Okay I know this sounds like click bait but trust me switching over to linux requires you to first master the open source software that you will be replacing your windows/mac counterparts with. Doing it in an unfamiliar OS with no fallback to rely on is tough, frustrating and will turn you off of trying linux. DISCLAIMER: I know that some people cannot switch to linux because open source / Linux software is not good enough yet. But I urge you to keep track of them and when so you can know when they are good enough.
The Solution
So I suggest you keep using windows, switch all your apps to open or closed source software that is available on linux. Learn them, use them and if you are in a pinch and need to use your windows only software it will still be there. Once you are at a point where you never use the windows only software you can then think of switching over to linux.
The Alternatives
So to help you out I’ll list my favorites for each use case.
MS Office -> Only Office
- Not for folks who use obscure macros and are deep into MS Office
- Has Collaboration and integration with almost all popular cloud services…
- Has a MS Office like UI and the best compatibility with MS Office.
Adobe Premiere -> Da Vinci Resolve
- It is closed source but available on linux
- Great UI, competitive features and a free version
Outlook -> Thunderbird
- Recently went through massive updates and now has a modern design.
- Templates, multi account management, content based filters, html signatures, it is all there.
Epic Games, GOG, PRIME -> Heroic
- Easy to use, 1 click install, no hassel
- Beautiful UI
- Automatically imports all the games you have bought
PDF Editor -> LibreOffice Draw
- Suprisingly good for text manipulation, moving around images and alot more.
- There might be slight incompatibilities (I haven’t noticed anything huge)
- But hey, it’s free
How do I pick a distro there are so many! NO
So finally after switching all the apps you think you are ready? Do not fall into the rabbit hole of changing your entire OS every two days, you will be in a toxic relationship with it.
I hate updates and my hardware is not that new
- Mint - UI looks a bit dated but it is rock solid
- Ubuntu - Yes, I know snaps are bad, but you can just ignore them
I have new hardware but I want sane updates
- Fedora
- Open Suse Tumbleweed
I live on the bleeding edge baby, both hardware and software
- Arch … btw
Anyways what is more important is the DE than the distro for a beginner, trust me. Gnome, KDE, Cinnamon, etc. you can try them all in a VM and see which one you like.
SO TLDR: Don’t switch to linux! Switch to linux apps.
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Was ready to downvote but this is actually a really good guide, well done OP! The one issue I will raise, though, because I faced it myself, is that as long as you’re still using Windows, it is way too easy to just go back to using the Windows programs not the open source ones. Only through switching to Linux can you really “throw yourself into the deep end” and force yourself to learn these new things. Microsoft has made themselves the “path of least resistance” (or at least that of “most momentum” for a reason) and if you’ve been using a computer for a while, it’s a lot easier to break the habits and realise the benefits by giving yourself no other option than it is by trying to discipline yourself into using the new options.
Agreed, this has been my experience as well. I tried switching to full time Linux multiple times. I had already used it on my laptop for years but on my desktop I kept going back to Windows because things on Windows just worked the way I wanted and thought that for some things there weren’t any Linux alternatives.
That was until two years ago I challenged myself to only use Linux for a month. I’ve been using Linux on my desktop ever since and only use Windows now and then to play a single game that doesn’t work on Linux due to anti cheat.
And Debian could be used instead of Mint. Almost all the Ubuntu support online applies, except no snap requirement.
Also, start using WSL for random things you do in GUI today to learn CLI/bash.
But yea, great guide.
I don’t understand the difficulty. My kid who used Windows for at least 7 years installed Ubuntu and just started using it. Why is this difficult for people? I helped him boot the computer from a USB stick and that’s it.
Here is the app store, install programs from here.
Ok.
I think some folk want to pretend using Linux is hard so that they can feel more… Uh… Technical for using it.
It’s actually hilarious how disconnected some Linux folks are lmao
The average person
- doesn’t know what an operating system is
- can barely work with windows, has had many struggles learning windows
- is scared of change
- doesn’t know about the existence of a BIOS
- will never be able to boot anything else but default by themselves
- doesn’t know how to troubleshoot anything about computers
- literally does not know or care about the existence of Linux
I know these things are changing, but anyone saying people are able to switch to Linux by themselves and its easy and doable for the average person is fucking delusional, this post is one of the most reasonable takes I’ve seen on the sub
If all you do is browse the web, as is the case for a a lot of people, the OS does not matter. Heck, my neighbor does not even have a computer, does everything on his phone.
Exactly, in reality people will use what’s given to them. Just like windows, introduce it now and people would lose their fucking minds about how convoluted it is.
Transition costs are what we should be looking at, right now to install or use Linux you need someone with experience explaining it to you. Just like it was when PC’s were becoming a thing. Don’t have that person? Only alternative is MacOS or ChromeOS for them.
