From Newsgroup: alt.comp.freeware

John C. wrote:

Mike Easter wrote:

John C. wrote:

To that end, I intend to set up one of my computers with one of the
distros. Then I need to begin the process of either finding a way to
make Windows compatible software run with Wine on that OS or else
find alternatives that will run natively.

Name the windows software that you spend the most time; say 4 or 5.

Mike, I have well over 600 carefully organized shortcuts in my Start
Menu. Responding to your request would be akin to a huge college
homework assignment because it would take a lot of work to narrow it down.

I wasn't asking for a mathematical analysis; I was thinking of just your answering 'instinctively'.

I spend more time in Tb w/ usenet (occsly some other news agent such as Claws), my browser (Firefox or Chrome, sometimes Chromium), some console
or another (gnome terminal most recently), some text editor or another, LibreOffice Writer, a very small amount of time in IrfanView and a
similar time in PDFXChange Viewer, in Win, not WINE.

The reason for mentioning those is not based on how much time I spend in
them, but to indicate that unlike some linux buffs who either totally
eschew Windows emotionally or logistically, I don't do that.

If I find that I want to use a tool that works in Android, then I do
that; likewise Win. But my preferred everyday almost all of the time
system is linux, currently LM. Scores of others as live.

I have no idea where your interest in exploring linux will go; 30 years
ago when I was W95 I got interested in exploring linux.
--
Mike Easter
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.freeware

John C. wrote:

Mike Easter wrote:

John C. wrote:

To that end, I intend to set up one of my computers with one of the
distros. Then I need to begin the process of either finding a way to
make Windows compatible software run with Wine on that OS or else
find alternatives that will run natively.

Name the windows software that you spend the most time; say 4 or 5.

Mike, I have well over 600 carefully organized shortcuts in my Start
Menu. Responding to your request would be akin to a huge college
homework assignment because it would take a lot of work to narrow it down.

And by the way, just so you'll know, I fully detest Gimp.

Now that I think on this a little more...

I would say you need to be able to continue running those hundreds of
Win apps, because you enjoy it.

That means you aren't 'getting rid of' Win. IMO if you want to acquaint yourself w/ linux, you 'need' to be able to run linux as easily as you
run Win.

For me, that was best done w/ the KVM. Dual booting didn't appeal to me because it wasn't as instantaneous as KVM.
--
Mike Easter
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.freeware

On 10/11/2025 9:21 pm, John C. wrote:

Yes, I just checked it out and s|b is right. The group is flooded with
OT chatter.

While all other what seem to be generic Linux newsgroups (e.g.
alt.comp.linux, alt.linux, alt.os.linux, comp.os.linux.misc) are empty... :)
--
@~@ Simplicity is Beauty! Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch!
/ v \ May the Force and farces be with you! Live long and prosper!!
/( _ )\ https://sites.google.com/site/changmw/
^ ^ https://github.com/changmw/changmw
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.freeware

Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

John C. wrote:

Yes, I just checked it out and s|b is right. The group is flooded with
OT chatter.

While all other what seem to be generic Linux newsgroups (e.g. alt.comp.linux, alt.linux, alt.os.linux, comp.os.linux.misc) are
empty... :)

Yeah, I noticed that too.
--
John C. No ad, CD, cripple, demo, nag, pay, pirated, share, spy,
time-limited, trial or web wares for me please. I filter crossposts,
various trolls & dizum.com. This makes ACF easier to read. Take back
tech corporations from India & industry back from China.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.freeware

On 11/11/2025 6:16 pm, John C. wrote:

Yeah, I noticed that too.

It's sad that real experts don't usually use social media to openly help others out. Maybe it's about rest time .... :)
--
@~@ Simplicity is Beauty! Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch!
/ v \ May the Force and farces be with you! Live long and prosper!!
/( _ )\ https://sites.google.com/site/changmw/
^ ^ https://github.com/changmw/changmw
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.freeware

John C. wrote:

Chang wrote:

John C. wrote:

Yes, I just checked it out and s|b is right. The group is
flooded with OT chatter.

While all other what seem to be generic Linux newsgroups (e.g.
alt.comp.linux, alt.linux, alt.os.linux, comp.os.linux.misc) are
empty... :)

Yeah, I noticed that too.

The 'target' here is a useful linux group for a novice at linux who is
also an experienced Windows 'computer' user, so he brings general skills
to his new interest.

