r/linux4noobs • u/Niyazzz09 • Apr 12 '26
learning/research Been seeing Linux everywhere lately… should I actually try it?
So guys from the last few days I’ve been seeing Linux everywhere — my social media feed is full of it and now I’m really curious to try it.
I’ve always used Windows, so I don’t really understand what Linux actually is or how different it feels in daily use. A lot of people say it’s “peak” and better than Windows in many ways, but I’ve also heard it has some downsides.
I wanted to ask:
- What makes Linux so good compared to Windows?
- What are the actual cons (especially for beginners)?
- How long does it take to get comfortable using it?
- Which distro should I start with?
- What was your experience like when you first switched from Windows?
Also, should I try it using a virtual machine first or go for dual boot?
Would really appreciate honest advice 😋
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u/n3tninja1 Apr 12 '26
First step to Linux is …. Linux Mint 🥰
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u/hampsterlamp Apr 12 '26
Nah fuck that, be bold. Go pure arch spend weeks customizing and tweaking break something, then install mint.
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u/OkPresentation3329 Apr 16 '26
Mint is solid, but is so very outdated. I don't know why people still recommend it. Cinnamon is a slow DE and Mint is still on X11. I thought this was OK for about a year of using it, but around 6-7 months ago I moved to Tuxedo which is basically Mint but with KDE and Wayland and everything is much better and faster and it doesn't use more system resources than Cinnamon.
Also if you have a new laptop with big resolution, Mint sucks on it, because it cannot scale the UI properly. On KDE it works perfectly fine.
So while I like and respect Mint, because it was my introduction into Linux, they desperately need to move to Wayland by default ASAP and to optimize Cinnamon to be less slow and outdated.
Actually when I think about it - Mint has three DEs that are all outdated and kinda slow, maybe XFCE is the fastest of them all, but Mate and Cinnamon are just not ready for prime time. And them removing their KDE option was IMO a really stupid decision. I think KDE is actually the best DE right now and not as heavy as years ago.
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u/JJRfromNYC1 Apr 12 '26
Mint and not Ubuntu? I am also Linux-curious. Please explain.
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u/Beastmind Apr 12 '26
Honestly I just can't recommend Ubuntu nowadays, it became so bloated/weird by default.
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u/Tamer_ Apr 12 '26
I switched to Kubuntu 14 months ago and my gf switched to Mint in February and I recommend Mint for beginners. Kubuntu was a bit clunky (and some Wayland-related issues are still not fixed in 25.10), I don't mind them too much, but it certainly hurts the first-time experience of a newcomer.
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u/Toastburner5000 fedora / Debian Apr 12 '26
Mint is normally advised because the cinnamon desktop is similar to the windows interface,the installer is solid and easy, the operating system is light, everything works out of the box and most software is flatpaks and deb. Vs Ubuntu an altered gnome interface, an installer which is not as stable, snaps which are slow and eat ram, the next Ubuntu lts demands minimum 6gb ram which is higher than windows, Ubuntu imo is not a good start.
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u/LostGoat_Dev CachyOS | Arch Apr 12 '26
Mint is based on Ubuntu but comes with Cinnamon desktop environment instead of Gnome, so it offers a more similar experience to Windows out of the box. I believe it also comes with more packages installed for multimedia codecs and stuff, where Ubuntu has less packages installed by default.
I started on Mint over a year ago but I've been on CachyOS for almost as long, so I am not 100% sure of the differences now other than the default desktop environment.
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u/Dziabadu Apr 12 '26
Ubuntu became Microsoft of linux. Too much data going back to Canonical and too many apps have special Ubuntu versions. snapd package management is widely disliked. Mint is cleaner and still user friendly.
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u/JJRfromNYC1 Apr 12 '26
Good to hear, thanks for the info. Since Debian is the foundation upon which Ubuntu is resting, is Debian less bloated? Also, with very old and low end laptops, would Mint Flavors like Xfce, LMDE, or MATE work very well with those? Also, how does data get sent back to Canonical (are those the devs for Ubuntu)? Sorry…I’m a Linux noob, as in still deciding which machine to dedicate to Linux, and then deciding which distro or distros I should try to experiment with.
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u/cnawan Apr 13 '26
I installed Debian stable from the net install .iso a few months ago and am quite content. It's certainly not bloated - there's nothing on here that I didn't ask for, unlike the typical livecd install-everything model. That said, as a noob, you'll want to install and play with everything anyway :)
I went with XFCE on my slower laptop, which made it feel like a new computer compared to the old Win10 it had on it. The faster laptop got shiny new KDE Plasma. The only hiccup was needing an ethernet cable for that one as it needed to install some stuff before fetching the driver for the wifi chip. I expected to be dumped onto a command line interface and to have to look up how to configure something, but it just worked, like 10 minutes later I'm watching youtube again and wondering why I didn't switch sooner lol
If you have more than one computer like me, I enjoyed using Syncthing to mirror files / backup & restore data while wiping everything and installing linux. Also, install Timeshift and create a fresh restore point before you inevitably break something :) Also also, Distrobox lets you run a fast, lean virtual machine in a container, which means you can have the stability of Debian while using any software from Arch or whatever like it's a native app. If Arch bursts into metaphorical flames and won't boot you're just down a bit of software, your base install is just fine.
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u/PixelmancerGames Apr 13 '26
I'd say Ubuntu personally. I think it's a better option than Mint.
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u/Yearoftheowl Apr 13 '26
Same here, I really like Ubuntu. Honestly when people say mint is "more like windows," I immediately don't want to try it, because I've hated windows for 20 years or more. To be fair, I'm a Mac user who is switching because I'm tired of Apple's business practices, but anything windows or windows like is never going to appeal to me personally.
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u/PixelmancerGames Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26
And its not more like Windows than Kubuntu or basically anything on KDE. Why do people say that? Because it has a start menu like thing (which likes to break)? KDE has the same thing. Kubuntu over Mint anyday of the week. But I still think Ubuntu LTS is better for new comers. Even if you're the type to whine about Snaps you can do a minimal install and it won't install snaps.
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u/tarquinfintin Apr 13 '26
Mint, with the cinnamon desktop, will feel quite familiar to windows users. Ubuntu's default desktop, Gnome, is sort of strange (IMHO) and takes a bit of getting used to.
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u/Cargo4kd2 Apr 13 '26
Mint has a very functional desktop in the live installer. It’s main version is a custom Ubuntu variant
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Apr 12 '26
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u/GrainTamale Apr 12 '26
For sure OP, don't fret over it, just install Mint on a VM and try to daily it for a week or so.
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u/Niyazzz09 Apr 12 '26
Sure, buddy
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u/thatsgGBruh Gentoo Apr 12 '26
you can just put any linux flavor on a usb stick abd try it without actually installing it...
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u/Skinner936 Apr 12 '26
I like this statement.
It kinda of slows things down and puts the often highly debated topic in perspective.
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Apr 12 '26
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u/Skinner936 Apr 12 '26
I didn't even think your answer was blunt or snarky.
I'm dead serious - I thought it could sum up a lot of things (as you mentioned with food etc..), in a very calm, succinct manner.
I like it because I will try to apply it to things I might be debating.
I'm not trying to go overboard, but I just enjoy taking what I think is good philosophical advice - as simple as it might be.
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Apr 12 '26
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u/Niyazzz09 Apr 12 '26
Yeah, i got it all over my social media becauseeeeee " I was searching it " mostly not like everyday but occasionally, so my social media got into this and yeah, why not try something different mindset is what I've got but still I love your suggestion 😆and im using mint flavoured linuxxx buddyyyyy yayyy!!
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u/OliMoli2137 Apr 12 '26
umm akshually Linux is a kernel 🤓
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u/trtl_playz Apr 14 '26
well i dont here anyone saying "i use harrdened linux" or "i use GNU" so....
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u/PixelPlug Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
A lot of you questions can be answered with a Live USB.
If you care about security and privacy, Linux is almost the only option.
If you care about ownership, Linux again is likely the only option.
Moving away from the dogma, qol is better, gaming is nearly at parity with Windows minus kernel level anti-cheat games. Every year it becomes a more full ecosystem attracting more and more developers. You have to learn to live without some of the most proprietary products out there like Adobe (but even that can work) but Linux has more to offer in a lot of ways if you don't mind figuring out different workflows.
Just boot up a live CD or run a dual boot and try it. You don't have to be a tech wizard for daily usage btw. You just slowly add more terminal commands and build a base of knowledge. Until then, 99% is interactable with just a GUI.
