I'm still waiting for the Year of Linux

 Back around 2005, I got my parents x86 machine because my adoptive dad was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and wasn't really coherent enough to handle a computer.

I'd been experimenting with BeOS on my PowerPC 604e-based Mac Clone from Power Computing.  The Power Center 120 was fairly powerful but at some point, I bought the upgrade processor card, which was quite an enhancement.  Still Mac OS 8.5 was slow.  BeOS certainly showed me how good it could be.  However, BeOS was lacking almost everything except an internet connection.  Mac OS X was coming along but wasn't quite finished.

When I got the x86 machine, it was running some version of Windows that wasn't very reliable.  Having run Windows NT at work and finding it only somewhat more reliable, I decided to replace Windows at home with Ubuntu Linux or FreeBSD.

After trying multiple times to install FreeBSD and having 90% success and not being able to fix it, I installed the Ubuntu distribution of Linux.  It was a more user-oriented version atop the Debian distribution.

It was sufficient.

About the time I became familiar with GNOME, they introduced Unity, which was their own User Interface.  It was better, and worse.

However, people kept shouting "This is the Year of Linux!" and I kept wondering how they were going to get grandma and grandpa onto machines running Linux, if I was taking time finding out how to use it.

A lot of time has passed and a lot of releases have been released and macOS is past X and both Macs and Windows machines are running 64-bit operating systems.

There is also a handheld Linux-based machine called Steam Deck.  You can regularly find machines running Linux and buy them easily, if you know where to look.  If you want to count them, anything running ChromeOS is a Linux-based machine.

 

I spent some time with KDE on Steam Deck after adding a keyboard and mouse.  It's quite comfortable, although I didn't do much.  Things are better, if you get the best desktop environment for you.

I always thought that a simple machine for e-mail and web browsing would help grandparents deal with family.  Why isn't there a self-contained family machine or perhaps, recycled machines re-purposed for that?  The only reason I need Windows or macOS is so that I can run specific software.

Certainly, Linux is better for everything than it used to be.  Valve's work on Proton and funding of related software has assured that gaming on Linux is the best it has ever been.  SteamOS in handheld mode and desktop mode is quite good at running games.

I've been looking at converting my mid-2012 MacBook Pro with GeForce 650M to a Linux distribution, but I can't decide which.  I considered Kubuntu and Arch.  Kubuntu will probably be easier to install, but will it accept the Nvidia driver for my 650M?  Arch is used for SteamOS but will it be easy to install for Mac?  SteamOS itself has too many requirements for newer equipment that it won't work.

I'm currently looking at an article on Gaming on Linux that Linux is in second place on Steam, above macOS.

It shouldn't be much of a surprise that macOS users on Steam are playing less.  Those paying for Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), found that their game had been removed and all the money they spent was just gone.  There was a download to Counter Strike 2, without an executable.  All of the Valve games that introduced Steam to Mac users were 32-bit, so no more Half-Life 2, Portal, or Portal 2.  Yes, Mac users are not playing on Steam as much.  Linux is doing better.

I really hope that there will be more than Steam Deck pushing Linux distributions forward.

Update 2024.02.27: I've been in Steam Deck desktop mode today.  As a successful operating system, the Discover application presented me with software updates to be installed.  I didn't have to fight with anything.  I clicked "Update All" and everything was fine.

I also wanted to download the Heroic Games Launcher for Linux.  That was a bit more tricky.  I downloaded the wrong version at first and it asked how to open it.  My first thought was to find "tar" and use that, but it didn't seem to be that kind of archive.  Then, I was reading the page and noticed "and Steam Deck", and that one ended up showing up in Discover, and the installation was easy from there.

There is a new Linux-based gaming device like Steam Deck, the Orange Pi Neo that runs Manjaro Linux Gaming Edition with an AMD 7840U.  That's more powerful than Steam Deck and hopefully, better organized than the ASUS ROG Ally or Lenovo Legion Go devices running Windows.  Ayaneo started to do something similar and then, installed Windows instead.

Update 2024.10.05: Arch Linux is going to be collaborating with Valve.  This is an important step, not just for Steam Deck but for Arch Linux users in general.  With so many distributions and a few attempting to be "the game distribution", this may show everyone the way.