@uranibaba @kernelle , well, yes and no. Yes, visiting most websites will absolutely not matter. Streaming however, does matter. Streaming from services is either not supported for some services and only supports lower resolutions. I am not sure which are supported or not currently, I remember Max not working on Linux, it might have worked with OS spoofing.
Edit: I dropped Max a while ago and haven’t tried to use it for a long time after it initially didn’t work while I had the service.
The average old person perhaps. Young people are not afraid of change in most cases. They don’t have that barrier of thinking learning something new is difficult. It just happens as they click around. And they have friends, and they ask their friends. Just like we did when we were young. I don’t think you asked your dad how to use windows… :)
I honestly think that if you would have Linux on laptops and you gave it to young people, they would have no problems finding out how to install programs and use the web browser. And that’s the start of the learning experience.
Sure, give a somewhat intelligent person between 20 and 40 a PC with Linux on it and they’ll figure it out. However, that doesn’t mean they have the patience of finding out how to install Linux in the first place. And also, they‘ll figure out how to install apps, sure. Until they try to download the installer.exe for Microsoft Office because why would they know that it won’t work.
The problem isn’t, that they couldn’t figure it out, the problem is most people just want a working computer and not relearn what they already know or learn what an operating system is at all.
(And also, I remember reading some study, that a lot of late Gen Z and younger (the ones that didn’t grow up with Windows XP or earlier anymore) are actually less tech savvy than older generations because they’re used to not really having to troubleshoot tech)
Couldn’t have said it better, and I’ve seen the same article as well!
Funny story a coworker told me is his father kept breaking his windows install in the weirdest ways, so he asked him if he’d try Linux and was very reluctant. He showed him his laptop and he said “Oh yeah I used this at work for 30 years!”
Dunnily enough, I got into Linux through my grandfather (now in his 70s), who had been on and off using Linux since redhat. Although, by now, my tech and Linux knowledge surpassed his (at least in applications relevant in this century) because he’s scared of the internet
Your point is proven by the adaptation of chromebooks, kids have no issue using them and neither should anyone else. It’s not a Linux thing, it’s a “what did you use the most”-thing. Some distros are ready to be shipped to consumers, bought a laptop with Linux pre-installed in 2018 (XPS 13).
You’ll see mainstream use if stores are selling them in-store to consumers. You’re up against the likes of Google, Microsoft or Apple when you try to pull that off.
PS: I believe in mainstream Linux use because money has a tendency to ruin everything, just think it will be much slower than us enthusiasts would want.
Yup, I think a lot of people just use their web browser for everything, and they can definitely just switch. Outside of work, how many non-techies have set up their email to use a native program? Very few, in my experience.
I think documents are sometimes the exception, since there’s a sizable (perhaps older) group that like to use Word for everything.
All the tech literacy programs for parents also basically ended up only teaching office software, for some reason.
My mom is 80 years old and I got her on Mint years ago - mostly because I was tired of fixing the mistakes Windows let her make.
My mom is a walking disaster with computers but she got used to it and now she can’t mess up anything, and she doesn’t worry about messing up anything anymore too. If she can do it, anyone can do it.
I also wonder the future of immutable Linux. Right now it has pain points but maybe someday it will work reliability
I switched as a kid too, but that makes it really easy because I never ended up depending on a bunch of proprietary Windows only apps. I never learned stuff like Photoshop and Illustrator and Premiere, not even on pirated versions like most kids do. Photoshop CS2 technically ran under wine but the experience was so miserable I learned GIMP instead. My last Windows was XP.
The older you get the more “serious” software you have too, like tax stuff, the whole Windows-centered workflow at work. The deeper you are into the ecosystem the worse it is.
The issue I see over and over and over is not that using Linux in itself is that hard, it’s dealbreaker software and hardware. Oh your capture card isn’t supported. Your audio mixer’s not supported. It sucks. So basically what OP said: you have to switch to Linux friendly software first, then it’s basically just swapping the OS and not flipping your entire computing experience over.
Yes, hardware support for things like video capture, that is the danger zone. :)
The thing is alot of people who work really well in the windows environment and have been doing so for a while will now have to face both a new environment and new tools. Then there is the problem of time … If you are trying to work while also troubleshooting your OS with none of the tools that you know how to troubleshoot with it could be frustrating.
work while also troubleshooting
Let’s not pretend that most people know how to troubleshoot. only a little /s
90% of people who say they cant switch really mean they don’t want to. It’s really not about application availability, capability, or otherwise. It’s about it not being the same as what they have always done. NOTE: 97% of statistics are made up anyway.
Use libreoffice over open office.
Seconded, why not OnlyOffice? (maybe parent commenter got names confused 🤷♂️ no judgement)
as for OpenOffice vs Libre Office— IIRC Libre has more recent development on it, which IMHO feels like a good sign for open source software; it’s kept more up to date
I’m stupid. I didn’t realize it said onlyoffice, not open office. Oop
Is open office even still in active development?
