Exactly 1 year ago today. I started using Linux exclusively. These are my thoughts.
Posted by KayoseKontrol@reddit | linux | View on Reddit | 104 comments
Exactly 1 year ago, on October 10th 2023, I decided to start using Linux as my daily driver.
Some background about me:
I had made previous attempts for many years but just couldn’t make it stick because I had always dual-booted and ignored the install. I'm a fairly technical person who wasn't too scared to use a terminal but I was clearly a novice when it came to Linux in general. This time around I decided to go full boar and really jump in head first. I pulled my old SSD out and had bought another to exclusively use Linux on. I decided to go with Pop!_OS since this was fresh off the heels of the LTT Linux Challenge. I knew I was probably going to distro hop, so I was prepared to do so. And I did.
First 3 Months (Pop!_OS Arc):
The first 3 months where kind of all over the place. I was fairly overwhelmed and realized pretty quickly I did not like using the Cosmic Desktop. I went ahead and installed KDE Plasma since I was coming from windows. I was still getting comfortable with the terminal, trying to understand when to use the pop shop over installing an app from the internet, etc. This was when I really started learning all the differences between Desktop environments, Distros, Packages, and just everything. Pretty quickly everything just felt jank and not optimized. I was doing something wrong but I wasn't really sure. I decided to start from scratch and installed Fedora.
6 Months in (The Fedora Arc):
Fedora seemed like a good fit because I had a fairly newish system at the time and it had consistent updates. It also had a KDE Plasma install which was what I wanted to continue using. It was a little tricky at first because of how you needed to install additional packages that aren't included in the base install but I was able to slog through it. Once everything was installed I felt mostly comfortable using the system on a day-to-day basis. And this felt so much better. Everything was responsive, It didn't feel jank, and most importantly it felt stable and sturdy. This was when I started customizing my DE to make it look and feel just the way I like it. Holy shit can you go down a rabbit hole customizing, I loved it. This was also about the time gaming started to feel less like a pain and made more sense how to makes changes to certain games to work properly. It wasn't perfect but It started to make sense.
9 Months in (The Bazzite Arc):
At this point I was feeling mostly comfortable in my system and using it. My DE looked and felt awesome, Discord worked with no issues, my media apps worked with no issues, and games played with mostly no issues. Except Halo Infinite, my favorite game. I still don't know why this game gives me so many issues. After some updates it works with very minor issues. Other times it refuses to work. Even after tinkering with Proton and ProtonGE, switching to Wayland, the whole shabang. Nothing seems to work but other times there is no issues. That's when I found out about Bazzite which at the time their website proudly showcases Halo Infinite playing with minimal issues. It checked a lot of boxes for me. It was a gaming first distro. It was based on Fedora Silverblue and had a KDE option. It felt like a no brainer. But once I had it installed I had so many issues. No Idea what happened but everything felt jank and studdery. Some apps would not open, some games that I knew worked before would crash the whole system. I had nothing but issues. I was pissed and annoyed. I had spend a week redownloading it and trying to make it work but I kept having the same issues. I decided this wasn't going to work and decided to go back to Fedora.
12 Months in (Today):
Fedora with KDE is where I am now and I love it. Everything looks and feels awesome. I have a much better understanding of linux in general. Halo Infinite is having less issues but still can be a pain in the ass. I'm happy I switched. I have no reason to switch to Windows and I plan to stay with Linux. I wouldn't say its general public ready but damn it's getting close.
NowThatHappened@reddit
I’m glad you stuck with it, that’s why Linux now has 5 in every 100 installs and increasing. As for not public ready, I don’t think that’s accurate. Ive transitioned a fair few businesses to Linux desktops and most stuck with it for all the right reasons. It will come to more in time.
h_tin@reddit
One of the main reasons people don't like Linux is because "it's not like Windows." True story. They are so used to Windows they cannot change. That is despite the fact they will put up with all the changes from one Windows version to the next.
