So I was in the market for a new computer. Previously I used a 2015 MacBook Pro and liked the Mac experience, I could run pretty much whatever software I wanted but I still had a terminal. However looking at the latest Mac’s, everything is soldered, no way to upgrade anything. This was not something I wanted to support so I started looking at my options…
I don’t love Windows but if I go from non-mac hardware, my options become Linux or Windows. I have a windows 11 desktop that I use mostly for gaming but for my daily driver, I didn’t want a Windows machine. That left Linux… what could I run?
I realize this isn’t for everyone but I started looking at my options. The first piece of software I use that I was looking to replace was Capture One (Photography software). I started looking around and found darktable which so far seems to have all I need. It was a little adjustment from Capture One but not a lot. It runs on Windows/Mac/Linux so you can certainly try it out before you make the switch.
Then I use Alfred App as my quick launcher on my Mac. On Linux, I found Albert which seems to have what I’m looking for. I like that I can write plugins in Python but it’s still pretty fast because it’s mostly written in c++. It’s not perfect but it’ll do for now.
For 3d printing, most of the slicing software runs natively on Linux/Mac/Windows so that was an easy decision. The biggest downside was that I use Fusion 360 which does not have a Linux port. Jumping forward, I did try running it in Wine and it mostly works but not really 100% so right now I dual boot solely for this piece of software.
I already switched to Inkscape for vector graphics so that was easy since there is already a Linux version. I don’t do a lot of word processing, spreadsheets and/or presentations but when I do, google docs has been good enough and there’s LibreOffice if I really want to go local. Most other misc software I use is generally Open Source and runs on Linux as an option.
Since I already decided I would dual boot, I pulled the plug on a Framework 16. I really liked the modularity, the fact that it worked under Linux and really, everything about the company.
Installation was fairly straight forward once I sorted the Windows/Linux dual boot situation. You need to do it in the correct order or Windows complains. (I used 2x1TB NVMe drives) I went with OpenSuse tumbleweed mostly because debian is on the older side (great for servers, not great for desktops), ubuntu is dead to me after apt install firefox installs a snap and not a deb, fuck snaps. OpenSuse seemed like a good balance of latest but with mostly stability. I didn’t want to go Arch or Gentoo because I just don’t have time for that now.
So once everything is setup, I install Albert, Firefox, DarkTable, Inkscape, 3d Slicers, and Steam. In steam, I installed the handful of Linux native games but was a little disappointed in the number. Then I was talking with my son about Proton and decided to look into it a bit more. HOLY SHIT, IT’S JUST A FLAG IN STEAM!!! Basically it’s Settings->Properties->Compatability… then toggle “Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool.” Then I was just able to install Windows games under Linux. They run just like any other Steam game. There’s a website that lists compatibility: https://www.protondb.com/ but so far everything I’ve tried to run works fine. So if you run Linux and Game at all, check this out.
So basically, now I’ve been using Linux as my daily driver (except for work) and the only thing I’ve had to boot into Windows for is Fusion 360… Maybe I should really take a look at FreeCAD but for now, Fusion is too easy for me to reach for.
tl;dr: I think 2025 is the year of the Linux Desktop (well, Laptop, main driver) for me.
Two things to add:
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You technically can get Fusion365 running under Bottles but it is a mixed experience
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I would look at Krita since it might be useful to you
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I’ve seen launcher apps discussed for years and I’ve never seen an answer to the basic question of “what do they do?”
The big thing for me is a hotkey which launches a window I can put in an application (partial is fine) or command and it starts or runs the command… so I do
<Ctrl>+<Space>darkand it launches darktable. You can also have plugins that do things. So for example, after I upload my.torrentfiles, I delete them locally. So I have armcommand which just runsrm ~/Downloads/*.torrent.Yes, I could click on the menu, type in the command I’m looking for but this is a little quicker. Plugins also allow you to do complicated tasks quickly.
I dunno, I’ve gotten used to it.
Thanks for the rundown, I got used to spotlight when I was using macOS, and the main selling point for stuff like Alfred seemed to be things spotlight already did. What you describe seems way more useful.
