even on Windows i am using VMs for some of products. this is fine for things not used daily. booting VM also takes time, once it is running most of things are pretty normal or near native performance. but each VM takes additional resources like RAM. Some software also may require dedicating CPU cores. i don't really like this as low level resource configuration changes require rebooting. and leaving it permanently on may interfere with other VMs - if that happens the only way out is cold boot...
so far i got things as efficient as i could but it is by no means a perfect setup. challenge is that there is a lot of different products i need to use. and i tried many things including removable or external drives etc. if things are calm, i get to work with few products for a week or two, so reboot or starting VM or two is not a factor... but, there are times where i need to change to something completely different several times a day. fast machine helps as a lot of time it is me waiting on a computer. one nice thing is that old work machine makes for a really nice home computer.

 

even on Windows i am using VMs for some of products. this is fine for things not used daily. booting VM also takes time, once it is running most of things are pretty normal or near native performance. but each VM takes additional resources like RAM. Some software also may require dedicating CPU cores. i don't really like this as low level resource configuration changes require rebooting. and leaving it permanently on may interfere with other VMs - if that happens the only way out is cold boot...
so far i got things as efficient as i could but it is by no means a perfect setup. challenge is that there is a lot of different products i need to use. and i tried many things including removable or external drives etc. if things are calm, i get to work with few products for a week or two, so reboot or starting VM or two is not a factor... but, there are times where i need to change to something completely different several times a day. fast machine helps as a lot of time it is me waiting on a computer. one nice thing is that old work machine makes for a really nice home computer.

Unfortunately, Windows crufts up after a while and requires rebooting no matter what. Regardless of what you may hear, this is not the same with Linux. You can go months without reboot (and I do) -- especially my servers.

The only time rebooting is required is after a kernel upgrade, and only if you want to. Reboot is never forced on you, like with windows updates.



Regarding memory: it (like NVME SSDs) is dirt cheap these days. I always have more than I need.

My Win XP boots in 3 seconds, and Win 10 in about 10.

And that's on 2015 hardware.

 

https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/07/unix_fourth_edition_tape_rediscovered/
52-year-old data tape could contain only known copy of UNIX V4

It might have the first-ever version of UNIX written in C

 

https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/07/unix_fourth_edition_tape_rediscovered/
52-year-old data tape could contain only known copy of UNIX V4

It might have the first-ever version of UNIX written in C

How awesome would it be if they put it up on Github.

 

How awesome would it be if they put it up on Github.

It would, I could with a good laugh!

 

I smell a possible troll.

 

I smell a possible troll.

It's a conditioned response.

 

Linux doesn't emphasize binary portability, it presumes custom buildability so doesn't value binary portability. Even something as obvious as the HAL in Windows doesn't really materialize on Linux. But the HAL tightly defines all platform specific code, so porting means writing a new HAL, device drivers just get recompiled (they don't contain assembly code).

This was one of the design goals, of which there are several, Linux never began from that kind of base, few things surprise me more than obviously skilled experienced engineers embracing a mess like Linux, it is internally, the antithesis of the kinds of code and design practices they espouse in this forum, yet they are happy to rely upon it.

 

yes, windows isn't free, there's the explanation right there.

I'll disagree with the free statement simply because I was going to give 11 a try when it came installed on my recent purchase. As soon as it wanted me to register an account and what not to even begin to set it up I turned it off, found my Debian cd, and installed it instead. I realize now there are ways around that, but the simple fact that is the default behavior was enough to make up my mind.

I should stay out of this because I really don't care either way. It's like arguing over if Ford, Chevy, or Dodge is better. Every one has their favorites for their reasons.

I will say though the comments about how Windows was designed and such are only true because it's a closed source OS owned by a corporate entity with people developing it who are paid to follow the design. If you have people all over the world contributing their time and effort on their free time without compensation then you kind have to be happy that the OS exists in the first place. If it's too hard to figure it out don't use it.

 

I'll disagree with the free statement simply because I was going to give 11 a try when it came installed on my recent purchase. As soon as it wanted me to register an account and what not to even begin to set it up I turned it off, found my Debian cd, and installed it instead. I realize now there are ways around that, but the simple fact that is the default behavior was enough to make up my mind.

I should stay out of this because I really don't care either way. It's like arguing over if Ford, Chevy, or Dodge is better. Every one has their favorites for their reasons.

I will say though the comments about how Windows was designed and such are only true because it's a closed source OS owned by a corporate entity with people developing it who are paid to follow the design. If you have people all over the world contributing their time and effort on their free time without compensation then you kind have to be happy that the OS exists in the first place. If it's too hard to figure it out don't use it.

With respect to the last paragraph, Linus Torvalds effectively owns Linux, he alone approves every change, he is known for throwing tantrums over changes he doesn't like. So the only people who can contribute are those who bend the knee to Torvalds, it's only open in the sense of reading it.

I see aspects of personality cult with the whole thing frankly.

Linus Torvalds Expresses Frustration With 'Garbage' Link Tags In Git Commits

 

Hey, don't forget that Linux is communism!

 

Hey, don't forget that Linux is communism!

I'd rather stick to engineering than politics.

 

With respect to the last paragraph, Linus Torvalds effectively owns Linux, he alone approves every change, he is known for throwing tantrums over changes he doesn't like. So the only people who can contribute are those who bend the knee to Torvalds, it's only open in the sense of reading it.

I see aspects of personality cult with the whole thing frankly.

Linus Torvalds Expresses Frustration With 'Garbage' Link Tags In Git Commits

Sounds like a "design" to me.

The personality cult goes both ways.

 

Sounds like a "design" to me.

The personality cult goes both ways.

This is what actual design looks like, it can be communicated, reviewed, supplied to development and test teams and so on.

NT OS/2 Design Workbook Introduction

The OS/2 in the name was eventually dropped and IBM dropped too, once it became clear this was to be a fresh clean design, from scratch and would not be based on any existing design or code.

 

I'd rather stick to engineering than politics.

How about medicine?

Linux is a cancer!

 

 

 

What a legend.

 

How about medicine?

Linux is a cancer!

Prophetic words frm Mr Ballmer, indeed:

Ballmer touches on a few other items, including Microsoft's new product activation and licensing schemes, which, it is hoped, will pave the way for a thriving software rental business and its subsequent endless revenue stream.

 

Prophetic words frm Mr Ballmer, indeed:

Ballmer touches on a few other items, including Microsoft's new product activation and licensing schemes, which, it is hoped, will pave the way for a thriving software rental business and its subsequent endless revenue stream.

This is a correct goal if you are a CEO responsible to your shareholders, and there is nothing wrong with it.

FOSS has different goals, and there is nothing wrong with them, either.

Users make the choice that's best (using reasoned knowledge) for them. This is called "Freedom".

And, each user has a choice to be free, or not.

You are free to give up your Freedom.