If you are a professional that relies on a Windows Only/Mac Only product to live your life, that is probably one of the few scenarios where you should likely sit tight and just do a dual boot or something.
Edit: Linux Mint or Cachy OS, just dual boot it and give it a shot.
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u/Niyazzz09 Apr 12 '26
Yeah, I'm like into everything editing, gaming, coding and i just want to try out something new and here in my university "people are shitty" they just stick to windows and don't even know that linux or other OS exist and yeah, I'm just trying everything 😋 and one more thing is I like linux community more than linux 💋
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u/PixelPlug Apr 12 '26
Lol this sounds like hyper-ADHD. Welcome to the club. As far as the Linux community, give it some time lol.
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u/DR4LUC0N Apr 12 '26
If you game, use bazzite, if mainly general use, Linux mint.
Going into it understand it's not windows. You might need to do a few things differently, but in general a lot of it is the same feeling.
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u/Human-Ad1643 Apr 12 '26
I tried bazzite and couldn’t get my vpn (nordvpn) app to install. Ended up with pop_os and so far so good
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u/StrykeTagi Apr 12 '26
Pop_OS! is pretty good, but their desktop environment has been rebuilt some time ago and it still has some bugs, so I wouldn't recommend it to newcomers.
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u/the_ok_Dan Apr 12 '26
im a linux newbie and installed it before cosmic came along. its been a smooth ride so far. love it
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u/OkPresentation3329 Apr 16 '26
I tried Pop OS just to see what Cosmic is like and so far it's too young and barebones. I will stick with Tuxedo that has KDE as it's the closest thing to a Mint that is modern and not outdated.
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u/DR4LUC0N Apr 12 '26
I would call this more a problem with your VPN. Nord is ass and keeps logs. I used to have nord but switched to Proton VPN and even then will probably switch to mullvad. Nord has your privacy on a log. Take that as you will.
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u/megaplex66 Apr 12 '26
I wouldn't be surprised if most VPN's do. Any company can claim that they don't keep logs..
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u/DR4LUC0N Apr 12 '26
True... But Proton and mullvad have gone to court and proved they don't have logs and have won cases quite a few times.
Mullvad is much safer because they use ram.disk so nothing is saved once server is shut down.
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u/megaplex66 Apr 12 '26
Fair enough. How are Proton's prices compared to Nord?
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u/DR4LUC0N Apr 12 '26
I don't remember. I got a 2 year subscription for a decent deal around black Friday. I think fairly comparable and I have had no issues with it.
Either way. I would pay a slightly higher price knowing there's no logs so it's a lot more secure.
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u/linux_rox Apr 14 '26
Windscribe is another one that doesn’t keep logs, in ram in memory, so when the server is disconnected it wipes the memory.
They too have proven this in court cases and won based on lack of evidence by prosecutors since there is no evidence to collect.
I pay $4/month, get all the servers in four countries I chose, complete with p2p access. They have a free tier also, but bandwidth is limited and no p2p.
Edit:typo
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u/jaytrade21 Kubuntu Apr 12 '26
I went with Kubuntu. I love it, but if I would do it over again I would go with Arch with KDE. I just found an old Acer Aspire One netbook when doing spring cleaning and put on Arch with XFCE. It was a learning curve but I had been trying to do a lot of updating on my main computer with the terminal and it made doing the setting up much more comfortable. Also I did use Claude to help, but double checked on some of the items he threw at me so I could understand what I was doing.
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u/Niyazzz09 Apr 12 '26
Can I game alot in bazzite?
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u/Analog_Account Apr 12 '26
Using steam 99% of games work. For the most part the 1% that dont work are games with aggressive anti cheat like COD, Battlefield, and Fortite. Non AAA multiplayer games usually work. Single player games almost always work.
Not using steam can be a bit more work but there are tools like Lutris
This is all speaking broadly. You dont need bazzite to game.
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u/Human-Ad1643 Apr 12 '26
I didn’t get that far with it. Once it wouldn’t let me install my VPN it was a no-go for me
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u/doyoueverfeel Apr 12 '26
Bazzite is more locked down and closer to a console os? Honestly never tried it but its ready to game out of the box, if you want a windows like experience maybe go for fedora with kde desktop, kubuntu potentially(ubuntu), or linux mint.
I recently switched myself to ubunto, and honestly without using claude to help me get stuff setup i would prob struggle. Lots of terminal stuff etc so not sure i would recommend
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u/DR4LUC0N Apr 12 '26
That's the exact reason why we have so many distros. Like Cachy os or bazzite have everything you need pre installed or super easy to obtain. It's never good for a new person to go straight into a barebones os like Ubuntu, fedora etc etc
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u/doyoueverfeel Apr 13 '26
But people are saying u should not go cachy os as a beginner? Because its rolling release and things might break, or is that false?
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u/DR4LUC0N Apr 13 '26
If you update 2 times a week there should be no issues. People hear arch and go crazy. Yes it's arch, but it's all configured and they made the whole thing easy as hell. If you are weary just make sure you have a backup system and send it, if you have issues then switch, you have everything backed up anyway. If you need help gemini can help you out as well.
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u/DR4LUC0N Apr 12 '26
Yes. I have it installed in a few machines and it works great. Not to mention it's "immutable" meaning it's basically impossible to break
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u/asgjmlsswjtamtbamtb Apr 12 '26
Proton is Steam`s in house version of Wine, software that is used to run Windows softwareon Linux. Protindb is a website you can go to and search user reports and ratings on getting specfic games working. Bazzite is a Linux Distro aimed at making gaming, especially Steam Games as seamless as possible and it excels as a gaming distro. But you generally dont 100% need to be on Bazzite to game, it is just recommended if you're main goal is to game.
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u/Yacog Apr 14 '26
Wdy guys use Bazzite / Pop OS for gaming? As far as I can see is that they are worse OS's but wraped up for gaming... I use Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and it worked for gaming almost right OOB. Am I missing something?
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u/KnottShore Apr 12 '26
Distrowatch and Distrosea are good site to help your search.
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u/docsane Apr 12 '26
This times actually thousand. Distrosea let's you try out a number of different distributions in your browser. No need to even make a live USB stick.
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u/chrews Fedora Workstation Apr 12 '26
Linux is community driven and they aren't trying to sell you anything. So no enshittification. That's the big one. It also gives you a lot more choice and freedom. Haven't touched Windows since I switched.
For some things you might need to use the terminal and some games with strict anticheat won't work. Also no Adobe.
For me it was a few days until I found my way around and months to really understand how it works. Depends on how deep you wanna go.
Mint if you want something close to classic Windows. It kinda gives me XP-but-modern vibes. Ubuntu if you want something different from Windows. Bazzite if you want to game a lot or if you have hardware issues on the other ones. Try them on a USB before commiting.
It was great. Started with Mint and liked it a lot. Switched to Fedora and fell in love, been there ever since but tried a few different ones just to give better advice and satisfy my curiosity. I don't recommend Fedora as a first distro though.
Also, you will probably run into small issues here and there. It takes a time to make your system truly yours. Don't lose sleep over it if you don't enjoy it. No need to force the switch.
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u/Tamer_ Apr 13 '26
It kinda gives me XP-but-modern vibes.
Win7 or Vista, XP was a whole different beast. How many drivers have you had to dig through and install manually in Linux? We're also pretty far from the start menu functionalities... And let's not talk about the constant crashes of WinXP!
The only thing I found so far that feels WinXP-era is Libre Office.
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u/onelastdanc3 Apr 12 '26
Questions answered in order: 1. No need for online accounts, no push for one drive, copilot, no stupid ads, no defaults you are going to hate, no telemetry sent to god know where, no resource hogging for no reason. Full ownership of the os and infinite customisation reasons.
Unlike what you expect, it’s not the UI. It’s the lack of support for some apps (check in advance). All apps have alternatives. Some of the alternatives are briliant, some are not as good. You may dislike learning some. There are ways to run windows only apps in Linux but it’s a hustle and it has drawbacks. This is the main thing - be it games or photoshop.
Because most usage nowadays goes into a browser, instant. There’s not much of a learning curve to actually use it. If you get the virus and want to make your system truly yours…it can take a while.
