Yes, it takes time to learn. You will make a lot of mistakes and get frustrated at first. But keep trying. I started my full Linux journey 2 years ago. And tried many of the popular distros Like Mint and other Debian based distros including straight Debian at one point. And yes I have gone back to Windows a few times but I keep trying. I am now running an Arch based distro and very happy and comfortable with it, but did take 2 years to get here.
Ive been using Linux for 20 years. Let me tell you its so much easier than it was 20 years ago. I was 7 years old when I started Linux. If a 7 year old can install and use Linux anyone can. I used Debian based distros in the beginning. I switched to arch its now my primary. I recommend ubuntu or Linux mint as a good starting point.
6 months ago I went from Windows 10 to Linux Mint 21.3 since then I've upgraded to Linux Mint 22. At that time I also changed web browsers from Edge to Firefox and I went from Windows Office to Libre Office. Since I'm a lightweight user I haven't had any problems. I'm sure if I was a gamer or power user I'd have a horror story or two to tell but since I'm not, it's all been gravy.
Went through the same path as you, but from a Windows 7 PC. The only issue I encountered was a critical bug in Audacity 3.6.1. on Flatpak on LM 21.3. When I installed LM 22, I chose the System Package (version 3.4.2), and Audacity runs just fine now. Goodbye Windows :)
Not at all. Actually games such as Cyberpunk run better on linux. Energy management is also more efficient, my GPU went from 30W idle (win10) to 7W with linux
I recommend you try some other browsers: Mullvad for extreme privacy, Brave for general privacy, and Vivaldi for general browsing. If you tend to keep a lot of tabs open, Vivaldi has workspaces that you can keep similar tabs in a specific workspace.
exFAT is a modern alternative to fat that *should* work everywhere, it is what large size flash drives usually come preformatted to. BTRFS has a signed driver for windows, but that assumes you only need it on machiens where you have admin access on windows.
- UDF is a filesystem for optical medias (DVD / CD /BD). - For appimage also note, that this format can be used on Linux without knowing the root password.
I started out with Opensuse with KDE desktop and got hooked on KDE I later went to Kubuntu and from there to Linux Mint. While I was delighted with Linux Mint, the maintainer decided he would no longer support the KDE desktop so since then I have stayed with Kubuntu. I've tried other desktops but I am most happy with the KDE way of doing things (probably because that is what I started Linux with).
I dipped my toe into the Linux world a year and a half ago. I started off with Zorin. Sadly, it took just a few weeks for its updater to go stupid. So, I opted to try Linux Mint. Been there ever since. I have had a very smooth experience with Mint. I still have a Win 10 machine around for those things I can't get working on Linux. That machine isn't on very often. I would say if you are a bit computer savvy and want to exit the Windows world, start off with Mint. I have enjoyed learning the Linux world.
If you are trying to switch to Linux make sure you have a distro with a recent Linux kernel version that supports your latest hardware. Like for a AMD 7800xt graphics card you need like Linux Kernel 6.3 and up. Right now Ubuntu 24.10 is at kernel 6.11 now.
Things are really getting good out here. I can name a dozen distros that are even better than Mint.. Pretty incredible. The gaming distros especially, are moving the bar very well.
Tom, thank you so much! I wasn't aware of that hardware testing site! Lol, I wish I would have known about it two weeks ago. Better late than never I guess!
if games work on linux everything else can. And if they can't work on linux no matter what you try it means they're intentionally built to make money to a select greedy pigs and so you should ditch them. Common sense...
If you are going to convert to Linux for business, I recommend going directly to Ubuntu (cinnamon, for windows feel). This is because majority of security software monitoring providers (which our IT guys use to monitor our machines) only support Ubuntu. Started with Linux Mint (love Linux Mint), but the matrix forced our hand, and now we're on Ubuntu cinnamon. Oh, and try to only buy Lenovo machines... All the others (Surface, Dell) gave us severe head aches. Yeah, we could but Linux Machines (Tuxedo, System 76, etc), but the economics work out so much better on later years lenovo low spec machine, and swapping out windows. Hope this helps.
The hardware compatibility in Linux is definitely improving a lot these days, I recently tested an X870E motherboard with an Arch Linux thumb drive, and the hardware was plug-and-play after a single driver installation from the AUR. I suspect that Debian 13, Ubuntu 25.04, and Fedora 42 will incorporate that driver by default in the coming months - which will then trickle down to the other distributions based on those two.
Wow Tom, your beard is growing in a grand way, your not DJ Ware's cousin? Love your take on the world of os and things in general, keep up the great work 👍😎
I started toying with Linux as a hobby back in high school, in the days of Ubuntu 7.10 and 8.04 LTS - the latter had released it's RC1 beta at the time. Windows 11 was the proverbial straw breaking the camel's back, the final nail in the coffin for me. I'm planning to predominantly Linux moving forward, using a dual boot or VM of Windows 10 if I have to use Windows. I've been building and maintaining my own PC, as well as several other people's PC's, both in person and remotely, since I graduated high school. I think I know how to not get a virus, or a bad case of wannacry lol.
Actually back in the day I remember when Dell tried to push Ubuntu on ppl. I talked with a staples and an office max employee and they said around 80-90% of those computers were returned within a week because no one could get their software to run on them. here we are a solid 15 years later and little has changed in that regard. This alone will keep Linux from ever being more popular. The idea that Linux is just a terminal is actually perpetuated by Linux users who like the terminal. Arch users come to mind. They want it to seem complicated and advances so they feel special...lol
Hmm I switched to Linux in May of 2024 and I was suprised how smooth the transition was -almost every program has an open source counterpart that works just as well plus I found a ton of useful apps that I never had heard of. Super unique and specialized programs may be an issue, but I believe a lot boils down to ppl being too much in their comfort zone to be willing to adapt -despite the vast range of advantages and freedom they could get
Just flipped from 11 to Garuda. I had a light experience with mint prior. I am a gamer, and Garuda "just worked" where mint gave me a few hiccups. I like mint , and I have seen those that don't like Garuda. It has been great for me so far. It is part of linux I am growing to love, a flavor for everyone.
34:45 I've been using Linux Mint 22 for 7+ months now, and have never needed to use the terminal. Everything I need for gaming, graphic and video design, office suite, etc., I've installed and managed from the graphic interface. This is fundamental for me, given that I had been a Windows user since I bought my first computer. Btw, Windows also has its own terminal, called Power Shell, if I'm not mistaken, so the fact that Linux has one also doesn't mean you have to use it. I highly recommend people swhitching to Linux and shiwing the middle finger to big tech and their spyware. You'll regain control of your computer and information...
yeah... my first time trying Linux (6-7 years ago I believe) got me presented with the terminal at some point (I don't remember why I needed to use the terminal, but I HAD TO), so when I saw that thing for the 1st time my legs have become wobbly like noodles LMAO. Even today I'm not 100% comfortable with the terminal, but I've become so used to it being there in the bar that I oftentimes I use it to check the temperatures on my hardware, or for other minor but fun stuff. I absolutely love it nowadays, and I would genuinely hate to not have it available so that I can feel like Jean-Luc Picard at the SS Enterprise starship or something (really gives you a sense of power when you see that things you type in the terminal produce instant visual results :p)... Anyway, with Linux you really DO own your computer. It feels so nice to be bloatware-free, telemetry-free and malware-free at last, For me, the Microsoft and Windows era are gone for good, they've died in mid-2022 when I moved to Linux for good, and I'm not going to install and / or use Windows ever again not even for nostalgic reasons. Windows represents the 90s for me, Linux represents the present... I don't know yet what represents the future, though as - at some point - Linux could become obsolete too. But for the moment Linux is the bee's knees, and I can see the popular / big distros starting to be attacked by these ultra rich corporate psychopaths in order to fear-monger people into returning to their garbage MacOS or Windows systems. I can totally see this happening in the coming years but we will manage.... hopefully...
exFAT isn't recognized as widely on devices. My USB-reading car stereo and the Blu-Ray player (with USB slot in front) will read FAT32 just fine, but not exFAT.
I wish you'd talk about Zorin_OS a bit more as it is probably the easiest switch for basic - average users, yes, even more so than Mint Cinnamon (I use both daily). It is what I'm planning to install for my 80-something year old Dad. You don't need to use the terminal as much as you do with Mint, and you will be prompted when there is new software available for your machine. The app store is simple and easy to use, and Libre Office and many other programs are ready to use out of the box. As I'm running the same system, I can supervise him once a month to do terminal updates and upgrades with a video call. I'd love to see you do a deep-dive into Zorin_OS, after giving it a daily drive for a while. Thanks, and keep up the good work!
I have been using both Mint and Zorin for a few years, but Mint is just more stable with problems being a rare. They are both right at the top for the new users.
Someone else commenting said zorin was problematic, so decided to switch. I've done some casual "research" on this "switching to Linux" thing. What I found was that there is no "best" distro, and there's no easy problem free distro. Pick any distro, and I'll be able to find a bunch of people who didn't like it for a bunch of reasons. My son went through this process. By distro four, attempt six (or something like this), he finally settled on one, but it was a battle. Now bring in Windows... I've been installing Windows for 25 years and most versions from 95 to W11. Rarely, did I have any problems. And right there is the hurdle to switching for many people. Linux is too rough around the edges and too inconsistent between distros. I installed Windows 10 on an old PC earlier this year. Took me 30 mins. My son took 4 days to get Linux working. Anecdotal, yes, but he did better than me. I've never succeeded in getting Linux to instal and work.
