For desktop computers, either Windows or Linux. Windows on my main computer since I rely on so much Windows-only software (MS Office, Many Games) despite the BS that Microsoft does to windows in new versions, but Linux has gotten way better lately, especially as it picks up new users as Windows declines. MacOS to me the worst of both worlds when it comes to lack of software support and corporate BS
For Mobile, definitely Android. Android is what I wish Linux was for Desktop computers; Loads of software you can get from many places, open source, and not locked down. It’s mainly the way it is because for Mobile OS’s, Microsoft was spending too much resources shooting itself in the foot with the Zune than to make the necessary improvements to make Windows Mobile to be competitive, and by the time they realized their mistake it was too late. iOS is such a pain in the ass for me to use due to how locked down it is, and while it has more software support than MacOS, its locked down nature and being mostly restricted to getting software from Apple means that several apps that I rely on (including a few apps not on the Google Play store) will never be available for iOS. I also like to see where every single file on my phone actually is
I have a windows pc. And unlike a lot of users, I haven’t gotten recall, ads, etc. Perhaps it’s because I actually paid for my license? Maybe it’s that I’m in Europe?
Whichever it is, it plays my games and lets me do my hobbies.
I also have a laptop that runs linux, as a file share and such.
I generally use the OS which fits what I am trying to do. For my desktop PC, I run Arch Linux as it lets me game, run VMs and have a high level of control over what the system is doing. The VMs are mostly Windows for testing stuff and one running Ubuntu as a host for PolarProxy. My server runs Ubuntu, though really just as a platform to host docker containers. That was a decision I made years ago when I knew a lot less about Linux and was looking for something which was more turnkey. My work laptop is Windows, because my work is mostly a Microsoft shop. But, I have WSL running both Ubuntu (for the SANS Sift framework) and Kali.
An Operating System is a tool. Don’t get wedded to any one OS.
On desktop: Linux since late 1996. It is the only operating system that I can perfectly tune to adhere to my - often weird - ideas, and can run all the software I need. I’m a developer, mostly working on free and open source software, so Linux is right there to assist me with that. When I play games, I play them through Wine/Proton, have been since I started gaming on Linux some two decades ago. If a game does not work under Wine/Proton, that’s simply not a game I will be playing.
For portable gaming, I have a Steam Deck. Surprisingly, that also runs Linux.
My phone is running stock Android, and I hate it, because the way I function, and how Android imagines I would are not compatible, and the system does not let me bend it to my will, there isn’t enough flexibility built in. Like… I can’t uninstall a bunch of applications I’m never going to use, because my phone came preinstalled with it, and they’re not removable, unless I jailbreak it. Unfortunately, I can’t jailbreak it, because then my bank’s application would stop working. Which would be fine, since I don’t do banking on the phone. Except the application is required for mandatory 2FA. FML.
Thankfully, I can go days without touching my phone, so I can live with it being a piece of crap.
(The rest of my family is also on Linux: both parents, wife, and eventually the kids too.)
If you hate stock Android, definitely try Graphene. It doesn’t come with preinstalled bullshit and let’s you run your banking and other shitty apps in a different user profile. Google Play Store and Services are completely optional. You get nearly full control without the negatives associated with rooting.
My bank app does not function under Graphene, because my bank is doing anything in its power to force using a stock Android. I have friends, who use the same bank, and while the bank app works under Graphene from time to time, it is broken often enough to render it unusable.
But it doesn’t matter, because Graphene does not support my phone anyway. As I wrote: most alternative operating systems for phones support only a very limited set of phones. Mine’s not one of them.
Probably is not going to make your phone experience much better but I followed this to disabled (not uninstalling) some stock apps on stock Android phones, works great and if you made a mistake it’s easy to rollback.
I did that, it did not make my phone experience any better.
NixOS is a bear to set up, but it is easy to keep it running for ages since the config is declarative & irons out configuration differences better than other OS since you config will refuse to evaluate.
I am thinking of moving to SailfishOS next year if my LineageOS phone keeps acting up.
Trisquel GNU/Linux
Because it is a fully free distro, which is important to me.
I use Trisquel because it is the most user friendly I’ve found in the free distros.
Some hardware drivers are unavailable, but that’s fine, just transferred away from non-free hardware.
For compatibility, usually export to PDF.
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Also GrapheneOS on phones and tablet. Has less nags and bloat. Privacy centric mobile OS.
It’s nice to see such a willpower to use fully free distro. I am often prevented from using a fully free distribution only by the non-free firmware for AMD GPU.
My setup is:
- Arch (BTW) & KDE on my laptop, that’s the tinkering machine that only I use.
- Dual boot Pop!_OS & Windows on the desktop, that’s the one that other people use too so I’m not allowed to break it.
- I also have a bunch of other OS’s in VMs that I mess around with like little specimen jars lol
Mint.
General pickyness: Linux is a kernel, not an operating system. For example, Android and Mint are both operating systems that use Linux, but the way you interact with Android is dramatically different than the way you interact with Mint.
Desktops: Linux (Mint)
Laptops: Linux (Mint)
Phones: Linux (Android)
Servers: Linux (Debian)
SBC: Linux (Armbian / Raspberry Pi OS)
ESP32/ESP8266: Arduino (I’ve never really taken to MicroPython)
ATMega 328P/etc : Arduinofor Mobile OS’s
for mobile OSs*
I use MacOS at home as I have to support the fam.
Work is windows despite my best efforts to move to Linux, any flavor…
My laptop has macOS and Ubuntu and fedora and win11 (I have a vm problem and I enjoy it)
I wish I could use Fedora full time. I’m really open to whatever gets the work done. I just prefer software were open.
Linux. I use Pop on my desktop and Arch on my laptop.
BTW, Linux+Proton is great for playing Windows-only games. The time for needing Windows for gaming is mostly past, tbh. You may often find better performance on Linux for many games, too.
Windows 70. Percent of the time and mint linux 30 percent of the time.
But that ratio is moving in mint linux favor.
Mobile is iphone and ipad
Desktop: Debian testing (Linux)
Mobile: The Pixel flavor of AndroidI’m simply more comfortable in Linux. It is a hacker’s OS. I feel like I have full control over it and it stays out of the way. I find GNOME pretty polished and cohesive. It has come a long way.
On a fateful day years and years ago I sat and deliberated between Android and iOS. I picked Android because it works much better with Linux. I have stuck with it ever since.
Desktop = Fedora
Home server = AlmaLinux
Mobile = GrapheneOS
Router = OpenWrt
Linux for everything, but I’ve been meaning to try out BSD as well. I like that it’s a built by a community with people from around the world contributing to it.
OpenBSD is surprisingly good as a desktop, as long as you don’t need something that needs shoehorning in or some fancy filesystem. But if you use it as intended, it’s good. Like, there’s no linux compatibility, no proprietary nvidia drivers, etc. You probably want to switch away from the default window manager though unless you think perfection was reached in the early 90s.
I’ll give it another try soon. I’m rebuilding my server right now, and this might be something I could get into. Which window manager would you suggest?
It comes with both fvwm and cwm, and you can install all the usual ones or a full desktop environment. Personally I like cwm in the minimalist end and xfce for more of a full desktop, but it’s all just preferences. Which one do you like in Linux?
I’ll probably go with something more minimalist like sway. I’m trying to branch out and try other things, but I needed a push to get started. I’m really open to anything. AwesomeWM was my goto for the longest time
exwm but you don’t use emacs for anything else. Ask me to mod it to your liking.