Awesome story! Also: wait until you learn about windows vms and wine. Good bye dualboot. Good luck with your setup and welcome to the club.
Oh, I’ve been a Linux user for a long time, mostly on the server, not as a Desktop. Unfortunately Fusion 360 kindof runs under wine but not really so it’s still the one thing I have to reboot for.
Damn! Have you tried a vm? Still better than dual boot because no probs with bootloader, no need to use unencrypted because you have independent installations on the same disk with no ability to corrupt the other. Also, you are less likely to use any other windows stuff due to needing to restart to switch back and that being too uncomfortable. Does that make sense to you? :)
So once everything is setup, I install Albert, Firefox, DarkTable, Inkscape, 3d Slicers, and Steam. In steam, I installed the handful of Linux native games but was a little disappointed in the number. Then I was talking with my son about Proton and decided to look into it a bit more. HOLY SHIT, IT’S JUST A FLAG IN STEAM!!! Basically it’s Settings->Properties->Compatability… then toggle “Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool.” Then I was just able to install Windows games under Linux. They run just like any other Steam game. There’s a website that lists compatibility: https://www.protondb.com/ but so far everything I’ve tried to run works fine. So if you run Linux and Game at all, check this out.
this made me giggle so hard :D
yes Steam and Proton is really a Gabe Send, so to speak.
Seriously, I thought I’d need to install something or configure something, nope, one toggle in Steam. I think everyone who uses Steam and Linux should know about this!
In 2012 Microsoft launched Windows 8, which was supposed to be a first step towards transitioning the OS into a walled garden. They clearly intended to shut Steam out, eat Valve’s lunch and take over PC gaming. In the end they backed down, but Gabe took the hint. The consequences are still steadily unravelling today.
After the imperialist empire of America decided to abondon its allies, Europeans have decided to move towards open source solutions. Linux ain’t going nowhere. Open source at least in Yankee land is and will be under attack by the us state department. Also the further enshitification of all services in the USA will continue. It is best to lean into it… It is the future for those who want to be free and not subservient. My boomer 70+ uses pop OS on a frameworks laptop and switching cost are over hyped. With windows firmware level “windows management system” and now ai agents with the recall setting it seems the techno tinfoil hats had every right to be paranoid. So two angles freedom and cost cutting. You can ignore imperialism but it won’t ignore you…there is a reason why things are the way they are. Live free and/or die trying …The f35 is a garbage plane. Be nice to immigrants one day you might be one. https://twit.tv/posts/tech/euos-inside-european-unions-bold-move-break-free-windows
I didn’t downvote you, but jfc, the guy is just talking about using Linux with no context of where they’re from or anything, and then you head right off the launchpad with that. The US pisses me off more than most, but in this thread, this comes off as unhinged.
Go take an internet break.
Exactly, this. Down voting doesn’t mean disagree (well… it’s not supposed to at least, but we know how that often works out). Down voting is supposed to mark content as low quality, or not useful. Unhinged and angry meets that criteria.
Hahaha already a down vote. whatever man…cope
FreeCAD 1.0 is actually pretty good now. Definitely usable if you’re only doing basic things.
SolveSpace is also nice but it has some deal-breaker limitations like not supporting chamfers/bevels.
2 months ago I needed to do a quick and dirty part design. Very simple thing. Just a hook for towels, that looked like the one already on my wall.
I opened freecad, fucked around for half a day. Didn’t get shit done.
I opened fusion 360 in a laggy windows vm. After half an hour I had the part I imagined in my mind.
I used neither before in my entire life.
How comes?
I think Fusion 360 defaults to direct modelling which may be easier for beginners. FreeCAD uses parametric modelling which is more powerful and easier to use, but probably a bit confusing if you aren’t expecting it.
Also Fusion360 is commercial software that has had lots and lots of UX effort put into it. FreeCAD hasn’t. Until FreeCAD 1.0 I would say it had pretty awful UX, even for someone already familiar with parametric CAD.