I've been a windows user since 3.0 (yes, the stack of 2 dozen floppies) through to win 10. I've transitioned to Mint a few months ago and I'm getting used to it. Though I'm still trying to wrap my head around the lack of using an anti-virus.
My easy setup. Mint Linux then Steam, Wine experimental, Lutris, Heroic Launcher. Covers 90% of gaming. Web sites of online apps can fix issues like needing MS Office, etc.
Before I switched to Linux three years ago, I had a checklist. Must not be ugly. Found Zorin. Must run Chrome OK. Yes it did, aside from the slow scrolling which could be semi fixed with an extension (no smooth scrolling). I needed to be able to remap my mouse keys. Found Input Remapper. I needed a simple graphics editor. Found Pinta. So I was ready to switch.
The best, most compatible FS to use on a flash drive today is actually exFAT. Ever since Microsoft decided to open-source it, it's been supported pretty much everywhere.
The most important thing yo know is that you should only do it as a hobby, unless all you intend to do is keep your operating system kinda working. If you enjoy that, and only that, and for some reason this makes you feel like a super genius tech wizard, then by al means go ahead. However, if you actually have a life and realize the operating system is only there to run your software and hardware with which you do get your actual tqsks done, then stick to Windows, Mac, or ChromeOS, the two and a half real Desktop operating systems available these days. I am a tinkerer but I will never fool myself into believing that a Linux Desktop Operating system is fundamentally an impossible thing simply because the alternatives are extremely popular and will stay extremely popular and that's why they will be supported by professional software and hardware developers. Unless something extremely out of the ordinary happens, Linux is always a toy.
I switched from Win to Linux 25 years ago on New Years Day. 2025 will be 25 full years. I bought 2 CD's, one Red Hat, the other Mandrake. Which do I choose first? I flipped a coin...Mandrake. For the first 7 years Mandrake was my main driver on my hard drive. When PCLinuxOS came out, I switched. PCLinuxOS is just an offshoot of Mandrake. I have about 2 dozen hard drives sitting about my computer. Like I said...PCLinuxOS is my main driver on my main hard drive. The other hard drives are for distrohopping which I don't do as much as I used to. I've used about every one in the top 100 distros of distrowatch but I am so used to my main driver. I also use Kali, Manjaro, Mint, Debian, Antix, Slackware, Arch, Qubes, Gentoo...and I'm running FreeBSD with a VM with about 6 more distros, including Win 3, Plan9 and Solaris. I like to keep my mind active, being 70 years old. I used to run a 1Tb hard drive with 3 partitions with a different version of Win on each and the 4th partition was an extended partition where I had 14 different Linux distros on it. And they all co-existed peaceably with each other! Win was easy because they thought they were the only OS on the hard drive. I could get into each of the Win partitions in each of the Linux OS's and change, add, or delete files without Win putting up a squawk! My hobby is photography and I needed a big hard drive for my backups for photography, so I have sacrificed *that* 1Tb hard drive for photography. And another 97Gb and it will be full. Back to Red Hat...I often wonder just where I would be if Red Hat won the coin toss. I never put it in the cd drive to check it out and I have never downloaded a Red Hat derivative to see what they run like, or what I have missed!
Some wifi dongles and internal adapters don't work with Linux, as well as some wireless optical mice also don't work. But if you check the OS support for the device and see Linux you should be good to go.
"I use Linux as my operating system," I state proudly to the unkempt, bearded man. He swivels around in his desk chair with a devilish gleam in his eyes, ready to mansplain with extreme precision. "Actually", he says with a grin, "Linux is just the kernel. You use GNU+Linux!' I don't miss a beat and reply with a smirk, "I use Alpine, a distro that doesn't include the GNU Coreutils, or any other GNU code. It's Linux, but it's not GNU+Linux." The smile quickly drops from the man's face. His body begins convulsing and he foams at the mouth and drops to the floor with a sickly thud. As he writhes around he screams "I-IT WAS COMPILED WITH GCC! THAT MEANS IT'S STILL GNU!" Coolly, I reply "If windows were compiled with GCC, would that make it GNU?" I interrupt his response with "-and work is being made on the kernel to make it more compiler-agnostic. Even if you were correct, you won't be for long." With a sickly wheeze, the last of the man's life is ejected from his body. He lies on the floor, cold and limp. I've womansplained him to death.
I could write a whole article for people who are new to Linux. Among the most important things to know: 1. Prepare to learn. While a lot of modern Linux is designed to be a lot like Windows, it is not Windows. 2. NEVER copy unvetted terminal commands from the internet because someone told you that rm -rf / was a good idea. 3. There is no "right" or "perfect" distro. Some are better for newbies than others, but the distro you choose is far less important than giving Linux a try. 4. This goes with #1: You don't have to spend your life in a terminal window but learning a few basic commands - man, ls, cp, mv, rm among them - is a very good idea.
1:14 Yes me too. 10:30 I remember seeing that video 🤭I was embarrassed for her, a typical IT10T moment. 13:36 Why would anyone want to run Edge on Linux? I know it is just reskinned Chrome but ... I feel bad enough using a Microsoft wireless mouse on my ThinkPadT530 running Linux Mint.
My number one would be experienced users need to remember that they were newbies at one stage too. Don't roll your eyes and get all anti when a new person does not quite understand that command you told them to do in terminal. In windows things are usually just a click away not learning a thousand commands on something like how to unzip a file.
If I were interested in exploring Linux, this video would scare the hell out of me. If anything, this video is about the five things you DO NOT need to know before switching to Linux. Here are the ACTUAL five things: 1. Select a relatively recent AMD or Intel based computer that has been running a recent version of Windows. (Never believe the advice about 'reviving old computers'. That is for experts, not newcomers.) 2. DO NOT try to run a dual-boot system or install Linux on a virtual machine. Both represent buckets of potential problems, including the loss of all your old data. Instead, use a new drive, after removing the old drive that has Windows on it. That way, restoring your Windows machine is guaranteed, if you need it. Just swap the old drive back. 3. Install Linux Mint and no other distro. Mint is full blown Linux, but has training wheels. It is made for beginners but is fully capable. Go to their web site and following the absurdly easy instructions. When asked if you want to try it out first, say yes. When you see that it works on your machine and are ready, select install. If the install fails, you probably answered a question incorrectly. Just try again. 4. Like all Linux distros, Mint has an installation system for additional software, already on board. Whatever additional software you want, find there. Do not try to download software off the internet. It is completely unnecessary unless you just have to have something odd and unusual. Mint will go to its own repositories to retrieve the software you want. 5. Ask others for advice, BUT, when the answer begins with "Just Open a Terminal", ignore that person and look elsewhere for advice. Mint has a terminal, but just like the Mac, you never have to see it, let alone open it. Desktop computer users (you), do not need to use the terminal. Windows has a terminal and you do not need to ever see it. Mac OS has a terminal and you do not need to ever see it. Linux has a terminal and you do not need to ever see it. THAT SIMPLE!
I love the comments on the Linux Terminal. When I am using Windows, I have a CMD prompt on the screen somewhere. I think in words, thus the terminal and I understand each other.
I'm the opposite. I think conceptually and visually. I hate terminals. I use GUIs 99.99% of the time. I'm a C++ application software developer of 28 years. I always think in terms of how the GUI look and feel in parallel with other required functionality. The GUI is never an afterthought. It's integral. and that's where LInux so often fails. It's the 21st century.
So, in summary: As we know, there are five known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns-the ones we don't know we don't know.
We also know that choosing and using an OS is untidy, and user freedoms are untidy, and FOSS programs are free to make mistakes and commit crimes of good practice and do bad things with your system.
AI is great at walking you through just about anything in the terminal. It's surprisingly useful and has made my recent switch to linux (nobara) a breeze.. (no pun intended). Granted, Nobara has been designed with package managers and installers, etc.. that help you avoid the terminal.. But any time I ask AI about something I need to do, it usually just gives me terminal instructions rather than GUI instructions, unless I specifically ask for it.. So ironically, I have used the terminal more than I ever did in the past-- even though I almost don't even need to now, from all the extra managers/installers that distros are including now. The linux future is looking great IMO. There is about to be a giant wave of users being pushed over to linux, when windows 10 closes it's doors next year.. MS did this to themselves. (by not letting older PC's upgrade to win11).
Too late.....already 'knee deep in the hoopla' 😉 watching this on my linux mint mini pc.....relaxed.... sipping coffee...with some doughnuts on the side....
I changed from Windows a few months ago - I decided on Pop as I have nVidia laptops. At least twice a week I get notifications of updates, generally packages (fair enough), but System Updates at roughly two a month. Should I be worried?