Trying to pick a group on the basis of the 'name of the group' isn't the
best strategy; it would be better to pick a group based on the
experiences of someone who has been seeking and giving linux help on
usenet for decades.

Personally I prefer to give and get help on usenet over using webforums.

Clearly you have to start *somewhere*, and there are literally hundreds
of different linux distro/s. That condition should NOT be 'mind-blowing'.

A very very skilled linux distro reviewer reviews linux distro/s weekly
in a popular online site pub DistroWatch. He recently made comments in
another section of that pub to new users:

Questions and Answers (by Jesse Smith)

Roll-out-the-welcome-mat asks: With all the new Linux users coming
over with the End of 10, any advice for the Linux newbies?

https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20251027#qa

The advice he provided was excellent.
--
Mike Easter
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.freeware

On 25/11/11 11:30 AM, Mike Easter wrote:

John C. wrote:

Chang wrote:

John C. wrote:

Yes, I just checked it out and s|b is right. The group is
flooded with OT chatter.

While all other what seem to be generic Linux newsgroups (e.g.
alt.comp.linux, alt.linux, alt.os.linux, comp.os.linux.misc) are
empty... :)

Yeah, I noticed that too.

The 'target' here is a useful linux group for a novice at linux who is
also an experienced Windows 'computer' user, so he brings general skills
to his new interest.

Trying to pick a group on the basis of the 'name of the group' isn't the
best strategy; it would be better to pick a group based on the
experiences of someone who has been seeking and giving linux help on
usenet for decades.

Personally I prefer to give and get help on usenet over using webforums.

Clearly you have to start *somewhere*, and there are literally hundreds
of different linux distro/s. That condition should NOT be 'mind-blowing'.

A very very skilled linux distro reviewer reviews linux distro/s weekly
in a popular online site pub DistroWatch. He recently made comments in another section of that pub to new users:

Questions and Answers (by Jesse Smith)

Roll-out-the-welcome-mat asks: With all the new Linux users coming
over with the End of 10, any advice for the Linux newbies?

https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20251027#qa

The advice he provided was excellent.

Mike, I'm not totally a novice at Linux. It's been a while, but in the
past I have run OpenSUSE, Mint and some other distro that started with
an "M", maybe Manjaro.) I grew comfortable with each of them but
eventually it was the lack of application choice that made me give up
each time.
--
John C. No ad, CD, cripple, demo, nag, pay, pirated, share, spy,
time-limited, trial or web wares for me please. I filter crossposts,
various trolls & dizum.com. This makes ACF easier to read. Take back
tech corporations from India & industry back from China.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.freeware

John C. wrote:

Mike, I'm not totally a novice at Linux. It's been a while, but in the
past I have run OpenSUSE, Mint and some other distro that started with
an "M", maybe Manjaro.) I grew comfortable with each of them but
eventually it was the lack of application choice that made me give up
each time.

Well, you haven't yet made it clear (to me) what you are trying to do
(with linux and your activities), so it is hard to give useful
suggestions or advice.

I don't think the subject of this thread is as useful as you might think.

'general discussion about linux'? who wants that?

'most popular newsgroup'? IMO that would likely be aolm I mentioned
earlier, but a very great many 'discussions' about linux related things
take place in webforums instead of ng/s because of the waning popularity
of usenet in recent years.

It seems to me you need to discuss how to go about whatever it is you
want to do w/ linux, not the subject of this thread.
--
Mike Easter
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: alt.comp.freeware

Mike Easter wrote:

It seems to me you need to discuss how to go about whatever it is
you want to do w/ linux, not the subject of this thread.

And another thing; which was brought up in the useful article I ref'd by
Jesse Smith.

*This* group about freeware for Win, in a sense is about a 'field' just
the opposite of what you would do w/ linux.

This field is all about the gazillions of freeware dev/d for Windows.

While linux has /worlds/ of 'freeware' available from its repo/s, it is
not 'common practice' for linux users to just go stomping around out
there in the wild to find some freelance s/w dev's product of freeware.

As JS said in the article:

Windows and macOS users are accustomed to browsing the web, looking
for applications, clicking a download link, and running an
installer. With Linux we skip all of that. We can open the software
centre (or "app store") and find just about anything we need.

It is 'unusual' that I step outside my distro's repositories, and when I
do it is in a specific direction, not 'the wild'.

Whatever it is that you do related to 'freeware' as described /here/ you
will need to keep doing w/ Win, not linux.
--
Mike Easter
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2