Microsoft rolls Windows Recall out to the public nearly a year after announcing it
Microsoft rolls Windows Recall out to the public nearly a year after announcing it
It's a pretty bold move to advertise the inclusion of a key logger in your OS.
Youd already be using Linux Mint or Ubuntu if you cared about not being data mined.
I've been Linux only since 2016, after a decade of "trying " to move over. I do still have a partition for the increasingly rare event that I need something MS, which so far has been one class in my University that required a lockdown browser for a test.
Mint is easy to use too if you don't want to fiddle around with various packages.
"But most significantly, Microsoft has made Recall a feature you must opt in to using rather than opt out of using, and it's possible to remove it completely."
Important bit
only until they find out most people never enable it. Then it will be forced on
Yeah, this is just the thin end of the wedge.
Although I suppose you could call windows itself the thin end of the wedge, this is a slightly wider part.
Most MS controversial features go through "opt in -> opt out -> mandatory" pipeline examples are Telemetry, Windows Live account, Spotlight (ui ads), etc.
This is good. There are probably some edge cases for this. I work in IT for some companies using industrial automation. Being able to roll back and watch what people do when errors or problems occur is a good feature. Similarly on high value servers I would like this as well.
Being able to turn it on is better than having to apply policies to disable. I don't see this as a big problem anymore.
opt in for now.
For now, anyway. Let's hope it stays that way.
Also it's not available on x86-64 CPUs. You need an ARM CPU with an NPU. Microsoft's reasoning is so that the AI shit can be processed locally to protect your privacy. Apparently they've never heard of GPUs before.
laughs in Linux
There's nothing to laugh about. The maniacally evil thing about recall is, that it doesn't matter what you do to keep your devices clean. If you interact with someone who doesn't keep his devices clean, which is 100% of us, you're on recall
Good thing I have no friends to interact with then! Take that, Microsoft!
Would be interesting to see how microsoft kills windows in the long term and then be shocked as to how this happened
Kind of like how they fucked up and let zoom become the pandemic program everyone used despite skype being so established it had already become a verb like google? M$ really racking up those wins recently
Zoom was already everywhere in the business world before the pandemic.
Seems like Skype was only for personal users who were not very techy and wanted to make free calls overseas.
Zoom was so bad, too. It was so unreliable, it was missing basic features, the UI was unfriendly.
They've improved on each of these things slightly since then.
But it's a testament to how bad Skype was that Zoom was found to be preferable.
Or the windows phone too
I always “Recall” how shitty windows is, whenever I see the word mentioned.
I opt-out.
Have to admit, the name "Recall" does have a better ring to it than "Take a Screenshot Every 3 Seconds".
I would love this feature if it was entirely local with zero external connections.
But, you know, profits.
Overseas devs have had the random screenshot to prove productivity happening for a while now. There's a hundred ways around it. Most common is a second computer next to you dev machine.
This is a huge opportunity. All of us Linux geeks now need to be on mainstream social media platforms and actively seek out and help everyone who expresses an interest in switching from Windows to Linux.
Let me save you the trip. I have an old trash spec hp all in one that's had the bag beat out of it, what is the best lightweight Linux distro to make this a usable web browsing and PDF file viewer? (To be used in my garage to look at FSM, wiring diagrams, play music, Google crap etc nothing demanding). I've tried mint and it works ok but thinking lighter weight ?
Damn Small Linux is very lightweight and comes with browser and PDF viewer preloaded. It doesn't have a GUI software installer though, so you will have to use the terminal if you need to install stuff.
I see you have only two different answers so far. which is just not playing the game. i'll give you another two; there are at least 15 "best lightweight linux distro". For your use, I'd pick any one at random, try it out on a bootable usb.
Personslly, I'd try stock debian and choose LXQT for a lightweight desktop.
puppylinux also deserves a mention, I always have a bootble PL usb lying around somewhere. Its reliable , fast for a usb, very good potato-compatibility, has loads of useful programmes and utilitiea already in there. I've never actually installed it permanently though. Scared of making a commitment to slackware that I don't understand.
I'd avoid Damn Small and Tiny Core though - unless you really need them. Cool as they are they are well out of mainstream.
FSM
Finite-state machine?
Flying Spaghetti Monster?
Forgetting Sarah Marshall?
I installed MX Linux on an old tablet/ laptop with 2GB RAM AND 30GB storage. Works very well except for the webcam, but that's because the hardware is made so that only windows can use it correctly.
You could try Linux Mint XFCE edition. Comes with a more lightweight desktop environment.