NowThatHappened@reddit
And it only takes one open-minded business owner to have one Linux desktop for a month with mint or zorin or even Ubuntu and the performance alone usually wins the race. Its faster, nicer and very much like windows. Everything works mostly the same for the average joe. In most companies these days they want email, a browser and some access to files. Linux can talk to windows shares, and windows can talk to Linux shares. OpenOffice, StarOffice, LibraOffice are all good contenders, but actually we're finding most want to stick with O365 or NextCloud. Linux and Mac play nice, so its even easier to blend Linux into mac houses at a fraction of the cost. The opportunities are there if solution providers can be bothered (and have the experience).
Having done this for some time, I can tell you that one reason solution providers are thinking twice about this, is that the support is so much less than comparable windows solutions. Windows is a constant stream of support issues, and companies are charged for that, the ones we put Linux into rarely have support issues and generate far less support revenue.
With windows not supporting older hardware, and windows 12 allegedly being even more restrictive, Linux will have an ever increasing pool of opportunities especially in the small/SME market.
Anyway, that's just my opinion, been doing this for 30 years and promote Linux into any business who will consider it.
h_tin@reddit
Very good point. Windows 11 broke my PC and that was the catalyst which caused me to revisit Linux having been a Linux user 20 years ago when I dabbled in Red Hat, Fedora and Ubuntu. Thing is though, if I were the average person and Windows 11 broke my computer I would probably try to get tech support where I will be told I need new hardware. Because I already have a tech background and used Linux in the past, Xubuntu 24.04 became my go to. But not many people will think like that.
TraditionalRemove716@reddit
The threat of Windows 11 is what has me seriously considering jumping ship. I have a newer rig with TPM 2.0 but I disabled it because I don't want MS automatically installing 11. My concern going forward is that they'll relax the TPM 2.0 mandate and I'll be screwed. I'm guessing I'm among a multitude of Windows users who have thought about opting out.
h_tin@reddit
I ignored all the constant daily notifications to install Windows 11 but my system one day just did it anyway without my consent. You can't avoid the upgrade to Windows 11 and that's what left me with a bitter taste in my mouth and jumped ship to the Linux dark side.
TraditionalRemove716@reddit
The failsafe to preventing MS from auto installing win 11 is disabling TPM in UEFI ... so far. I'm suspicious enough of MS' drive to make everyone comply that they'll eventually forego insistence that machines be TPM 2.0 capable and then everyone will be vulnerable.
h_tin@reddit
Too late now, I wish I had known that before. The damage is done and there's no going back to Windows 10. Now I've joined the dark side and installed Xubuntu 24.04 LTS.
I'm even considering installing it on my 2012 Macbook Pro, since support for MacOS Catalina ended in 2022 and that's the latest software available for the model and it will breathe new life into it. MacOS has outlived its usefulness to me also. I don't hate it as much as Windows 11, but it's becoming pretty clunky and there are no more updates available. Soon I will be 100% Linux, including my Android phone. I just need a 1TB backup drive to start!
h_tin@reddit
Disagree that Linux and Mac play nice however. I gave up trying to set up file sharing on my Mac because the samba client on Xubuntu just would not read the directories. However, I set up a samba server and the Mac could access it just fine. Something tells me the samba client was not to blame and it's more likely to be the fact that as of OS X Catalina, they don't want you to play Samba. It's all about Air drop and air play now.
NowThatHappened@reddit
You should have used afpfs or netatalk to integrate apple and Linux, SMB is windows.
h_tin@reddit
I'll look into that. I've only ever heard of samba and not the other two protocols you mention. When you set up a share in mac, it's samba by default and I don't recall seeing any other option
Fit_Echidna8266@reddit
This is so true. Was at a friend's house and very surprised to see that the two are very similar.
JonSnowAzorAhai@reddit
Counterargument: Apple and Macs. They are closer to linux than windows. Still people are willing to make the switch, especially with laptops.
h_tin@reddit
That's to do with a very good marketing and global branding obsession. In fact, Microsoft were forced to have to release MS Office for OS X due to the huge demand. This will never happen with Linux. It's the biggest best kept secret that Microsoft and Apple don't want you to know about.
It is free and open source so that directly threatens Microsoft and Apple's business model. It is true that Apple is based on UNIX which makes it related to Linux. It's not a brother though, it is more like a cousin. It is not free or open source.
