DidacticDumbass

For like a month or two I decided, screw it, I am going to use all the programs I cannot use on Linux. This was mostly games and music making software.

I guess it was fun for a bit, tries different DAWs, did not play a single game because no time.

Basically, it was not worth it. The only thing I enjoyed was OneDrive, because having your files available anywhere is dope, but I also hate it because it wants to delete your local files. I think that was on me.

Anyways, I am back. Looking at Nextcloud. Looking at Ardour. I am fine paying for software, but morally I got to support and learn the tools that are available to me and respect FOSS. (Also less expensive... spent a lot on my experiment).

Anyone done this? Abondoned their principles thinking the grass would be greener, but only to look at their feet coverered in crap (ads, intrusive news, just bad UI).

I don't know. I don't necesarily regret it, but I won't be doing it again. What I spent is a sunk cost, but some has linux support, and VSTs for download. So, I shall see.

TL;DR I am using Windows and I want help setting up all the conveniences I enjoyed back into Linux... specifically an alternative to OneDrive.

I am going to admit something that is strange and maybe evil... at the least it betrays a loss of integrity and deficit of dignitity.

For the past few months I have been using Microsoft Windows as my OS. It started with finally deciding to play with AI and turning on the features on my phone... which meant turning on Google Play Services... not necessary, but it is what I did.

Then I randomly bought some tiny Livaa PC to mess around with that came with Windows, so I got comfy with that.

As a student, I must use Microsoft Word because as much as Libre Office tries it just mangles the formatting. So, I discovered Office 365 and how it is easily accessible in the Edge Browser... plus Bing AI.

One day I just thought fuck it, I want to use all the music software, play all the games. I want to use my graphics card without needing to think. I want all the harware I bought to work. So I installed Windows. I use OneDrive. I ask Bing, and Bard, and Opera AI...

Well, I pay for Kagi because it is better.

....

Anyways, I think I had my fun. I want to go back. I need to, it is potentially immoral not to.

Please help me transition back!

I am currently using Linux Mint (after a long stint of using MX Linux) after learning it handles Nvidia graphics cards flawlessly, which I am grateful for. Whatever grief I have given Ubuntu in the past, I take it back because when they make something work, it is solid.

Anyways, like most distros these days, Flatpaks show up alongside native packages in the package manager / app store. I used to have a bias towards getting the natively packed version, but these days, I am choosing Flatpaks, precisely because I know they will be the latest version.

This includes Blender, Cura, Prusaslicer, and just now QBittorrent. I know this is probably dumb, but I choose the version based on which has the nicer icon.

Starting doing something you've never done before? Getting back into something you used to do? Is it fun and exciting? Is it challenging?

I recently starting to learn roller skating (quad skating). It is so thrilling! I can't do a lot yet, I can barely stop, can't skate backwards, and definitely no transitions. I can skate forward, scissor, scooter push, and I am getting tight with turns.

I take classes on the weekends, which are an hour, and then I skate 3 more hours in the regular session.

I am inching my way through the fundamentals, and I am not falling as often as I did just a week ago. I am wearing a helmet, because I care about my head, but I have become comfortable enough to take it off since it is not required, just wrist guards.

I own my own skates, Riedell R3s with Sonar Caymans (indoors), and Sketchers 4 Wheelers (outdoors), which I modified by replacing the plastic plates and trucks with Sure-Grip Super X. Now they are not so scary.

ALSO! I just got my first skate board! I walked into a local skate shop I had no idea existed until someone mentioned it, and only went in to see what offerings they had for roller skates so I would not have to order online. They got wheels and bearings, plus tools and protective gear, which is all I need and expected.

I walked out with an 8.5 Real deck (recycled), Ventura trucks, Slime Balls 78a wheels, Bones Reds bearings, and black tape. Assembly was free in-house and the dude got it together under 10.

I have yet to ride it, but I learned there is a skate park near me, so I have a lot to look forward to!

Edit: fixed details

All this new excitement with Lemmy and federation has got me thinking that maybe I should learn to run my own instance. What always comes up though is how email is the orginal federated technology.

I am looking at proxmox and see that is has a built in email server, so now I am wondering if it is time to role my own.

I stopped using gmail a long time ago, and right now I use ProtonMail, but I am super frustrated with the dumb limitation of only having a single account for the app. I get why they do it, and I am willing to pay, but it is pricey and I don't know if that is my best option. I guess it is worth it since ProtonVPN is included. It looks like they are expanding their suite.

Is it worth it? Can I make it secure? Is it stupid to run it off a local computer on my home network?