Linux

60406 readers

547 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
No misinformation
No NSFW content
No hate speech, bigotry, etc

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 6 years ago

MODERATORS

AgreeableLandscape@lemmy.ml

nooter692@lemmy.ml

MarcellusDrum@lemmy.ml

cypherpunks@lemmy.ml

cyclohexane@lemmy.ml

d3Xt3r@lemmy.nz

144

Why did you move from Windows to Linux? (leminal.space)

submitted 1 week ago by umbrellacloud@leminal.space to c/linux@lemmy.ml

213 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Personally, I’m not brand loyal to any particular OS. There are good things about a lot of different operating systems, and I even have good things to say about ChromeOS. It just depends on what a user needs from an operating system.

Most Windows-only users I am acquainted with seem to want a device that mostly “just works” out of the box, whereas Linux requires a nonzero amount of tinkering for most distributions. I’ve never encountered a machine for sale with Linux pre-installed outside of niche small businesses selling pre-built PCs.

Windows users seem to want to just buy, have, and use a computer, whereas Linux users seem to enjoy problem solving and tinkering for fun. These two groups of people seem as if they’re very fundamentally different in what they want from a machine, so a user who solely uses Windows moving over to Linux never made much sense to me.

Why did you switch, and what was your process like? What made you choose Linux for your primary computing device, rather than macOS for example?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 10 points 1 week ago

My computer wasn't compatible with Windows 11, and it's not that old, dammit. The thought of throwing it out because of some arbitrary push for Windows 11 from Microsoft made me angry, so I finally installed Mint since it's the one I kept hearing is easiest for people who don't know anything about Linux. I've been using it almost 3 months now and I don't find it difficult to deal with at all, and the games I play work on it. The biggest hurdle has been compatibility with some school stuff, but I've been able to use LibreOffice and Google Docs when all else fails.

Computers aren't my hobby, running into errors when I just want to get shit done pisses me off. I've been dealing with a minimal amount of that on Mint, I imagine mostly because I'm not tinkering with a ton under the hood (mostly aesthetic changes so that it looks how I like). If you have basic troubleshooting skills for Windows then a lot of that transfers to Linux, even though the actual solutions will be different.

If something better than Mint came along I'd probably switch to it, but I don't know what that would look like, since Mint is doing exactly what I want: running my programs and not popping up with a ton of useless AI crap or ads.