Q4OS is another good potion
My windows10 install still asks me to complete the setup...lol no
So reading more into it, it's (currently) only on the bogus copilot+ PCs they were peddling? I'm happily on bazzite, but this is good news for my stubborn mates that haven't touched copilot+ shit.
I would not count on them telling the truth.
I checked my Windows 11 work laptop a while ago, and that shit was enabled. Did not see that in any UI, but using command line. Said that shit was enabled and active, but apparently it was not yet doing anything. I will have to check again next time I am firing that machine up again, because I absolutely trust them to re-enable it without my consent, those bottom-feeding scum suckers.
Obligatory info on how to check and disable recall in Windows 11:
DISM /Online /Get-FeatureInfo /FeatureName:Recall and press the Enter key.DISM /Online /Disable-Feature /FeatureName:RecallFrom this page.
Thank you for this, valuable info right there.
Oh give it time it will appear after an update on everything else, "accidentally".
Yeah. My entire windows machine is locked down specifically to combat the copilot ms365 plague. I'm also using Bazzite and generally loving it. But I have a work machine for work things and some of my programs require windows to work.
We live in weird age, where using Windows is becoming harder than Linux (even though it has its own issues).
We've been there for a long time.
Broadly speaking, outside of some specific niche workflows, Linux has been pretty easy for a long time, and Windows has a lot of unintuitive stuff that we only think is easy because we're used to it.
Linux and Windows certainly both have their failings, but it feels like Linux's generally stem from the lack of full time developers on projects, whereas failings in Windows often feel like a deliberate user-hostile choice.
Are they going back to Windows 10? Wow Microsoft finally a progressive?
every linux user: Oh no...well anyway
It is good to use linux. But this has an impact on everyone to some degree. You may use Linux, but does your family, friends, your doctor, your teacher or boss, and whoever else who has some of your personal data?
You do bring a good point. Every doctor will havemy phone number on file and recall will screen shot that. I cant do anything to stop that. Same with every other piece of data.
At least my doctor won't have screen shot of everything, web page, picture, word doc, friends lists, political news, I view on screen.
Someone will have vital information stolen from a recall hack on a 3rd party
My data being in the hands of a 3rd party at all is arguably a larger risk than said 3rd party running Windows. No single individual can control what OS any particular 3rd party runs, and if you hand data over to a 3rd party, at some point you have to trust them. If you don't trust them, find someone you can trust.
Don't make everyone else's choice of OS my problem.
Tbh I'd pay money for a foss alternative here. There are smart systems in KDE and Gnome already but if it could recall exact details on free software it would be awesome.
You can install key and screen loggers if you want. Could even setup offsite backup and rclone it all wherever you want.
Roll it back in please.
Copilot+ PCs have specific hardware requirements beyond the ones necessary to run Windows 11. The most significant is the requirement for a neural processing unit (NPU) that can process more than 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS).
So in other words, copilot will be a huge enormous waste of electricity as it's continuously training some shitty AI. Gottit.
How long until Microsoft gets accused of stealing classified info?
Last time they thought about rolling it out, security researchers immediately found ways to do clear text exfiltration of user data.
This should be terrifying for anybody who is at all concerned about opsec for anything at all.
Corporate /LTS editions don't have this crap. MS only rapes the peasantry
For now. Plus, lots of companies still use Windows "Professional" SKUs.
Thankfully my work laptop runs W11 Enterprise, but still...
Install Linux already, be done with this windows nonsense
I agree. But people also need to be ready for some of the Linux bullshit brings. I've switched recently and it's never 100% smooth sailing. But at least no tracking and proprietary bullshit.
Yeah, this can be an unpopular opinion on Lemmy, because there’s a giant Linux circlejerk. But the unfortunate reality is that changing to Linux does have some major stumbling blocks. The “switching is so easy, just do it” crowd totally glosses over it, but that’s kind of rhetoric doesn’t help long term adoption. Because if some new user has only heard “switching is so easy” and immediately runs into issues, they’ll be more likely to go “well if it’s super easy and I can’t figure it out, I guess it’s just not for me” and abandon things.
There’s also a very vocal (and toxic) part of the Linux community that basically just screams “RTFM” at every newbie question. New users shouldn’t be expected to dig into a 350 page technical document just to learn the basics of their new OS.
Bullshit like what? That most stuff just does as advertised?
Yeah, there will be technical issues here and there, but are you really going to claim widows doesn't have technical issues?