Can't stop playing with Linux in emulation/VM. I regularly melt my partitions in horror, so I don't rely on it for files except to always keep them in the cloud. This week I finally managed to install Arch; it took a week and a half. I can't recommend Arch, it's really not for casual people like me
I have Qubes Os on a drive now I tried it but not knowing a lot it is hard and confusing to learn and use. the biggest issue is it sometimes gets laggy and can't figure out how to download anything. Maybe if I learn more about Linux it will be easier to operate.
If you are new to Linux, Qubes is not a good place to start, but if you want some good insight, I have a whole playlist on Qubes: ua-cam.com/video/GJOoCStIipg/v-deo.html
So I’m a gamer what would you recommend for someone that knows nothing about Linux and what would I need to look for ? I use steam discord I also stream games on OBS my pc is mainly used for gaming and researching things on UA-cam
Linux Mint Cinnamon or Ubuntu sound be able to handle all that. Just set yourself a way to test conveniently (Virtual machine or maybe boot from an external drive if you have one to spare. I don't know if Steam OS is meant to run on a regular computer, and I've never heard anyone really suggest it for much (not to say it's bad, just most people are probably using it just to let their Steam Deck rather than a full OS, even though it is. I'm on Ubuntu and run Steam, but my laptop is dying, so only for pretty light gaming. But you can use the level of games the Steam Deck plays to see if there are any concerns in your library. I wouldn't assume it running poorly on the Deck is a bad thing, since it's a particular hardware too.
>because it will break if ur not updating it every day No it doesn't you just have skill issue. If you didn't update for too long you have to update the archlinux-keyring first before full system update. And you should update before installing new packages or pacman may just refuse to install with strange errors ... Also if you are using AUR with the yay helper. After an update sometimes my yay doesn't rebuild a program that is needed and that program will crash then. Just manual reinstall that program and it works again ... (Remember kids, AUR isn't officially supported by Arch Linux, it's Commumity external PKGBUILD files that explain to your Arch Linux how to automatically download the source code, how to compile it, how to package it and how to install it) I use EndeavourOS by the way which is running like a regular Arch Linux. (if you didn't update for a while you have to update the archlinux-keyring AND endeavouros-keyring first)
The problem I have is that my family and employees are addicted to MS Office… I've been testing the alternatives, but they are just so bad at using these things, and is not like they are properly trained on MS either
what i have found is if you buy certain hardware while linux may have drivers, the manufacturer does not support linux so the piece of hardware is limited in its use,
If there was a Linux distro that had support for my Dell canvas (it's basically just a rebranded Wacom cintiq) I'd switch to Linux full time. Now I have to dual boot because I need that canvas.
The Accursed "WinModem" problem? Plug-in modem board that was totally useless outside of it's Windows Only drivers. Even Windows users hated them. US Robotics serial modems Uber Alles.
I still don't understand the sentiment "do not get an nvidia" without saying WHERE it "does not work", because IT WORKS IN 99% OF TIMES. Raytracing and local AI comes to mind. If you are going to claim such things, you should also say: *"and if you use an AMD gpu, you ALSO need the radion drivers, that are ALSO closed source. And by using AMD, you will only have access to 1080 on hdmi, because AMD does not have the licenses to use 4k"...* See how irrelevant it all becomes? I have been using my 3090 for quite some time on linux now, and it all works fine and I enjoy raytracing and having fun playing around with local AI:s. Also, maybe not use a 12 year old thread when looking for what filesystem to use... The answer to "what filesystem to use for cross compatibility" is: *exFat,* open source, made for exactly cross compatibility, and not the size limit like on fat32.
@@patrickglaser1560 Sorry to hear that, I have the exact same card, and do not experience what you do. Maybe it is the distribution rather than the hardware? I have no idea about the anti alias thing, all I know is I have a ton of options of them in games, and I never know what to choose and what is different so...
Closed source AMD driver aren't required. Rocm+ Mesa run everything nowadays even picky software like Davinci Resolve. Linux vaapi can do h265 4K 60fps using the GPU, so AMD AMF is also not required. Then the resolution/license limit is only for HDMI2.1 spec on TV, It mean TV that do 4k120fps HDR and 8K HDR. We can go up to 4K90fps HDR for sure with the previous HDMI mode, I tried it on my TV. Computer monitor with Display Port aren't affected.
@@leucome It's not "required" on nvidia either, unless you want to use the cuda cores. It has nothing to do with "works" it has to do with speed. So yes, it will "work", but you will never get near the speed that you get with closed source drivers. But if you ONLY game and watch movies, never encode (and I think you can forget about local AI), then I agree to not needing Radeon. But the same can be argued with nvidia. If you only game, you can use the open source kernel modules, no need for the closed source driver. So my argument still stands, if you want to use the complete FULL potential of either AMD or NVIDIA, closed source drivers are needed.
@@unconnectedbedna Look like youtube may have removed my previous reply. Anyway I definitively do everything including AI on AMD with the open source driver and performance is excellent. Proprietary driver on AMD are not required anymore like it was a couple year back. At least not for 6000 and 7000GPU. I think older GPU might need AMD legacy openCL support as they arent 100% compatible with Rocm.
Been on windows since 1996. Sick of its invasiveness. Just done a dual disc dual boot on a desktop with Mint 22. Couldn't have easier, all on Mint GUIs. Looking forward to migrating over. I use google a lot, drive, keep etc, so think I'm going to set up chrome n use libre office. Fcuk you windows 11. Just gonna run it when I have to.. maybe insta360 etc. Im liking Mint 22 a real lot
MAC runs a .dmg file - it's a damage file 😂🤣 The only time I generally have to use the terminal is on setup for a new install - and that's only to install a few browser plugin companion apps or some codecs. Sometimes I'll run something like yt-dlp under the terminal because it's just as easy or simpler than a GUI alternative. Upgrades are taken care of by Discover and I've had no issue with it (other than it might take 4-6 weeks before it come's up). One thing you didn't mention is use whatever tool works best for the job. Whether that be Linux, Windows or Mac. It doesn't have to be an island of one OS only. Linux doesn't do everything or well for that matter. But then again neither do the other OS'.
New users to linux should know you might lose all of your data on USB drives and not get it back. I have multiple TB drives I cannot access with a ‘cannot connect’ error. There are Windows guides on recovering drives but no clear ones on linux. I am sure there are ways to do so but no guidance appears to be available Mint 21 and 22 Regards
One thing you need to know before Switching to Linux is it does not play well with HDMI 2.1 on AMD hardware or an Ultrawide screen with HDMI 2.1. I have switched to my Mac M4 Pro Mini at home and left my PC for gaming only. I figured, what the heck, I will just install Ubuntu and play games from there, since I have started to dislike Windows 11 at home. Welp, no go, Linux hates that setup and will not work correctly and no, I will not be using my Display port with the PC, since I use that on my Mac. Instead, I will just go back to a stripped down version of Windows that just works and supports all the games over HDMI 2.1 at 240hz 3440 x 1440. Linux would not even get to 120hz at that resolution, although is was happy to do 4k, although the monitor does not support it.
Linux is linux no matter of what distribution is used, some are made easier to use than others. Pick and choose your poison. Some configuration is made with checkmarks in windows all can be done in the config files. Most important is NOT TO RUN AS ROOT ONLY WHEN NESSESARY!!!!! DEB's RPM's are all files in an internal repository there are prebuilt files in other places (external repo's). If there wasnt any files in internal repo there would be zero to install! THERE ARE LIVE ISO's TO TRY BEFORE INSTALL NOTHING IS DONE TO THE HARD DRIVE!
Windows sux Tux! Tux ran all the way to his friends party. By the time he got there he was sweating like mad and his feathers were all dissheveled. His friend looked at him and stated, Tux...you look like you just blew a seal! Tux replied...Oh no, I just ate some ice cream!
There’s a skill floor for any operating system and things will always take longer while learning. I give old laptops with Linux installed to kids and they pick it up in no time and become just as proficient with it as they are with windows.
When you first used Windows it took time to learn it, same with Linux. Most thing are just as fast in Linux. Some may take some extra time, it can be a good thing, to exercise your brain.
Very little leearning. I installed Linux Mint, opened software and installed Brave browser. Everything was was working and I nust add very fast compared to Windows 11. I use a 6th Gen i5 in a HP mini PC. I was able to use Linux imediately with no issues.
@@leemanwrong The skill requirement for Linux is exponentially higher than for Windows (all else being equal), and that works against new entrants. This needs to be reversed, but that won't happen because Linux fans consider overcoming unnecessary difficulty is a badge of honour, and the developers don't care.
@@davemason2290 You can do that on android, trying to move to linux as power user is a hassle. documentation is too spread out. app configs are inconsistent. things you expect to work dont without obvious error messages. logs are anoyng to find
I've been on computers since 1983. I have never ever been on Linux. also not interested in tinkering. so why am I considering Linux? my main concern is security and privacy. I'm so wanting to avoid Windows 11 and Licensing rather than owning an application. since over 90% of the world uses windows, and Adobe seems to be a problem on Linux, that one is a head scratcher since I deal with clients on a daily basis who use Adobe. Argh...
There is only one alternative that I might consider if absolutely pushed and that would be macOS. More likely, I would run an old version of windows offline if W11 became pay-as-you-go.