People are drawn to branding because brands infer, quality, reliability and value regardless or whether it is actually true. Some people see straight through that and those people you will find to be open minded enough to at least try Linux.
Linux will always be a fringe desktop system which attracts makers, coders and inquisitive types but not the normies who just have to have Nike on their feet. It is the biggest OS on web servers, even Google most likelyn but only because those are maintained by highly skilled professionals. Average non-tech minded people will always want to use Apple or Microsoft and they will rarely be persuaded otherwise without someone who is that way inclined to assist.
OnePunchMan1979@reddit
Better explained, impossible. great truth
mrvictorywin@reddit
You can't just say you transitioned businesses and skip explaining how you did it! Jokes aside I am envious of you, could you share some tips & tricks?
NowThatHappened@reddit
Yes of course. Very often businesses are faced with upgrade time, maybe they are running 7 and need 10 or 10 and need 11, or maybe they have older hardware that coughs at windows 11. Present the options, pay $$$ for new hardware and new licenses OR try this for a month, free of charge. Give it a month and answer a few calls about how to this and that, and the game is won. 🏆 then deploy Linux, migrate stuff over and kiss goodbye to your lucrative Microsoft maintenance. This can’t work everywhere, you need a business that uses email, but office stuff and browsers. If they have native stuff that only runs on windows then it’s a hard sell. Give it a try and you’d be surprised how receptive businesses are, ultimately they don’t have any loyalty, they just need the shit to work, and Linux delivers.
osomfinch@reddit
Not ready indeed. The only sane out of the box experience is Linux Mint and Zorin. Everything else is too different or too complicated for a general user.
h_tin@reddit
I would add Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu et al to that list
stormdelta@reddit
The ubuntu variants' installers literally crash on my hardware, so can't say I agree.
CarlVn33@reddit
I use manjaro for my first linux switch, it has been a bit of a challenge but kde with plasma and x11 have done me well, I mostly game on my pc and aside for a few learning curves I have all my favorite games from windows working even better than on windows. Only thing that sucks is the anti cheat being not supported for linux on some games. (And that I can't get kingdom hearts to work, aside for KH3 which works fine)
stormdelta@reddit
Eh, I like Linux but it's definitely not something I'd ever recommend to laypeople still outside of vendor-supported hardware like the Steam Deck.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love for it to be more approachable but even major distros frequently require significant terminal and deep system knowledge to fix issues, especially if you want to use Wayland (which is necessary to support modern display features).
OptionsOverlord@reddit
I forced my boomer mom to use Linux a while back. When I gave her the option on her new computer to use either windows or Linux, she chose Linux. Ubuntu was her distro.
Appropriate_Sale_626@reddit
do you have an nvidia card? what do you recommend for gaming out of fedora and pop os on average ?
Ezmiller_2@reddit
Most games I’ve tried work out of the box with Steam and Proton enabled. I myself have a EVGA 2060 super and it handles Bethesda games really good. I struggle with TMNT’s Shredder’s revenge lol. I haven’t tried it in a while. Fallout 4 runs great, as does Skyrim. I haven’t tried the Mass Effect series in a while….not sure which other ones.
Appropriate_Sale_626@reddit
yeah I figured between that and bottles I'd be fine, most of the games im interested in are on steam as well
Ezmiller_2@reddit
I used to have problems with Fallout when I ran it under KDE/Plasma. But I’m not sure about that anymore. I should install Linux again on my gaming rig and see about it.
Appropriate_Sale_626@reddit
proton is crazy, I'm getting 90 fps in hunt showdown now
Ezmiller_2@reddit
I think my issue was a Wayland/X or Gnome/Plasma issue. Like I would try to use gnome and hated it, but games only worked in Gnome.
Appropriate_Sale_626@reddit
I haven't found good info on which DE or set up is to avoid what problem, I literally have to install them all and AB test myself to really see what works for which games. and also which version of proton to use etc
obthrowawayno@reddit
pop os is the more it just works setup, all you have to do is install steam and bam, but for fedora you either have to isntall the Nvidia drivers yourself or get them from the RPM-fusion repos
diagonali@reddit
I recently did a similar thing with Fedora 40 but only lasted a couple of weeks.