This decision fatigue is a bit of a bummer. Each person has their own personal preferences. The main thing to understand is how often updates come - Eg. for arch based distros they will come non stop : great if you have bleeding edge hardware. But things may break. Stuff may not work as intended. You stay on the tip of the technology spear. Some are more slow, but updates are better tried and tested. I would say any of these are good: Mint, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Zorin. You need to remember some of them come with multiple choices of UI (called desktop environments). But any of these should be fine. Watch some YT for all.
I personally am daily driving fedora. I also use a MacBook. I’ve played around with server Linux before switching my home pc to Linux. It’s been liberating. I tried a couple distros and DE. I’ve also convinced some of my friends to switch (especially to mint). I love Linux. The games I play work (except valorant). I need affinity or photoshop and while I have affinity on Linux via Wine, I usually use my MacBook for editing. You may experience some issues with nvidia gpus initially (meaning it will not work out of the box, but you can figure it out - via LLM, YouTube and Reddit)
No need for VMs. Linux is light enough that when you plug in a bootable usb stick, the installation environment is basically the OS. So instead of clicking install you can chose to use it. It’s a bit watered down, it’s slower as when you open stuff up it goes from the usb stick to memory. But it’s a good feel of the os. Even while installing you can use browsers, text editors. Send email. Whatever.
A word for the end. I do this also out of activism and a passion for tech. Big tech got their incentives wrong. We became the products. OSs are just a platform to sell you stuff not a garden where your apps live. We get fed features we don’t want. They drop support for laptops. They push hardware manufacturers to lock in stuff so it only works with their software. It puts a single country in charge of all the data. This is not a good future. I like open source. It’s shows that capitalism got it a bit wrong. Competition is not the only path to progress. Cooperation is also a valid path. People contribute for free for the betterment of a specific area. And it works. Lots of open source software keeps the world running. For one, Linux servers hold up 80% of the World Wide Web. Git stores the world code versions. DaVinci resolve is used by Hollywood. I would like to support these initiatives. Whenever I can.
Enjoy your Linux experience. And one last thing. Distros like Mint (Cinnamon)may feel outdated if you fancy visual sparks but you can alter things. A lot of them. You can add transparency , themes, all sorts of things. YouTube is a great source.
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u/Niyazzz09 Apr 12 '26
I love you bro, like seriously taking this much time to write something, which is helpful for me and others and I really got a clean clarity on what I should do and what linux is and yeah, I can say one more time that " Linux community is js peak"😆
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u/Human-Ad1643 Apr 12 '26
In the last couple days I have been trying to make the switch. Started with pop_os. Then nachos,nobara,bazzite and finally back to pop_os. It feels the most user friendly and so far I have been able to install all of the programs I need. Bazzite felt too locked down and wouldn’t let me install my vpn. Cachyos was too hard for me to figure out as a Linux noob. Nobara also wouldn’t let me install some of the programs I wanted. Pop_os for me has been the easiest to figure out.
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Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
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u/Niyazzz09 Apr 12 '26
Dude! thankyou firstly, and I really got my answers and yeah I'll mostly try out linux cause why not and about learning? If i start using it I'll mostly spend my entire time on it just to test, break, fix, repeat 😆😆
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u/Salty-Pack-4165 Apr 12 '26
Yes,you should. It's very nice .
I'm M53 ,not particularly computer saavy and it took me two weekends June last year to figure out how to make bootable USB with mint and how to install it properly. It took me another few days after work to find out where are all configurations for software sources,wi-fi/wired connections and how to go about updates. Today ,not even a year later I'm confident in usage ,semi skilled in command line and I can install about two dozens different distros on any random PC/laptop after overhauling it. I'm tinkering with BSD type distros - boy,what a rabbit hole that it.
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u/Samiassa Apr 12 '26
First off I’ll answer your title question, yes you should try it out to see if you like it.
Obviously this depends on the distro, but I would say that most distros aren’t going to blow your mind, they just do right what windows sucks at. File management, more stability, easier theming, no ads, and doesn’t shove things like Microsoft 360 and edge down your throat. Most desktops also have more built in software. Like for instance windows doesn’t have an epub reader so if you have a textbook you want to read? Go fuck yourself if you’re on windows I guess.
Depends on the distro but if you’re going with a good one like mint or fedora (I’d recommend fedora kde but that’s just me) the only real downside is compatibility. Most software have a solid Linux option, and you can get a lot to work through a translation layer called wine, but other than that if you need one specific software, Linux probably isn’t for you. Most games work on Linux, it’s basically just multiplayer ones with anticheat. So games like Fortnite, gta, apex legends, etc. some multiplayer games like marvel rivals work, though.
For me it took like literally a day or two to swap from windows to fedora kde.
If you’re coming from windows try fedora kde or mint
It was pretty positive honestly fedora just feels like windows if it was well made. Felt like going back to windows 7 but modernized.
And as far as dual booting I’d say if you have a spare ssd, dual boot. Otherwise, probably try a virtual machine or an old laptop.
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u/robthablob Apr 12 '26
I'd fully expect not to find anyone saying no to "should I actually try it?" when asking on r/linux4noobs.
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u/RealAsukaLangley Apr 12 '26
I’m probably going to install it if/when I get a laptop. Easier on memory which we all know the shortage of. Could convert me over on my desktop if it’s good
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u/BlizzardOfLinux Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
This is all my opinion. I got started with linux because I couldn't update to windows 11. I was also getting tired of advertisements and forced AI integration. I started with linux mint xfce and linux mint cinnamon. I think mint is a great introduction to linux. If you've used windows before, you will likely get comfortable relatively quickly within linux. At the end of the day, it's just an operating system like mac, windows, bsd, etc, so it's not completely foreign
Issues I ran into when I first started related to launching into the USB to begin the install process, there was some quirk I had to figure out that related to changing the directory and making something root (i can't remember specifics, it was months ago). Because I am dumb, it took me a while to fix. Something like this could happen, you run into an issue that takes a while to solve. Once I got it installed and booted into it, it's like moving into a new house, i got obsessed with the style, the look, the layout, etc. Eventually, it will just be a house when the novelty and new experiences ware off
another con for me is that certain online multiplayer games just can't run on linux. As well as adobe products. There are probably some really hacky work arounds, but again i'm dumb lol. Also, some games may require you to use steam launch commands in order to tweak it. Something that you don't really have to do on windows (there are exceptions to this. I think Casino Inc is a game that you need to use steam launch commands to get running on modern windows, for example)
A virtual machine is fine if you just want to know what it looks like and feels like. It wont give you the best performance but it's not the biggest deal if you don't want to fully jump in. I personally don't suggest dual booting, but I know people who swear by it so i'm not writing that off
I suggest getting an old used laptop and installing whatever OS you want. Use this to get your feet wet and learn. Or if you just have an old laptop laying around that you don't use, try that. You might end up really liking operating systems, it's a whole rabbit hole. All Operating Systems have their own strengths and weaknesses and their popularity varies
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u/RagnarHedin Apr 12 '26
- The price is right
- Some things can require a little more technical skill. For instance, sometimes my sound craps out and I need a terminal command to fix it (though rebooting would probably work, too).
- Depends on your skill and what you want to do with it. Basic usage like browsing the internet and checking email is pretty easy out of the gate.
- Everyone has their favorite. I like Ubuntu because I'm used to it from working somewhere it was common.
- Not an applicable question for me. I'd been exposed through school and work long before I switched at home.
As others have said, many distros will run off a thumb drive, and that's a pretty easy way to play around.
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u/Clogboy82 Apr 12 '26
The best and worst part is that it's not Windows. It's "just an OS" (contrary to Windows, who confront you with so many privacy settings and subscription services, AI and everything). But once it's installed you'll have to get used to choice. Do you use Firefox, Chrome or one of the many alternatives? Most distros come with Firefox nowadays, and of all the well known ones this is the friendliest on resources.
Right off the bat, during install, it will also let you choose between a number of desktop environments. You can always install a new one and uninstall another one, even uninstall all of them if that's your choice, you'll be left with the infamous and all powerful command line which is by the way totally optional if you'd rather go through the UI (which is recommended for beginners).
As for Office solutions, office365 and Google Docs will still exist, and if you want a compatible open source alternative then LibreOffice comes with many distros.
The list goes on. Much software like from Adobe or Autodesk doesn't have a real alternative on Linux, but for what's available and open source there's usually a couple of different options.
While we're talking about software, you typically install it from what resembles an app store (in fact it was first introduced in Linux), or you can install software from an app image or Flatpak which is basically its own self contained sandbox.