With FreeCAD 1.0 it’s quite good and usable for people with experience in parametric CAD (mostly) but it definitely doesn’t hold your hand and I wouldn’t expect a beginner to be able to design a part easily first time.
Yeah, I’m just so used to Fusion that it’s hard for me to make the switch. I’m probably going to get tired of rebooting and start looking at FreeCAD 1.0.
FreeCAD is a steep learning curve from pretty much any other CAD I’ve used. It’s usable but there will need to be a paradigm shift to figure out it’s philosphy from 360.
If you download Bottles it has pre-fabbed Wine environments for certain software, including Fusion 360. I’ve used it occasionally for the last year although there seems to have been a recent update that’s killed it. Hopefully it’ll be fixed soon.
Yeah, I’ve tried it and it kindof worked last I tried. I had an issue where the browser in the upper left just wouldn’t expand and it keeps giving me warnings about direct x expiring. I was hoping to use it but I don’t know if Fusion on Wine is really ready for prime time. :(
There’s also OnShape if you’re okay with all of your stuff being publicly available. I bounced off of FreeCAD as an Inventor user, but OnShape was pretty painless for me. FreeCAD is the better option because it’s FOSS and not SaaS garbage, but being able to avoid a Windows VM made OnShape seem worth it to me.
Linux has come a long way since I had to fight and cuss at the NDIS wrapper.
I remember the days of installing with an NE2000 card, downloading drivers for 3com and compiling, then swapping cards out. I must have done that a couple hundred times to build ipchains firewalls with old customer-supplied hardware.
What exactly is Snap and why does everyone hate it?
Linux satin
Snap is Ubuntu’s sandboxed app packager. It’s like flatpak but designed more for server software. Since Ubuntu keeps their snap implementation proprietary, they control its use. They also are slowly packaging everything in Ubuntu as a snap instead of deb packages.
In addition some things don’t work without tinkering. Last year I told a buddy to install steam on his linux partition and give it a go. He couldn’t get steam to play any games. It was a snap, had him install the apt version and he was good. I’ve heard others debug similar issues and he likely had to pass in the gpu path like in a docker.
Also it’s super annoying with popups. Firefox updates weekly. That means weekly you get notified to restart firefox to update. Dismiss the notification? Well, it’s back after a new scan for updates in an hour.
Eventually you do close firefox to let it update. And the progress bar sits there, so you have to manually force it to run despite all the assurances it’ll happen automatically.
Honestly it’s decisions like these that are pushing people away from using Ubuntu anymore. It’s becoming more and more like windows.
Top that off with ads in the terminal and I left completely.
Seriously, Ubuntu used to be my goto distro but Canonical’s shenanigans have caused me to look elsewhere. So far I’m liking OpenSUSE tumbleweed.
Good to hear!
I jumped into EndeavourOS (arch, btw), and had a similar experience to you. I’ve had my eye on OpenSUSE, but I’m still enjoying EndeavourOS
That was my experience when I tried popos, everything was just there ready to go no messing around with terminal or anything, I ended up going to arch after trying fedora because like you mentioned popos is on the older side and when darktable updated I just started to notice it was a bit dated and when I went to fedora and had to learn that I figured might as well make the jump to arch. That was fun and I setup hyprland and everything but now I’m trying bazzite and its pretty good so far
+1 for Bazzite. I switched to it last October I think from Windows 11 and have been so pleased. I haven’t needed to go back to Windows at all, all my games have run just fine, which is mostly what I use my computer for anyway. Getting used to rpm-ostree was a little bit of an adjustment for the rare occation I need to manage packages outside of flatpak but I am so happy that I can do everything I need to in this OS.
Same, though with Bluefin (non-gaming based sister version). It took a little adjustment to how I did things, but it’s been about a year, and I love the fact that it just updates in the background and my tinkering on the surface level won’t break anything.
Hyprland was an eye-opening experience for me. At first it was “Oh this is insane I can’t do anything!” but once you get going its incredibly comfortable and makes me feel much more organized. And oh yeah fast
Glad to hear the initial setup has gone well.