@@toby9999 I bought a Mac Mini not so long ago, and it lasted 2.5 years before going wrong. There was no easy way to troubleshoot the problem or replace parts. Never again! Anyway, the Mac is likely stuffed full of spyware, just like Windows. I'll be installing Pop! OS soon on an external drive (my old W7 internal drive).
First and most importantly, don't get caught up watching too many UA-camrs. A lot of the content about Linux on this platform is just low-quality stuff, and it’s often not relevant to the 99% of people who want to switch.
Unfortunately, I want ALL my games I paid for to work. I know thats not the fault of Linux, but a GAMER needs to be informed that a game MAY or MAYNOT have a Linux version available. Some games won't work due to anticheat restrictions... its def not good for a gamer to switch to linux and watch 80% of his steam library is now worthless.
Gaming can be hit or miss depending on the games you play. I am not a social gamer and play mostly single player games. I have games on Steam, Epic, GOG, Uplay, and EA. So far all the games I want to play have worked. Currently playing Jedi Survivor and getting better performance on Linux than windows. 60 FPS medium to high settings. Ryzen 7 3700x, Nvidia GTX 1070, 64GB 3600 DDR4. CachyOS Linux.
What is the second one? You said Arch, which I would not suggest for a new user, as Linux is the kernel and Arch is the distro what is the second distro you would suggest?
@@GapRecordingsNamibia I was just being sarcastic haha. Linux from scratch is what it sounds like. You essentially build your own distro and it's hell on Earth.
By switching to Linux, I would lose too many useful tools and features... and for no benefit to me. It would be a rather stupid thing to do, actually. And Windows is not getting worse. It is actually better than it was 10 years ago, and it's better than it was 5 years ago, etc.
Disagree on windows getting better. Windows 11 has effectively killed our older laptops, and the speed of its tools has decreased (unless you buy a top spec laptop, for top dollar). Converting to Linux is hard, real hard, and it is not a true "desktop" like windows and Mac. However, if you have a defined need which doesn't include video editing etc, and have the patience, Linux crushes windows for speed, stability, and performance -fact.
@@mauroliberatore3256 You could perhaps stay on W10 if your laptop is not up to it? Technology moves on. Yes, not great in your case, but should an OS be held back until every old piece of hardware is dead and gone? There will always be people who have problems upgrading. I won't an OS to improve and take advantage of new hardware features, I could use your 'argument' against you. One of the reasons why it's unlikely that I try Linux again is because every attempt I'd made over say, the past 20 years has failed due to incompatible hardware or unavailable drivers etc. I've never had such a problem with any version of Windows on any hardware - W95 to W11 and many in between. W11 is definitely the best and most polished version so far in my opinion. And finally, to your claim that Lunix "crushes Windows in speed"... that's an urban myth. It might be a little snappier in some scenarios, but in raw processing terms, there's nothing in it. We used Linux at work for a year as a cost cutting exercise. It definitely didn't feel any faster than Windows. The problem with it though was instability.
@toby9999 agree with cross over issues. It is no mean feat, you need to choose alternatives to tried and true ms office, staff frustration, etc. It is a monumental jump, which takes a lot of patience and time (and resources/money). A majority of the software we use for our business is now browser based, so this doesn't cause issues. Excel to Collabora Calc (commercial version of Libre Calc) also took a lot of getting used to etc. Word? Google docs, after some refining, is much easier for staff on 95% of use cases. We'll agree to disagree on performance. I tested Linux v windows 10 on existing business machines, side by side - Linux won. Handling multiple web pages open? Linux won again. Windows 11 v Linux on new hard ware? Linux won again. This was our experience. We must have different business use cases. However, changing from windows to Linux for a business is a risky proposition for the matters we (you and I) have outlined. If you don't fully commit, and run it side by side first as a test crash dummy for a while, then major issues (drivers etc, as you mentioned). Accordingly, until the Linux community "unites" to overcome the driver/monitor etc issues, then the vast majority of business users should stick to Linux. Our business are now over the "hump" with Linux, and it been smooth (mostly) sailing. You are mostly right-linux will be a bridge too far for most, so windows will be the best option. Cheers
The main official Linux is Ubuntu. This is the only official version of Linux that Steam supports. And the support is the longest for Linux security updates and patches: I believe 15 years for the official Ubuntu. There are more than 40 distros of Linux. Most people, especially elderly and most consumers, do not want the change and learning curve thst comes with Linux. There are too many things that can, and do go wrong with installations, updates and conflicts. And the dangers and risks of AI prevent me from going to Windows 11 or Apple, including the new motherboards, graphics cards and phones with embedded AI and NPU chips. So, consumers are being pushed into a corner, especially come October, 2025 when Windows 10 will no longer be officially supported. I will probably be forced to have two separate NVme/SSD drives, one with Windows 10 Pro 22H2, and the other one with Linux Ubuntu. And for that, I will be taking online classes for Linux Ubuntu, on either a separate sandboxed external drive for testing and classes, or a separate laptop.
Ubuntu sucks because of forced snaps if you install stuff like firefox. That means: **Linux Mint** "is the better ubuntu". **SteamOS is based on Arch Linux** by the way and not Ubuntu. SteamOS was based on debian (which ubuntu is based on) in the PAST. Arch Linux News: We are excited to announce that Arch Linux is entering into a direct collaboration with Valve
@Henry-sv3wv - Linux Mint is NOT Ubuntu LTS with 15 plus years of security updates, patches, etc. You are basing an entire irrelative decision on a browser feature? I use Firefox every day in Ubuntu. That is the problem with most consumers. Feelings over reality. I will leave it at that. Steam Tech Support supports Ubuntu 24 LTS officially, and that is it. You can use Steam in other Linux distros, but they are not officially supported in Steam Tech Support. There is no reason to waste time with any other Linux distro at this point.
@@Zarniwoop69 It's a perfectly valid feedback. For some (like people with autism) it's actually painful to watch content where the person talks with too much gusto. I'm happy for you if you don't suffer on a daily basis but please don't assume that it's just a comment to annoy the creator.
A comment below says you need patience to use Linux. Yes, a lot, but not to use it because actually using it is a fleeting experience as it inevitably fails to do whatever it is you want to do. Then you get the joy of the endless screens of cryptic gibberish. It does not work. And it does not tell you why it doesn't work unless you are pretty high level computer savvy and even then it is doubtful. But if you are willing to devout hours and days to solving the endless stream of inevitable problems and never actually use it, except maybe for fixed narrow use cases, well enjoy, but the universe will cool before Linux becomes decent. I have tried a lot and no matter how dumb I am or aren't Linux is always garbage.
HP has good Linux drivers for their printers, but it's cheaper to buy a cheap HP printer than to buy an ink cartridge everytime it goes dry. And they want you to go online to download all the drivers anymore and want you to buy their subscription thingie. Nope, done with HP. Going with either Canon or Brother...not as many hoops to jump thru. Most likely, Brother. I don't print that much color so a simple laser printer will do what I need.
One of the most important points that new users should pay attention to it, before switching to Linux is to "be patient". Be patient to adapt.
Yes, it takes time to learn. You will make a lot of mistakes and get frustrated at first. But keep trying. I started my full Linux journey 2 years ago. And tried many of the popular distros Like Mint and other Debian based distros including straight Debian at one point. And yes I have gone back to Windows a few times but I keep trying. I am now running an Arch based distro and very happy and comfortable with it, but did take 2 years to get here.
Once you learn it get way easier will be a second nature to you
Ive been using Linux for 20 years. Let me tell you its so much easier than it was 20 years ago. I was 7 years old when I started Linux. If a 7 year old can install and use Linux anyone can. I used Debian based distros in the beginning. I switched to arch its now my primary. I recommend ubuntu or Linux mint as a good starting point.
6 months ago I went from Windows 10 to Linux Mint 21.3 since then I've upgraded to Linux Mint 22. At that time I also changed web browsers from Edge to Firefox and I went from Windows Office to Libre Office. Since I'm a lightweight user I haven't had any problems. I'm sure if I was a gamer or power user I'd have a horror story or two to tell but since I'm not, it's all been gravy.
Exceptional decision making, Your PC belongs to you again.
Went through the same path as you, but from a Windows 7 PC. The only issue I encountered was a critical bug in Audacity 3.6.1. on Flatpak on LM 21.3. When I installed LM 22, I chose the System Package (version 3.4.2), and Audacity runs just fine now. Goodbye Windows :)
Not at all.
Actually games such as Cyberpunk run better on linux. Energy management is also more efficient, my GPU went from 30W idle (win10) to 7W with linux
I recommend you try some other browsers: Mullvad for extreme privacy, Brave for general privacy, and Vivaldi for general browsing. If you tend to keep a lot of tabs open, Vivaldi has workspaces that you can keep similar tabs in a specific workspace.
@@yararaq Windows suffers from so many processes that keep running. Too much bloat.
exFAT is a modern alternative to fat that *should* work everywhere, it is what large size flash drives usually come preformatted to. BTRFS has a signed driver for windows, but that assumes you only need it on machiens where you have admin access on windows.
- UDF is a filesystem for optical medias (DVD / CD /BD).