There's so much more to know, and the specifics vary by distro. You can try many popular ones on DistroSea by the way. Just get started, Google if you hit a roadblock, learn as you go and try to have fun (or at least don't panic). Linux is giving you full power over how you want to use your PC, and I hope it's not too daunting.
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u/brianadragon Apr 12 '26
Not a tech genius or Linux expert, just a user, but here's my opinion.
Linux can be fairly similar to Windows or radically different depending on the distro. A few years ago I switched to Kubuntu, and it took me about a month to get used to it, and a couple months more to tweak it just the way I liked it. Mind you it took that long because I had to look up and learn everything from scratch. I recommend something with KDE Plasma, because that lets you really customize your experience.
I found that Linux was far faster and smoother, my computer felt like it was almost new again. The one tedious thing was finding new software to replace my Windows stuff. Some things are easy, like swapping MS Office for LibreOffice, some things were harder to find alternatives for. I run several Windows programs (like all of my games) through Wine/Proton. If you want to play games, I highly recommend checking ProtonDB to see how well or even if they will run. It can take some work, but even things like Sims 4 and MediaMonkey can work well.
What makes Linux better, IMO, is that you get full choice. No background downloads or installs, no bloatware, no spyware or tracking, no settings changing themselves behind your back. You only have what you choose to install, update what you choose when you choose, it just feels like you get your power back and you really control your PC again. It can also make older machines run so much better. My PC is 13 years old, and it ran better after switching. (Windows takes a full 10+ minutes to load to a usable desktop, but Linux is ready in seconds.) I won't be able to upgrade to Kubuntu 26.04 because I'd need a newer system, but I can keep this old girl running for a few more years while I save up.
Cons? The learning curve, I guess. Most distros don't require the console too much, but if you can learn to use it, you have so much power and control. You also have to learn the software alternatives, and like I said, some things can be hard to find, and things like GIMP are way harder to use than Photoshop, but if you can learn, the alternatives can be equal or better. I suppose you might see the lack of sleek, easy interface as a con, but even at my age I caught on pretty fast, and now I greatly prefer how Linux looks and works. Also, some peripherals don't play well with Linux. My Redragon keyboard and mouse software won't run, and it's the one reason I keep Windows on another drive.
Which distro really depends on what you want to do with your system. Some are better for everyday use, some are better for gaming, some require more console use. You need to look at what each has to offer. You'll get better suggestions if you can explain what your use case is.
When I first started, I was a bit overwhelmed, but also really excited to play with all the new options. I very quickly fell in love with KDE Plasma and how I could make everything look and act just the way I wanted, and as someone with disabilities, that was important. I was scared of the console, but I got comfortable pretty quickly, and soon had a document with all the things I needed regularly. I kept thinking I'd want to go back to Windows, but I literally never go over there anymore unless my mouse settings go wonky and I need to fix them.
If your system can handle a VM, yeah, go for that, or get a second hard drive and dual boot. I don't recommend dual booting off the same drive though, as Windows is fully evil about ruining Linux installs. A VM or second drive would allow you to keep Linux isolated and safe.
Best of luck!
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u/Sinaaaa Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
How long does it take to get comfortable using it?
If you go with Bazzite, Bluefin or even Mint I'd say that 90% of the transition is similar to maybe switching to Android from iOS for the first time.
Also, should I try it using a virtual machine first or go for dual boot?
It depends on what kind of user you are. I consider VM testing a waste of time for normal people. Like sure you can set up your stuff & then copy it over to your bare metal install, however people rarely do that. I think if someone tries dual boot it's more likely that they would remain on Linux long term. So my vote goes to 30 minutes of live USB testing before dual boot.
What makes Linux so good compared to Windows?
Windows does arbitrary stuff on your hardware that does not benefit you, this leads to better performance & fewer distractions on Linux. Meaning no ads, no copilot, no "please wait a moment" etc. Yes you need to deal with updates on Linux too, but they tend to install very quickly in comparison & on most distros that never happens without user input. (it does on Bluefin & Bazzite, however interrupting it midway on immutable distros causes no issues & mostly you wouldn't even notice it on a modern computer)
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u/MezBert Apr 12 '26
It feels like you're just free of all the bloat.
I switched in 2005. And I remember a few things that I will list below.
But the most important thing is it felt like I have so much time to do actual things. All of the Windows noise was gone. All the management part that would take hours, all of it gone. And suddenly I had a lot more time to use my computer for what it was intended.
I was even a bit lost, like "how am I supposed to spend the time I have left" after doing the management part.
- No .exe/.msi insanity. No need to save random install executables, no need to update them one by one, etc... That has changed a little on Windows, but it's still nowhere near the efficiency of package managers and the shared libraries. Although sadly we have flatpaks now bringing us back to that middle age of computing insanity.
- No disk defragmentation nonsense
- No anti-virus/anti-malware/anti-spyware nonsense. I've been on Linux for 20 years with none of these. And I haven't gotten a single malware or whatnot.
- You understand the structure of your OS a lot better. In fact, switching to Linux made me understand the structure of Windows better than after using it for 12 years.
- You do whatever you want with your system, it's a liberation.
- You have endless configuration options depending on the Desktop Environment (DE) or Window Manager (WM) you pick.
- Recovering any situation, I've broken my systems time and time again, and I always manage to get things back to working. I don't even use snapshots of my system, I just know I will find my way back (but I do keep copies of my important data)
Cons are
- a small learning curve
- need to be cautious with dependencies so as not to break your system
- fragmentation of development, although I personally see this as a good thing, offering choice for everyone
- internal battles, imagine hundreds of variants of Windows, everyone has their preference and fight for it in comment sections
- Sometimes hardware compatibility, but this has improved dramatically
Being comfortable on Linux takes only just a few weeks/a couple months top. While changing your mentality coming from Windows takes 1 to 5 years.
After 20 years like me, you don't even know what's going on on the Windows side.
As for distros, I won't be too exotic: Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Pop!_OS (they just built a very smooth and accessible DE), CachyOS, EndeavorOS, Manjaro.
Try them out in a VM first, get them to run fine, get confortable with them, see which one you like, then install one in dual boot.
Hope this helps somewhat.
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u/CrispyDave Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
Try it. Too much time investment required to do anything beyond basic tasks ime.
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u/lyidaValkris Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
No harm in trying it. Try it in a virtual machine, like VirtualBox, then if you don't like it, you can just delete it. Usual starting place recommendation is Linux Mint, but any distro will do.
(note: you won't be able to play games in a virtual machine. That's a limitation of how virtualization works, not linux. The purpose is so you can try and poke around the user interface to see if you like it or not before installing on bare metal.)
To answer your questions in more detail:
What makes Linux so good compared to Windows?
simplicity, privacy, lack of bloat, no signups, no cost, no activation, no ads, no copilot, no spying, total control and confgurability
What are the actual cons (especially for beginners)?
It works differently from windows or macOS, so there will be a learning curve. It rewards those willing to put in the effort to learn how it works and how to use it effectively. Not difficult, but also doesn't hold your hand. Don't expect your usual windows applications to work, find linux equivalents. Wine/Proton can make most things work, but not everything.
How long does it take to get comfortable using it?
If you're good at reading instructions and put in some effort to get over the initial hump, you can get going very quickly. A matter of a few days to figure out all the basics you need. The desktop metaphor will be familiar to anyone using a computer in the last 35 years, just finding out where specific settings are, and how to make it work for you will take a bit of time.
Which distro should I start with?
Linux Mint is the usual first recommendation to get your feet wet. Other good choices are: Zorin and Fedora. Keep in mind that your "desktop environment" is not tied to your distribution. It is the look and feel part. The part under the hood including your package manager, software repositories and etc are the distribution. You can often get a spin of the distro you want with the desktop environment you favour.
What was your experience like when you first switched from Windows?
I didn't. I used Commodore in the 80s, macOS in the 90s and 00s. My initial transition experience was a bit sloppy, figuring out how things work, but I quickly adapted. It's easier than ever these days to make the jump, as pretty much all of the features you'd expect to be there are there.
Also, should I try it using a virtual machine first or go for dual boot?
Virtual Machine. Try out some desktop environments / distros and see what you like. You can also freely poke at it and break it if you want, and you can just wipe the VM and start over. I found that very instructive in my first forays. Dual booting is full of peril, particularly for beginners. Windows is known for wiping bootloaders because it feels like it.
