Maybe try ReviOS? It’s a “playbook” file you run on a clean Windows 11 install that strips out all of the telemetry and junk, and mostly “just works”. The only big potential pain point, imho, is not getting automatic driver updates from Windows Update.

I just installed CachyOS with virt-manager running ReviOS in a virtual machine. For my needs, it’s amazing. Arch Linux allows for easy updates to the latest versions of software and CachyOS further improves it with optimized, pre-compiled packages, which is particularly relevant for a smooth gaming experience. (Outdated packages aren’t a good mix with new games, and the optimized packages improve performance.)

The only “big” challenge I’ve had with Windows is getting videoconferencing working smoothly (my webcam is flickery), but that’s not a big deal. Zoom in Linux works great, and Teams/Zoom both work well in browser (in Linux). So, most of my work stuff is in the VM, but I have Zoom and a separate browser (for Teams meetings) installed in Linux.

This setup requires a bit of technical skill; you need to be able to find and follow guides. (Ex. I needed to troubleshoot why I couldn’t change the VM resolution, and the fix was to download a set of VM tools in Windows.) If you have light technical skills to search for and read guides, it shouldn’t be too challenging.

(I use Arch, by the way.)

Briefly looked into it, and Sailfish OS looks like it’s getting closer to reasonable for an average user. The Aptoide store seems to have major apps (WhatsApp), but it still requires some tinkering, like going into several settings screens manually to do things that pop-up automatically in Android. Not too bad, but definitely only for someone who’s okay with a bit of tinkering.

WhatsApp is a “must” for most users globally as it’s the defacto messaging protocol standard used most places. Probably more important than SMS/MMS for most users. At least until everyone starts to switch over and something better (Signal, probably) starts to get a big enough install base that people use it.

In Canada, I frequently tell people they can Signal, text, or Whatsapp me, but the only people who ever use Signal with me are family I installed it for.

Games are probably a big deal, too. tbh, it’s not a “must”, but I’d be annoyed if I couldn’t play Minion Masters on my phone. (But I could probably set up Sunshine/Moonlight streaming, if needed.) I’m guessing a lot of people have games that they wouldn’t accept not being able to use.

I’m not sure about the 10.

Exactly the problem; current phones are good for the short-to-medium term, for anyone willing to use aging hardware, but what are the long-term prospects?

I’m hoping this will increase true open source phone OS development, like a Linux phone, but we’ll see. If there’s a way to really get Android or iOS apps onto a Linux phone (after these changes) then true open-source apps can fill most use-cases, but everyday users can still use the latest games/apps they expect to “just work”. That might be the ideal future option, at least until if/when Linux gets enough market share to get its own mainstream support (like the Steam Deck has brought to gaming).

Presumably, rooted users/custom ROMs should be able to get around this, but how many developers are going to continue to support development and/or release .apk files if it’s only a tiny subset of the userbase they can reach?

Sure, but that’s kinda the point, isn’t it?

Linux has so many possible splintered ways that systems could be configured that it’s hard to support, especially when a Steam Deck native could then be adjusted to work by your userbase, without any support or testing required.

Still a win, and fair that Larian doesn’t have the budget for a full Linux release.

This is going to be one of the biggest legacies of the current Republican administration’s Project 2025 agenda. Not only the direct cuts to research, but also the massive cuts to educating the next generation of researchers. Also related: banning/limiting whole swathes of research pathways, like stem cells and mRNA (as high profile examples).

Totally agreed, though; primary research is critical for solving most (all?l of the major problems we are facing. Healthcare, of course, but we’re on a knife edge of major Earth cycles breaking down, accelerating anthropogenic climate change. The collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is terrifying, as is runaway carbon escape from defrosting tundra. And the total spending on primary research trying to solve these existential crises is a budgetary rounding error.

I agree with virtually everything you said, and I still stand by my comment, too. This was Carney’s only politically-viable response.

We can still respect that anyone’s death is hard on their family. His children didn’t choose who their father was, and they’re going to grow up without him, now. I can empathize with their pain without supporting any of the (many) hateful things he’s said and done.

