So I tried Linux and it didn't go too well

[One and a half]

Currently the main file server where all music is stored is managed by WinServer2016 and Roon server sits on a Windows 10 Pro OS with fidelizer 8.3. I've no complaints with the sound quality, it's working quite well.

 I thought to streamline and reduce the processes on the WinServer, because all it does is share and manage files which ServerOS can do, but no need for that overhead, and I'm a stranger in this OS a little and a lot to learn to master, but the point being...? I just want to use the thing.

 

OK, let's try Ubuntu 18.04, it has a GUI and a pointy thingy, lets poke the toes in the water first , see what happens and then decide to convert. It's not just a matter of swapping an OS, the files are on NTFS disks, some 10TB including videos, so can Linux read and write to NTFS, yes, Paragon software has, OK. If everything falls over, I can quickly revert to a Windows SSD and the files remain intact, otherwise it's several days to copy data over onto Linux friendly formatted disks.

 

Downloaded and burned to a DVD a bootable ISO. Tried on a HP Envy laptop, I use everyday to boot from it,  used ubuntu before when windows totally crapped itself and wouldn't start. Could manage to recover vital files with ubuntu in RAM, so OK. The HP Envy has 4k resolution monitor, and the boot prompts are 2pt, by the time it was possible to focus on something that small, the boot process started. Took a little time, waited. Oh! an image of a desktop, wait, what.. it's upside down. For real. Now it's right side up, not for long maybe 3s, then inverted, then right side up again. WTF.

 

Restarted the machine to Windows and searched upside down ubuntu, plenty of hits. Since 2013 its known, at least the problem is not a mystery, so the hardware is still not fixed, hello it's 2018. There's a spell to type in, provided a terminal is to hand and you can type reverse, and upside down. Pi$$ off. This is not a nice welcome. So this could be the (one of countless) reasons Linux is less than 1% on all desktops? Windows has its moments, at least the screen is readable and messing with computers since 1987, this is the first time, I've seen an upside down image on a conclusion to a boot. 

 

Totally l_a_u_g_h_a_b_l_e. A true committee decision. Bye Ubuntu.

 

Let's try a Hackintosh instead. Provided the compatible hardware is to hand in the form of downloadable drivers, there's a great chance for this OS to work on a PC. Better take off the rose coloured glasses for a mo? Some more reading for the next few days.

[One and a half]

3 hours ago, Miska said:

With Linux I know I can modify pretty much any part of the OS in any way I like. With Windows that is not possible...

 

But my biggest pain has been recently Win 10 and it's lovely ways of screwing itself up. One of my factory shipped Win 10 installations (on a Lenovo ThinkPad laptop) corrupted it's registry so badly that it couldn't load keyboard driver or most other drivers either. I managed to rescue some files by attaching touch-screen monitor and using on-screen keyboard. That was quickly replaced with Linux.

 

One Windows 10 installation on a NUC cannot shutdown. It is first telling it will shutdown, but then just returns to login prompt without actually shutting down. Well, one thing it cannot resist is pulling the power plug, so now shutdown is done what way.

 

Another Windows 10 installation cannot install latest feature update, it just gives magical hexadecimal error code and tells that some files are missing. Otherwise it functions fine. Called Microsoft support and they attempted to install the update for half a day with all kinds of tools over remote connection without succeeding. Windows extended self checks didn't find anything wrong. Then they told they'll escalate it to some higher level support staff, but I never heard back form them.

 

 

Not even getting started with software development. Today I spent entire day fighting with bugs and idiosyncrasies of CoreAudio (macOS). Not to even mention some other extra fun that Xcode 10 brings.

 

Wouldn't a Linux install with scripts piled on a blank disk work? To make it easy for end users? In the current Ubuntu's case, well no. Several years ago, installed Ubuntu Studio on an ancient Asus laptop and it worked fine, until ALSA became unglued working with USB DACs, played for a few seconds then locked up. End of that. Just don't have the knowledge of years of tinkering and modifying code, not that interests me in the slightest, although can appreciate what it can do.

[One and a half]

 

24 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

 

No Debian in that list? ?

 

I actually installed Linux for the very first time a few weeks ago and used this guide. There were a couple of minor deviations from this guide.

 

I'm not experienced enough to say if it's a good guide but it got me 70% of the way for a headless Roon Server and HQP Embedded machine.

 

https://www.howtoforge.com/tutorial/debian-minimal-server/

 

Do you think the 20% could have been ironed out with more care with the install/drivers/updates/balls ups? I would guess the last 10% is left over for installing and configuring the application itself.

[One and a half]

3 hours ago, Em2016 said:

I give up after 1 day. I tried to setup Win 10 has a server + daily PC driver, all to use the ASIO driver for my USB DAC (which apparently allows resending of faulty packets with the ASIO driver).

 

Sounds great on paper, if the Windows experience is fine. But there are too many little pain in the a$$es compared to my previous setup. So I'm going back to Linux headless for server duties and Apple Mac for daily driver. 

 

I wish MacOs could install on anything, since Apple in their wisdom, don't make a tower type case like they used to and specialise in creating spittoons.