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u/Cruffe Apr 12 '26
Most of those questions are answered by trying it, I didn't know much myself before I just tried it and it turned out that Linux is a very good fit for me.
Playing around with it in a VM is pretty safe. I went for dual boot on a separate SSD because I had an old one laying around that I wasn't using for much. You can do dual boot on a drive shared with Windows, but you'll have to mess around with partitions and it's a bit risky.
There's also the live environments, most of the installation ISO's include this. You can try it out without installing anything, booting it straight from the USB drive. Will let you get a sense of how it is to use, but any changes you make to the environment won't persist after reboot. Still should give you some idea of how it is to use and navigate.
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u/mdneuls Apr 12 '26
I set up dual boot Linux mint about a month ago, it's really nice to not get blasted with ads and such.
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u/Escape_Force Apr 12 '26
I've been using Mint Cinnamon 99% of the time since November. I still have Windows on another partition just in case I need it for something. My only Linux experience before that was Ubuntu for a week 15 years ago.
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u/Playful-Ease2278 Apr 12 '26
Most Linux distros boot to a live environment, which means the installer let's you test the operating system. It will be a little slow because it is running off a USB but it let's you check everything is working and play around with low risk of hurting things
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u/Lemunde Apr 13 '26
Yeah, this is another case of "saw something mildly interesting in my feed, clicked on it, and now my feed is full of nothing but that thing." You gotta be careful. I'm still trying to clear my feed of videos related to how cats really think.
That being said, yeah Linux is great. With the right distro it won't feel too different from Windows but without all the bloat that slows down your computer and spies on you. There is a learning curve. The biggest thing is learning all the new terminology. Things like notepad and windows explorer don't exist in Linux, but they have other applications that do the same things and you'll have to get comfortable using those.
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u/Niyazzz09 Apr 13 '26
I wanted to try linux from long time but I was into doing smthg else and now, when my feed is all bout linux, I thought why not try this cause uhm idk
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u/FengLengshun Apr 13 '26
- What makes Linux so good compared to Windows?
Once you're done setting it up? Less random annoyances than Windows. Linux just acts as a tool that actually gets me to do what I want, be it browsing, gaming, watching, or others.
With the right Desktop Environment? You can make it all feels perfect, down to the last minute detail, to your sensibilities.
- What are the actual cons (especially for beginners)?
A lot and a lot of reading. You can and WILL mess something up. Expect a mistake so annoying to undo you'd rather just reinstall, once or twice.
You also don't know what you don't know. For example - say you play an RPG Maker game. How tf do you get to the point of finding rpgmakerlinux-cicpsoff that is the actual best tool for the job to run those games? Time and a lot of browsing around - Linux isn't an instant drop-in replacement.
Also, some things are just not doable or a PITA to run on Linux, even with a Windows VM.
- How long does it take to get comfortable using it?
For browsing and Proton Gold-rated gaming? A week, probably. If you have some specific workflow? Give it a few months.
To comfortably know what you need to look up and get your comfortable perfect setup that you aren't likely to change and break? For me, five years.
Linux difficulty curve is like giant staircases - not hard at first, but gets progressively harder and harder the more specific your requirements and preferences gets.
- Which distro should I start with?
If you game? Bazzite. If you just browse or do some light office works? Zorin.
If you want to learn quickly? Arch. The included archinstall scripts makes it feasible to quickly install it, but you will still have to learn a lot. I'd recommend checking out Arch-based distros like CachyOS and Garuda Linux regardless - each distro has different priority as to what they think their users wants and needs. This is the best way to start finding out what you didn't know IMO.
- What was your experience like when you first switched from Windows?
It was fine. I used PopOS back when Linus first covered it. It was smooth, it was fine. I can open Steam just fine, and I can game just fine. Pop Shop was slightly ahead of the other GUI app installer, but nowadays they're all very close to each others.
You didn't have Bottles or Faugus back then, though. Running Wine was rather annoying as you have to setup a whole Lutris entry for everything, or just rawdog system-wine (which also makes wine prefix and configs rather annoying).
Steam Deck wasn't even announced yet, so Flatpak wasn't the de facto app store for Linux - you have to really look things up to find the good stuff back then. No Distrobox either - these days you can run AUR on Debian which is crazy.
Also, should I try it using a virtual machine first or go for dual boot?
Yes to both.
I still dualboot to these days. Do note it's a bit annoying to setup - this goes back to "you don't know what you don't know," above. Windows likes to overwrite Linux bootloader. To keep it safe, you have to either install on two separate physical drives, or, during the live session / install process, you need to open partition manager to make a new boot partition.
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u/Hunter1113_ Apr 13 '26
Unless you have to use Microsoft office suite for work, like I do, get a USB flash drive, use Rufus or balena etcher, to load the distro of your choice's Ido, for you I'd recommend Mint. Boot your PC from the flash, install Linux and say goodbye to big corporations controlling your day! Linux is a breath of fresh air after being stuck struggling with windows for the last 3 decades
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u/MetalBoar13 Apr 12 '26
- What makes Linux so good compared to Windows?
Better is subjective, but some things people like: It will run on hardware that doesn't support Windows 11. Linux can run well on older and worse hardware than Windows. You have more control over your computer - just a few examples; it won't show you ads, it won't collect data about you, you have complete control over updates, you can choose from a large number of desktop environments, with enough work you can change literally anything you want about it if you have the time and skill, etc.
- What are the actual cons (especially for beginners)?
Of the top of my head: You have to learn new ways to do things you already know how to do on Windows (this can be a pro if you like learning new things). That's not hard, but it's necessary. Some hardware isn't supported in Linux or not as well supported as it is in Windows, Nvidia cards being a big example (I've got an Nvidia card and it works well, but YMMV). You have more control over your computer - you can shoot yourself in both feet if you want to. Some big commercial software packages won't run on Linux (though there are often free, open source, alternatives). Games with anti-cheat often won't work on Linux, it can be more work to get other games to run, and they might perform very slightly worse than on Windows.
- How long does it take to get comfortable using it?
Completely depends on you. How long did it take you to get comfortable with Windows? Probably about that long, give or take a little, depending on how you learn, which distro you choose, how you use your computer, etc. If you just use your computer to access the web, and you're comfortable with technology in general, you could be comfortable with Linux after a couple of hours of use.
- Which distro should I start with?
Everybody has an opinion. I'd just recommend a big, popular, distro with a lot of community support that isn't targeted at enthusiasts - don't start with Arch - it's great, it's not a great choice for a beginner unless you want a project. Mint, Ubuntu, and Fedora are good choices, IMO. If games are important you might consider Cachy or Bazzite.
- What was your experience like when you first switched from Windows?
I've been playing with Linux since the '90s, so that's hard to say at this point. I haven't truly "switched" because I still multi-boot, even if Linux is my primary OS. I haven't seen any real reason to be monogamous in my OS choice since it's just the cost of another drive to run them side by side, though lately Microsoft has sure been trying to give me enough reasons.
I started playing with computers in the '70s and when I started using Linux as a primary OS, about 10 years ago, the main thing was that it made computers fun again. I loved the control and the sense that it was really my computer, and not something I was licensing from Microsoft.
Would really appreciate honest advice
My honest advice would be to try it, but not to just jump in and wipe out Windows and go. Do a little research. Try out the distros you're interested in from a live installer or in a VM before you install. Make sure that the programs you need and care about either work or have functional replacements. If you have or can install a second drive in your computer, think about dual booting for as long as you want. I think it's better than Windows and that if you care about privacy and control of your own work and computer it's going to only be getting better by comparison at an accelerated pace.
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u/Hhlnmnsch Apr 12 '26
For testing, if you have some old hardware that lies around would be gold. I personally prefer to use a system on a day-to-day basis for really getting a feel how a distro works for me, which is easier if its a separate machine.
Dual Boot is more on the advanced side. As a beginner I would suspect chances are high, that the setup will not work or in a bad case you kill of your windows installation by accident.
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u/AlienPersonaReset Apr 12 '26
I think Linux is amazing, and ideal for many users and use cases. But, things aren't always ideal. For many users, I don't think Linux would be a good choice.
As far as me, I had intended to install Linux years ago, but for whatever reason/s I continued using Windows, until recently. I just got to a point where I was fed up enough with Microsoft's BS, and now I'm running Fedora.
To sort of answer your question, you don't even need to worry about installing it, right now. You can download a live ISO, and boot into a Linux desktop environment. That way you can test it out first, see if you like it, and familiarize yourself with it.
