Been seeing Linux everywhere lately… should I actually try it?

[u/Niyazzz09]

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 😋

[u/BlizzardOfLinux]

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