I Am Now the Product... Enough is Enough
 

I think it's time for me to make the switch to Linux but I can't just leave everything behind as I am, in my day job, a virtualization tech and M$ architect and I work on .NET development side-projects... makes it somewhat trickier to sever all ties with Windows.

The reason I feel I need to move is privacy - I am aware that everyone wants a piece of me and I can handle / avoid them for the most part when on the Internet (Firefox with uBlock Origin & NoScript helps) but I can't, in good conscience, move to Windows 10 as once I install it, it's no longer my computer thanks to the lack of privacy and the constant need to dial home to the mothership and send them metrics about me and what I am up to.

I know there are ways to switch off the phone-home stuff but it seems that every day there is another story about how Windows 10 is sending something else back to M$.

I honestly believe that even if I managed to switch everything off the OS likely wouldn't work right and I would be troubleshooting stuff all the time.

I currently use Windows 8.1 with everything privacy-related disabled (well, everything I can find) but given that there are stories coming out about Windows 10 still dialing home even after disabling all the spyware stuff I am not so confident about Windows 8.1 any more.

Now, I understand that M$ are not spyware manufacturers or "bad actors" in the traditional, evil sense but all their phone-home software and cloud-mining crap amounts to the same thing in my opinion: Despite paying for the software, I am now the product, not the customer!

If I was allowed to pay for the software and it had a big switch that said "turn off all this data mining crap" then I wouldn't be here :-)

Anyway, enough is enough! Time to move on.

My hardware is a Dell Precision T5500 with 2 x Xeon 5520's and 58GB RAM. It also has a Radeon 7970 (I think! It's definitely an older AMD) graphics card to power the multiple monitors. The monitors are 2 x 1600x1200 Dell's (2010FP I think) and 1 x 2560x1440 Dell (U2515H). I also have 1 x 256GB SSD and 1 x 1.5GB HDD. I also have another 128GB SSD that I may use as my guinea pig to test distros before installing on the 256GB SSD.

My usage is approx 70% in Visual Studio 2013, 20% virtualization training and 10% messing about: I will likely P2V my current Windows 8.1 setup so I can run it as a VM when I make the switch - It will allow me to keep developing, which is very important at the moment... maybe in the future I will change languages to something more cross-platform but for now it's .NET. I don't play games much!

So, I need to know a few things about Linux before making the switch and would appreciate your feedback.

Note: I use "Linux" to mean any distro and any desktop environment at this point: I have dabbled in the past and I am leaning towards Mint Cinammon 17.2.

Edit: At the time of writing this I have ran Mint Cinammon 17.2 as a Live CD but only for 10 mins or so due to time constraints, but hopefully I will get to play with it longer tonight after work - It seems to be fine from what I have seen.

Onto the questions:

1. Any potential issues with the hardware I listed above?

2. I need to run a nested VMware lab using VMWare workstation 11. I know Workstation runs on Linux but does anyone know of any issues nesting ESX?

3. Torrent clients? Any recommendations? I use uTorrent at the moment and it works fine, even with the offer of free sex from all those bored Russian wives in my area :-)... who knew there were so many?!?!

4. I use Private Internet Access VPN client on my Android phone and my Windows machine. Anyone got experience with it on Mint? I know it supports some distros but I have no experience with it on Linux and reckon it will require a bit of hands-on.

5. Has anyone used SpiderOak backup on Mint? Any issues?

6. I use Keepass for all my passwords. I see there is a version for Linux but it doesn't seem like it will just run. Anyone got experience with this? I don't want a cloud password storage tool... that is asking for all kinds of trouble imho!

In all honesty, I see the OS as a tool to deliver my applications and I like it to be out of the way so from what I have seen Mint looks like it fits the bill but I want to get some feedback / clarification from others that have used it more. I am open to suggestions about other distros too.

I never thought I would be making this jump but times are a-changin' and I am sick of being someones data mining experiment: Yes, i understand the irony of that statement given that I have an Nexus 5 with stock Android but until I can afford a Blackphone then I am stuck with it.

Thanks in advance guys


Intrepid Explorer

3. i wouldn't recommend utorrent on linux. any linux-native will do, really: transmission, Qbittorrent...