- For appimage also note, that this format can be used on Linux without knowing the root password.
I started out with Opensuse with KDE desktop and got hooked on KDE I later went to Kubuntu and from there to Linux Mint. While I was delighted with Linux Mint, the maintainer decided he would no longer support the KDE desktop so since then I have stayed with Kubuntu. I've tried other desktops but I
am most happy with the KDE way of doing things (probably because that is what I started Linux with).
I dipped my toe into the Linux world a year and a half ago. I started off with Zorin. Sadly, it took just a few weeks for its updater to go stupid. So, I opted to try Linux Mint. Been there ever since. I have had a very smooth experience with Mint. I still have a Win 10 machine around for those things I can't get working on Linux. That machine isn't on very often. I would say if you are a bit computer savvy and want to exit the Windows world, start off with Mint. I have enjoyed learning the Linux world.
Yeah, Mint is good as first Sneederinoo
Lol i remember my first distro... RHEL
If you are trying to switch to Linux make sure you have a distro with a recent Linux kernel version that supports your latest hardware. Like for a AMD 7800xt graphics card you need like Linux Kernel 6.3 and up. Right now Ubuntu 24.10 is at kernel 6.11 now.
Which means that Debian and Linux Mint may not work for you in that case.
I'm very grateful that Linux exists. I appreciate it very much.
Things are really getting good out here. I can name a dozen distros that are even better than Mint.. Pretty incredible. The gaming distros especially, are moving the bar very well.
@@calholli which ones do u like?
@ Nobara, Bazzite, Garuda, Cachy, Regata, Chimera
Tom, thank you so much! I wasn't aware of that hardware testing site! Lol, I wish I would have known about it two weeks ago. Better late than never I guess!
if you add wine, you can run some exe files ... there are plenty of alternative to websites listing the program alternative you need!
The problem is, that a lot of programs we use as windows users cannot work on linux.
if games work on linux everything else can. And if they can't work on linux no matter what you try it means they're intentionally built to make money to a select greedy pigs and so you should ditch them. Common sense...
An this is always kinda swept under the rug by these Linux fanatics.
If you are going to convert to Linux for business, I recommend going directly to Ubuntu (cinnamon, for windows feel). This is because majority of security software monitoring providers (which our IT guys use to monitor our machines) only support Ubuntu. Started with Linux Mint (love Linux Mint), but the matrix forced our hand, and now we're on Ubuntu cinnamon. Oh, and try to only buy Lenovo machines... All the others (Surface, Dell) gave us severe head aches. Yeah, we could but Linux Machines (Tuxedo, System 76, etc), but the economics work out so much better on later years lenovo low spec machine, and swapping out windows. Hope this helps.
Give us an example of installing one of those app programs you spoke about.
ua-cam.com/video/j4kcRVBxaK4/v-deo.html
@SwitchedtoLinux thanks.
The hardware compatibility in Linux is definitely improving a lot these days, I recently tested an X870E motherboard with an Arch Linux thumb drive, and the hardware was plug-and-play after a single driver installation from the AUR. I suspect that Debian 13, Ubuntu 25.04, and Fedora 42 will incorporate that driver by default in the coming months - which will then trickle down to the other distributions based on those two.
Wow Tom, your beard is growing in a grand way, your not DJ Ware's cousin?
Love your take on the world of os and things in general, keep up the great work 👍😎
LOL...I just shaved it off :)
I started toying with Linux as a hobby back in high school, in the days of Ubuntu 7.10 and 8.04 LTS - the latter had released it's RC1 beta at the time. Windows 11 was the proverbial straw breaking the camel's back, the final nail in the coffin for me. I'm planning to predominantly Linux moving forward, using a dual boot or VM of Windows 10 if I have to use Windows. I've been building and maintaining my own PC, as well as several other people's PC's, both in person and remotely, since I graduated high school. I think I know how to not get a virus, or a bad case of wannacry lol.
Hi Tom, thanks for yet another great video
Actually back in the day I remember when Dell tried to push Ubuntu on ppl. I talked with a staples and an office max employee and they said around 80-90% of those computers were returned within a week because no one could get their software to run on them. here we are a solid 15 years later and little has changed in that regard. This alone will keep Linux from ever being more popular.
The idea that Linux is just a terminal is actually perpetuated by Linux users who like the terminal. Arch users come to mind. They want it to seem complicated and advances so they feel special...lol
Hmm I switched to Linux in May of 2024 and I was suprised how smooth the transition was -almost every program has an open source counterpart that works just as well plus I found a ton of useful apps that I never had heard of. Super unique and specialized programs may be an issue, but I believe a lot boils down to ppl being too much in their comfort zone to be willing to adapt -despite the vast range of advantages and freedom they could get
Just flipped from 11 to Garuda. I had a light experience with mint prior. I am a gamer, and Garuda "just worked" where mint gave me a few hiccups. I like mint , and I have seen those that don't like Garuda. It has been great for me so far. It is part of linux I am growing to love, a flavor for everyone.
The towels on the back wall look like part of a design :D They look like well-suited decorations :D
Windows users everywhere are "throwing in the towel" on the fight of using this os without problems.
Very nice intro to the Linux world 👍
34:45 I've been using Linux Mint 22 for 7+ months now, and have never needed to use the terminal. Everything I need for gaming, graphic and video design, office suite, etc., I've installed and managed from the graphic interface.
This is fundamental for me, given that I had been a Windows user since I bought my first computer.
Btw, Windows also has its own terminal, called Power Shell, if I'm not mistaken, so the fact that Linux has one also doesn't mean you have to use it.
I highly recommend people swhitching to Linux and shiwing the middle finger to big tech and their spyware. You'll regain control of your computer and information...
yeah... my first time trying Linux (6-7 years ago I believe) got me presented with the terminal at some point (I don't remember why I needed to use the terminal, but I HAD TO), so when I saw that thing for the 1st time my legs have become wobbly like noodles LMAO. Even today I'm not 100% comfortable with the terminal, but I've become so used to it being there in the bar that I oftentimes I use it to check the temperatures on my hardware, or for other minor but fun stuff. I absolutely love it nowadays, and I would genuinely hate to not have it available so that I can feel like Jean-Luc Picard at the SS Enterprise starship or something (really gives you a sense of power when you see that things you type in the terminal produce instant visual results :p)...
Anyway, with Linux you really DO own your computer. It feels so nice to be bloatware-free, telemetry-free and malware-free at last, For me, the Microsoft and Windows era are gone for good, they've died in mid-2022 when I moved to Linux for good, and I'm not going to install and / or use Windows ever again not even for nostalgic reasons. Windows represents the 90s for me, Linux represents the present... I don't know yet what represents the future, though as - at some point - Linux could become obsolete too. But for the moment Linux is the bee's knees, and I can see the popular / big distros starting to be attacked by these ultra rich corporate psychopaths in order to fear-monger people into returning to their garbage MacOS or Windows systems. I can totally see this happening in the coming years but we will manage.... hopefully...
can you recommend the top 5 unbreakable distros ?
exFAT for transfer is without the 4 GB limitation of FAT32 and also universal.
exFAT isn't recognized as widely on devices. My USB-reading car stereo and the Blu-Ray player (with USB slot in front) will read FAT32 just fine, but not exFAT.
@@mchenrynick, yes, it’s not that compatible but has to be more suitable for the major OSes where accessibility of large files is important.
@@mchenrynick same here, fat32 for the car.
I wish you'd talk about Zorin_OS a bit more as it is probably the easiest switch for basic - average users, yes, even more so than Mint Cinnamon (I use both daily). It is what I'm planning to install for my 80-something year old Dad. You don't need to use the terminal as much as you do with Mint, and you will be prompted when there is new software available for your machine. The app store is simple and easy to use, and Libre Office and many other programs are ready to use out of the box. As I'm running the same system, I can supervise him once a month to do terminal updates and upgrades with a video call. I'd love to see you do a deep-dive into Zorin_OS, after giving it a daily drive for a while. Thanks, and keep up the good work!
I have been using both Mint and Zorin for a few years, but Mint is just more stable with problems being a rare. They are both right at the top for the new users.
Someone else commenting said zorin was problematic, so decided to switch.
I've done some casual "research" on this "switching to Linux" thing. What I found was that there is no "best" distro, and there's no easy problem free distro. Pick any distro, and I'll be able to find a bunch of people who didn't like it for a bunch of reasons. My son went through this process. By distro four, attempt six (or something like this), he finally settled on one, but it was a battle.
Now bring in Windows... I've been installing Windows for 25 years and most versions from 95 to W11. Rarely, did I have any problems. And right there is the hurdle to switching for many people. Linux is too rough around the edges and too inconsistent between distros.
I installed Windows 10 on an old PC earlier this year. Took me 30 mins. My son took 4 days to get Linux working. Anecdotal, yes, but he did better than me. I've never succeeded in getting Linux to instal and work.
Made a dual boot Win 11\Mint Cinnamon about 3 weeks ago. Upgraded to Wilma yesterday. No issues so far.
