I'm not GP, but not being able to use a Linux box for work would be a big negative in a future employment decision for me. It's not just a matter of style, but also ergonomics and efficiency (also somewhat in terms of hardware when it comes to Macbook). While I'm open to change that brings improvement, a job forcing me to use tools that I've tried and know will get in my way will make me less inclined to pick it.
Yes. I have been forced to use Windows for communication, and especially the trifecta of Outlook, Teams and Word opened my eyes as to why a lot of my colleagues weren't getting stuff done and were always hung up on weird problems I couldn't understand. Like "why is the reply on this email TOFU and doesn't even answer half the questions asked below": well, because writing proper replies in Outlook is impossible. "Why does this document look like crap even after someone has spent a week editing in all suggested changes?": well, Word doesn't do proper merging of stuff or proper templates. "Why didn't he answer my chat questions from yesterday?": well, because no proper highlights or working history in teams chats...
I feel for all people forced to work like this. I cannot understand employers accepting the massive suck on productivity this causes. For my own sanity, I will charge a premium or avoid such environments altogether.
Btw., if possible a workaround for a lot of the usual driver/VPN/that-one-special-application headaches that force employees to use windows is to get approval for vmware, virtualbox or something, install yourself a linux VM and use that in fullscreen for most things. But of course that is not always possible.
I'm personally thanking god^Wsome good folks at MS for WSL2. Which, from my understanding, is a very well integrated VM, really. But even so, the performance of that thing is just not what it should be.
WSL2 doesn't really cut it. Can't use my own window manager/desktop environment, graphics are kinda slow and sluggish, hardware passthrough is worse than in vmware, etc.
It might be ok for the occasional Linux tool, but I want the other thing: the occasional windows tool, but the rest to be Linux.
Hadn't really crossed my mind that the vmware vm might be more performant than the one baked into windows by MS. That's a bit embarassing, isn't it? :P
Ever since I realized I was fighting a system I have no intention of mastering anymore (my brain cycles are too dear to me for that) I stopped engaging and just accepted it as the nuisance it is.
But "just use vmware" seems like an easy enough fix that I might actually go down that route from now on, thanks!
It would, but I want to stress again that this was not a fault of my employer, nor is it permanent.
It was basically the fault of Dell/Intel to provide proper drivers with my hardware, combined with the worst of timings: the first French started on the day after my hardware arrived, and I had to hastily relocate after picking it up, to avoid being stuck in a tiny temporary housing. This was then the only work-capable hardware in the house. So I couldn't just send it back when I noticed the problems, because it would have meant literally not being able to work for a while. Although with the time I spent trying to make it work on linux, then the nerves/mental health I've spent on using Windows on it, that would have been the better call in hindsight.
Anyhow, given that on-premise work is still not exactly around the corner, I'll build a ryzen workstation as soon as parts become available here, and be done with this. And I'll avoid Dell/Intel from now on.