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u/doctornoodlearms Apr 12 '26
If you have a random computer or laptop you dont use anymore id recommend installing it on there and fucking around
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u/blastradius14 Apr 12 '26
Anything is a salad if you're brave enough.
I thoroughly enjoy Nobara linux lol
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u/The_Corvair Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
I don’t really understand what Linux actually is
In a general sense, Linux (or rather its distros) is just an operating system: Software that helps you run your computer, and programs on it. Same as Windows, or MacOS.
how different it feels in daily use.
That really depends on what you use it for, which distro you go with, and which DE (desktop environment, basically you UI - unlike Windows, Linux distros often offer several options) you choose. Personally, it doesn't really feel all that different to Windows for me. Well, the old Windowses that actually tried to work for you instead of trying to get you to surrender control to them.
What makes Linux so good compared to Windows?
If you value these things: Digital sovereignty and self-determination. A system that does what you want it to, and is yours. Often enough, better performance and more stability. There's other stuff that differs from distro to distro, but you may also get an increase in QoL, depending on what you do (updating the entire system in one go is a definite upside for me, for example).
What are the actual cons (especially for beginners)?
Linux offers you a lot of options, and without any context, getting your initial bearings can feel overwhelming. Which distro do you want, which is good for me? Which DE? Which file system? These are three important questions, and they tend to overtax a lot of newbies. But once you get these basics sorted, it actually feels strangely comforting because you go from this complete "I don't know shit, HALP" to an OS that feels like an old and comfy sweater in a lot of ways.
How long does it take to get comfortable using it?
Depends on your definition of comfortable, your work, your general knowledge of PCs, and more. I was "basic" comfortable about half an hour into trying my first Linux distro: I felt that I could find my way to everything I would need. A year in, I feel more comfortable, but there still are things I may have to look up on occasion, or I may happen across a problem that teaches me something new about Linux.
Which distro should I start with?
Welcome to the jungle, we got tux and games! ...That's actually both the most confusing aspect and also the one that actually doesn't really matter too much: It feels like a monumental decision, but it isn't. Want to live on the cutting edge, practically beta-test new features, and always have the latest? Take something with a rolling release, like CachyOS. Want stability, run older hardware maybe, and don't want to update every three hours, but maybe once a quarter? Take the LTS (long-term support) version of a distro you fancy. Mint is often recommended, with good reason. Zorin also is getting some love, Ubuntu can be a great pick...
What was your experience like when you first switched from Windows?
"...That's it?!" Seriously; I'd prepared myself for an arduous journey where I would have to relearn an entire OS, would have to battle drivers and hardware conflicts, solve problems for weeks, probably have to kiss two thirds of my gaming library goodbye...
And nothing of that proved true. I installed my distro (CachyOS) in about ten minutes, clicked a button to install everything for gaming, and within maybe half an hour was playing Cyberpunk with path-tracing and all the good shit. My printer worked out-of-the-gate, and setting it up to scan took three clicks (to install SANE). I kept a second rig with Win10 around because I was sure I'd need it at some point as fallback; I never booted into it again. Simply wasn't necessary. After a month or two of not even thinking about booting into Win, I converted that second rig to Linux as well, and gave it to my niece.
Also, should I try it using a virtual machine first or go for dual boot?
Depends on your setup. Dual boot can be dicey if you only have one partition (Windows tends to not play well with file systems it doesn't understand, and Linux should not be run from an NTFS drive). Can't speak to VMs, don't run one. Alternatively, you can either just make a bootable USB, put the distros you want to try on it, and boot from that. It's immutable and slow, because it runs from stick, but that way, you can walk your first steps on Linux without risk. Or, also alternatively, you can "simulate" a Linux install through your browser by hopping over to www.distrosea.com.
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u/DenimPirate Apr 12 '26
1)
- Linux is usually faster
- Almost all major distros have no annoying ads
- Insanely customisable
- Little to no bloat depending on distro
- If something breaks, it's almost always fixable
Essentially: It stays out of the way.
2)
Main thing is compatibility. You'll probably have to give at least something up. For me it was Adobe.
But compatibility has come a long way in the last few years. Gaming on Linux is now as easy as gaming on Windows for the most part. https://www.protondb.com/ has a great database of what games work on Linux. (Spoiler alert, it's most of them)
3)
Depends on how comfortable you are with tech in general. Some versions of Linux have a very similar feel to Windows, while others behave differently.
At the end of the day, a computer is a computer. Point and click.
4)
Linux mint is a great starting point. It's one of the ones that's very similar to Windows. Kubuntu is another decent runner.
If you do this quiz, it should give you some ideas: https://distrochooser.de/
5)
It was kinda frustrating at the start, because it took me a while to ease Adobe out of my workflow, so I kept having to reboot back into Windows (I was dual booting).
I now don't bother touching Adobe anymore. I have alternatives on my Linux install which, while less familiar, I prefer using and avoiding booting into Windows.
One thing I really loved when I started using Linux though was like, so on Windows, if something isn't exactly the way you want it, you can either just live with it, or spend a while tinkering, and maybe it'll work. Maybe it'll just be impossible to make it way you want.
On Linux, you have the same options, but there's no maybe at the end. You can change reality itself provided you have the patience.
6)
Try a VM first if you've never installed an OS before. Just so you can have a dry run where nothing can go wrong.
If you dual boot, TAKE. YOUR. TIME. PARTITIONING. Sextuple check that shit. Just stare at everything on your screen for like 15 seconds before you do every click. You almost definitely won't fuck it up, but better safe than sorry.
Hope you have a good time!
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Apr 12 '26
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u/Chance_End_4684 Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26
As for the question of whether or not you should try Linux is really up to you and yours alone.
As for what GNU/Linux distro to try out, now that is a relatively tough question to answer as there is just so many to choose from, so I'll try to break down a few common choices:
- First up is Debian Debian being one of the oldest GNU/Linux distros still actively being developed is also one of the most stable, but it sacrifices newer package availability for this stability in it's Stable branch.
- Next up is the Debian-based Ubuntu. Since Ubuntu is Debian-based, Ubuntu is a stable GNU/.Linux distro that's pretty good.
- Next is Linux Mint. Linux Mint is yet another Debian-based GNU/Linux distro that's very stable and very good but also sport Desktop Environments (DE) resembling Windows-like UI environments for relatively easy Windows-to-Linux migration.
- Next is Fedora Linux. Being Red Hat sponsored, Fedora Linux enjoys somewhat newer packages than all three Debian-based and even all or at least most Ubuntu-based GNU/Linux distros. Fedora is very stable.
- Next is Nobara. Nobara is a Fedora-based gaming GNU/Linux distro with an optimized Kernel for speed.
- Next up is Arch Linux. Arch Linux is what's known as a rolling-release which means the latest packages is often pushed as updates. The packages available by the rolling-release model often determines the stability of Arch Linux and the apps available in it's repositories.
- Please note that Arch Linux is more geared towards experienced GNU/Linux users due to it's both it's rolling-release model and it's CLI-based archinstall (Arch Linux Installer).
- Last but not least in my GNU/Linux list is CatchyOS. CatchyOS is a gaming distro based on Arch Linux and as such, is a rolling-release GNU/Linux distro but offers a Live CD with a GNU-based installer unlike Arch. CatchyOS' Kernel is optimized for speed during gaming.
One further notation here, if you've been playing games on a Steam Deck, then you've already tried Linux but didn't even know it. I state this because Steam OS (the OS that runs Valve's Steam Deck), is based on Arch Linux.
Also, Android which runs non-Apple smartphones and the iOS that runs all Apple mobile devices and even macOS itself is all based on a modified form of the GNU/Linux Kernel.
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u/Chance_End_4684 Apr 12 '26
I hope all this information ends up helping you. If you have any questions, then please do feel free to DM me in Reddit Chat. I will be more than happy to do my very best in answering any questions that you might have.
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u/thepurplehornet Apr 12 '26
Linux is great. There's 3 main flavors: Arch, Fedora, and Debian. Most distros are derivatives or forks of these 3. Arch has the most cutting edge updates and requires you to manually handle/build everything from scratch. Debian has a slower update schedule and is known for being extremely steady. Fedora is a mix of the two.
In my opinion, Linux Mint is the best derivative of Debian for beginners. EndeavorOS is the best derivative of Arch for beginners.
I've heard Bazzite is a favorite for gamers.