For those who new and made switch welcome to freedom my friend🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I've been a windows user since 3.0 (yes, the stack of 2 dozen floppies) through to win 10. I've transitioned to Mint a few months ago and I'm getting used to it. Though I'm still trying to wrap my head around the lack of using an anti-virus.
My easy setup. Mint Linux then Steam, Wine experimental, Lutris, Heroic Launcher. Covers 90% of gaming. Web sites of online apps can fix issues like needing MS Office, etc.
Before I switched to Linux three years ago, I had a checklist. Must not be ugly. Found Zorin. Must run Chrome OK. Yes it did, aside from the slow scrolling which could be semi fixed with an extension (no smooth scrolling). I needed to be able to remap my mouse keys. Found Input Remapper. I needed a simple graphics editor. Found Pinta. So I was ready to switch.
The best, most compatible FS to use on a flash drive today is actually exFAT. Ever since Microsoft decided to open-source it, it's been supported pretty much everywhere.
The most important thing yo know is that you should only do it as a hobby, unless all you intend to do is keep your operating system kinda working. If you enjoy that, and only that, and for some reason this makes you feel like a super genius tech wizard, then by al means go ahead.
However, if you actually have a life and realize the operating system is only there to run your software and hardware with which you do get your actual tqsks done, then stick to Windows, Mac, or ChromeOS, the two and a half real Desktop operating systems available these days.
I am a tinkerer but I will never fool myself into believing that a Linux Desktop Operating system is fundamentally an impossible thing simply because the alternatives are extremely popular and will stay extremely popular and that's why they will be supported by professional software and hardware developers.
Unless something extremely out of the ordinary happens, Linux is always a toy.
I switched from Win to Linux 25 years ago on New Years Day. 2025 will be 25 full years. I bought 2 CD's, one Red Hat, the other Mandrake. Which do I choose first? I flipped a coin...Mandrake. For the first 7 years Mandrake was my main driver on my hard drive. When PCLinuxOS came out, I switched. PCLinuxOS is just an offshoot of Mandrake. I have about 2 dozen hard drives sitting about my computer. Like I said...PCLinuxOS is my main driver on my main hard drive. The other hard drives are for distrohopping which I don't do as much as I used to. I've used about every one in the top 100 distros of distrowatch but I am so used to my main driver. I also use Kali, Manjaro, Mint, Debian, Antix, Slackware, Arch, Qubes, Gentoo...and I'm running FreeBSD with a VM with about 6 more distros, including Win 3, Plan9 and Solaris. I like to keep my mind active, being 70 years old. I used to run a 1Tb hard drive with 3 partitions with a different version of Win on each and the 4th partition was an extended partition where I had 14 different Linux distros on it. And they all co-existed peaceably with each other! Win was easy because they thought they were the only OS on the hard drive. I could get into each of the Win partitions in each of the Linux OS's and change, add, or delete files without Win putting up a squawk!
My hobby is photography and I needed a big hard drive for my backups for photography, so I have sacrificed *that* 1Tb hard drive for photography. And another 97Gb and it will be full. Back to Red Hat...I often wonder just where I would be if Red Hat won the coin toss. I never put it in the cd drive to check it out and I have never downloaded a Red Hat derivative to see what they run like, or what I have missed!
Some wifi dongles and internal adapters don't work with Linux, as well as some wireless optical mice also don't work. But if you check the OS support for the device and see Linux you should be good to go.
"I use Linux as my operating system," I state proudly to the unkempt, bearded man. He swivels around in his desk chair with a devilish gleam in his eyes, ready to mansplain with extreme precision. "Actually", he says with a grin, "Linux is just the kernel. You use GNU+Linux!' I don't miss a beat and reply with a smirk, "I use Alpine, a distro that doesn't include the GNU Coreutils, or any other GNU code. It's Linux, but it's not GNU+Linux."
The smile quickly drops from the man's face. His body begins convulsing and he foams at the mouth and drops to the floor with a sickly thud. As he writhes around he screams "I-IT WAS COMPILED WITH GCC! THAT MEANS IT'S STILL GNU!" Coolly, I reply "If windows were compiled with GCC, would that make it GNU?" I interrupt his response with "-and work is being made on the kernel to make it more compiler-agnostic. Even if you were correct, you won't be for long."
With a sickly wheeze, the last of the man's life is ejected from his body. He lies on the floor, cold and limp. I've womansplained him to death.
I could write a whole article for people who are new to Linux. Among the most important things to know:
1. Prepare to learn. While a lot of modern Linux is designed to be a lot like Windows, it is not Windows.
2. NEVER copy unvetted terminal commands from the internet because someone told you that rm -rf / was a good idea.
3. There is no "right" or "perfect" distro. Some are better for newbies than others, but the distro you choose is far less important than giving Linux a try.
4. This goes with #1: You don't have to spend your life in a terminal window but learning a few basic commands - man, ls, cp, mv, rm among them - is a very good idea.
1:14 Yes me too.
10:30 I remember seeing that video 🤭I was embarrassed for her, a typical IT10T moment.
13:36 Why would anyone want to run Edge on Linux? I know it is just reskinned Chrome but ... I feel bad enough using a Microsoft wireless mouse on my ThinkPadT530 running Linux Mint.
My number one would be experienced users need to remember that they were newbies at one stage too. Don't roll your eyes and get all anti when a new person does not quite understand that command you told them to do in terminal. In windows things are usually just a click away not learning a thousand commands on something like how to unzip a file.
If I were interested in exploring Linux, this video would scare the hell out of me. If anything, this video is about the five things you DO NOT need to know before switching to Linux. Here are the ACTUAL five things:
1. Select a relatively recent AMD or Intel based computer that has been running a recent version of Windows. (Never believe the advice about 'reviving old computers'. That is for experts, not newcomers.)
2. DO NOT try to run a dual-boot system or install Linux on a virtual machine. Both represent buckets of potential problems, including the loss of all your old data. Instead, use a new drive, after removing the old drive that has Windows on it. That way, restoring your Windows machine is guaranteed, if you need it. Just swap the old drive back.
3. Install Linux Mint and no other distro. Mint is full blown Linux, but has training wheels. It is made for beginners but is fully capable. Go to their web site and following the absurdly easy instructions. When asked if you want to try it out first, say yes. When you see that it works on your machine and are ready, select install. If the install fails, you probably answered a question incorrectly. Just try again.
4. Like all Linux distros, Mint has an installation system for additional software, already on board. Whatever additional software you want, find there. Do not try to download software off the internet. It is completely unnecessary unless you just have to have something odd and unusual. Mint will go to its own repositories to retrieve the software you want.
5. Ask others for advice, BUT, when the answer begins with "Just Open a Terminal", ignore that person and look elsewhere for advice. Mint has a terminal, but just like the Mac, you never have to see it, let alone open it. Desktop computer users (you), do not need to use the terminal. Windows has a terminal and you do not need to ever see it. Mac OS has a terminal and you do not need to ever see it. Linux has a terminal and you do not need to ever see it. THAT SIMPLE!
I love the comments on the Linux Terminal. When I am using Windows, I have a CMD prompt on the screen somewhere. I think in words, thus the terminal and I understand each other.
I'm the opposite. I think conceptually and visually. I hate terminals. I use GUIs 99.99% of the time.
I'm a C++ application software developer of 28 years. I always think in terms of how the GUI look and feel in parallel with other required functionality. The GUI is never an afterthought. It's integral. and that's where LInux so often fails. It's the 21st century.
So, in summary: As we know, there are five known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns-the ones we don't know we don't know.
We also know that choosing and using an OS is untidy, and user freedoms are untidy, and FOSS programs are free to make mistakes and commit crimes of good practice and do bad things with your system.
You know what know, because you know!😛
profound!
AI is great at walking you through just about anything in the terminal. It's surprisingly useful and has made my recent switch to linux (nobara) a breeze.. (no pun intended). Granted, Nobara has been designed with package managers and installers, etc.. that help you avoid the terminal.. But any time I ask AI about something I need to do, it usually just gives me terminal instructions rather than GUI instructions, unless I specifically ask for it.. So ironically, I have used the terminal more than I ever did in the past-- even though I almost don't even need to now, from all the extra managers/installers that distros are including now. The linux future is looking great IMO. There is about to be a giant wave of users being pushed over to linux, when windows 10 closes it's doors next year.. MS did this to themselves. (by not letting older PC's upgrade to win11).
peacock does not work on linux and prime video app to download movies does not exist unless you have a vm running windows
Too late.....already 'knee deep in the hoopla' 😉
watching this on my linux mint mini pc.....relaxed.... sipping coffee...with some doughnuts on the side....
I changed from Windows a few months ago - I decided on Pop as I have nVidia laptops.
At least twice a week I get notifications of updates, generally packages (fair enough), but System Updates at roughly two a month.
Should I be worried?
Switch to arch... you'll get daily updates, but you have to run the command
THANK YOU.
I personally like using exfat for my cross-platform file system.
Things I only knew before switching:
- wdf? why is copilot installed?
-
-
-
- mint
Can't stop playing with Linux in emulation/VM. I regularly melt my partitions in horror, so I don't rely on it for files except to always keep them in the cloud. This week I finally managed to install Arch; it took a week and a half. I can't recommend Arch, it's really not for casual people like me
Did you turn off safe boot? Did you use archinstall?