My plan was to run Fedora 40 full time with gnome which looked slick and I wanted to get away from Windows so kde didn't really suit.
Originally wanted to use Ubuntu but trying to get btrfs working was a total nightmare and gave up trying to get it to work in the end.
After a while, doing some routine web dev I became more and more frustrated with little inconsistencies in the system and UI and workflow.
I rely on Photoshop and InDesign for my work and the plan was to use a Windows 11 VM with GPU pass through for that work and I got it set up fine and with Looking Glass which is amazing tech. Felt super advanced compared to the setup I had with Windows but not having dual monitor support with that config and not being able to easily just double click the Photoshop or InDesign icon started to grate.
The straw that broke the camels back oddly was discovering that I couldn't run Notepad++ and there really weren't any similar alternatives I could use with the functionality I wanted. I use Notepad++ quite a lot and again I discovered Linux app very lacking.
The system itself seemed ok, I had btrfs snapshots set up with snapper since Fedora 40 used btrfs by default and they even default to using zram which is great but overall it just seemed limited and almost unfinished. In Windows Explorer for example, you can group files by type and this option just didn't seem available in Gnome along with lots of other little frustrations.
Some web dev work came in and I tried to do it in Fedora but in the end rebooted into Windows 11 on my other ssd and it was then I took a big breath and realised Linux just wasn't going to work as an everyday system. The benefits of having more control, the advanced tech baked in etc as appealing as it was, wasn't polished enough and not being able to use Adobe acrobat, Photoshop, InDesign and the Office suite seamlessly sadly was more of a deal-breaker than I thought.
I think if your use case is web browsing and you don't rely on any of the Adobe suite for work then it's probably doable since GPU pass through is amazing for gaming performance. Otherwise Linux still isn't nearly ready for prime time as a desktop environment. Shame really as it has clearly huge potential. It's the apps that need work, and the DEs need much more thought and polish.
studog-reddit@reddit
Uh, what?
What functionality in Notepad++ do you depend on?
What alternatives did you evaluate?
Notepad++ is basic text editing. There are a ton of apps on Linux that do the same thing or better.
You set up a VM with GPU passthrough and "no Notepad++" was what took you down? That... just doesn't make any sense to me.
I'm genuinely curious, and willing to suggest some alternatives.
Aerthlyomi@reddit
Sumatra PDF and Notepad++ have no equivalent. My N++ has a lot of tabs, if there is something I want to keep, I scribble that in one of them, close N++. You open it again and everything is as you left it. Exactly as it was. No BS with recent files to open again and reorganize. lightweight, fast, never crashes. I have used for years and it never disappoints.
studog-reddit@reddit
Interesting. This is a "feature" I've never heard of, and I've used Notepad++ before. How does one back up the non-file-backed tabs, for when your PC has a problem and your files have to be restored from backup?
I will admit I am not aware of any other text editor, of any sort on any OS, that does that, so I am unable to offer suggestions for alternatives.
Aerthlyomi@reddit
Never had the case, I use Notepad++ as a Notepad really. Anything critical or of value I treat in a more formal way. But again Notepad++ backups on the fly the changes you type in a session and since the application is stable I never had any problem.
Re reading my words I realize than I have been very confident with this tool, but it earned it.
I only do a backup of one of the tab when I want to send that somewhere.
I have tried Notepadqq on Linux which has same kind of 'Notepad' functionality, and is probably actually a Linux recompile, but it feels clunky.
Thank you for looking :)
diagonali@reddit
Yes exactly this with Notepad++. I think the benefit is difficult to convey to anyone who hasn't used it.
CurtisTN73@reddit
True. I miss N++, but found a good alternative for me. Check these out: NotepadNext, NotepadQQ, Geany
VFansss@reddit
As another user that use N++ a lot: probably it's not that it has some exclusive functionality, it's just that it's a fucking good program and I'm accustomed to it.
I tell you that Linux truly miss N++
archontwo@reddit
It occurs to me distro hopping is a luxury of the idle.
