Definitely you should look into Linux, it’s really gotten quite good. Especially if you don’t need games with anti cheat.

But if you just want to use Windows 11, it’s super duper easy. Just Google “download Windows 11 iso” and grab the iso file from Microsoft website.

Then download Rufus.

Then pop in a thumb drive that’s at least 8gb. Open Rufus, select your thumb drive and the iso, then choose the option to remove windows requirements, then click start.

Backup your files on Windows 10, save them somewhere. Then pop in the thumb drive and install windows 11 fresh.

The requirements aren’t actually required. Win 11 runs fine on all sorts of hardware. Support stops at 8th Gen Intel, but I’ve installed it on 5th Gen. My work laptop is 2nd or 3rd Gen. It’s fine 🤷‍♂️

Technically less secure? Yeah, in some ways. But it’s miles ahead of running unpatched windows 10 after September.

Got a new laptop about a month ago. Put Fedora Bluefin on it immediately. Couple other computers/server have been running Debian flavors for year or two.

My main desktop is still Windows, but I literally never use it, especially since getting the laptop. I’ll switch it over when I get time.

I’m still tied to windows for three apps. I’ve found a Linux replacement for one, I just haven’t done the work to convert the database.

Another one I’m trying to run it’s Android version in a waydroid docker, but I’m hitting walls, no time to dig deeper.

And the last one has no replacement, and it’s too delicate to try emulating, I don’t want to nuke the shared database it’s attached to, it’s not worth the headache. So I keep a Windows VM around for the once a month I need to use that program for 🤷‍♂️

I’m purposely being vague about the programs, they are very identifying, but trust me there’s no alternatives.

Even with all that, I’m not looking back, win11 sucks.

Does rysnc merge files and folders? I think that’s the key I’m missing

I’m worried about bit rot because I think it happened to me. Maybe it was some other corruption. But I have a video backed up on Dropbox, it’s been they’re for over a decade, and somewhere along the line it has developed glitches and artifacts. It’s still playable, but I’m annoyed, and worried about other media that I haven’t manually checked.

Thanks for this! I’m starting to consider repurposing an old PC with room for drives. The power draw isn’t that much more.

Thanks for this! This is a really rundown.

One question on the media though. While things like games and media can be redownloaded, that’s a significant effort. And also, how do I know what I’ve lost once it’s gone? Do I backup a directory of what I had somehow? I have a terrible memory, and will forget things ever existed.

Thanks! I do have some stuff backed up to Dropbox, but I’m hoping to cancel that before it renews as I don’t use it anymore

Thanks for the recommendations, especially used drives. I was looking at water panther drives because of their warranty. Do you have a preferred source?

That’s a fair point about off-site backups. Though as this point, any backups at all would be much better than what I’ve got. Baby steps 🤷‍♂️

Plug them in and move them there? Sorry I’m confused. Cold backups have to be disconnected and unpowered, right? I could keep them bare, and plug them into a dock sequentially, but what does that look like on the software side?

And yeah, my needs are very light. A used optiplex would be plenty. Right now I’m using an m920q with an 8th Gen i5. While it doesn’t have drive bays, it idles at like 10 watts, full tilt is 25. Plus it’s small and silent, I’m in an apartment.

I’m not opposed to upgrading in the future, I guess I just want to get a handle on some basics with what I have, before I decide what I want.

I mean I’ve got a spare computer sitting around with a 2600x in it, that could be a server pretty easy, maybe I’ll look into that 🤔

At any rate, what do you think about the software side of things? Specifically the basic procedure for updating cold backups?

I’m coming back to Linux after a hiatus. I’ve spent most of my time with the Debian flavors. Not afraid of the command line, but not an expert either.

I’m trying out Bluefin right now, semi-immutable atomic os based on silverblue, based on Fedora.

On normal installs, I usually change and install enough stuff, that when it comes time to upgrade to the next os version, I’m sometimes not able to without introducing instability or it outright falling. The former more common than the latter.

Let’s just say I got used to reinstalling and starting from scratch, especially if I experimented too hard and broke something big like my DE or drivers.

So with bluefin I’m hoping to leave everything that’s core, alone. I’m trying to rely on flatpaks, app images, and distrobox for everything else.

So far so successful. I’ve only got a couple minor gripes, some limitations of flatpaks. But I’ve also only been at it for like a week, so we’ll see.

I guess my point is, flatpaks have a place 🤷‍♂️

Just the other day, I was trying to run a CLI program, one I won’t name.

I’m trying out a new immutable distro, and couldn’t install it, so I said hey these new flatpaks are supposed to be all a guy could ever need.

So I downloaded an app that uses this unnamed CLI program as its core. It was a GUI app. And while it worked just fine, I also had very little control over what exactly was gonna happen and how it would happen. I wanted to do some specific things I knew the core program could do, but there was no way to do it.

Eventually I dug deeper and realized I’m an idiot and the CLI program can run without installing it or any dependencies, so it was fine to use natively. I was able to accomplish my task quickly and efficiently after that, happy as a clam.

CLI and GUI both have their place. I prefer GUI most the time, honestly. But having some CLI chops can be extremely useful at times.

PDF has its place. I’m sure there’s something better that could replace it, but PDF is ubiquitous.

I hate getting sent docx files or whatever that stupid iPad notes format is. I open it and the formatting is all screwed up. Or I can’t open it at all.

When I send files, it’s a PDF, so I know they are seeing exactly what I am seeing. Exactly as it was meant to be seen.

Just wait until the AI assistant gets added 🤢

Classic