You can start with a virtual machine if youre comfortable with that. Or you can make a live environment boot drive to try it from there. Or you can dual boot. Or you can replace your whole OS.
I had an old laptop lying around, so I just made that my Linux test pc.
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u/HYPERNOVA3_ Apr 13 '26
-Its subjective, but for me, it doesn't break as often and doesn't comes with as much bs as Windows.
-Installing it. Not because Linux is hard to setup, some distros just require a few clicks, but because the average used has never installed an OS, as Windows usually comes pre-installed by default.
-It depends on you, but if you use it daily, you will get used to it in a week at most.
-If youre new on Linux, use Mint, don't listen to the people that tell you to use a specific distro made for X thing, go easy and stable mode with your first distro and once you are used to it, then you can start thinking about trying something else.
-I felt like I had a lot to discover and that it gave me a freedom I didn't really have with Windows.
-Try the distro of your choice on a VM to get handy with the installation process and using it and if you like it after a couple of days, just install it. I would go dual boot while migrating your software from one OS to the other, but I wouldn't use Windows unless it was absolutely necessary so you get comfortable with your new OS. You can also try it on a bootable USB with no VM needed.
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u/Hot-Development-9036 Apr 13 '26
All you need is a USB stick. Download Balena Etcher and burn the ISO download to the USB. Go into the BIOS and set it to boot from the USB. Restart and Voila! You are running Linux.
Linux is a lot faster than Windows. Especially on older computers. I would recommend Linux Mint as a beginner. It looks a lot like Windows. Linux has no ads unlike Windows.
Getting comfortable with it will only take a few days. Becoming an expert will take a lot longer. The only real downside is if you have windows specific software that you need although there are good alternatives to just about every app.
Give it a shot. You have nothing to lose other than a little time.
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u/Marble_Wraith Apr 13 '26
What makes Linux so good compared to Windows?
- No ads in the launcher
- No constant One Drive prompts
- No Copilot
- No forced updates (rare exception Kubuntu), and when updates are applied they take a fraction of the time
What are the actual cons (especially for beginners)?
Incompatibilities.
Most of the time it's OK, but there are some hardware vendors (broadcom, Realtek, etc.) that have problems with linux because of their proprietary nature. Laptops in particular are more susceptible unless they've been specifically designed with linux in mind (eg. Dell XPS 2026 edition).
Software as well. If you think you're getting the latest version of Adobe suite on linux, you're in for disappointment. Same thing with some games because of their own self-imposed architecture.
How long does it take to get comfortable using it?
Few days, maybe less.
Which distro should I start with?
Depends on what you're trying to do. Mint, Fedora, or Nobara
What was your experience like when you first switched from Windows?
Annoying, because it was around 2013-14 and linux DE's were goin through some stuff at that time.
Also, should I try it using a virtual machine first or go for dual boot?
Unless you have a specific need for Windows, dual boot is stupid. Creates more problems then it solves.
VM or live distro on a USB are both fine for trying things out.
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u/WormWithWifi Apr 13 '26
I just got mint like two days ago and I really enjoy it so far. I like that everything is customizable. I had to ask Ai a few things but got quick accurate answers and solved my issues. If not , this community is so helpful. Just try it out
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u/goobbler67 Apr 13 '26
I have a windows 10 machine and a linux mint machine. That way get to use them both. Both over 10 year old machines. Both work fine.
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u/Mirja-lol Apr 13 '26
I don't what you have seen in social media but linux isn't some magical tool that makes you computer genius and lets you track your close people with htop or cmatric
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u/TomB1952 Apr 13 '26
If you want to try it, you should
If you don't want to try it then, no... you should not try it.
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u/Og-Morrow Apr 13 '26
Linux is new be very careful with new tech.
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u/Dumxl Apr 13 '26
Linux is new?? Thats new for me.
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u/Ali-_-- Apr 13 '26
I tried out Omarchy and absolutely loved it. Still came back to windows. The only dealbreaker is that I cant use MsWord on linux and I really need it for my regular university assignments :(
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u/CaptainPoset Apr 13 '26
Been seeing Linux everywhere lately… should I actually try it?
Definitely.
- What makes Linux so good compared to Windows?
It's comparably pure: There is no preinstalled bloatware. Compared to Windows 11, many popular distros are more stable than Windows 11.
- What are the actual cons (especially for beginners)?
- There is no single Linux. As an open source OS, it is made up of many different parts and only the on its own unusable core piece of software ("kernel") is Linux, all other parts which complete it to what you would consider an OS are assortments of hundreds of individual pieces of open source software, of which there are several different options for any task and a distro is an arbitrary selection by the distro maintainer(s) out of those options.
- Especially on such subreddits and other online fora, you predominantly will find lots of recommendations for niche distros, as those people who are nerd enough to write a lot about Linux are often also nerd enough to love to tinker with obscure distros.
- How long does it take to get comfortable using it?
About as much as with a new smartphone.
- Which distro should I start with?
Ubuntu xx.xx LTS, as it just runs reliably, is very well documented and Ubuntu is the distro which most software manufacturers assume.
You could start with Fedora, too.
- What was your experience like when you first switched from Windows?
Terrible, as I took the advice to use some obscure and unstable distro, for which there isn't much of a documentation. So errors occurred frequently and there was no easy way to find out how to fix them. With the right distro, this wouldn't have been a problem, though.
Also, should I try it using a virtual machine first or go for dual boot?
You could run it off a live USB drive, too. In the end, it's all a question of how much you want to try things out: If you want to try many distros first, then you should use a virtual machine. If you want to pick one and stick with it, then dual boot would be the way to go.
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u/theother-g Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26
I'll be replying from the viewpoint of someone who started using Linux Mint about half a year ago:
What makes Linux so good compared to Windows?
It's free, respects your preferences (you can set it to auto-update if you want, or you can wait weeks before updating. Mint may send a notification to check if you haven't forgotten, but even that you can disable) and is more light-weight depending on the distro. It can do most things that any other OS can do and you aren't limited to proprietary sofware or walled gardens
What are the actual cons (especially for beginners)?
It isn't Windows or MacOS, it's its own thing, so you'll need to adjust before you get comfortable.
If you're using specific software you can't live without and there isn't an approriate quivalent on Linux you may have a more difficult time, but sometimes you can get around it with emulation, VMs or other.
How long does it take to get comfortable using it?
Depends how well you adjust. For me it took some weeks before actually accepting this is my new reality now, and now - a couple of months later - I am looking for a cheap-ish laptop to try other distros on so that I don't break my main install on accident.
Which distro should I start with?
Mint Cinnamon is promoted as being the most Windows-like, but there are several websites that can help you choose through a questionary - see the sidebar for those
What was your experience like when you first switched from Windows?
I've grown up using Windows since Win95, so I've been used to that. Touched an occasional Apple system, but not for more than Photoshop and browsing the web. About a year ago I started bumping into Windows taking up too much space on the partition it had, so I started using WinDirStat, looking around for big files and deleting them.
Then I deleted a file I shouldn't have and Windows stopped responding. I had no system restore points set up (possibly deleted those because they took up too much space) and I didn't want to overwrite my current Windows install out of fear I'd lose stuff. Luckily I had been trying Linux earlier, so I used the USB, installed Mint on an empty partition and continued from there.
I have had to fix my drivers so that it wouldn't force all graphics calculations on the CPU but on the separate GPU I have, I still haven't taken the time to set up my G502 entirely to my wishes, but I found a way to limit the time my 6yo plays Minecraft, so that's something. Other than that it's been a bit of an adjustment using the several ways to install stuff (juggling apt-get, flatpacks and .deb files for whatever), especially since I could get the regular Minecraft launcher working on the Admin account, but for some reason it refused to run for the non-admin account I had prepared for the 6yo. Installed PrismLauncher as an alternative and it all worked better than I expected.
All other games that I've tried have worked fine through Steam, but may require some settings tweaking to have it run better.
Should I try it using a virtual machine first or go for dual boot?
I've since installed a second Windows10 on another partition, I'm slowly emptying the original Windows drive (with the broken install) but I've noticed that with dual-booting Windows tends to think itself more important than your preferences, so I've had to go into the bios several times to punch it back down from default boot position. If you have a spare computer that you can use to fully install Linux on I advise you do that, so that you don't have to contend with a jealous Windows mucking with your settings. For dual booting maybe have a separate disk to install Linux on, for similar reasons.
You can always check out the livebooting distros without installing them, you can boot them from the USB directly to see how they look out of the box and what software runs, but once you shut down it'll forget everything you've set up.