I've been doing Linux desktop for over 25 years now and every time I look at windows it's always because of some bullshit technical issue and I always have to wonder why people pay for that shit
In 2005 Windows was like 95% of the desktop/laptop market. Today it's 70-75%. Since then mobile phones usurped a lot of functionality that used to require a desktop/laptop. Windows dependency is going to keep trending down both in just desktop/laptop or including mobile devices
I guess that means I have to break out the old GOATSE wall paper.
GOATSE
Get recalled
Don‘t say no one was warned…
This comment is critical of Microsoft because the company name was mentioned in the article.
Naive
On a separate note, I just installed a Linux partition on my laptop to dual boot since I still need windows for AGI32 and Autodesk. Next weekend, I'll be shrinking my windows partition, move my files to a new partition and mount it in Linux so I can access files both ways.
Feels so good to have absolute control of my computer again.
I'm glad I got out when I could because Recall is such a dodgy 'feature'.
One has to wonder if Recall just isn't as profitable as they had hoped.
No individual aspect is profitable here it i about data collection and depth of service.
Collection of personal data is arguably worth money to them though, for advertising and whatever else they're doing.
If only CS2 ran better on linux 😔
CS2
It has a native linux client: https://x0.at/I1ZV.png
get linux if you haven't already
if you don't know how, ask, Lemmy is covered in Linux users
I'm building a new gaming PC and it's going to be a Linux build and if it doesn't work the way you guys keep insisting it will, I swear to God.
My last experience with Linux was with Ubuntu about 10 years ago and I can't say it was a particularly great experience I'm hoping that in the last decade it's improved its user experience.
I'm migrating to Linux Mint, 99% of steam games work as well as on windows. Those who don't are mostly multiplayer games that insist to have some shitty kernel anticheat.
I'll still keep windows on dual boot when I need it, though.
I'm not a Linux hater (believe it or not), but I'm definitely not an evangelist either, and I think this eternal praise for Linux is just not warranted.
If you want things to "just work" in any capacity, then you're in for a bad time.
Personally, I don't want Windows 11 on my next PC, but I don't have the time or the desire to get into the troubleshooting hell that unfortunately is Linux either.
People say that anything is possible on Linux, but at the same time roast you for even thinking that it's not gonna take enormous amounts of un-learning and self education when coming from Windows.
Linux fanboys who don't see it's faults can be sort of toxic.
I don't doubt that I'll get downvoted for this, but I think there need so be more differing opinions on Linux on here.
I also tried Ubuntu 10 years ago and threw it away in anger. Have been using mint for over a year now and game on it regularly. All I really needed to know was: use proton and add 'gamemoderun %command%' into the launch option of the game.
Except for mods on Nier. That was a hassle.
Its actually more annoying on the work computer. Ms office windows apps are kind of great compared to libreoffice, especially with the collaboration options. But Linux is nicer to do dev work on so ¯(ツ)/¯
I was in a similar boat and have found modern Linux to be somewhere between Windows XP and Windows 10 in terms of convenience and having it "just work". However, I reckon I've spent less time troubleshooting than I would spend raging at the bullshit Microsoft keeps trying to shove down your throat in Windows. On balance I'm counting it as a win, and I suspect you will too.
AMD or NVidia?
Most games that I play work well on Linux with AMD. Most who have problems seem to have Nvidia. Anti-cheat stuff can be an exception though so best to ensure what you enjoy works.
If you can check hardware compatibility before hand, it helps. An up to date kernel like Fedora, OpenSuse TW or Arch can help. Wine recommends up to date kernel.
Please update this if you fun into the usual brick wall of hand modifying config files or self-compiling some obscure git pull just to make basic things like audio and network work.
Nobara or Bazzite are your best Linux options for gaming. I've been on Nobara for over a year with nothing but good things to say about the distro and its community.
Unfortunately brand new hardware has issues more often than not. I had to get a beta build just to get wifi to work on one system I built.
I have Linux up and running and it’s definitely improved, I’ve fixed almost all the issues I’ve had previously. Unfortunately, discord is missing attenuation on Linux. This is a real problem for me and if I could find a solution, I could ditch windows.
Dont forget to put on a suit and say thank you once you try a modern Linux distro
Just keep in mind that there are some very different options within the Linux world and different people here will push you towards different options. The two most common and most different options are Bazzite and Mint.
While both of them can definitely work well, in my experience Mint still leaves a lot of new users unsatisfied with it. I'm yet to see any windows user complain about Bazzite, so that's my recommendation.
Either way if you try one and it doesn't live up to your expectations, there's still a chance the other might.