6. i use keepassx and am happy with it. no installation problems at all. it os compatibel with an older version of keepass; it should be possible to export your keepass databases to that older (1.x?) format.

Your hardware: definitely run more of the LiveCD that you already are using. See how it goes when you start mounting the SSD. Older AMD graphics can only be a plus as Linux isn't handling latest-n-greatest as well as your Win. Drivers for latest-n-greatest were written for MS and not for Linux. If you are seeing your config supported while in LiveCD mode, get yourself familiar with LVM and opt for dual booting. PLan your installation very carefully and always have a way out if things go awry while installing Linux as your second boot or immidiatelly post-install.
Nested ESX's... gulp...
Visual Studio: there's Linux alternative to .NET called Mono, I am really not sure if it would fit your needs but if you are THAT involved with Visual Studio, I wouldn't think of jumping ship on Windows yet. Dual- boot seems to be wiser.
Virtualizing your current Windows install: I am afraid you'll need to purchase Windows again as the Windows installation in virtual will pick up on change of processors and that will prompt it to ask you to install Windows again. Same thing when you move your already virtualized installation to hardware: change of processors will trigger a response.
VMWare stuff for Linux: thread very carefully here. Most of documentation on virtualization in Linux is focused on open- source technologies like KVM, Xen, Virtual Box... I am really not sure how VMWare would fit on Linux for anything beyond basics.
I understand your Windows 10 concerns and agree with you 100. I am foregoing Windows 10 completely and will run my Win 7 install as long as I possibly can.

Just run the Windows version with mono. "mono keepass.exe"

I see that's it's officially supported too:

http://keepass.info/help/v2/setup.html#mono

There is a Linux version of KeePass available, that installs mono. Works ok. KeePassX is leaner, but it can't use the newer 2.x databases, only the 1.x. That may or may not be an issue.

I'd run a live usb with persistence 1st. Then answer my own questions using the pen drive.

Then move on if I like it.

http://www.linuxliveusb.com/help/guide/step3

That worked for me while I searched for my Dell XT2 SSD drive since no hard drive was in it when I bought it.

To find Linux replacement for Windows programs, look here:
http://linuxappfinder.com/alternativ...ch_text=visual

If you really need to, a lot of Windows software can be run with the aid of Wine. Visual Studio is not an example, though!
https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManag...cation&iId=892

Welcome aboard.

IntrepidExplorer,

I appreciate that this is a late reply to your query about KeePass.

KeePass2 for Linux is based on your own PC(s) and runs extremely well in my experience.

I recommend increasing the security by having a shortish (8 to 10 character), quick-to-type, memorable master password AND a key-file on a USB stick for two-factor authentication.

The encrypted database and the key-file should be backed up on an external drive or similar.

For Mint, Ubuntu, Debian etc using the latest version 2.30 of KeePass2:

KeePass review:

https://www.bestvpn.com/blog/27121/k...sword-manager/

Joe Golton's blog contains some sage advice on password managers and passwords in general:

http://www.filterjoe.com/2010/05/14/...e-average-joe/

I have tried this (many times, now) and I keep getting the following error message:
Any help on that error?

No, you can't replace Windows 10 with Linux. Linux falls flat on the nose the moment you get too comfortable with it. It is immature as far as end user is concerned.

Sorry that your own experience has resulted in your opinion being formed that way. But it is only your opinion, oft expresssed, and not really relevant to this thread.

My own experience and opinion is totally opposite - GNU/Linux long go replaced all traces of useless M$ garbage-ware/spy-ware/mal-ware, with abolutely superior software products, performance and features as a side benefit!

I guess it just depends on the individual user's actions and expectations. One size never fits all.

The OP has never returned, perhaps it is best to let this thread drift away to the LQ archives...

Is this a response to my error message? Because it seems very non-sequitur.

I am not a 'buntu user, but would guess that you need to look in a different repository, however that is done on your OS.

Perhaps someone with a more useful answer will reply quickly. But if not, it would be to your advantage to open a new thread with your exact problem and question to get better exposure.

Good luck!

Thanks.