@Dale - I hear you, but if you're that bothered about your E-MU, it sounds like you're either a musician wanting to hang on to the software that comes with it, or you're an audio enthusiast. But these days, even the mighty Reaper is available natively for Linux if you're a musician looking for professional music-making software, and the ASUS XONAR ESSENCE STX is Linux compatible if you're an audio lover looking for a professional audiophile-grade sound-card.

I appreciate that there's always something a person wishes would run on Linux that currently doesn't, but when you consider the abuse and misery you have to live under knowing that Microsoft can disrupt your life and invade your privacy whenever it likes, surely it is in a persons best interest to accept that in order to move to Linux, they can expect to put the odd bit of hardware on ebay and replace it with something Linux compatible.

I reckon every Windows and MacOS user who buys a piece of hardware these days, whether it be a motherboard, printer, whatever, should first research and ensure that it can also be used under Linux, and if not, avoid it. That way, as Apple and Microsoft up the abuse even further, you know you have a Linux-ready hardware situation ready for you. First thing I did when buying my laptop, was check for Linux compatibility, cause that's the only OS I'll use now.

I haven't been dictated to by Microsoft or any other government-aided dictator for years now. I don't have to worry whether they will break something I have set up, because the only person who has control of my computer, is me (and that's the way it's gonna stay).

Switching to Linux hasn't limited me in the least, it's impossible for it to do so, because I have complete control of it, and every area of computing I can think of has an Open Source privacy-respecting equivalent available natively for Linux anyway!

You have my sympathy for Microsoft destroying your installation, but you're the only one who can erase that government-aided dictator from your machine - you might as well live in China.