We need easy-to-use alternatives.  I can live without Windows, except for gaming maybe, but I can't give up my Mac just yet.

I'm glad to see that AMD has posted a new timeline for Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Legion Go APUs.  Hopefully, a graphically stronger Steam Deck will be available in 2025.

Update 2025.01.02: SteamOS seems to be the most used distribution of Linux.  That's not really a surprise, since many of us are playing games on a Steam Deck.  I'd love to see the majority of Windows users on a Linux distribution, since they don't really need the compatibility with certain software the way a business user or creative person does.

I haven't heard anything new about the Manjaro Linux Gaming Edition .  Bazzite Linux has some usage, and Valve is about to push SteamOS for Lenovo Legion Go or any other portable that would be a good fit.

Someone out there, impress us.  Show me a distribution of Linux that's so good that I wouldn't want to return to Mac or Windows.

Update 2025.06.13: I saw some PC World video today at a Micro Center.  They seemed to be making a joke about The Year of Linux.  He said "5 or 10 years" but I've been hearing about it so much longer.

SteamOS is up to version 3.7.8 on Steam Deck, but version 3.8 for the Lenovo Legion Go S or aother devices.

I saw something about Manjaro Linux on the Neo Orange Pi.  It should be available toward the end of the year, but I suspect that they're guessing.

I would really like to run Linux instead of Windows 11, but I'm not sure it would be a success for me. 

Update 2025.06.26: I saw a negative rumor.  Fedora, which used to be Red Hat Linux may stop containing 32-bit support.  Bazzite is based on Fedora, which is for games, won't be able to run many games without 32-bit support.

 I've been hoping that developers would embrace 64-bit-ness but there seem to be levels-upon-levels that have to work together.  Those games that don't depend on outside libraries too much seem okay, but many games require those libraries for various functionality. 

Update 2025.12.19: With the Valve announcement for a new VR headset, living room console, and more, they've given SteamOS much more of a platform.  Then, there are the Lenovo Legion Go handheld consoles.  If SteamOS worked with Nvidia GPUs, I'd try to install it on this laptop computer. 

Refurbished MacBook Air M1 is Good

 It's been about two years since the original M1 SoC was introduced to make Apple independent of outside CPU makers.  It's been a success and it's certainly upset Intel.

Having had Apple equipment since 1993, I've gone through the Motorola 680x0 to PowerPC transition, the PowerPC to Intel x86 transition, and now, the Intel to Apple Silicon (ARM) transition.

This is the most difficult transition because developers weren't sure what to do.  After almost two years, there isn't as much native software as I had hoped.  Being that Apple cut off 32-bit software with Catalina, I'm not sure why developers aren't more ready.

Game developers aren't really testing the waters.  The biggest current game I've seen is Life is Strange 2, which was ported by Feral Interactive, and published by Square Enix.  It seems to run well enough to believe that it is M1-compatible, not running through Rosetta 2 emulation.  However, Steam, GOG Galaxy, and Epic Games Launcher all appear to be x86 applications.

Creative software is quite different.  Capture One Pro by Phase One is native and so are Affinity Publisher, Designer, and Photo applications.  HitFilm Express from FXHome seems to not have a problem, though I haven't really tested it.

It looks as though Microsoft Visual Studio is compatible, if not 100% native. 

Bottom to Top, Top to Bottom

I've almost always had top of the line machines, but here I am with a MacBook Air.  Why?

It's powerful at a reasonable price.

Remember when US$1499 bought you a 15.4 MacBook Pro with integrated graphics and a dual-core CPU?  It wasn't that long ago.

I bought a MacBook Air 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16 GB of RAM, and 1 TB of storage for US$1399, refurbished.

My previous MacBook Pro had a 3rd generation quad-core i7 with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.  My Omen by HP had a 7th generation quad-core i7 with 32 GB of RAM and 2 TB of storage and it didn't seem much faster.

While I'm writing this entry, iStatMenus is telling me that the core temperature is 30 degrees C, which is in contrast to 44 degrees C on the Windows machine or 64 degrees C on the old MacBook Pro.  That old MacBook Pro could boil water.  When processing video, it would be at 100 degrees C.

Of course, there are many updates since 2012 besides the CPU and GPU.

