Tired: Linux fans using the Edge browser. Wired: Linux fans using a Microsoft account to sign into the Edge browser

Sync is here for the wafer-thin Venn intersection of Linux users running the Edge browser and those who are happy to sign in using a Microsoft account. Arriving last night from version 91.0.831.1 of Microsoft's Dev Channel, users would be able to synchronise their favourites, extensions, and passwords over devices. So long as …

[David 132]

Oh, thank goodness.

At last. Thank $DEITY. Finally, Linux becomes a modern, useable computing platform. Thank you, Microsoft, for providing this vital piece.

Now, I can live my best life.

[Anonymous Coward]

Third step is

login to Microsoft to use Linux. And in the end, monthly charge for using a Microsoft account. Beautiful isn't it ?

[Tomislav]

Re: Third step is

I believe we also need linux to automatically collect and send telemetry data to Microsoft. Strictly for troubleshooting purposes. :)

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft on Linux : The Enemy within

I've finally broken the last link I have with Microsoft and have blocked Microsoft.com at my network firewall.

I see the 'cuddling up' to Linux as merely the prelude to a full-blown assault on Linux and FOSS in general.

downvote this post if you like but I just don't trust anything that MS says or does.

"The day isn't done until Linux won't run"

[jake]

Re: Microsoft on Linux : The Enemy within

What took you so long?

[chasil]

Microsoft contributions to the Linux kernel

Unfortunately, if you cannot tolerate Microsoft code, you will be unable to run Linux.

Microsoft has contributed code into the Linux kernel source tree for a number of reasons (HyperV comes to mind):

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/what-is-microsoft-doing-with-linux-everything-you-need-to-know-about-its-plans-for-open-source/

Microsoft has also contributed code to OpenSSH, so you might need to switch out your SSH clients and servers (although I don't know if any Microsoft code has made it all the way up to OpenBSD's /usr/src):

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/12/microsoft-quietly-snuck-an-ssh-client-and-server-into-the-latest-windows-10/

100% avoidance of Microsoft's code can require profound changes to software infrastructure.

[sreynolds]

Re: Third step is

You pay for the privilege of NOT having to use windows

I have a dedicated video conf machine that I don't mind being finger printed. As zoom sends all the details off and teams probably does the same. When using windows with zoom it took an hour to find out why some idiot security setting was stopping zoom from using the microphone. And then tested teams with linux, worked fine apart from having to provide a phone number. On windows, I could not even register, and the camera didn't work.

[Lorribot]

Re: Third step is

Or you could choose to send the whole of your life to Google.

Personally I am not sure i would trust the other Chromium based browsers to entirely unpick Google from the browser, so take your pick of who you hate least. Choice is wonderful thing.

I doubt this has anything to do with Linux nerds that hate Google but still need Chrome because Firefox is....... this likely more to do with Corporate Linux deployments and manageability and control.

Fortunately we all have choices, we may not like the options they proffer but they are there even if at best they are the least worst option.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Lorribot - Re: Third step is

Corporate Linux deployments ? Where in the name of our Holly $deity have you seen that ? Wow! Corporate and Linux deployment in the same sentence that's what I call miracle. Can they also cure blindness or at least hair loss ?

[jake]

Re: @Lorribot - Third step is

Assuming you really don't know and aren't just trolling, how do you think RedHat has been making money all these years, and why do you think IBM bought them? SUSE has been making a pretty good living selling Linux solutions to corporations, too. Etc.

[Anonymous Coward]

@jake - Re: @Lorribot - Third step is

I really don't know. Microsoft for example is selling Dynamics but internally they are using SAP, lots of Linux developpers are using Mac and so on. RedHat selling Linux doesn't necessarily mean they are a Linux shop, if I remember correctly they killed RH desktop a long time ago and I strongly doubt their accounting department is running MS Office on RHEL servers.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: Third step is

You think Edge for Linux isn't already doing that?

[Ken Moorhouse]

Re: Third step is

Step 1. Take Edge.

Step 2. Discard the middle two letters.

Step 3: Insert an E.

[CRConrad]

Steps 4 and 5:

Follow up with an m and two x's, then a b and two t's.

[ecofeco]

You're taking the piss right?

Nobody is really doing this, are they? Are they?!

[Pascal Monett]

Indeed. A Linux user installing a Microsoft product ?

Madness.

[ovation1357]

I did this with Teams for Linux (beta) - I really hate even admitting it!

Personally I think teams is a crock is s**t anyway but the Linux beta client proved to be more stable and performant on my antique ThinkPad compared to fairly new mid-range Windows laptop from my work.

HOWEVER it always loads on startup, and if I remove it from or disable it on the list of startup programs it automatically reenables itself.... Hmm just like a virus...

If will get uninstalled soon as I don't need it and it's rubbish

[Psmo]

For info, there's a checkbox setting in Teams that will disable automatic startup.

Thanks to Teams for Linux I've been able to give the other half a big screen Linux laptop for remote working and not worry about VPN clients and pulseaudio having a showdown.

[ovation1357]

Thanks! I'll check that out. I'm amazed that this is even configurable given how few settings there are.

If you can turn it off then this certainly helps, but it's still not normal behaviour for a Linux application to keep automatically re-adding itself to the startup applications if it's been removed.

[Anonymous Coward]

Teams doesn't always autostart on Linux

I installed Teams on Linux Mint (from its app store), and it doesn't autostart. It's been useful for the odd call from home.

As the previous reply notes, maybe check the settings?

[MacroRodent]

I confess

Been using the Edge development version on Fedora for a while, along with other browsers (depending on how I feel on a given day). Works well enough, no odd crashes so far. Pretty much the same experience as Chrome, except the default search engine is of course Bing.

Curiously, it actually feels faster than Chrome, even though it is in principle mostly the same code. Perhaps it still has less telemetry and spying than the older brother?

[Anonymous Coward]

Who is this guy Butt Plug?

[jake]

Well, for one he's not an anonymous, cowardly blob of grey goo.

[Trigun]

Admittedly, chromium Edge is much better than it's predecessor, but I'd still much rather use Firefox, thanks.

[Robert Forsyth]

Could be Worse

Why is O365 Excel from Sharepoint on Firefox on Linux using several gigs of swap?

And half a dozen Firefox Web instances?

[jake]

Re: Could be Worse

Probably because putting a spreadsheet in the cloud and operated by a browser is a fundamentally flawed concept. Just a guess, mind you, but an educated one.

[Kevin McMurtrie]

I might have login issues if I tried it

A MS bot told me that I have contacted an "unmonitored" address and network abuse complaints are no longer accepted by e-mail.

We hope these changes not only not impact the quality of MSRC’s security response but to also empower our community of reporters to continue sharing their insights into the ongoing and emerging threats across the cloud.

I could spend a long time filling out empowering Microsoft forms online, but the firewall is easier. Those pesky SSH dictionary attacks were solved in a minute today by blocking 13.64.0.0 - 13.107.255.255.

[Citizen99]

I've got it on Devuan Beowolf, just for another, separate browser, for ad-hoc use, not for routine browsing. Not invoking any microsoft-orientated functionality on it, it seems simple and straightforward.

[my cats breath smells like cat food]

Some days I miss Steve Balmer

[Col_Panek]

Yes, he would have totally run Microsoft into the ground by now. A golden opportunity lost.