I’m extremely happy with bazzite, it’s basically impossible to break, and great for gaming.

Just be aware that it is very focused on flatpaks, so installing anything that doesn’t have a flatpak version does require some extra steps.

What you use depends on your requirements. Excel can be just the right thing if it gets the job done, it has some great features, and with some outside help you can do basic versioning and whatever else you may need.

Databases are best for when you need:

Documented Approval processes

Documented versioning

Interfaces with other IT tools

Managing LOTS of various types of data

Metadata

Especially the last two are where a database shines. If you have lots of different types of data/files, then there is no good way to keep them organized in a static file structure. By adding tags to them (like date created, file type, priority, status, customer, project name, etc.) you can later search and filter based on what you are looking for. Need all files related to a certain project with the status “active”? Easy, just tell the database that it should filter based on those tags and boom, done.

SQL is a great place to start if you want to learn about programming. If you are just looking to stay organized, then programs like obsidian are awesome. You can very easily make a database out of obsidian with the free tutorials for plugins like dataview and templater.

I’m an electrical engineer that has become a proprietary cloud-tool admin. I occasionally use an LLM (chatGPT web) to write VBA code to do various API calls and transform excel/Jason/XML/CSV data from one format to another for various import/export tasks that would otherwise eat up my time.

I just use the chat, and copy/paste the code.

I spend an hour to meticulously describe the process I need the code to do, and then another hour or two testing, debugging and polishing, and get a result that would take me days to produce by myself. I then document the code (I try to use lots of sub-modules that can be reused) so that I can use the LLM less in the future.

I don’t feel great about the environment impact, which is why I try to limit the usage, and do debugging and improvements by myself. I’m also trying to push management to invest in a lean LLM that runs on the companies servers. I’m also looking into getting a better PC privately, which I could also run a local LLM on and use for work.

I get it, it’s frustrating and it doesn’t feel like your needs are being met.

It’s just important to see the larger picture. Windows and iOS suck more every day. Linux gains more and more traction, more and more users as the competition becomes less and less attractive.

I hope that the next time you try, that it just works.

Sounds like it is working pretty well to me.

I understand the frustration, but Linux only works because the community works on it together. You sound like someone who has some technical knowledge, maybe you can help the kubuntu team make the calibration a feature?

I hope this holds. There have been several such migrations in the past, and they didn’t last. Seeing as it is just email and not the entire OS/software landscape, it will probably hold.

That depends on what that other stuff is. Bazzite is a desktop OS first, gaming second. But it us atomic, so installing apps that aren’t available as a flatpak is somewhat more complicated.

Mint is a great start though, I seriously doubt that you will have problems. Just don’t be afraid to experiment.

The horror stories often come from years ago, when Linux wasn’t as under-friendly as it is now. You shouldn’t have any problems with this.

And if Mint does give you problems (which I doubt), consider trying a plug-and-play gaming distro like bazzite. It supports nvidia GPUs right away.

https://bazzite.gg/

Great idea. I’m going to consider the same.

Postmarket OS isn’t? Oh whoa, I just checked for myself, I had no idea, thought it was aosp too!

Cool, thanks for the correction.

eOS works great for me on my fairphone 5, I suspect the model 6 is similar. Just be VERY careful about the anti-rollback protection, read the install instructions carefully and follow them exactly. And don’t use the easy installer, it can brick your phone.

https://doc.e.foundation/devices/FP6/install

For everyone else, here are the supported devices:

https://doc.e.foundation/devices

Bazzite rocks, especially for gaming. I started with Ubuntu, did arch for a while (which was a great learning experience), and have been on bazzite for years now.

Pop and mint seem like great choices too if plug-and-play gaming isn’t your main focus.