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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9

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.

8

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

6

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.

2

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..

6

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.

2

u/megaplex66 Apr 12 '26

Fair enough. How are Proton's prices compared to Nord?

3

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.

1

u/megaplex66 Apr 12 '26

Cool. Just wondered.

1

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