The sound is amazing.  The display is so much better than the old 1440x900.  The keyboard is okay.  I liked the PowerBook G4 keyboard and none since have impressed me.

Change is Necessary

I bought a couple of cable adapters and an OmniCase Mini USB-C Storage Docking Station from JSAUX.  The company's products have been as reliable for me as products from Anker have been.

The OmniCase Mini is a unique product.  It has one USB type-C port, two type-A ports, an HDMI port, and slots for microSD and SD cards.  US$34.99 wasn't a lot.  It also comes with a type-C cable, and a few adapters, and a SIM card tool.  Obviously, if you're looking for a full-blown docking station, there are plenty from US$100 to US$500.  If you want an extra type-C port for power pass-through, you'll have to pay more than the US$34.99.

Equally useful and tiny is a Crucial X8 2 TB SSD that I recently bought.  It has a type-C connector, but also has a type-A adapter.

It may help to remember that the original MacBook Air came with one port--for charging, for connecting, for everything that needed a physical port.  The Dongle circus had arrived in town.

With two type-C ports, it's twice as convenient.

 Apple Succeeded

I'm slowly getting everything together, although it's only been about a week.  It took a while with previous machines.  I'm sure I'll be satisfied with this purchase.

Update 2022.05.22: This machine continues to impress.  The operating system is not where it needs to be and neither is vendor support for native applications.

Daily use without the power cable is amazing.  That 3rd generation quad-core i7 with GeForce 650M was constantly sucking power.  It was also a very good heater.

I haven't needed the USB-C hub as much as I expected.  I transferred most of what I needed the first two weeks.

I've tried a few more games, mostly through Itch.io and GOG.  They work well.  Steam itself is full of glitches, but that was also a problem for the i7 running Catalina.  64-bitness is not something Valve wants to do well.

Update 2022.06.06: The M2 MacBook Air was announced today.  It's more powerful and more expensive.  It can be configured with 24 GB of RAM and 2 TB of storage.  That would be a plus.  In the past, some would complain that the machine they just bought last year was outdated and practically cry that it didn't work correctly any longer.  I don't do that.  This machine is a 2020 model and it's just fine.

I've had the machine over a month now and it took a while to get things in order but it is a wonderful computer that does most everything I want.  I want some good games for it but that will take some time.  Life is Strange 2 is the biggest title I have right now.

Update 2022.07.09: I'm impressed that they've got a newer processor out and it's better but it's a small improvement over the M1.  I priced what I have with the latest configuration and it was about US$600 extra over what I paid for a refurbished M1.  It's nice to have the latest and greatest, but this will last a while.

Update 2023.06.30: I was checking the prices on computers such as mine because of some pricing on the 15 inch version and I found the exact, same machine as mine for the exact, same price as when I bought it.

It's been a bit over a year that I've had my machine and the stage where I'm impressed regularly is finished.  It's very quick, for sure, but now, it's being filled and used regularly and I've got an interesting Windows 11 machine, also.

Windows still is a pain, here and there, but it gets the job done.  macOS Monterey seems better, but not exactly bug-free.  I'm not comfortable with upgrading to Ventura, but I will probably go to Sonoma, instead.

Update 2026.03.03: Is it time to switch to the just-released M5 MacBook Air?

 I've been looking at the numbers and 24 GB of RAM and 2 TB of storage would put it at US$1899, which isn't horrible, especially with the 10 CPU/10 GPU cores configuration.  My current machine has 8 CPU cores and 8 GPU cores with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage and that was US$1349.

The M1 MacBook Air is fine for everyday work but has become unable to keep up with graphics software and games. 

WWDC Monday: turning 2012 obsolete

We all know it's coming as soon as we buy something: it's turning obsolete as soon as it has been released.

A car depreciates the moment you sign the paperwork and drive off the lot.  An electronic gadget starts toward obsolescence the moment it arrives in the real world and can be bought.  Even humans and other living things start to decay after they're born--we live to die.

So, it's no mystery that once new laptop computers are revealed by Apple at WWDC on Monday, mine will be the previous generation.  Oh, no!

As I had said when Apple released the first MacBook Air, the company would develop all of their laptop computers in a similar form for the long term.  They've accomplished some of that but they're still holding on to an earlier type.  I suspect it won't be until 2014 when they cut all ties to past laptop computer designs that are still current at this moment.

