this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2024
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Thanks. I wish there was a more straightforward process though.
Every other OS I've used purges all app data after uninstalling, why is Linux different?
If you install something as a Flatpak, you have that option.
And Windows absolutely does not remove everything after an app is uninstalled.
(In Windows) If you uninstall a program using the "uninstall.exe" provided, you can tick an option to wipe all the data.
This is also available from the Control Panel's "Uninstall programs" page. The "uninstall" button usually launches the "uninstall.exe" provided by the app's devs.
I've never had this issue on Windows before
Here's an example. I removed avast via the uninstaller on a relatives computer, it made it laggy as hell. I restart after as the uninstaller demands, but it was still there.
Searching, I find this official support option. https://support.avast.com/en-us/article/10
The official Avast Uninstall Tool, the tool to use when the included uninstaller didn't work.
The official uninstall tool didn't work either. I ran it in safe mode, like it said. Didn't work, either, but it removed some stuff, and finally let me delete some things manually. Ran it again in safe mode after that, finally seems to have removed everything.
Anyway it's a great example of if a company doesn't know what they're about, windows has no process to recover from that. Window's process is identical to a Walmart employee saying. "I dunno, man, contact the manufacturer." Genuinely, its usually enough, but when its not, there's absolutely no recourse.
I know this isn't the point but avast is more or less malware itself these days. The bundled windows defender + the free (not always running) version of malwarebytes is a good enough solution for almost everyone.
Completely agree.
The only reason the relative had it at all was because of those old fears. As soon as I learned that they had it bundled with the computer (hate that. Malware's gotta get in somewhere though I guess), I knew why it was being slow.
I hold this up as an example because even their own troubleshooting website and a program dedicated to the purpose above and beyond the usual uninstaller couldn't do it though. Avast doesn't even know its own malware.
Also this nonsense got me the chance to put mint on their computer, but the "switch to Linux" argument isn't constructive in this particular spot. They didn't end up sticking to it because a required-for-school piece of software for tests just doesn't do Linux at all. Couldn't get it to run in wine or even a virtual machine either, and they're not great at the whole computer thing so I didn't wanna be tech support for dual booting.