Of all the Windows Feature I Don't Wanna Give Up...

[rontarrant]

Hi All,
I apologize for using the dreaded 'W' word in my message heading, but... well, I'll get to the point.

I'm fed up with Windows Updates! For the last two weeks, it's been trying (and failing) to do feature updates and this morning, it reached a head. I woke up to a BSOD and had to manually roll back to a previous stable state.

I've tried to switch to Linux several times before, but there are some things I'm just not willing to give up and so far, I've had no luck finding out if these things are available on Linux. So, this post is about finding out which (if any) Linux distro/desktop offers these features.

1. Applications, when closed, remember their on-screen positions and reopen there.
2. File manager integration makes it easy to pick which application will open a file.

I use a three-monitor set-up, so the most important thing for me is that any application I open will always open in the last screen position I had it in. There are few things more annoying for me than opening an application and then having to scan three monitors to find it. Other than a few exceptions (like Blender) all my most-used applications (Firefox, Notepad++, VirtualBox, Photoshop CS5.5) remember where they were and reopen accordingly.

File Explorer is my favourite software tool. A lot of applications add entries to the context menu to make using those applications faster and easier. I can even add entries of my own (for instance: to open files in Photoshop).

Question: Which (if any) Linux distro/desktop manager/desktop environment offers the first and which file manager offers the second?

 

[Linuxembourg]

In response to your first question, what exactly do you mean? I use Windows (for work) and it reopens application windows if you restart/shutdown with them. But if you close word and reopen it, it doesn't start off from where you left.

 

[Condobloke]

I'm fed up with Windows Updates! For the last two weeks, it's been trying (and failing) to do feature updates and this morning, it reached a head. I woke up to a BSOD and had to manually roll back to a previous stable state.

Just that ^^^^...would be enough to send me screaming for the exit.....(and I would be followed by just about all the members of this forum too !!!!)

I will let those more familiar with the various quirks related to the use of Linux/windows as a work PC fill in the gaps for you.

I am sure there will be workarounds. There are many experienced people here who can make some sense of it all for you.

1+1=2

 

[Brickwizard]

I'm fed up with Windows Updates! For the last two weeks, it's been trying (and failing) to do feature updates and this morning, it reached a head. I woke up to a BSOD and had to manually roll back to a previous stable state.

If you have been using Microsoft for any period of time you should expect such issues especially with W10
Linux is not windows, don't expect it to do act in the same way, likewise the other way round, even If our technical buddies can offer fixes for your questions, you will still need a change of mindset in the way you use your computer

Bwiz

 

[tom777]

Congratutaions and welcome to linux !!!

before we go on I have to tell you something that you need to know and it's that "Nothing is 100% prefect" dosen't matter if it's linux or windows , they both have their downsides. So you shouldn't expect switching from one to the other be completely cost free and you should be ready to give up somethings .

I don't know about your your first problem but about the other one I recomend you gnome desktop enviroment .I have been using gnome for the past few months and it's been great and it also has the "Open with other applications" choise that you seem to want ( If you don't like gnome you can also check KDE thats a good desktop enviroment too but becareful about installing them both at the same time because they use different display managers and if you're new to linux you might end up having to reinstall linux)

 

[rontarrant]

Congratutaions and welcome to linux !!!

before we go on I have to tell you something that you need to know and it's that "Nothing is 100% prefect"

The first time I looked at Linux was in the late 1990's, so I get it.
Thanks for responding, Tom.

 

[Deleted member 108694]

For File Manager I like Thunar File Manager which comes with XFCE Desktop - highly customizable easy to add custom actions if you want - simply right click a file and select Open With and then select the program to open that file. Yes you can run 3 monitors in Buntu might have to make a BIOS adjustment - usually change the internal monitor to primary instead of auto.

 

[rontarrant]

I'll check out Thunar. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[captain-sensible]

@tom777 what about "cinnamon" for Linux i'm trying it on Arch after xfce and gnome - i like it. better than gnome Cinnamon i beleive is a fork of gnome

file mamanger is nemo but i've also got access to for instance xfce terminal

kde can give you the same sort of nausea that you get on boats , with its bouncing wigets

 

[wizardfromoz]

As for the rest of your rant, it would appear that you are not willing to compromise in any way?...

