Migrated completely from Windows to Linux at home early spring this year, to get away from all the Windows issues (security, speed, flawed updates etc.). After checking different distributions with intended software, including the whole Debian/Buntu family, I chose Lubuntu and Linux Mint was the runner up. In total, it seems to be a 'from bad to worse' case.
Why? Quite soon, I learned that system updates in Buntu ...
- ... often causes emergency mode at boot. not.1 I only found this thread today and I think that some of it should be included in the installation procedure as options, even though the installation procedure should follow the KISS concept as much as possible.
- ... are not possible to disable completely. The occurring reboot prompt due to forced secret [critical?] system updates not.2 appears now and then anyway, despite being completely turned off in the settings. If updating specific software, I have to enable parts of the settings and soon, I will have a forced system update as a result, despite turning it off immediately afterwards. It shouldn't work like that ... This reminds me about Samsung Android devices that keeps nagging about 'updating', despite updates being turned off (leading to the thought that the update can't be good ...).
If it was limited to only one computer, fine, but this occurs on
all of my (13) computers, so it is a software (OS) issue and not related to hardware. My intention with my computers is to set them up with needed software, getting them into work and leave them alone 24/7/365. So far, I have been forced to invest in a lot of work keeping them all running properly. In Windows, a situation like this will cause a forced reboot sooner or later. That's often problematic regarding the running software - lost work. I'm not sure yet if same apply in Buntu, but I will not test it. In Windows, the software auto start at boot, but not in Buntu. I'm not checking the computers every day, so ... This 'maintaining' has been almost at a weekly basis and it doesn't occur in all computers at the same time, despite being set up in groups. Finding help on the Internet? Well, it isn't straight forward, as most available 'advices' are outdated and in some cases with the correct OS version, it doesn't work anyway ... So my alternatives are ...
- ... stick with present situation. This is getting tiring and one answer to why Linux never will be widely used for private use. The knowledge threshold is sooner or later way too high for common people to deal with. A quite different situation to choosing a Windows or Apple system. As a 'newbie' to Linux, but not computers (36 years), I still have a lot to learn ...
- ... migrate back to Windows and accept all of its issues. The software will be running fine, but slow (interfered by the OS). Btw, the last decent and fastest version was (is) 7 x64 Pro SP2 and now sabotaged by Microsoft ... Subsequent versions are junk. So, no go ...
- ... migrating to a non Debian/Buntu distribution, but that require a lot of time consuming work to make the software (BOINC) work or it's not supported. So, no go ...
- ... give up my 'sidetrack' hobby and sell all my abundant hardware. Well, I'm considering this ...
not.1 This also happens when adding a new internal hard drive (when using GRUB) or replacing a faulty GPU with the same brand and model. So far, the easiest way I found to fix this, is to reinstall the Buntu on top of the old one, without formatting the partition of concern. Most software needs to be reinstalled too (and the usual removal of bloatware).
I realised that personal data is not affected by this procedure. It remains intact. I have not found a way to 'prepare' the GRUB ahead and I'm not interested to mess with it, as it seems to have similar issues as the Windows boot manager. In general, I'm avoiding GPT/GRUB(2), due to the bugs involved and use legacy boot instead - faster boot and less problems involved. In some of my computers, I have been refused to install Buntu in legacy mode. This is interesting, as my last six purchased computers have the exact same hardware spec's and BIOS settings, two of them was refused legacy boot. The very same install medium was used for all of them. The last computer that crashed (part of the group of the last six) after forced 'update', had a working legacy boot and at re-installation, GPT/GRUB was forced onto the hard drive without my acceptance. Again, it shouldn't work like that ... I have noticed that the options at the hard drive configuration page varies and sometimes the desirable one is missing, just like in mentioned cases.
not.2 Just like on Android and Windows, it's hard to know what's actually updated when automated/hidden and forced updates occurs. (In a way, that's a security issue!) From an experiential point of view, Android and Windows updates are not always good ones, but sometimes 'dirty'. Does the same apply to Debian/Buntu too? Any way, obviously some of them don't work ...