Use Bazzite! Works great now even with Nvidia cards. Been able to run anything the same as I did on windows before. Was able to get VR working too pretty quickly by using ALVR
For gaming, I recommend Garuda. It has a preset for gaming in particular with a lot of packages you'll need to install, and a tool to install extra things you may want, like software for controllers and things like that. I think it also has the Nvidia drivers built in (I'm AMD though, so I'm not sure) which isn't always the case. It's also Arch based, so the Arch wiki, which is one of the best Linux information sources, will all work, and it can access the Arch User Repository (AUR) where users upload packages, which may be important. For example, Runescape doesn't work on Linux as is, but there is a package on the AUR for a launcher that works.
There are dozens of us.
And my axe!
Sorry
All of my devices except my work one are now Linux.
I have an old surface go 2 that good a massive new lease on life from using arch plasma. Double the battery life and everything. It could no longer get updates from MS because there was no longer enough space on the main drive to download and install the next update.
Then I have an old retro gaming pc that used to be for XP gaming but I ended up sticking bazzite on it for a test and it's stayed that way and because of that when I built my girlfriend's latest PC we decided to go bazzite desktop for her. And after getting past a few growing pains at the beginning that made it look like we made the wrong decision (due to an old 10xx gtx gpu - now on 3050) she's been enjoying it and now it's just standard.
Then I have my proper gaming PC that I use like a console so I put bazzite-deck on it as soon as I got an AMD card. And I've never felt better. HTPC console like gaming on windows was a fucking arse-on, even with steam big picture mode, because it doesn't get all of the cool bells and whistles that let you control basic system settings right from steam like you can on steam os and bazzite deck.
For work I've started moving away from visual studio to VS Code (i know it's still MS but I do C# .NET work and rider is too expensive, I don't want a subscription for an IDE) to allow me to easily transition to fully working on Linux if the opportunity ever arises. Whether it be with my current employer and me convincing them to let me to install Linux on my laptop or with a future company. We'll see which comes first ;)
Now it's time to get and decouple from Google. Currently figuring out with android auto maps app I want (waze won't run for some reason, my current winner at the moment is tom tom amigo). Then it's on to getting a password manager, then a new browser (preferably way more lightweight than chrome) and potentially a Google pay replacement(?).
Any suggestions and opinions from anyone here - even though this is tangentially off topic - would be greatly appreciated.
VSCodium is a thing too if you want to un-Microsoft even further.
https://vscodium.com/
I use it for C# development on Linux and it works well.
Bitwarden and Keepass are usually the go tos, depending on your use case.
Firefox or if you want to decouple from Mozilla as well, Librewolf works pretty well.
I'm not aware of any open Google Pay replacements other than taking a card with you.
As soon as you get rid of Google on your phone, you get rid of Google Pay.
Btw Rider is now free for non commercial use
I ran linux mint for a couple months. It was nice. Very few problems.
Unfortunately, when I tried to install it on this newer desktop it was a shit-show. No wifi or ethernet, no hdmi, it crashed when I tried to play elden ring. I should try another distribution, but I was so distressed after two days I just rolled back. The people in the mint discord were helpful, though, and got some of the problems fixed.
Windows sucks though.
Since Mint is based on a stable distro, it'll be running older software that won't support your newer hardware well, and you're experiencing that firsthand.
Try Fedora, Bazzite, OpenSUSE Tumbleweed, or anything else that's more bleeding edge – they're still very usable and reliable, it's just that stable distros like Mint and Debian are "stable and reliable" overkill.
Edit: and if you're wondering why this wasn't mentioned to you from the start, the answer is likely that these distros tend to be:
With newer hardware you need to run a bleeding edge distro, at least until Debian 13 releases (a lot of distros use Debian as a base)
I've got this move coming up - my plan is to dual boot and slowly wean over.
Game crashes in Linux, try for a fix and if I get frustrated, boot into windows and enjoy the game.
Might be a rocky year, but the dual boot will likely take the stress off!
I've seen a lot of fedora-based distros pushed for gaming (mint is Debian based), apparently these can work better. Still looking into it, but no definitive answers there yet!
With the efforts I'm doing to try and de-google / de-big US tech this needs to be my next move.
Trying to convince my better half to do it on his laptop is a pain. I'm under if you degoogle my chromebook now or once it loses support.
I'm going to grad school soon for cs and they require windows 11. This is gonna be a fun test in locking down my machine and only doing updates with intention
Never heard of this before. They may recommend it, but not require.
You can dual boot or use a virtual machine. Both are pretty easy to setup.
I had a class that "required" Windows, I did just fine with Linux. YMMV.