What I mean by that is once your skill with Linux is enough to be able to charge for it you don't really have the luxury to keep swapping desktops, systems or fixing issues all the time.
In other words once you find something that fits your workflow well, that is where you want to stay.
MotanulScotishFold@reddit
Soon I'm going to buy a new computer and to replace my old Laptop of 8 years. I want to make the switch to Linux to not install that garbage of Windows 11 since Windows 10 the support soon ends.
I'm planning to go with Linux Mint and I am not sure if is the right choice to start with.
I'm also a technical person but I barely touched Linux environment in the past, I just installed the OS, software, few commands and that's is.
Beginning-Net-4577@reddit
I switched to Linux last summer but before I did, I started doing my own research for the appropriate distro that would fit my needs. A friend of mine recommended Fedora and so I wanted to make sure that every software I am using is either available or there is an alternative one. I also joined Fedora's discord server and I was reading articles/watching videos about how to install, things to do after installation and generally observing what issues people had with the distro itself, or when upgraded to a newest version.
That was until I watched a video about openSUSE Tumbleweed while looking for more options and I fell in love with it - it became my daily driver and still is! I repeated the same process, a research about TW and I was prepared when the new computer arrived. I installed it and chose KDE as my DE, it only took me a day to get used to it. I still check often the openSUSE discord server, the reddit and their forum/mailing list and I was searching a lot about any customization or things I wanted to do. It is a great way to learn new things and get used to them eventually so no worries about that.
Last, keep in mind that a distro might work well for some people but not for some others, hardware or other reasons so start with a distro you like and you proceed accordingly. Good luck.
MotanulScotishFold@reddit
Thanks
bleachedthorns@reddit
Did you ever give Nobara a shot? Never used it myself just curious
YeOldePoop@reddit
Fedora is my wheelhouse too, I am currently running Fedora and I am having a good time. Personally not missing any software because my work computer is at work anyways so at home I am having fun with my Linux hobby and have ran into minimal to no issues personally. Granted that's because my usage case fits nicely in with what Linux offers, experience will always be different from person to person.
xen_garden@reddit
You went through your arcs fast! I basically started using Linux exactly 10 years ago starting this month!
I started with Manjaro and Fedora 19 - Fedora for my offline computer since it was easy to build Custom ISOs in Fedora, and Manjaro for my online computer, both on XFCE, which I still use today. Manjaro was tough because updates would occasionally break my system but it's gotten a lot more stable and I stay away from AUR, which has largely solved that issue.
Right now, I use MX Linux for my offline computer, Qubes for my online (using Whonix and Debian VMs), and dabble in Endeavour and Manjaro so I can tell people I use Arch btw.
I still use Windows for work, but on my personal computers, I use it much less than I used to. There's some software I use on Windows that won't work on Windows, but that's a pretty small list. Once LibreOffice Calc can step to MS Excel for data analysis and Affinity is on Linux, I'll probably be done with Windows.
Sea-Check-7209@reddit
Cool! Thanks for sharing the journey :-). I was looking for a new project so currently installing Fedora with KDE on a spare laptop.
Famous-Spell720@reddit
I would gladly switch to Linux but there is no Siemens Simatic Step 7 and Photoshop/Lightroom :(
RamBamTyfus@reddit
Simatic Step 7 is a product initially developed in the '90s and relies heavily on Windows features, I don't think it will ever be released for Linux. Better to move to Codesys, but it would mean ditching Siemens.
Famous-Spell720@reddit
Unfortunately Simens is a industry standard.
Anonymo@reddit
There's winapps.org
Jaseoldboss@reddit
There was?
Anonymo@reddit
https://github.com/winapps-org/winapps
george-its-james@reddit
Not sure what the Siemens software is but Lightroom was the reason I hung on to Windows for so long, and I found a very suitable replacement in Darktable, FWIW
fmbernardo@reddit
Yeah it really sucks being stuck in Windows because of one piece of exclusive software.
My solution was letting my stationary work PC on and connect remotely on my laptop with Parsec low-latency streaming. If you have a second PC and a good internet connection it's a good alternative, at least I don't have to dual-boot 99% of the time now.