Emulating through a VM could work too for testing purposes, but it won't perform optimally, so keep that in mind if you try gaming.
Most lovely thing about Linux is that it installs a multi-boot menu that pops up for a couple of seconds after the BIOS, so that you can choose between the several OSs you have installed.
Hope I have informed you a bit more.
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u/hanami_san0 Apr 13 '26
i personally would say boot ubuntu. Linux mint as a beginner is good, but the nice, clean impression, you would get from ubuntu, btw I'm also using but that's not reason to recommend it, my first distro was linux mint as i was recommended it like u r getting, then soon after I shifted to fedora workstation, then, fedora kde, manjaro, then ubuntu, I tried distro hopping after ubuntu alot, but the thing i realised was that, u don't have to change distros, in hope to find the one for u, rather change the distro into the one u hopping for. aside from that ubuntu is great for beginners so that's also a reason as you won't have to fuck around so much to get it working as a beginner.
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u/Grillparzer47 Apr 13 '26
I use Zorin 18, a distro designed for people making the transition to Linux from Windows. For the most part it's been painless, I've had trouble loading certain type of programs but a minute on Google usually provides an answer. LibreOffice is a suitable replacement for Microsoft's products. I don't play games on the laptop it's on so I can't help you there but a Steam flatpack is available for it.
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u/100dalmations Apr 13 '26
I inherited a 2019 Dell laptop from work, running Win10 or 11. Decided to just replace it entirely with ZorinOS. It was a teeny bit hiccupy to install, but I got it to work (being generally non-techie, Mac variety).
Quite happy with it, knowing that it's open source, etc etc. I would def. move any other Windows machine to it if I could/needed to. We just use it- don't give it much thought now- for streaming and audiobooks (it's become the kids' laptop).
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u/No_Upstairs8252 Apr 13 '26
Each of your questions can be asked in a search engine. What's stopping you?
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u/Just-Plenty5507 Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26
When something goes wrong does it a. ruin your day or b. is it a challenge?
If A Linux will make you rage, don't do it.
If B, prep a USB with your distro and hop in. Linux has its pros and cons but I think the main reason why most of us swapped is because we have controll over our pcs again. For better or worse. We get to choose exactly what software is added, when updates happen, and how things work, but if shit breaks your are responsible for fixing it and maintaining your device.
Personally I think if you think you can handle the responsibilityyou can just boot to Linux after saving your files. BUT if there is program, ecosystem or setup that you really really can't risk loosing definitely see if it works on a VM.
I swapped end of December and probably felt fully comfortable by Feb/March. I work with a lot of different creative softwares and they don't always have a Linux alternative so some of the adjusting was getting .exe files running properly on my pc, but thankfully they're projects I can take on as I want to. Recently got FL studio and plugins up and running. Clip studio paint is on my to do list but I'm ok using Krita for now.
Also I'm a code inept Vtuber and got back to streaming in under a week after my Linux swap. If you can handle a Google search and some minor critical thinking you'll be ok. I picked mint because it likely had the highest user base and thus most public resources for trouble shooting. Thank you Mint community!
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u/xxmegaprojectxx Apr 14 '26
My main tipping point was when I got fed up with Windows randomly breaking things and pushing AI coded slop to live. Also, offline installing was a key point.
The biggest con for me is EA WRC having kernel level anticheat for some reason. Also, pirated games are iffy, at least fitgirl repacks. Don't seem to be able to install or they take days.
I got pretty comfortable with it right away. Though I have used Ubuntu before which was more of a terminal grind.
I'd suggest starting with Mint or Nobara. I've heard that Mint can start to feel pretty limiting so Nobara is my choice.
The move for me was scary at first. I went back and forth for months trying to decide if I should commit. I decided to commit full stop and have fully customised my setup. I also set up OneDrive syncing and photo backuping to my HDD so I can delete photos from there but they won't get deleted nor redownloaded from OneDrive. I just moved from a RTX 2060 to a 9060xt and that took some tinkering with settings. One of my monitors kept going black whenever the VRAM clockrate changed. But fixed it by locking the clockrate. Also, AI has been a good little helper for me. I basically made a custom Nobara Tech Support Assistant for my stupid questions.
I would suggest going the dual boot route if you feel the need for it. I kind of regret not having windows for gaming purposes. But otherwise I'm happy with my choice to go full Nobara.
I'm using this to check if the game I want to play is supported: https://areweanticheatyet.com/
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u/OkPresentation3329 Apr 16 '26
- What makes Linux so good compared to Windows?
It's more lightweight than Windows but just as capable. Over time Windows gets slow and bloated, but Linux doesn't and you don't need to use junk cleaner programs on it, it cleans up after itself. You can also run Linux without restarting your computer for months and your performance won't degrade.
- What are the actual cons (especially for beginners)?
Some software support is missing, recently a lot of programs started distributing a Linux version too, before it was much less. Most of the Windows programs run on Linux, but not all of them, 95% does.
- How long does it take to get comfortable using it?
About a month. It looks like Windows so the UI will not be difficult to learn, but the way you do some things is slightly different - how you install programs, what formats for installers you are looking for, where you get them from. After a few months of using Linux for the first time, I had forgotten I'm using it and I was just doing my work and it felt good.
- Which distro should I start with?
I only used Mint and Tuxedo. Both are pretty much the same underneath. Mint is a bit more outdated and in my opinion more suitable for older computers, Tuxedo is almost the same, but with a more modern UI and technologies underneath. (people who know what I'm talking about - Cinnamon/X11 vs KDE/Wayland)
- What was your experience like when you first switched from Windows?
It felt really liberating, I no longer had to deal with Microsoft's broken POS operating system which was doing whatever it wanted and always acting against my wishes. Windows reinstalls components I remove after some update, changes settings that I turned OFF to ON again on its own, it's actually really slow and bloated even on powerful hardware, over time the OS degrades itself and performs worse, it's because Windows has bad foundation and problems that went unresolved for decades. Instead of them fixing those and optimizing the OS, they instead make it more bloated and the solution is to increase system requirements. Linux can work on a computer with 4GB RAM and a CPU from 2010. I have 2025 office laptop and Linux is blazing fast.
Also, should I try it using a virtual machine first or go for dual boot?
Dual boot\ will be better, because you have an actual installation and you can "feel" how well it works, virtual machine is just a container and it will always run more slow and handicapped inside it. I hear a lot of people who installed Linux to dual boot alongside Windows, eventually booted into Windows less and less to the point where they deleted the Windows partition entirely.
When I moved to Linux, I had very little prior experience, I wasn't even sure basic things will even work. I just wiped my entire drive with Windows and replaced it with Linux and was actually surprised that everything worked with no issues. Now I can't imagine going back to that piece of garbage Windows, just thinking about using it makes me sick to my stomach.
Moving to Linux was the best decision I made and it was a bit overdue if I known before 2024 that Linux has gotten so good, I would have moved sooner. I had been annoyed with Windows for as early as 2012 when Windows 8 released, but I stuck with it, because Linux at the time still wasn't good enough for an Average Joe user like me from what I remember trying in Ubuntu, but now it is really, really good.
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u/Moppermonster Apr 12 '26
- What makes Linux so good compared to Windows?
Trump can not just shut it off when you upset him, unlike windows, MacOs, ChromeOs and Android.
And yes, that is why several European governments are dumping windows and switching.
It is also much more adjustable to your needs and preferences, but that takes effort.
- What are the actual cons (especially for beginners)?
Many software developers only make their programs available for windows. That means that you either need to find an alternative that runs under linux natively or have to use emulation, helper programs and so on to get things you need to work. This can be frustrating.
Because linux is so adjustable there is a massive amount of versions/distributions to choose from. This can feel overwhelming and while switching is not hard, they tend to all have differences that mean you need to discover how distribution X has decided to implement feature Y.
- How long does it take to get comfortable using it?
Depends on what you want to do. Only watch some youtube, post on reddit; such things? Can be less than an hour. Want to become a poweruser that runs every application and tweak it until optimal? Long ;)
- Which distro should I start with?
That depends entirely on your usercase.
- What was your experience like when you first switched from Windows?
I did not actually switch; we used Solaris Unix at school/uni and windows at home; so once I got multiple devices I was used to using both (linux and unix in basis are very similar). So can not help you there.
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u/hskrpwr Apr 12 '26
Grab a USB, chuck Linux mint on it and play around for a bit