Oh, Brian, remember your manners

G'day Ron and welcome to linux.org

I apologize for using the dreaded 'W' word in my message heading, but...

No need to apologise Mate. We can live with people mentioning the (Win)Dozer ... we just don't have to live with it, lol.

Helps to do a lot of reading with Linux, and think of keywords in your question and Google (or search engine of your choice) using those.

Example

linux save desktop session

will provide you with a wealth of information.

For Desktop environments such as GNOME, Cinnamon, MATE, KDE and so on, read this old one here, still pretty relevant.

https://renewablepcs.wordpress.com/about-linux/kde-gnome-or-xfce/

Gotta fly and cook tea in my Aussie evening, will check in tomorrow.

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

 

[Nik-Ken-Bah]

@rontarrant
G'day and welcome to a new world, the Linux World.

 

[captain-sensible]

this might be of interest its the expereince of a guy who switched from windows- he went for Arch but its applicable no matter what the choice :https://dev.to/mauro_codes/switching-to-arch-linux-1hm

 

[rado84]

File Explorer is my favourite software tool. A lot of applications add entries to the context menu to make using those applications faster and easier. I can even add entries of my own (for instance: to open files in Photoshop).

You mean "open with" functions like with file managers supporting tabs (the Windows parody of a file manager doesn't support opening tabs), such as PCManFM, Nemo, Thunar, Dolphin, etc.?

 

[Tolkem]

1. Applications, when closed, remember their on-screen positions and reopen there.
2. File manager integration makes it easy to pick which application will open a file.
Question: Which (if any) Linux distro/desktop manager/desktop environment offers the first and which file manager offers the second?

KDE Plasma seems the perfect choice for you. I can recommend this https://www.q4os.org/ which I use. It is an easy to use Debian based distro, very lightweight, stable and pretty fast too. It ships in two desktop flavors; Trinity and Plasma. I use Plasma. Plasma's window manager kwin, can let you do with your windows whatever you want; position, size, theming, folder views, shortcut keys, menus, etc. Plasma also has activities, honestly though I don't use them that much, but I've read it is possible to have different apps/windows open in different activities, think of activities like virtual desktops, only different.
Plasma has Dolphin as FM, and I can say it is a great piece of software load with very useful features, called services, and more can be added with a couple of clicks. It supports tabs, drag & drop, and has a dual pane mode. FWIW, I do like Windows(7) explorer, but I can also tell you that Dolphin is superior. If you meant being able to hit the open with item/button in the toolbar, which becomes visible when you select a file, I haven't seen any Linux FM providing that feature, you have to use the context menu, as far as I know. However, you can, in Plasma, using the system settings module, set which apps open which files by default, so you just double-click them, and they're open with that app.

EDIT: I just remembered this https://doublecmd.sourceforge.io/ amongst its many, many features

Configurable button bar to start external programs or internal menu commands

 

[Oldhabbits]

@tom777 kde can give you the same sort of nausea that you get on boats , with its bouncing wigets

Please explain ? I have absolutely NO bouncing widgets in my KDE !
Cheers, Eddy

 

[captain-sensible]

well at my age its a vage memory but it was a Desktop E certainly not xfce , so it was either kde , plasma or other . I didn't look at it long ...anyway this is what a calm Desktop looks like Cinnamon on Vanilla Arch

 

[Oldhabbits]

You mean "open with" functions like with file managers supporting tabs

All included in KDE (as shown here through Krusader file manager, also a marvelous piece of software...

Cheers, Eddy

 

[captain-sensible]

my god that image is nearly as busy as Windows 10 - i would have to have a lie down if that came up

 

[rado84]

@Oldhabbits I was talking about the other type of file managers - such as PCManFM, Dolphin, etc., which are all similar in view to the winboze file manager, though a lot better than it. The double pannel file managers are too limited in functions, that's why I didn't mention them.

 

[stan]

Please explain ? I have absolutely NO bouncing widgets in my KDE !
Cheers, Eddy

The KDE mouse cursor has (had?) a tag-along friend... it's a bouncing "busy" indicator that ran for a few seconds when opening an application. You can see an example of it here. Another bit of "eye candy" that is/was common on KDE was "wobbly windows" (see here). Some folks love these desktop effects, some folks hate them. To each their own.