Orkekum@reddit
I've used ubuntu for 9ish months now, no ragrets
mdins1980@reddit
Really not one... not even a single letter ;)?
Orkekum@reddit
It was on purpose to be funny referencing a meme :-)
mdins1980@reddit
Yeah I was quoting meet the millers lol. Scotty P tattoo scene
CallMeLate@reddit
You used a 30 year old piece of software that countless people have used. Why do you think the world needs your opinion on something? It's like your doing a review on onions. No one wants or needs this feedback. Go find a hobby.
Monsieur_Moneybags@reddit
Yep, there are millions of Linux users, and I hope they don't all feel the need to come here and tell us about their "personal journey" to using it. I don't understand the conceit of the people who do this.
qwer56ty@reddit
Thank you. Every subreddit is full of this rubbish.
appleberry1358@reddit
If the post doesn't interest you... don't engage with it? Scroll away?
Siiiidox@reddit
I made a very smiliar experience! I went with Endeavour OS for a while, but my company requires me to run a graphical closed source application built only for Debian and Fedora - and I could not get it to run on Arch. Fedora KDE is just so good!
NotScrollsApparently@reddit
I'm kinda glad to hear you went from fedora to bazzite and then back to it. I was considering fedora but then got convinced to go with bazzite instead and had nothing but issues. My next step is just plain simple fedora since it seems to tick all boxes for me
summerteeth@reddit
Do you have issues with Silverblue as well or was it something Bazzite was doing?
NotScrollsApparently@reddit
I'm not experienced enough to tell, but I think most of my issues were with bazzite being immutable (caused issues with docker/podman), and the dnf not being fully implemented because it was just a wrapper around ostree or sth like that. I also had some bugs with the steam installation that came with the distro, the software manager tended to bug out (it would read some apps as installed even though they were uninstalled), smaller stuff like that.
summerteeth@reddit
Interesting- I was thinking of trying Bazzite out so I appreciate you sharing your experience
NotScrollsApparently@reddit
It might be a better choice for a pure gaming platform like a handheld, but it doesn't seem to be a good choice for general use home desktop that you want to use for stuff other than gaming.
Anonymo@reddit
I think Bazzite seems to be the experimental one of the blue. Aurora could be more stable, especially on :stable instead of : latest
sohot2000@reddit
The reason I think stopping the average non technical from using Linux is the technical. Most of the population just like things to work without fiddling with driver compatibility and using terminal commands to install things, yes I know there are software centres that help. It’s like this I like Linux. My daughter and wife like the Mac and windows. You know why.
-NVLL-@reddit
I'm 14 years in, start using computers around 3 with cheatsheets in MSDOS, so almost half of my life as a user is using Linux, now, and I find it easier. E.g. I spend some hours around, on my severely limited company Windows environment, trying to crop and split pages on a PDF to allow printing. Didn't manage to find anything not a freemium trying to get money, or online apps that are often trying to get money too. Back in my home, 10 minutes I have it ready with plenty of alternatives.
h_tin@reddit
Once you get over the initial learning curve, you will find it hard to go back to Windows or Mac. Everything is so much more streamlined and lightweight in Linux. I went for the Xubuntu minimal install and just sudo apt install whenever it comes to the time when I will need it. Linux keeps a record of everything you install and when you did it. You can copy this to a fresh install if you need to, there are ways to do that. Just switched to Xubuntu permanently a couple of weeks ago because Windows 11 was making me pull my hair out. I already got over the learning curve of Linux 20+ years ago having used Red Hat, Fedora and Ubuntu back then for years, until about 2012 when I switched to Mac. I've gone full circle now and decided on Xubuntu 24.04, I like the lightweight Xfce desktop because it's snappy, customisable and simple. I've used KDE but I think at this moment I just don't need all those options. I hate gnome.
One thing I would suggest if you're new to Linux is grab a generic book on Linux command line and run through it. I've got one from the local library just to refresh on it and it doesn't take long to skim through, just to remind me of the power it has and all the stuff you can do.
