PowerToys Are Back! Microsoft Reboots the Utilities As an Open Source Project (betanews.com) 48
Mark Wilson writes: Microsoft is bringing back PowerToys for Windows 10 — and this time it is open source. If the name doesn't mean anything to you, you probably weren't a Windows 95 user, but if this was your computing era, you'll remember tinkering with the likes of TweakUI, Send to X, QuickRes and numerous other delightful utilities.
Now the collection of utilities is back, rebooted for Windows 10 and due to be released as an open source project. At the moment, there are two tools being worked on — a "maximize to new desktop" widget, and the Windows-key [keyboard] shortcut guide — but ten more are under consideration and due for release this summer.
Now the collection of utilities is back, rebooted for Windows 10 and due to be released as an open source project. At the moment, there are two tools being worked on — a "maximize to new desktop" widget, and the Windows-key [keyboard] shortcut guide — but ten more are under consideration and due for release this summer.
What? (Score:2, Insightful)
No power toy to turn updates off?
Re: (Score:2)
It's funny, because many Linux distro's auto-install some updates including security updates. But, when Microsoft does it, its criminal apparently..
Re: What? (Score:2)
i think Ubuntu server 18.04 updates unattended.
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No the problem is that Windows is completely opaque. With Linux there are certain, known, methods for automatically updating a system. If you don't want it updated, you simply delete the cron job, stop and delete the daemon, remove a systemd target, etc. It's all there in the open, and generally understandable and tweakable. With Windows, it's much much harder to do that sort of thing, if not impossible.
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Windows:
set 4 services to disabled - windows updates, BITS, Update Orchestrator, and one more I can't recall ATM
Task Scheduler, disable a couple of tasks that I also can't remember ATM
Sorry, it's late on mother's day here, I've got a BBQ going and I'm waiting for the roasted chicken to rest before serving.
Anyway, it's not any more difficult to stop updates on windows than it is on linux. It's a bit more transparent on linux, but still...
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It is now. Win10 recently introduced a service that has a sole job of not being possible to disable via services menu, and that constantly monitors the state of windows update service and restarts it if it's disabled.
You need to go to third party tools to disable this service.
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That's probably true. For Linux however, at least on Mint and Ubuntu, I don't want to turn it off. At most I'll be bugged be a popup telling me I should reboot one of these days to have the updates take effect. And that will be a normal reboot cycle.
In Windows, however, I can totally end up without warning in update reboot hell with the infamous 'Please do not power off or unplug your machine, installing update 5 from 235' message.
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On pretty much every (probably all) Linux distro that supports auto-update, disabling it is easy, documented and supported in a way that doesn't cripple anything unnecessarily.
If the process you described does work without ill side affects, it's likely to be subverted soon by Microsoft and you will have to play another iteration of Cat-N-Mouse.
Add to that, as others have mentioned, that there have been very few Linux distros that have attempted something in an update that people hate as much as what Micro
why so late? (Score:2)
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Wow, this is really a blast from the past... I have vague memories of using the Power Toys and finding them quite useful, back when I was a Windows user.
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The utility I want (Score:5, Insightful)
Isn't there one? (Score:2)
Isn't that (and turning off automatic updates) the big selling points of Win 10 Enterprise edition (and Win 10 Chinese Government Edition)
Re: The utility I want (Score:2)
Blackbird
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Re: The utility I want (Score:2)
You can uninstall those with powershell
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Like you, I was rather annoyed with Win10 spyware edition, and refused to use it.
This past weekend, I decided to devote a spare system to making Win10 sans all the telemetry.
So, I had to start with a copy of Windows that isn't available to anyone (the aforementioned LTSC), then use several custom hosts files, 4 spyware-killing programs (ShutUp10, Spybot Anti-Beacon, Win10AppRemover [IIRC the name] and a German one whose name escapes me right now) to neutralize Win10 and 2 custom programs to return functiona
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Slashdot shouldn't be promoting closed source software.
On this basis, should Slashdot close its games section [slashdot.org]?
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Free is not free as in given away.
Windows 95? (Score:5, Informative)
If the name doesn't mean anything to you, you probably weren't a Windows 95 user
They also had Power Toys for Windows XP [wikipedia.org]. No need to be a Win95 user.
Neither of the two are particularly exciting... (Score:3)
Maximize to new desktop is *closest* to one thing I was hoping for, a keyboard shortcut to move app to other desktop while switching to desktop (A given in the Linux world). Already asked for in https://github.com/microsoft/P... [github.com] of course and duped in https://github.com/microsoft/P... [github.com].
Better Alt+Tab including browser tab integration and search for running apps
Make this the 'Win+Tab' interface with search and I'll be very pleased. KDE is the only actively maintained desktop that offers this as far as I know. Gnome has a static list output for search, though they have deeper search into window contents for supported apps.
Something like AltDrag would make a lot of sense too.
If by chance they have a grid layout for virtual desktops, using text search to filter win+tab results, AltDrag, move focused window with desktop switch, together with their ConPTY and hopefully a good Terminal at long last... They'll finally be in serious competition with Linux desktop distros that are free...
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I can think of at least 7 users that need this too.
Most people manage their computer use more efficiently and effectively, and don't need a NASA command station on one screen.
Port them to Linux (Score:3)
Process Explorer and TCPView would be nice to have for Linux.