Fight Battles In Linux
There are those who get excited about new versions of operating systems or software. They talk about the upcoming macOS, they try Beta Android, and if some software is new, it must be better. I am not that kind of gal. I actually loathe updating. I hate the forced upgrades on my phone; the popups disrupt my workflow. Why change anything if it’s running all right?
Same thing with my Linux workstation. I really don’t care about learning new user interfaces, adapting to new desktops, or configuring all the little things I got used to. I upgrade the world-facing elements like browsers for security reasons, but that’s usually it. My firewalls take care of the rest.
But… Windows. I don’t use the big “W” for anything except gaming or the occasional software to program my radios. I just don’t have any reason to. My (usually outdated) Debian Linux fits like a glove and does everything I want or need. I hear others talk about forced Microsoft 11 logins, secret screenshots, advertising within the OS, and how to circumvent the most grievous things Windows 11 is alleged to do. My Windows was installed around the time Moses was born, and though it bothered me to run 15 minutes of updates every time I booted into Windows 10 (usually just once or twice a month), I let it happen because I don’t know a lot about the operating system – and I carefully nurse a deep mistrust of Microsoft, stemming from the days when they behaved like asses and monopolists.
Browsing the net, someone suggested trying Steam on the Linux box. Or was it my husband who was playing around with it? Anyway, that could be the solution to finally kicking Windows to the curb. My old friend Debian respectfully giggled when I ran “apt update,” explaining that there were no more servers where anything this old could be found, updated, or replaced.
The horror: I was facing a new Debian install. I glanced over my desktop with its roughly a billion folders and files – all neatly arranged. I thought about the helper scripts I’d written to silently do the things that keep me happy. The twisted desktop scripts that launch the tools I require. My Debian was just three years old, and I had to make the decision to send it into oblivion. But it had to be done. I asked one of my trusty little scripts to create a backup of my stuff – and another one to a different disk, just to be sure. I downloaded the net install, pushed the ISO onto a USB stick, and with a sigh, pressed the reset button. No need to be gentle when you’re about to kill an old friend.
The install went smoothly, and I was greeted with an empty desktop. I swear I could hear an echo with every mouse click – it was just so empty. I plugged the hard disk back in and started restoring the Desktop files, which took about two hours. It took another hour or so to re-arrange the icons. Maybe I should do this more often, because I found a few images I hadn’t looked at in a long time. Even after a few days, my Desktop still doesn’t look the same. For whatever reason, I can’t get the “cover.jpg” images to display as icons instead of folder icons. These are the little things that drive me nuts and the reason I hate upgrading my stuff. I just love things the way they are.
Next up: install Steam. That was fairly straightforward as well. I had to dig a bit to find my Steam account login, but was greeted with the standard screen just a minute later. Time to install one of my games: Imperial Glory from Sega, where you play as the leader of a European kingdom during the imperial years: politics, trade, and warfare included. It downloaded and, I admit, I was impressed – it started without a problem. I jumped right in, declared war on Austria, and fought a big battle with my well-disciplined Prussian troops. It was fun, but since I’d removed all my troops from Berlin, the unthankful digital plebs incited a revolution, which Poland took as a sign that it would be a good time to attack Königsberg. Ah, the sorrows and problems of a queen in 1781.
So for now, I am happy. It seems I don’t need Windows anymore – just when they stopped bothering me about their updates. I can fight my battles in Linux now. My happiness would be complete if I could just figure out how to display “cover.jpg” images inside folders instead of the folder icon.
Michaela Merz is an entrepreneur and first generation hacker. Her career started even before the Internet was available. She invented and developed a number of technologies now considered to be standard in modern web-environments. She is a software engineer, a Wilderness Rescue volunteer, an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician, a FAA Part 61 (PPL , IFR) , Part 107 certified UAS pilot and a licensed ham . More about Michaela ..