Thoughts on Switching to Linux
Lot’s of articles and videos on the web advise you to switch to Linux from Windows. Here are a few things that are often not clear about the advice.
Why Are There So Many Linux Choices?
Linux is not a one size fits all operating system. It fills many different quite specific needs. Here are just a few examples:
- Desktop / Laptop computing: This is what most articles encouraging switching are talking about, getting you to give Linux a try on your local computer.
- Servers: Linux runs web servers, database servers, file servers, and so on. This accounts for most Linux installations. They reliably run behind the scenes delivering web pages and data.
- Embedded systems: Many small devices are actually running Linux under the hood. Since the operating system can be pared down to essentials, it can be the perfect lightweight way to run routers, smart devices, and so on. In fact, when I turned on my blue ray player for the first time, it booted up into Linux.
- Gaming consoles such as the Steam Deck run Linux as their operating system.
- Specialty systems line scientific computing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, security systems and much more utilize Linux.
- There are distributions that cater to people familiar with Windows or with Mac. If this is your first go, that could influence your decision.
Don’t get overwhelmed by the huge number of distributions. Do your research and try out a few that sound interesting. Most are able to boot up from a USB stick. So, you can play around with them without actually installing them.
I have used Linux Mint for years. It is a sweet spot. I used to use Ubuntu, wanted something different, switched to Mint.
It’s Not All About the Operating System
Everyone touts their favorite distro. But, really, I care more about having a reliable way to manage my documents and information. I also care about what software I can run. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the same software that I run on Windows, but it needs to support the features that I need in order to create and manage my data.
Windows applications don’t natively run on Linux. Software from Adobe is one of the major vendors whose applications don’t run on Linux. This means you need to consider alternative applications.
So, here is the big secret. You can install just a huge library of software on any Linux distribution. You’re not stuck with the software that comes preinstalled.
Here’s the next thing to consider. Many major Linux application are “cross platform”, That means they will run on Windows, macOS, and Linux. So, here is a trick. If you are considering switching to Linux, Look at the software you would want to run, install it on Windows and see if it does the job for you.
Here are some major cross platform applications to try out before you decide to switch:
- Thunderbird - email client, this is my go to for email.
- LibreOffice - Office suite of tools, Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentations, Database, and more.
- Firefox, Google Chrome, and Brave - web browsers
- Gimp, Krita
Try out cross platform software you may want to run on Linux, before switching.
One reason I like Linux Mint is that it comes with a reasonable amount of software, but not too much. It’s a great starting off point.
Where Do You Get Software?
Each Linux distribution is generally tied to a software package repository that has a wide range of software you can install. Here is a much abbreviated list.
| Base distro | Package Mgr | Derivative Distros |
|---|---|---|
| Debian | APT | Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Peppermint, Kali, MX Linux, et al |
| Red Hat | DNF | Red Hat, Fedora, CentOS, et al |
| Arch | Pacman, yay | Manjaro, Artix, et al |
When installing software, I always start with my distribution’s software manager. The packages found there will be the most reliable for running on your computer.
But wait, there’s more. Three major additional ways to install software are through snap, flatpak, and appimages known as “universal package managers”. I have used flatpak and appimages on Linux Mint with good success. I do prefer flatpak over appimages because they are available from Mint’s software manager tool which also helps keep flatpaks up to date.
You may want to use a universal package manager if software you want is not available in your distros package manager. Also, if the software in the package manager is way out-of-date and you want to take advantage of newer features. The main downside of using these is that the installation tends to be much larger since it includes everything you need to run that particular program.
Ways to Lower the Entry Bar
You want to try out Linux before you fully commit to it. You will also want to try installing some of the alternate software packages and try them out too. See if they work for you.
One thing to note: if you are using the USB drive and Virtual Machine options mentioned below, things will run slower than when you have a fully installed and functioning Linux operating system.
Bootable USB Drive
The way to get started is to create a bootable USB Drive. When you burn a Linux distribution .iso to a USB drive, you can then boot it up straight from the USB Drive. This allows you to play around with the things that come with that distribution. There are different ways to download and burn the .iso image to the USB. Those ways will depend on your current operating system. So, some googling will be required.
You will need software to burn the .iso file to the USB drive. This link “Rufus” is one option, but there are others out there.
Create a Virtual Machine
Another way to play around with Linux is to create a virtual machine. Back when I was trying that I used a program called Virtual Box. Once again, these will use the .iso Linux distribution file.
How to install Linux in VirtualBox
A virtual machine will allow you to do things in Linux. You could write a document, save it, and it will still be there when you relaunch the virtual machine.
Install Linux on an Old Spare Computer
One nice thing about Linux distributions, there are many that run great on older hardware. If you’re still worried you may not like it, try it out on an old computer. This involves creating the bootable USB drive as mentioned above. Then when you boot up Linux on the USB drive, there is usually an option to install Linux permanently on the hardware.
When You’re Ready, Go for It
You won’t really get a feel for Linux until you begin to do real things on it.
I run Linux Mint on my main computer. I also have a lightweight computer that run Windows when I need that. My Windows use is down to only a couple of applications. Everything else is on Linux.
You WILL learn a lot of new things through this process. That alone is worth the adventure.