I have Qubes Os on a drive now I tried it but not knowing a lot it is hard and confusing to learn and use. the biggest issue is it sometimes gets laggy and can't figure out how to download anything. Maybe if I learn more about Linux it will be easier to operate.
If you are new to Linux, Qubes is not a good place to start, but if you want some good insight, I have a whole playlist on Qubes:
ua-cam.com/video/GJOoCStIipg/v-deo.html
So I’m a gamer what would you recommend for someone that knows nothing about Linux and what would I need to look for ? I use steam discord I also stream games on OBS my pc is mainly used for gaming and researching things on UA-cam
Linux Mint Cinnamon or Ubuntu sound be able to handle all that. Just set yourself a way to test conveniently (Virtual machine or maybe boot from an external drive if you have one to spare. I don't know if Steam OS is meant to run on a regular computer, and I've never heard anyone really suggest it for much (not to say it's bad, just most people are probably using it just to let their Steam Deck rather than a full OS, even though it is.
I'm on Ubuntu and run Steam, but my laptop is dying, so only for pretty light gaming. But you can use the level of games the Steam Deck plays to see if there are any concerns in your library. I wouldn't assume it running poorly on the Deck is a bad thing, since it's a particular hardware too.
Arch is u install it once and then install it again and again and again because it will break if ur not updating it every day
>because it will break if ur not updating it every day
No it doesn't you just have skill issue.
If you didn't update for too long you have to update the archlinux-keyring first before full system update.
And you should update before installing new packages or pacman may just refuse to install with strange errors ...
Also if you are using AUR with the yay helper.
After an update sometimes my yay doesn't rebuild a program that is needed and that program will crash then. Just manual reinstall that program and it works again ...
(Remember kids, AUR isn't officially supported by Arch Linux, it's Commumity external PKGBUILD files that explain to your Arch Linux how to automatically download the source code, how to compile it, how to package it and how to install it)
I use EndeavourOS by the way which is running like a regular Arch Linux.
(if you didn't update for a while you have to update the archlinux-keyring AND endeavouros-keyring first)
The problem I have is that my family and employees are addicted to MS Office… I've been testing the alternatives, but they are just so bad at using these things, and is not like they are properly trained on MS either
Open Office is great, I bet you already knew about that one.
what i have found is if you buy certain hardware while linux may have drivers, the manufacturer does not support linux so the piece of hardware is limited in its use,
If there was a Linux distro that had support for my Dell canvas (it's basically just a rebranded Wacom cintiq) I'd switch to Linux full time. Now I have to dual boot because I need that canvas.
Linux is what Windows would be if it was a mix of msdos and windows xp.
The Accursed "WinModem" problem? Plug-in modem board that was totally useless outside of it's Windows Only drivers. Even Windows users hated them. US Robotics serial modems Uber Alles.
I'm using open Suse switched in April F eh on W10😊
Funny that they mention .DEB for Debian installation files. I always find .dpkg files instead when searching over the Internet.
If I'm not mistaken, .DEB files are application software files, .dpkg files is system software.
I still don't understand the sentiment "do not get an nvidia" without saying WHERE it "does not work", because IT WORKS IN 99% OF TIMES.
Raytracing and local AI comes to mind.
If you are going to claim such things, you should also say: *"and if you use an AMD gpu, you ALSO need the radion drivers, that are ALSO closed source. And by using AMD, you will only have access to 1080 on hdmi, because AMD does not have the licenses to use 4k"...*
See how irrelevant it all becomes?
I have been using my 3090 for quite some time on linux now, and it all works fine and I enjoy raytracing and having fun playing around with local AI:s.
Also, maybe not use a 12 year old thread when looking for what filesystem to use...
The answer to "what filesystem to use for cross compatibility" is: *exFat,* open source, made for exactly cross compatibility, and not the size limit like on fat32.
My 3090 works on linux, but there is stuttering and less anti alias capabilities
@@patrickglaser1560 Sorry to hear that, I have the exact same card, and do not experience what you do. Maybe it is the distribution rather than the hardware?
I have no idea about the anti alias thing, all I know is I have a ton of options of them in games, and I never know what to choose and what is different so...
Closed source AMD driver aren't required. Rocm+ Mesa run everything nowadays even picky software like Davinci Resolve. Linux vaapi can do h265 4K 60fps using the GPU, so AMD AMF is also not required. Then the resolution/license limit is only for HDMI2.1 spec on TV, It mean TV that do 4k120fps HDR and 8K HDR. We can go up to 4K90fps HDR for sure with the previous HDMI mode, I tried it on my TV. Computer monitor with Display Port aren't affected.
@@leucome It's not "required" on nvidia either, unless you want to use the cuda cores. It has nothing to do with "works" it has to do with speed.
So yes, it will "work", but you will never get near the speed that you get with closed source drivers.
But if you ONLY game and watch movies, never encode (and I think you can forget about local AI), then I agree to not needing Radeon.
But the same can be argued with nvidia. If you only game, you can use the open source kernel modules, no need for the closed source driver.
So my argument still stands, if you want to use the complete FULL potential of either AMD or NVIDIA, closed source drivers are needed.
@@unconnectedbedna Look like youtube may have removed my previous reply. Anyway I definitively do everything including AI on AMD with the open source driver and performance is excellent. Proprietary driver on AMD are not required anymore like it was a couple year back. At least not for 6000 and 7000GPU. I think older GPU might need AMD legacy openCL support as they arent 100% compatible with Rocm.
Been on windows since 1996. Sick of its invasiveness. Just done a dual disc dual boot on a desktop with Mint 22. Couldn't have easier, all on Mint GUIs. Looking forward to migrating over. I use google a lot, drive, keep etc, so think I'm going to set up chrome n use libre office. Fcuk you windows 11. Just gonna run it when I have to.. maybe insta360 etc. Im liking Mint 22 a real lot
MAC runs a .dmg file - it's a damage file 😂🤣
The only time I generally have to use the terminal is on setup for a new install - and that's only to install a few browser plugin companion apps or some codecs. Sometimes I'll run something like yt-dlp under the terminal because it's just as easy or simpler than a GUI alternative. Upgrades are taken care of by Discover and I've had no issue with it (other than it might take 4-6 weeks before it come's up).
One thing you didn't mention is use whatever tool works best for the job. Whether that be Linux, Windows or Mac. It doesn't have to be an island of one OS only. Linux doesn't do everything or well for that matter. But then again neither do the other OS'.
bruh, ubuntu "rolls" every SIX, not 9 months. every 6 months there's a new release, which u can upgrade to a new release easily
New users to linux should know you might lose all of your data on USB drives and not get it back. I have multiple TB drives I cannot access with a ‘cannot connect’ error. There are Windows guides on recovering drives but no clear ones on linux. I am sure there are ways to do so but no guidance appears to be available
Mint 21 and 22
Regards
One thing you need to know before Switching to Linux is it does not play well with HDMI 2.1 on AMD hardware or an Ultrawide screen with HDMI 2.1. I have switched to my Mac M4 Pro Mini at home and left my PC for gaming only. I figured, what the heck, I will just install Ubuntu and play games from there, since I have started to dislike Windows 11 at home. Welp, no go, Linux hates that setup and will not work correctly and no, I will not be using my Display port with the PC, since I use that on my Mac. Instead, I will just go back to a stripped down version of Windows that just works and supports all the games over HDMI 2.1 at 240hz 3440 x 1440. Linux would not even get to 120hz at that resolution, although is was happy to do 4k, although the monitor does not support it.
1) Windows is spying on you
2) Windows will Crash
3) Windows will (Try to) Charge you money
4) Windows is Bloated
5) Linux isn't / won't.
23:40 - never heard of UDF? It's what DVD-ROM uses.
It's a deb or an rpm, not a dotdeb or dotrpm. Just saying.
I recommend Gentoo to any new user reading this since Linux Mint is just too hard.
Sike!
Psych!
Linux is linux no matter of what distribution is used, some are made easier to use than others. Pick and choose your poison. Some configuration is made with checkmarks in windows all can be done in the config files. Most important is NOT TO RUN AS ROOT ONLY WHEN NESSESARY!!!!! DEB's RPM's are all files in an internal repository there are prebuilt files in other places (external repo's). If there wasnt any files in internal repo there would be zero to install! THERE ARE LIVE ISO's TO TRY BEFORE INSTALL NOTHING IS DONE TO THE HARD DRIVE!
Linux is jank... but a loveable kind of jank
Windows sux Tux! Tux ran all the way to his friends party. By the time he got there he was sweating like mad and his feathers were all dissheveled. His friend looked at him and stated, Tux...you look like you just blew a seal! Tux replied...Oh no, I just ate some ice cream!
You missed one, everything can be done in linux, but almost EVERYTHING costs 2x + the amount of time and their is a skill floor
There’s a skill floor for any operating system and things will always take longer while learning. I give old laptops with Linux installed to kids and they pick it up in no time and become just as proficient with it as they are with windows.
When you first used Windows it took time to learn it, same with Linux. Most thing are just as fast in Linux. Some may take some extra time, it can be a good thing, to exercise your brain.
