1 computer with linux at 50 euros for messaging, connection to your bank, and for purchases. end of life of ubuntu and MInt in 2029. 1 computer with windows for the rest. make a disk image of windows on an external hard drive
I clean up the crud on my machines and just don't understand how an OS with s larger footprint will speed my PCs up. I'll stick with Win10.
It's D-Day, the laptop that IS NOT Win 11 capable is down to WIFI access only. The other still uses hard line to get on. Someday I will quit the internet and be normal?
One big advantage Linux has over Windows in the ham shack is, with a little time you can get your audio inputs and outputs to do exactly what you want them to do. My current setup is using Ubuntu. WSJTX is configured to input/output with my ic-7100 through USB. GridTracker and all other audio will go out through the sound card. I use a $10 Radio Shack (Realistic) mixer to control what I want to hear in my headphones and what level, so I can mix in both my rig and my computer. With Windows, if you even look at it funny it'll punish you so badly your GridTracker sounds, youtube videos, mic input, etc are being broadcast right out of your rig on transmit.
"With Windows, if you even look at it funny it'll punish you so badly your GridTracker sounds, youtube videos, mic input, etc are being broadcast right out of your rig on transmit." I've used Windows for years and have not experienced the things written above. "are being broadcast right out of your rig on transmit" only if same devices are being used which for both. However, doing so is an improper configuration. I do use Linux. Let the app catalog go out-of-date and, IMO, hair pulling begins. Or, with Linux do an OS update that breaks php. Lots of fun.
Oh that makes sense to me. There's so many different configurations for a workstation that YMMV by quite a bit.
+1. This is what we affectionately call "lifecycle management". Software _requires_ upgrades, unless you like losing data and money. It ain't fair, but it's the way it is. You must plan for that by knowing how long your equipment and software will be supported, and budgeting for upgrades or replacements. To not do so is to invite compromise. How, you ask? Every web site you visit is an attack vector. Every ad on every one of those websites is an attack vector. Every download is an attack vector. And your risk goes up dramatically when your software is out of date. With that said: it is reasonable to continue using outdated software or an unsupported operating system when you have no choice for compatibility reasons (like the fellow who cannot upgrade due to the requirements of an old radio). The way to do that is to ensure that that computer is used _only_ for that software, and never for anything else - certainly not for browsing or reading email - and is not connected to the internet. At all. This is done all the time in enterprises, and is a valid way to mitigate risk. Most importantly, don't try to use the same computer for everything. A lot of ham software is written by well-meaning devs with poor or outdated development practices. Separate your financial stuff from your playtime. Use a Chromebook for banking - they're cheap - and your devote your crappy old PC to ham radio only. p.s. As of this writing, Microsoft has announced its intention to allow non-business users to extend Windows 10 support through October 2026 for $30, so that's an option to buy some extra time.
I'm still hoping that Wine will get to a point of running N1MM and Log4OM. I've tried to get them going a month ago but with no success. Love Linux and it's freedom so once I get those two packages running, I'm in pretty good shape.
Is it possible to run Windows in an emulator, and run the programs form there? I have played around with it using Windows XP, but that was some time ago.
That is an annoying feature of Windows - it will reset the default audio output device at the drop of a hat! I solved it when I switched to Voicemeeter for me audio management on the PC - Windows still can reset the default audio device, but all the other applications are still pointing to the Voicemeeter channels and all I have to do is to reset the PC default to be Voicemeeter and everything goes back to where it was! Martin (G8FXC)
read the specifications carefully and select the version appropriate for you. $15 is the recommended donation for the entry level version which is probably too basic for serious shack applications. I would recommend either the "Banana" mid-level, or "Potato" top-level version - but note that the donation level is selectable - the minimum donation for Potato is $10 and that will get you full functionality for ever. You get a one month evaluation period before it starts bugging you, so experiment and make sure you are buying the right version for you! I chose Potato because I run multiple radios in the shack and route the audio from all of them through Voicemeeter. I initially gave them the minimum $10 donation, ran for many months and ended up feeling guilty for having been mean and gave them another $20. Since then, my requirements have grown further and I've added the VB-Matrix application to the mix - the combination is excellent! Martin (G8FXC)
P.S. If you do decide to try Voicemeeter, take a look at PY2RAF's web site on the subject - https://github.com/rfrht/Voicemeeter-FT-991A/wiki - he has done a lot of work on his configuration and written it up very well. He does focus on the Yaesu FT-991, but most of the lessons he's learned are equally applicable to all radios. Martin (G8FXC)
IMHO, Windows XP had an excellent sound subsystem. Windows Vista/7 is when it all went sideways because of attempts to "plug the analog hole" so it became much more difficult to work around the DRM imposed. That being said, it's cool to see third party tools working with that. Barrier to entry is much lower with Windows. Side tangent: I remember when windows updates would re-arrange the icons on the desktop. Those were the days.
Why bother with emulators when you can buy a Win 11 mini PC for $150. Plenty of computer for running N1MM and digital modes. Only issue so far is the need to reset the clock after a couple hours for FT8. Cheap enough to only use for ham applications. I'm hard on keyboards so I use one intended for gaming applications. And a reasonably sized monitor to be easy on the eyes. The big issues with Apple Applications is the requirement that you have up to date Apple Hardware if you want to be an Apple Developer. That isn't cheap.