More than that, they desperately need to replace the Mac Pro--the tower-encased work horse created for the most professional pursuits of creativity.  Will they still have Xeon processors?  These processors have kept the price abnormally high, but have kept the performance equally high.  Will they be replaced with simpler, 8 core i7 processors?

I believe they must.  Apple have been working toward more reasonable pricing lately.  No, they aren't going into budget-class territory.  There is no reason to fight for the bottom end.  However, they can bring more power at a lower price.

Intel boasts the Haswell series of Core i processors as being less needy for power.  Certainly, whole systems seem too needy, especially when it comes to graphics hardware.  We've gone from 300 watt power supplies to much more than 650 watt requirements for many middle class graphics cards fit to a system.  As the CPU becomes less thirsty, will the GPU just soak up the rest?

When the various Macs were using G4 processors, they needed very little energy to survive, in contrast to the Pentium 4.  Even the PowerPC G5 wasn't incredibly ravenous.  It would be good to see a laptop computer that supposedly can last 7 hours on battery last more than 12.

I was reading something about nVidia's 600 series GPUs being re-badged with higher numbers for 2013.  Whatever Apple decides to use, I'm sure they'll be somewhat more powerful, but careful to conserve battery life.  The 650M graphics hardware in my machine can drain the battery so much faster than the Intel HD 4000 hardware, but then, there is so much difference in performance.  The HD 4000 uses less juice, but is it nearly as efficient?  I'd think it isn't.  Intel bought a third rate graphics hardware company to "help" the industry and they haven't really made a lot of progress with it.  It's still quite laughable.  How AMD/ATI and nVidia continue to dominate without tripping over the patents of each other is amazing.

So, when Monday afternoon (GMT-4) arrives at 13:00, will I cringe that my computer has suddenly shifted into the past?  No, it's quite powerful and will be after any announcement.  It's all perspective, of course.  If you live for tomorrow, you'll miss today.

I've seen the details now and I suspect that my MacBook Pro is safe--there was no replacement today.  The MacBook Air people should be feeling the strain, as those machines were given the newest Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) Haswell processors.  The battery life on the bigger machine has improved to a rated 12 hours.  It's not as good as I would have expected but it's very good.  Once the new (Mac) OS X arrives in autumn, that should help also.

 Speaking of which, OS X Mavericks is the first Apple operating system to make me smile for a while.  They've actually been working on the functionality, instead of spending most of their time on eye candy.

Virtual Memory has long been a problem for Mac OS X.  Considering that Mac OS X has had its roots in the Mach (micro-)kernel project and BSD UNIX, it's a wonder that Virtual Memory would have ever been a problem.  The various BSD-based operating systems (OpenBSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD) have been really stable.

Apple, in their infinite wisdom, thought that they could fix the world with an enhancement and it's been hell ever since.  I used to be a PowerMac user with the fastest (Ultra) SCSI hard drives and the virtual memory swapping was always at the wrong time.  I suppose for most people using a web browser and e-mail client, it wasn't a problem.  However, I've been at the edge of free memory far too often--even on my newest machine with 16 GB of RAM.

I'm hoping that this new Memory Compression technique will put things right.  It says a lot about processor power when they can do such a thing.  Back when the Motorola 68000 series processors were new, virtual memory was something only big business machines would do.  Motorola came out with an add-on that allowed virtual memory, but when you consider how slow all of the components were, it was much better to limit memory space to available RAM--16 MB or 4 GB.  Of course, the 16 MB limit of the 68000 was rarely used.  It was more likely restricted to 4 MB by an artificial limit.

Replacing the networking hardware was an expected change, as they were a bit behind the times already.  It's not that everyone has been running to stores to find 802.11ac (Gigabit WiFi) equipment, but the major vendors already have it out there.

In any case, Apple are finally pushing toward the future again, having put it on pause earlier.

Update 2013.07.21: Apple are in the middle of a Back-to-School clearance, so there is no new iPhone, iPod touch, Mac Book Pro, etc. until supplies are exhausted.  I suppose it's good for all involved but once a year changes aren't really enough to keep up with other companies.  I thought that Apple were trying to be more flexible.  Hopefully, they'll also have enough displays for a high density iPad mini, but I wouldn't bet on anything, given all the delays.