Here's what it's like to live with Linux as my desktop OS.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/31142642

There are more than a billion PCs in use and, according to StatCounter, only 71 percent of them run Windows. Among the rest, about 4 percent run Linux. That’s tens of millions of people with Ubuntu, Mint, Debian, etc as their desktop operating system. I envy them.

Windows 11 has become more annoying lately as it shoves ads for XBox Game Pass in my face, pushes AI features no one asked for and demands that I reconsider the choices I made during installation on a regular basis. Plus, it just isn’t that attractive.

I’m ready to try joining that industrious four percent and installing Linux on my computers to use as my main OS, at least for a week. I’ll blog about the experience here.

It’s hard to give up Windows forever because so many applications only run in Microsoft’s OS. For example, the peripheral software that runs with many keyboards and mice isn’t available for Linux. Lots of games will not run under Linux. So I think it’s likely I’ll be using Windows again, at least some of the time, after this week is through.

However, for now, I’m going to give Linux a very serious audition and document the experience.

  •  uxellodunum   ( @uxellodunum@lemmy.ml ) English
    34·
    6 months ago

    What is it with these people that when thinking of Linux base their decisions on decade-old knowledge and go straight for Ubuntu. Ubuntu isn’t what it used to be, competition actually happened and we’re all the better for it. In the meantime, Canonical F’d up, and Ubuntu should not be anywhere near the top of the recommended distros list.

    Want something that actually works, go Linux Mint. Have much newer hardware and want to game, go with Fedora or an arch-based distro like EndeavourOS.

    Don’t go Ubuntu. You never go Ubuntu.

  •  Antithetical   ( @antithetical@lemmy.deedium.nl ) 
    28·
    6 months ago

    It is a nice look into the switch from a perspective of a windows user. But since he is experimenting there is a also a lot of bad choices or wrong information.

    He gripes about things not going smoothly while replacing his whole desktop environment (when was the last time you replaced your explorer.exe?).

    And clamping to old ways of doing things. Which is understandable but would go a lot better with a little bit of guidance. Why force Chrome while Firefox was probably pre-installed or Chromium also works. Using Filezilla while Dolphin can probably do it in an integrated way. Using Notepad++ while Kate probably covers most of his use-cases.

    This doesn’t invalidate his experiences but it does indicate a resistance to switch.

    There is some valid criticisms as well though. The docking station that bugs out or KDE Connect that is confused. We can improve those things, but hardly force Logitech to bring their (horrible) software suite to Linux.

    Maybe he should give it another few weeks to actually feel that while his old ways might not transfer over 1:1 the new ways give him a lot more power.

    •  nezach   ( @nezach@discuss.tchncs.de ) 
      7·
      6 months ago

      I absolutely agree with you. He should have gotten help from the beginning, so a lot of his problems wouldn’t have manifested in the first place. Reading his experience is interesting but it doesn’t really convey the willingness to use a linux based OS, or any other OS that isn’t Windows for that matter. Notepad++ is great but will not work on MacOS either and especially the choices in text/code editors under linux are immense. And Ubuntu as first choice isn’t good for somebody doing the switch nowadays IMHO. Still kudos for jumping into cold water like that and still continuing.

  •  trevor (he/they)   ( @trevor@lemmy.blahaj.zone ) English
    19·
    6 months ago

    I beg of you: try something that isn’t going to shove a broken packaging format like Snaps down your throat.

    Try Pop!_OS or Linux Mint if you want something like Ubuntu, only not broken.

    If my first experience with Linux involved wasting time trying to figure out why the applications I installed appeared to freeze because they take 30-60 seconds to open after installation or updates, randomly didn’t work because of dogshit sandboxing, etc., I probably would have turned away.

  •  flatbield   ( @furrowsofar@beehaw.org ) English
    12·
    6 months ago

    Nice detailed log of the author’s experiance.

    The one issue I have is the mind set. It seems to be from the point of view that Linux should be just like Windows and use the same software and hardware. If that is what you want run Windows.

    On the otherhand if you want to use FOSS apps, use Linux and just dump Windows. My family has used Linux for over 20 years and yes it is fine. But you actually have to want that. And no, I do not use Windows, MS Apps, or Google Chrome at all these days and do not use dual boot.

    Also, dual boot gets old pretty fast. Probably best to choose a primary OS and run the other in a VM. Yes, something like 27 years ago I started with dual boot but have not setup that for at least 20 years probably longer.

  •  Libra00   ( @Libra@lemmy.ml ) English
    5·
    6 months ago

    Been doing this for a couple weeks myself and have had very few reasons to go back to Windows. In fact I haven’t booted windows in more than a week at this point. I’m using Nobara 42 (based on Fedora) because mostly what I do with my PC is game nad it’s worked great so far.

  •  Wolfie   ( @Wolfie@lemm.ee ) English
    2·
    6 months ago

    I got disappointed in Ubuntu. You had to use ‘Ubuntu Pro’ to get the latest updates… Bullshit :c Linux should not have a paywall in regards to security! I will test out Arch and see how it goes. Especially now when windows 10 loses support in October 16th