Secondly, don't use app stores and things like that. I stick to using the apt command for installing everything I need. In Fedora it's the yum command. You can use "apt search" anything stuff you need, or apt show to tell you info on a package and then install to install it. 99% of what I need, I have found using apt, including ham radio stuff which is pretty esoteric but well covered in the Xubuntu repositories. I never have to use an app store or download from web sites, it's almost always available in the apt repositories if it is compatible with your distro. In the case of Fedora, we are talking about the yum command instead of apt.
Another thing I have done is do a full Xubuntu minimal install on a 512GB Kingston Data Traveller USB drive. Yes, this is possible! You can use an initial USB stick for the installer to then install on your 512GB USB drive. Or... if you know how, you may configure grub to load the installer entirely into RAM and then just use the one USB drive, overwriting the installer on the drive with your full install. Numerous YouTube videos on both methods. The reason I did this was because the PC does not technically belong to me. It's a corporate machine on a long term loan, so I really did not want to be erasing the Windows OS. I can boot from this USB drive and do everything I want to do in Xubuntu. Theoretically I should be able to boot this USB drive on any x86 machine and it should still work, but I haven't tried that yet.
Stick with Linux, use the apt or yum installer system. Don't use downloads from websites which can be a headache, especially when you are compiling from source, unless you really cannot find it in the repositories, which will be <1% of use cases when you are not a dev. You will never need to go back to Windows and you will discover so much freedom in using Linux! Even NordVPN and Vine VNC server were a doddle to set up.
hemps36@reddit
I started with Debian and Ubuntu flavours, then tried Fedora and have never looked back, all my systems Desktop, backups and snapshots, replication, router with iptables are all Fedora based now.
AdDry3078@reddit
Nice, what's the icon theme called?
Jomr05@reddit
Linux is amazing, some things are MUCH easier to do in Linux. And the performance is amazing.
Lately I use Windows just for gaming.
PuzzleCat365@reddit
I have been using Linux for over 15 years now. The only thing that held me back from not having a windows partition, was gaming. Valve made this impediment go away and I'm full time Linux now.
Eminomicon@reddit
Yeah, there are a few games that don't work on linux whatsoever though. Destiny 2, for example, goes out of its way to ban Proton use, and some games that have "companion apps"/mods don't play nicely on Linux, tanking the framerate and generally causing system instability.
For example, I used HunterPie with Monster Hunter World to keep track of my ancient tree/hub maintenance stuff, and that works very poorly with Proton.
It definitely isn't a panacea.
Linuxologue@reddit
almost the same. I used to have dual boot for some games, but over the past 5 years I booted it less and less until now it's in a VM and I don't use it for gaming. I just boot it when I need to check some C++ code on Visual Studio/Windows.
ragsofx@reddit
These posts are such a waste of energy.
Hobb3s@reddit
My biggest issue with switching is still software support. Most of my heavily used apps I can find a substitute for. However some, like fusion 360 don't have a comparable offering.
Tebr0@reddit
There is a way to get fusion running on Linux but it is quite tricky and works so-so. I switched to FreeCAD instead but I wasn't very invested in Fusion so for me it was easy.
shanehiltonward@reddit
Great story. I've been on Manjaro for 4 years now (Ubuntu and Arch Linux before that).
TechaNima@reddit
Awesome! This gives me hope that I don't have to keep using Microsoft's Spyware.
I've been running a Proxmox server for a couple of years at this point and tried Debian 12 as a daily for a few weeks. Since it was already running on said server as my docker host. Otherwise I'd have tried Mint.
It's not ready for prime time, but it's getting there. I'll give it another go when Wayland is more mature.
The only major problems for me were audio, which is a mess and multi monitor support. While both work out of the box, getting VBAN working isn't possible and it's required for my setup. And multi monitor can't handle if a monitor (TV in this case) appears unplugged when it's powered off and gets turned back on. It would sometimes just not recognize that it was plugged in at all until I physically crawled under my desk and unplugged re plugged it, which is super annoying. I also could not for the life of me figure out how to get a simple script to center a window in the middle of the screen working. It works fine with just 1 monitor, but due to the way a desktop works in Linux, it would just fall apart with more monitors.
Also gaming still isn't there. As long as I have to do more than hit install on Steam, it's not ready for prime time.