Similarly, condemning political violence is a pretty reasonable take, even if only for the chilling effect political violence has on democracy. Democracy only works with open sharing of ideas, including from those we disagree with. For example, identifying that Kirk was a closed-minded, hateful bigot is important when discussing his legacy, and I shouldn’t need to risk being lynched (or fired) for saying so.

It’s also fair that politicians may not want to come out openly “trash talking” someone right after their death, as that will just be used as ammunition by their political opponents to increase political polarization. Saying “our thoughts are with the family in this difficult time” isn’t taking a stance on anything, while also saying something so political opponents don’t spin silence into a manufacturer controversy.

Oh, shoot. That sucks. I was going to get Hogwarts Legacy for my kiddos.

Thankfully, the pirated version doesn’t have Denuvo, so I guess there’s an alternative, but it’s so much easier to just buy it on Steam than pirate it, lol.

My understanding is that businesses have more rules than individuals.

I looked into this ahead of a meeting with my boss a few years ago about my future employment (my contact was expiring). I wanted to record the meeting in case there was something said that I might want to take to my union. Based on my reading at the time, my understanding is that individuals in Canada can record any of their private communication, with no limits, for personal storage and review.

I think that any individual can record any/all of their personal phone calls made anywhere in Canada without informing anyone else that a recording is being made.

I’m pretty sure this is incorrect. I’m not a lawyer, and the person I’m quoting below likely isn’t either, but this lines up with my understanding:

In Canada we have one party consent, which means you can record a conversation you are part of. Doesn’t matter where the other people are because you are in Canada and Canadian law applies to you at that time.

If the other party is in the USA then US law applies to them and the actions they take must conform with US law… but US law doesn’t dictate what you can do and Canadian law doesn’t dictate what they can do.

However, one party consent has nothing to do with publishing. Releasing these recordings may breach privacy laws or if the information is confidential under an NDA you might be sued for revealing it.

Good question; didn’t even occur to me this might be a thing, but a quick search confirms that previous demo releases have had Denuvo.

Still waiting on Hogwarts Legacy to drop Denuvo. I’ve almost bought it three times, when it’s been on sale, only to cancel when I did the Denuvo check. It’s been cracked for 2½ years, since 12 days after release. Why the hell is it still included!?

Yeah, I installed Enterprise edition on my desktop, which allows you to cut out all the bloat and spyware. But it takes a long time to do, and I’m not sure I got everything since Windows Updates can change anything.

That love of tinkering is why I’ve landed on not using an immutable distro for my first time installing Linux since the 00s. CachyOS is what I landed on; now I just need to catch up on work so I can take a day to tinker with my setup.

For context, I semi-broke my current Windows 11 install by trying to manually edit the registry to remove all traces of a piece of invasive, uninstallable bloatware (that comes direct from ASRock… the bastards) I accidentally installed. Turns out my sound drivers are from the same company, so when I deleted all entries with that company in the search terms, I FUBARed my Bluetooth audio and 3.5mm microphone. And didn’t backup the registry.

I like to tinker, and if I need to reinstall my OS anyway, so now is the time to finally switch!

Do you need to tell them? I never did. I just assumed there’s some sort of government system to track which citizens are residents in each province, if nothing else to keep people from “double dipping” in two provinces’ healthcare systems.

Then again, BC charges health premiums to seniors, right? So maybe keeping an AB health card is a way seniors might try to dodge that, I guess? (I’m just here on vacation, really!)

Nah. You need to laminate it yourself, which is technically not allowed for some reason, apparently, but everyone does it anyway.

Dementia and Parkinson’s. That sucks.

My kiddos love listening to his self-narrated stories on Spotify. (“OK Google. Play Robert Munsch stories.”) His love for children is so clear in his interactions with them in those recordings.

The article also suggests the “trade war” is the reason Canadians aren’t traveling to the US, and not the plainclothes government thugs who could grab you off the street and hold you without any legal process in inhumane conditions indefinitely. Where a Canadian his died from being denied access to medications.

But yeah, right. It’s the tariffs.

I mean… What are Canadian MPs supposed to do about US corruption? It’s up to them to figure it out. It’s the host country’s choice where to host it; if the US administration chooses to line their own pockets, it’s up to US legislators/courts to hold them to account.

Or am I missing something?

Literal newspeak, straight from 1984.