In the vernacular of The Day, you could say that "I'm transitioning".
To Linux, that is - probably via Ubuntu, but I've been reading good things about Mint.
My Windows PC has apps on it that I cannot delete (bloatware) and I pay monthly to use Adobe's Photoshop, Lightroom and Premiere apps. An amount that exceeds their value for a hobbyist like me.
Although I feel like I'm having my privacy and (hard drive) space invaded while simultaneously being nickel'ed and dime'd ad naseum, it's more about not having a company's hand in my pocket, extracting their allotment every month. I'd rather donate an amount that I deem fair, based on my usage of the product.
- LibreOffice will replace Word
- Gimp will replace Photoshop
- RawTherapee will replace Lightroom
- Kdenlive will replace Premiere
- And I've been using Firefox as my web browser all along, so no change there. Ditto with Audacity for anything audio-related.
On the ham radio side of things, WSJT-X is available for Linux and my QDX & QMX are configurable via any terminal controller, so no loss of functionality there.
That leaves only logging software and a personal finance app that I'll need to find and there are probably dozens from which to choose.
I feel like John Galt going off the grid in my own little way.
To experiment with all this, before wiping my Dell clean of Windows, I'll be tinkering on a mini PC from Beelink, due to arrive tomorrow. I'm not expecting great things from it but I think it'll provide a useful stepping stone in this process.
.
The next morning:
My miniPC was on my doorstep when I got up this morning at 7:15. Two hours later, I have both Windows 11 and Linux Mint operational on the tiny little cube (it comes with W11 pre-installed). So far, I'm impressed with what $175 buys in a flexible computer. I am missing the drivers for WiFi in Mint but the simple fix for that is to connect (with a LAN cable) to my router, then perform the updates and all should be good.
.
John, I think you'll be pretty pleased once you get over the pain of making the transition. I've been using Mint for years (after migrating from Ubuntu) and it gets a big thumbs up from me. I would recommend downloading the ISO of the distro you want to try, imaging it on a USB drive, and then booting your existing PC from that drive. You can try out the distro without wiping your current PC, to make sure it performs as you would expect.
ReplyDeleteFor logging, there is cqrlog if you need full-featured, or HAMRS if you want lightweight. You can also get tqsl from the software repos, so no problem doing LotW either.
Hope this helps, Jason NT7S
Hi Jason, I have tried Ubuntu using the method you suggested and I will try others. But I want a dedicated computer to do that on rather than messing too much with the BIOS on my Dell. This is embarrassing to admit but I screwed something up and had to enter a 48-digit password for BitBlocker whenever booting up the Dell after that. I never found out what I messed up but turned off encryption so that I don't have to enter that number any more. After that, I'm BIOS-skittish and the Beelink PC is a cheap-enough toy to serve as a test platform for now. When I find what I like (probably Mint) I'll dedicate the Dell to it full-bore.
DeleteI'll check out cqrlog. Thanks much and 73,
John
BitLocker, that is.
DeleteI've been meaning to check out QLog, because I am also fed up with Windows.
ReplyDeletehttps://itshamradio.com/qlog-cross-platform-amateur-radio-logging-software/
73,
Jeff n1kdo
Thanks Jeff - looking at it now.
DeleteI just came across QLog a couple of weeks ago. I was using XLog but this is much better. I like how it integrates into LotW and EQSL, and also how it automatically logs when I am using JTDX. Also, the map feature is great - no more looking up contacts in QRZ to se where they are!
DeleteI've tried to go all Linux here but struggled with the logging software. I think CQRLOG does everything you would want but I've run out of patience trying. I usually end up back with ACLOG (N3FJP) on Windows. Apparently ACLOG can be run under LINUX + WINE but you know, life is short.
ReplyDeleteAs for the digital darkroom I really like Darktable for working with RAW files. It runs on both Linux and Windows.
Got to get me one of those mini PCs.
Good luck.
73 Paul VA3ZC
I've settled on qlog for now but I'll miss AC Log.
DeleteI've only had this miniPC for a few hours now but my initial impression is "I love it." I have several apps installed on it now and have updated and configured several aspects. I had to connect to my router with a LAN cable to update the kernal - a simple thing to do - and then WiFi worked. Downloads and installations are fast.
The miniPC has 16GB of RAM and a 500GB drive. The installation of Linux Mint divided the drive in half with 256GB each for Windows 11 and Mint.
The unit has been on for about 6 hours now and is not even warm to the touch.
73,
John AE5X
Welcome to the People's Operating System. There's definitely a transition period getting used to it, mostly because you'll have far more choices about system configuration than you ever knew existed. In general, the challenge with Linux apps is getting things set up and figured out. Once you're past that, it's smooth sailing.
ReplyDeleteHam radio logging applications on Linux are very much works in progress right now. CQRLog is amazing under two conditions: you can actually get it to work with your setup, and you don't mind figuring out its somewhat eccentric interface. It's written in Pascal, which drastically limits the pool of developers who can work on it, so don't expect quick fixes. For contest logging, I recommend TLF. There's a steep learning curve, but once you get your mind around editing config files, it's great.
The entire Fldigi suite is also Linux-native, and it includes a minimal logging application (fllog) as well.
Have fun.
Thanks Alan. I'm going with Qlog for now - CQRlog seems a bit overkill for what I need to do. I forgot that I had fldigi on my laptop...I seldom used it but it's fun to decode commercial RTTY from time to time. It'll be going on the Mint partition next.
Delete73,
John
I ran Linux almost exclusively a looong time ago, when the kernel version was 0.99pl14, and stuck with it for a few years. When I started doing serious photography, I really tried hard to come to terms with the Gimp, but the lack of support for calibrated displays, printers, and scanners killed it for me. I've been running Photoshop et al ever since (on WIndows). In addition, you mentioned finance software, I've been a long time user of Quicken and TurboTax, neither of which ever had a Linux version (let's not divert into a fracas over using Wine, here, as just about all the work arounds that Linux fans point out to run WIndows apps on Linux are usually difficult and buggy). I particularly like the phrase that ham software is a work in progress. The unfortunate aspect is that it has been a work in progress for about 25 years now. It just has never gained any real traction on Linux. So, I run Ham Radio Deluxe and N1MM+ (for contesting) on Windows. I use still use Linux, but specifically for GNU Radio and its ilk. Using the proper platform for whatever you wish to run is really the most important thing. Hotspots? Of course, run them on Raspberry PIs. That's where they were invented, and there's nothing wrong with having dedicated computers for dedicated applications. I have a Beelink PC that I got specifically to use to setup a dedicated RMS station for Winlink on VHF. It runs Windows 11, which came preloaded on the Beelink. Use the most appropriate OS for the application, and don't try to 'jam to fit' everything on one platform, because you have a religious fervor for a particular OS.
ReplyDeleteHi Dave,
DeleteIt's been an educational 5 days for me, running Linux, testing various programs and being amazed by the little Beelink.
I've learned what I subconsciously knew already - that Linux is for computer hobbyists; not for those who use a computer for other hobbies. I'd hoped that the intervening years had allowed Linux to become a Windows replacement but, as you mention, that's not the case. Nothing available for Linux even touches the functionality of Photoshop or (especially) Lightroom. This is even more true for video processing software (I highly recommend Filmora for that).
You really do get what you pay for...
But, as a counterpoint to that, the $175 Beelink continues to amaze. I like it so much that I've ordered another miniPC to replace my aging Dell laptop. This one arrives Wednesday and has the latest AMD processor, 32G of RAM and a 1TB SSD. More about it later...
73,
John