
Setting Up a Linux Workstation for Software Development - tkainrad
https://tkainrad.dev/posts/setting-up-linux-workstation/
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caymanjim
This is an ok guide to some basic Linux setup.

I'm a hardcore Linux user (since 1991), and a command-line junkie. I've
abandoned Linux as a desktop unless forced to use it. While great strides have
been made, the Linux desktop is still painful to use, and doesn't provide a
coherent user experience. I prefer MacOS or Windows as my primary desktop now,
even though I do all of my development on Linux applications.

My current primary OS is Windows 10 Professional. For me, the best of both
worlds is a Windows desktop accessing a Linux command line on either a remote
machine or in a local VM.

I do most of my development by SSHing into a Digital Ocean VPS. All I
typically have open on my desktop are a terminal window to a remote Linux tmux
session, and a Chrome browser. When I need some other GUI, Windows usually
offers better alternatives than Linux, and I don't have to jump through as
many hoops; Windows just works. It works with all hardware, I never have to
configure anything, etc. Same for MacOS. It just makes my life easier, and
looks better.

If for whatever reason I want a local Linux, I run Ubuntu inside a Hyper-V VM.
Hyper-V is built into Windows 10 Professional. It's fast, and I'm amazed at
how good the driver support is. USB devices, audio, and video all just work
(although video can be slow; I wouldn't do this if I needed a Linux GUI). I
even have an old Ubuntu HD (ext3-formatted) mounted inside the VM as a pass-
through device.

If you like Linux as a desktop OS, by all means use it, but it's no longer
necessary, and even for a crusty old Linux geek like me, it's no longer even
desirable to run Linux on bare metal.

~~~
tkainrad
Thanks for the feedback! I wouldn't necessarily agree that it is just a basic
setup guide, some of the tools are a little under the radar imo. I know this
from personal experience with colleagues, friends, etc. Even myself, I wasn't
properly educated on the advantages of Zsh over Bash until a couple of months
ago.

I find your thoughts regarding Windows VS Linux very interesting. Especially
that you prefer SSHing into a VPS, running Hyper-V etc over just running
Linux.

Personally, I rarely have the feeling with Windows that _it just works_. I
still use Windows for multimedia purposes (i.e. video games) and on
professional occasions when I have to and I am often bothered by things that
don't work properly. One issue for me is for example that there is still no
official tab support in the file explorer.

Also, I think Linux gets some unwarranted hate regarding drivers and hardware
support. I use all kinds of devices, such as thumb drives, external monitors,
projectors and never have any trouble.

~~~
caymanjim
It's a good guide. I apologize for sounding dismissive. There's great stuff in
there for Zsh and other command-line tools as well, which is all applicable to
my use case.

~~~
tkainrad
No worries! Your kind words are very much appreciated :) Hope you can get
something out of it.