Very little leearning. I installed Linux Mint, opened software and installed Brave browser. Everything was was working and I nust add very fast compared to Windows 11. I use a 6th Gen i5 in a HP mini PC. I was able to use Linux imediately with no issues.
@@leemanwrong The skill requirement for Linux is exponentially higher than for Windows (all else being equal), and that works against new entrants. This needs to be reversed, but that won't happen because Linux fans consider overcoming unnecessary difficulty is a badge of honour, and the developers don't care.
@@davemason2290 You can do that on android, trying to move to linux as power user is a hassle. documentation is too spread out. app configs are inconsistent. things you expect to work dont without obvious error messages. logs are anoyng to find
I've been on computers since 1983. I have never ever been on Linux. also not interested in tinkering. so why am I considering Linux? my main concern is security and privacy. I'm so wanting to avoid Windows 11 and Licensing rather than owning an application. since over 90% of the world uses windows, and Adobe seems to be a problem on Linux, that one is a head scratcher since I deal with clients on a daily basis who use Adobe. Argh...
Viable alternatives? There's only one alternative, viable or not! 😞
There is only one alternative that I might consider if absolutely pushed and that would be macOS. More likely, I would run an old version of windows offline if W11 became pay-as-you-go.
@@toby9999 I bought a Mac Mini not so long ago, and it lasted 2.5 years before going wrong. There was no easy way to troubleshoot the problem or replace parts. Never again! Anyway, the Mac is likely stuffed full of spyware, just like Windows. I'll be installing Pop! OS soon on an external drive (my old W7 internal drive).
Five things to know before switching to Linux.
Windows sucks.
Windows sucks.
Windows sucks.
Windows sucks.
Windows sucks.
First and most importantly, don't get caught up watching too many UA-camrs. A lot of the content about Linux on this platform is just low-quality stuff, and it’s often not relevant to the 99% of people who want to switch.
Microsoft is becoming coercive
Unfortunately, I want ALL my games I paid for to work. I know thats not the fault of Linux, but a GAMER needs to be informed that a game MAY or MAYNOT have a Linux version available. Some games won't work due to anticheat restrictions... its def not good for a gamer to switch to linux and watch 80% of his steam library is now worthless.
Gaming can be hit or miss depending on the games you play. I am not a social gamer and play mostly single player games. I have games on Steam, Epic, GOG, Uplay, and EA. So far all the games I want to play have worked. Currently playing Jedi Survivor and getting better performance on Linux than windows. 60 FPS medium to high settings. Ryzen 7 3700x, Nvidia GTX 1070, 64GB 3600 DDR4. CachyOS Linux.
If you're a new user, I suggest going with Arch Linux or Linux from scratch. 2 very easy user friendly distros.
What is the second one? You said Arch, which I would not suggest for a new user, as Linux is the kernel and Arch is the distro what is the second distro you would suggest?
@@GapRecordingsNamibia I was just being sarcastic haha. Linux from scratch is what it sounds like. You essentially build your own distro and it's hell on Earth.
It will fail?
By switching to Linux, I would lose too many useful tools and features... and for no benefit to me. It would be a rather stupid thing to do, actually. And Windows is not getting worse. It is actually better than it was 10 years ago, and it's better than it was 5 years ago, etc.
Disagree on windows getting better. Windows 11 has effectively killed our older laptops, and the speed of its tools has decreased (unless you buy a top spec laptop, for top dollar). Converting to Linux is hard, real hard, and it is not a true "desktop" like windows and Mac. However, if you have a defined need which doesn't include video editing etc, and have the patience, Linux crushes windows for speed, stability, and performance -fact.
@@mauroliberatore3256 You could perhaps stay on W10 if your laptop is not up to it? Technology moves on. Yes, not great in your case, but should an OS be held back until every old piece of hardware is dead and gone? There will always be people who have problems upgrading. I won't an OS to improve and take advantage of new hardware features,
I could use your 'argument' against you. One of the reasons why it's unlikely that I try Linux again is because every attempt I'd made over say, the past 20 years has failed due to incompatible hardware or unavailable drivers etc. I've never had such a problem with any version of Windows on any hardware - W95 to W11 and many in between. W11 is definitely the best and most polished version so far in my opinion.
And finally, to your claim that Lunix "crushes Windows in speed"... that's an urban myth. It might be a little snappier in some scenarios, but in raw processing terms, there's nothing in it. We used Linux at work for a year as a cost cutting exercise. It definitely didn't feel any faster than Windows. The problem with it though was instability.
@toby9999 agree with cross over issues. It is no mean feat, you need to choose alternatives to tried and true ms office, staff frustration, etc. It is a monumental jump, which takes a lot of patience and time (and resources/money). A majority of the software we use for our business is now browser based, so this doesn't cause issues. Excel to Collabora Calc (commercial version of Libre Calc) also took a lot of getting used to etc. Word? Google docs, after some refining, is much easier for staff on 95% of use cases. We'll agree to disagree on performance. I tested Linux v windows 10 on existing business machines, side by side - Linux won. Handling multiple web pages open? Linux won again. Windows 11 v Linux on new hard ware? Linux won again. This was our experience. We must have different business use cases. However, changing from windows to Linux for a business is a risky proposition for the matters we (you and I) have outlined. If you don't fully commit, and run it side by side first as a test crash dummy for a while, then major issues (drivers etc, as you mentioned). Accordingly, until the Linux community "unites" to overcome the driver/monitor etc issues, then the vast majority of business users should stick to Linux. Our business are now over the "hump" with Linux, and it been smooth (mostly) sailing. You are mostly right-linux will be a bridge too far for most, so windows will be the best option. Cheers
The main official Linux is Ubuntu. This is the only official version of Linux that Steam supports. And the support is the longest for Linux security updates and patches: I believe 15 years for the official Ubuntu. There are more than 40 distros of Linux. Most people, especially elderly and most consumers, do not want the change and learning curve thst comes with Linux. There are too many things that can, and do go wrong with installations, updates and conflicts. And the dangers and risks of AI prevent me from going to Windows 11 or Apple, including the new motherboards, graphics cards and phones with embedded AI and NPU chips. So, consumers are being pushed into a corner, especially come October, 2025 when Windows 10 will no longer be officially supported. I will probably be forced to have two separate NVme/SSD drives, one with Windows 10 Pro 22H2, and the other one with Linux Ubuntu. And for that, I will be taking online classes for Linux Ubuntu, on either a separate sandboxed external drive for testing and classes, or a separate laptop.
Ubuntu sucks because of forced snaps if you install stuff like firefox.
That means: **Linux Mint** "is the better ubuntu".
**SteamOS is based on Arch Linux** by the way and not Ubuntu.
SteamOS was based on debian (which ubuntu is based on) in the PAST.
Arch Linux News:
We are excited to announce that Arch Linux is entering into a direct
collaboration with Valve
@Henry-sv3wv - Linux Mint is NOT Ubuntu LTS with 15 plus years of security updates, patches, etc. You are basing an entire irrelative decision on a browser feature? I use Firefox every day in Ubuntu. That is the problem with most consumers. Feelings over reality. I will leave it at that. Steam Tech Support supports Ubuntu 24 LTS officially, and that is it. You can use Steam in other Linux distros, but they are not officially supported in Steam Tech Support. There is no reason to waste time with any other Linux distro at this point.
when in hell are you and rob braxman gonna do a hoedown and dual cast?
why are you yelling?
Why are you starting sentences with lower case letters?
See how annoying stupid comments are?
@@Zarniwoop69 It's a perfectly valid feedback. For some (like people with autism) it's actually painful to watch content where the person talks with too much gusto. I'm happy for you if you don't suffer on a daily basis but please don't assume that it's just a comment to annoy the creator.
A comment below says you need patience to use Linux. Yes, a lot, but not to use it because actually using it is a fleeting experience as it inevitably fails to do whatever it is you want to do. Then you get the joy of the endless screens of cryptic gibberish. It does not work. And it does not tell you why it doesn't work unless you are pretty high level computer savvy and even then it is doubtful.
But if you are willing to devout hours and days to solving the endless stream of inevitable problems and never actually use it, except maybe for fixed narrow use cases, well enjoy, but the universe will cool before Linux becomes decent.
I have tried a lot and no matter how dumb I am or aren't Linux is always garbage.
The out becoming Australia buy a
N large
Old hardware work with Linux better, yahh the old printer to Linux” Am I joking to you” 🤣
HP has good Linux drivers for their printers, but it's cheaper to buy a cheap HP printer than to buy an ink cartridge everytime it goes dry. And they want you to go online to download all the drivers anymore and want you to buy their subscription thingie. Nope, done with HP. Going with either Canon or Brother...not as many hoops to jump thru. Most likely, Brother. I don't print that much color so a simple laser printer will do what I need.
my canon printer works over wifi on linux
@@Henry-sv3wv
What model # is your Canon printer? I'm willing to try.
@@EmptyHandshake Canon Pixma TS 5055
@@Henry-sv3wv
Been reading up on them over the last few days. Thank you!
Windows can have problems, but offering an alternative with more problems than Windows is not a realistic solution.