Archproto@reddit
I am glad that this time, unlike in others' personal blogs, I can at least see an attempt to describe the author's background. However, I haven't noticed anything unique in either your biography or your user experience, so I don't understand why I should care about your thoughts on the matter. Blocked, go post this in your personal blog.
appleberry1358@reddit
If the post doesn't interest you... don't engage with it? Scroll away?
Fratm@reddit
You sound fun at parties.
ajfromuk@reddit
This is great to hear and really does make me want to switch. I've been using mint over the past few months on a laptop to see if I can make the swtich but I am hesitant because I do occasionally game (althouhh I pretty much exclusively use Steam and occasionally my Xbox Ultimate pass) and then the other aspect is I use my home PC for work too and they required PowerBI, MSSQL, Teams and the Office environment.
I like the thought of having my work laptop (which sits dormant) running and I remote into it.
Any suggestions on a distro and set up the can help me make the switch.
My home PC is Windows 10 as I am holding off from 11 as I hate it soooooo much.
KINGRAGE-X@reddit
Yep. I switched about a month ago with Linux Mint I still dual boot with windows though some games are not playable on Linux and I don't want to hear about proton and Lutris I already tried that and had a poor experience. I want all my games in one central location without the hassle of trying to fix things when I want to play.
I do have a virtual machine of windows too but Linux Mint is the daily driver any incompatible software straight to the VM and if I want to game just reboot into the windows system. Other than that it's been stable had some minor hiccups but I manage to fix those.
Business_Reindeer910@reddit
This was me except in a time when disk space was much more limited. I kept deleting my Linux install until I spend time setting up Gentoo. At that point sunk cost fallacy led me to deleting windows. Been on Linux ever since.
Although I couldn't go with KDE, I'm still on GNOME (from GNOME 2).
stephie_255@reddit
I Player with the gnome shell.. abd no it was not a good idea... I installed everythi g New because my CPU was in rampage mode
Business_Reindeer910@reddit
I cannot tell what you're trying to say here at all.
stephie_255@reddit
Gnome shell fucked up everything even reset to the Standard did not repair the System... its a mess ( gnome if you used it with gnome shell) So I installed manjaro.. arch based with KDE
Business_Reindeer910@reddit
good for you i guess. I'll stick to gnome on a good distro :)
stephie_255@reddit
Sure... just want to mention my problems... nothing mire :)
Erianthor@reddit
Also have been using Linux as the main OS for about 1 year, by now. I still have Windows 7+10 VMs for games, but have started trying to get into the Proton side of things. Mostly good, but I'd like to get a couple of the games that don't run (well) to actually perform.
rundaone434142@reddit
1 years later . It works
gmfthelp@reddit
1 year exclusively on Linux, eh!. 25 for me,
Risthel@reddit
The real question here: Paste the output of
getenforcehere :)citrus-hop@reddit
Very good to hear. I have been on Linux since Ubuntu 08.04. First Ubuntu, then I went to Linux Mint, then good ol Debian and the last couple of years, OpenSUSE Tumbleweed, which cured my distrohopping. For me it is so natural to use that I don’t know very much how to find my way on Windows anymore. The other day I was at the office and I had to use an HP laptop with W11 for some hours (my work rig was at maintenance to have its GPU and CPU swapper) that I got really lost. All my 3 kids have used solely Linux and gaming is a breeze nowadays.
make_a_picture@reddit
Bazzite semble fantastique! J’aurai besoin d’en essayer.
jojo_the_mofo@reddit
It's about the same for me. Two decades of using Windows and playing with Linux off and on. I finally fully switched last year. Generally the user experience isn't much better on Linux; OS choice these days kind of sucks. Windows has the ecosystem of software but MS/Windows controls you; Linux is the opposite. Windows and Apple's OSs are more tyrannical and Linux is more anarchic so you have so many more people going so many more directions. I think the latter benefit of choice and control is worth so much more despite some negatives.
fmbernardo@reddit
I use Linux exclusively for 3 months now, but interesting that I ended up in the same distro (Fedora KDE).
the_unsender@reddit
hard eyeroll arc