Why does Linux need to be more popular? This isn’t some NRM with a proselytizing mandate. Use whichever OS you prefer and let others do the same.

This is an extremely sheltered view. Most people don’t even know what an operating system is, and they assume that it is an unalterable component of the computer they purchased at Best Buy. They don’t have a last straw because as far as they’re concerned there isn’t anything they can do about it other than perhaps switching to a Mac.

Yeah, Microsoft is always trying to monetize things that shouldn’t be monetized. Linux won’t necessarily be easier, but it definitely won’t force you to watch ads in your application menu.

Thanks!

No problems that a person with “minimal computer expertise” has are likely to require editing the registry, and if they struggle with the Settings app in Windows, they will be completely befuddled by the vast array of configuration files they will have to search through for making changes on Linux.

I have minimal computer expertise.

This is the source of your problem. Unless you learn more about computers and how to use them, you’re guaranteed to have more problems on Linux than you’ve had on Windows.

The majority of the Windows gripes this community complains about are unlikely to ever be encountered by people with minimal expertise. Windows is fantastic as a layperson’s operating system (and many Linux distros are, as well), so your problems are probably user-caused.

This might be cliche, but the For Dummy’s books by Wiley were how I started learning about both Windows and Linux when I was a teenager. In fact, they were how I learned that Linux existed and sparked a curiosity in IT that is culminating in my graduation with an IT degree in July.

Yeah, OP definitely played hard mode lol

Anyone who tells you that gaming on Linux isn’t somewhat experimental is lying. I think it’s getting there, though.

This kind of “checking that I’m still orthodox” post makes my skin crawl. Who is “we”?

For some reason, referring to a computer or VM that runs Linux as a “Linux box” triggers me.

Your work hasn’t upgraded to Windows 11 yet, I see.

First of all, congrats on being able to sell a used UV-5R. They’re worth literally nothing used, so you must have some mad salesmanship skills.

But since you had to sell your 'Feng to make ends meet, you might want to just sit back a bit before getting back into the hobby. It can be done very inexpensively, but that’s relative, and someone who is hurting enough for an extra $5-10 to sell their Baofeng definitely can’t afford what it would take to get more active in amateur radio.

I know this probably isn’t what you were hoping to hear, but other than showing up to club meetings there isn’t much you can do that won’t cost more than the $20 to buy another UV-5R. Even homebrew projects like building antennas for your SDR will cost at least that much.

Plenty of people like NAT.

ZeroTier is pretty easy to set up, but at the point where you’re worrying about “barriers to sharing” you should probably using a cloud service anyway.

We should definitely be switching to the specification in RFC 6214. IPoACv6 is the latest standard.

IPv6 is great, but NAT is quite functional and is prolonging the demise of IPv4.

On the other hand, borrowing from aviation, I am keen to “use all available resources”, recognizing that so long as we have the tech and tools, we should use them, even if that may fly in the face of radio purity.

Hmm. I think this is generally fine, but if you were working a contest (like Field Day, for example), it would probably be cheating. I don’t think there’s any problem with taking the Eagle Scout route, though. Holding yourself to a higher standard of honor brings its own rewards.

Puppy Linux was my first ever Linux distro. Great memories.

You don’t?

Can confirm that Windows Server is taught in school IT programs, and can confirm that Windows Server is still being used for both Active Directory and on-premises virtualization (Hyper-V). I interned at a large international organization with networks on 6 continents and it was moving its server infrastructure back to its own datacenters because of rising costs of cloud hosting. It used Hyper-V on Windows Server to host every thing.