Technology

The biggest joke is that the LLM in Windows is running locally, it uses your hardware and not some big external server farm. But you can bet your ass that they still use it to data harvest the shit out of you.

That is an accurate description of AI in common usage even if it isn't an inherent aspect of AI.

I expect canonical to do it to Ubuntu.

I guess id be ok with an installable debian package for an end user controlled llama package with gui avatar interface overlay. Local learning data set storage plus ability to use API calls to injest info from other cloud based llm ai systems when the local dataset doesnt have a reliable answer.

Almost definitely.

I want all the cool Ai shit, but I want to be in charge of it 100%. I don't want a data mining company with an OS side project spying on me for profit.

Sure. But then, Linux may well be a solution against corporate greed.

For music production check out Ubuntu Studio. Any distro can run music production stuff but Ubuntu Studio has all the required bits ready to go.

For DAW I transitioned into Reaper which runs natively on Linux. VST support with wine and yabridge works generally fine. For Native Instruments you need to use a legacy installer. I bet there are still problems with some vendor authorizations. You should just test it out to see if your favorite VSTs are supported.

Also if i want to make a plex server on an old PC, what would people recommend?

Any desktop PC built in the last 10 years (edit: that was at least mid-range when it was built) should be fine. Just stick some hard drives in it :)

Intel processors are a good choice because their onboard GPU is quite good for video encoding/decoding. 6th gen or newer Intel Core processors (2015 or newer) would work well. They improved the H265 encoding/decoding a lot in 8th gen (2018) so that'd be even better. You can use something older but you'd need to also use a graphics card for video encoding/decoding, and it'd use more power.

Having said that, keep in mind that performance per watt almost always improves over time, meaning newer processors are more powerful even if they use the same power as the previous generation. A newer i3 will perform better than a very old i7. Using an very old, power-hungry system may end up more expensive in the long run compared to a newer mini PC.

I like using Proxmox. It lets you run multiple virtual machines on the system. VMs are good because you can easily snapshot them and revert back to an old snapshot in case of issues, and you can easily move the VM to a different system in the future. I use Unraid at home and really like it. It's a bit simpler than Proxmox, but it costs money to use (Proxmox is free for personal use).

I’d recommend checking out Linux Mint with the “cinnamon” desktop.

Installing hardware drivers and software is a breeze. It comes with a software manager for easily adding new programs.

Screenshot included for convenience:

FYI Helldivers 2 works fine on an ubuntu + AMD GPU, as well as Baldur's Gate 3. Haven't tested any other game yet.

Setup is trivial thanks to Steam and proton.

Kernel level anti-cheat won't work, thank heavens the Linux developers won't allow that abomination.

No process deserves that kind of elevated permissions.

As of the last few days I've been trying out Linux gaming for the first time, and the prospects seem really good. ProtonDB suggests all games I care about are native or run fine and I've tested several, and I was able to use bottles to get an old MMO I play running incredibly easy.

Only thing I really have to dual boot for is Valorant.

Steam is your best bet here. I’ve been playing Baldur’s Gate. Previously played Civ VI a lot… lots of great choices.

Steam Deck is extremely capable.

Start using Linux, tell those companies you'd buy but you're on Linux, spread the word, wash, rinse, repeat.

Be the change you want to see.

Some, not all. If you're inflexible on gaming you're going to want to get comfortable with Windows AI.

how to do <objective> lemmy

Well you already know how to find this place, so find a Linux-themed instance and either ask your question or better yet post a "guide" telling people to resolve your problem by doing some wrong method you've already tried so that someone else calls you an idiot and posts the correct answer out of spite.

“The Year Of Linux on Desktops”. Been hearing this for decades, but it might actually be happening.

Been hearing this for decades.

I'm convinced that Linux' mere presence has already stymied the development of the worst possible technocractic nightmare. I shudder to think of the thick tech-chains that would bind us if there was not an anchor/reference point... or if there was not even the small contingent that knows what it is like to use a liberating platform.