue with onedrive and asking the team supporting it to help. First step is to reboot. If that doesn't work they uninstall then reinstall. If that doesn't work, well then I guess you are out of luck. When I asked them about anything in the log files, all I got was blanks stares. My point is, windows isn't some pristine environment with no flaws that we should all strive to reach, it has it's own issues.
  
  For instance, your Notepad++ question. I know you don't want to use multiple tools to replace it, but I would venture to guess that the work I do daily, I would probably come up with solutions using vi, sed, and awk on the command line just as fast as you could using the gui. The thing is, I have been doing it for so long it's just second nature to me. Would I want to switch to Notepad++, no.
  
  Maybe come up with some examples of what you do in Notepad++ and people can give you alternative solutions.
  
  Pretty sure they didn't want to go for command line editors but helix has a much more intuitive search and replace feature nowadays where you don't need to type a whole sed command

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