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Comment by hactually | Hacker News Reader

> Finally, since drivers in Linux are generally part of the kernel (there are a few exceptions, including NVIDIA), you cannot upgrade them to the latest version or downgrade them to the version that worked for you on the fly. You have to boot into a different kernel. This is extremely inconvenient and not always possible

I mean, that's just false. Most drivers are done as kernel modules and you can push/pull them in without missing a beat.

if he's talking about graphics cards or similar subsystems - you might need a reboot, much like Windows does.

IMO, this reads like a gamer reviewing Linux because they thought it would be cool without knowing much about to use it as a workstation to get shit done.

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> I mean, that's just false. Most drivers are done as kernel modules and you can push/pull them in without missing a beat.

0.1% of people in the world could that. 0.001% of people in the world would do that.

That's not false, your understanding of a decent OS is just lacking. In Windows you can swap drivers however you want given they support your Windows version.

You assume Windows is a decent OS. Many who know better would not.

I have no assumptions.

Windows is installed on 2 billion PCs, give or take. It works great on them, too. Long gone are the days of malware waves or driver failures that break the system.

Linux is on 40 millions.

And the amount of pain I see daily on Linux-related forums trumps Windows' woes by an insane margin.

I would not call limping along from extreme levels of telemetry, AV and other bloat “works great”. Discussing “driver failures that break the system” is a strawman since bad drivers never really broke the system. They just crashed it such that it needed a reboot. That said, Microsoft lets garbage that has no business being in the kernel into the NT kernel, which resulted in this fiasco that actually broke Windows systems:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_CrowdStrike-related_IT_ou...

Windows systems often suffer from cryptolockers, which could be considered malware waves.

You have a stratification bias by looking at forums where people are asking for help. I have installed Linux for a number of non-computer people to solve Windows problems and it has served them well. They all like it better than Windows. The average person really is fine with a Ubuntu install. The only reason Windows has such usage is that it is installed by default due to history. If a Linux distribution were installed by default, there would not be many Windows users.

> I would not call limping along from extreme levels of telemetry, AV and other bloat “works great”

2 billion users don't notice too much "limping" and "telemetry".

1. This entire post is whataboutism, the article is about Linux

2. NSA/CIA/FBI and pretty much all governments of the world use Windows that is ostensibly riddled with spyware and telemetry

3. In the past 20 years not a single person with WireShark and MITM has proven that Windows leaks any personal data (e.g. files). This can be set up in less than 10 minutes. Go produce a single shred of effing evidence I dare you!!

Parroting BS on the Internet doesn't make your post any more valid.

That's disgusting coming from an "IT specialist". You have issues with basic logic.

  > Parroting BS on the Internet doesn't make your post any more valid.
  > That's disgusting coming from an "IT specialist". You have issues with basic logic.

I assume you are projecting here since I have never once in my life described myself as an “IT specialist”. This fits what you have been doing far better than it fits me.

It leaked a while ago that Microsoft Windows automatically uploads WiFi passwords to their servers, which are sensitive information. This was after the WiFi sense debacle.

As for not noticing limping, of course they would not notice it when they have never seen the machines run faster. Install a Linux distribution on the machine and they will be amazed by the speed. It happens every single time I do it.

I am not sure what you think the your TLA and governments remark achieves. It just seems to be the ravings of someone spreading FUD to me.

Install WireShark and PROVE that Windows is leaking data.

I've challenged you a couple of times already. You keep writing walls of text without proving anything you claim.

You've not proven that you can "easily" run old graphical software in your modern Linux.

You've not proven that Windows is leaking data left and right.

I have proven things multiple times. For example:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42557373

Knowing that Microsoft uploads WiFi passwords to its servers does not even need wireshark. You just need to log into the same Microsoft account on a different machine and observe that your WiFi passwords are synced. Given that the upload is likely encrypted, it would be difficult to observe the passwords being uploaded to Microsoft servers using wireshark. While you would see the packets, you would not know what they contain unless you somehow get the encryption keys out of the system encryption library.

Your prior remarks on running old Linux software did not require that things be easy, which is a matter of opinion, or graphical. It is possible with the right libraries as modern Linux systems (minus Android unless you install a X11 server) can display X11 applications.

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