Just confirmed that Winboat (like Docker, KVM/qemu, and other container/VM solutions) can’t do bridged networking over wifi. At least one Windows app that I’d like to be able to use (FlashForge’s Orca Slicer) needs to be on the same LAN as the printer in order to work (in LAN mode so it can be used from more than one computer).
I have a KVM/qemu VM (which doesn’t work for some things because of the lack of an easy way to do bridged networking over wifi) and I’ve tried WINE (which appears to not support a DLL that FlashForge’s Orca Slicer needs to work). WinBoat is on my list to try, but my guess is that it also won’t support bridged networking over wifi, and I’ve already spent too many days on this problem.
Printer: FlashForge AD5X (more in this comment)
Camera and scanning: Yes, I could put together some sort of solution, but “you can get it working by spending time putting a solution together that entails more manual steps (or scripting or whatever) and/or requires the CPU/GPU to do more of the work” is something I’d prefer to not have to do. And this makes it less compelling to advocate to others if they also have any such peripherals or workflows.
FlashForge AD5X using FF’s Orca Slicer, which has better support for their IFS, and for which there isn’t a Linux build. The printer is in a different room, so running a dedicated cable isn’t a viable option (and would regardless still fall into the “inconvenience or compromise of using Linux”)
Peripherals…
• A document scanner with pretty great Windows software that has features that are not nearly as easy to do with FOSS Linux software (splitting documents, auto cropping and alignment, OCR, etc)
• A 3D printer that doesn’t have Linux software, so I can’t easily send prints to it from Linux
• A webcam that supports device-level configuration (zoom, cropping, etc) but doesn’t have Linux software to control it
Why I switched to Linux (on one laptop, so far) from Windows:
Enshitification: Such as login interstitials trying to get me to switch to Edge over and over, and more naggy features added to the task bar and stuff
End of support: I was on Win10 (Win11 has even more enshitification), so if I was going to be forced off of Win10, I may as well migrate away from Windows (and sooner rather than later).
WSL2 sucks (yet more enshitification): it’s more isolated from Windows than WSL1 (and other options, such as Cygwin).
Now, I’ve only switched to Linux on my laptop (full time; no dual boot!), but I see that as a first step towards migrating other computers in the house to Windows. I’m expecting difficulties when I switch the others (like webcam drivers, or lack of ability to use device configuration or firmware update software like for my Logitech Brio webcam). I also use Blue Iris NVR, which is Windows only, and Linux options don’t look as good. So 0% Windows is not looking likely for a while.
I think Dropbox’s Lepton is the closest thing to a real-world version of SV’s middle-out algorithm