But what about Only Office?
Being a linux user for 23 years and a linux promoter and installer for newbies, I don’t agree with so many of your recommendations and priorities.
Seriously, OP sounds like they taste tested a handful of open software options and wanted to share, but had to implicate the newbie decision of windows vs Linux somewhere.
My concern with this take is that it positions the switch as all downsides. You do not get any of the Linux benefits, just the compromised experience on Windows. You may decide it is not worth it even before switching.
Or, conversely, just switch to Linux.
Take an hour or so to have a look around the place.
Go on the internet if you have any questions.
People are smarter than you assume and if you want Linux to grow in popularity we need to stop pretending any if this is difficult.
You are giving the average person too much credit. If you ask them what OS they are running, they are as likely to say ‘windows’ as they are to say ‘dell’
I think the most likely answer would be “what?”
This does not work for everyone. A lot of people will try to switch, but find one tool they are used to they cannot now use and are not used to the alternatives so feel frustrated when trying to use them for real work. Then get pissed off at Linux and switch back to windows.
This advice is more for people that are thinking about Linux but have some professional or semi professional or hobby workflow on their computers that they need to be productive in. It can be very hard for them to switch os and tooling they are used to with no way to fall back to what they know when they need to.
You will find most people don’t rely on these tools and they can doba quick check and decide to switch straight away. But ignoring this advice for the rest can make transitioning to Linux easier.
We need to stop pretending that switching tools that you rely on and have spent decades learning to be proficient in is a trivial task for everyone.
So you’ve just posted your personal choices as though they were THE way to go. There are countless alternatives for everything. Just making that clear.
It reads like a good starting point for someone who wants to get away from Microsoft but has no experience with Linux, though. While Linux and OpenSource software are getting more and more beginner friendly, the amount of choices can make it difficult for newbies to even find out that Linux programs (be they FOSS or not) exist that can do what they need.
I just want to add, obviously I am not an expert in every field in the world and cannot find an alternative for everything but if you do want to do some research sites like alternativeto.net are great resources.
My one amendment would be - forget Ubuntu and variants, just Debian is fine with older hardware. Less headaches and hassles, and some snaps.
I’d even say Mint Debian Edition over Ubuntu.
Avoiding snaps on Ubuntu sadly is not an option anymore. Maybe go for pop!_os Instead of Ubuntu.
Not to mention they have bad flatpak support out of the box
You can download cosmic shop and it works well now.
It came out with comsic DE alpha
Cosmic terminal is also nice
I disagree… I have no problems going without it. Could you give some reasons why you think avoiding snaps is not an option anymore?
Because canonical removed packages from apt to prevent users to install their apps from apt instead. Firefox for example.
Firefox from Apt is a link to a snap!
This is some bullshit level activity that I do not want.
I moved away from Microsoft to not have to deal with such an annoyance. Now canonical is doing it to their users.
Linux Mint is the most Windows-like Linux distro.
Ubuntu is the most Microsoft-like Linux project.
Davinci Resolve is not a solution for at least 60% of the people who would move to Linux. The new version has trouble working on Debian-based systems (even with the various scripts and workarounds that exist), and it requires an nvidia card with lots of GBs of VRAM (while it does work on Windows with Intel/AMD without big problems). So I’d never suggest Resolve to someone moving to Linux unless they’re going to use Fedora, and have a recent nvidia card. For everyone else, there’s KDENLive and Shotcut. Which are way worse in the things they can do compared to Resolve (especially when it comes to professional color grading and audio plugins specifically for human speech), but that’s the situation we’re in.
Although I have to say, kdenlive surprised me very positively, when I tried it out recently. DaVinci is still king imo but in a pinch, I‘d prefer kdenlive over Avid Media Composer any time.
I would say: “Don’t switch to Linux. Just start with Linux and never use Windows or Mac in the first place”
Don’t have to get used to something if you’ve never used something else.
Great write-up, but in my opinion this is exactly the wrong way around.
That way, you don’t gain anything from your “switch” up front.
Better to switch to Linux and keep the apps you know wherever possible. Office, Teams, Photoshop, Lightroom and many others are available as web apps now. For many others, there are versions ported to Linux or running well in Wine. Finally, Gnome Boxes makes it trivial to integrate a small 50GB Windows VM to run apps where there’s no other option.
Then you can slowly migrate to Linux-specific open source tools, in your own time.It helps if you can get away from an app-centric view of computing to a result-centric view:
You don’t need MS Office, you want to create/edit documents, tables or presentations.
You don’t need Photoshop, you want to edit images.
You don’t need Outlook, you want to connect to Exchange.
Almost all tasks are possible to do on Linux if you change your workflow a bit. Some aren’t, especially when you’re forced to collaborate with others in a professional setting. In that case, you can still minimize your Windows usage to what’s necessary, by using Wine, web apps, dual-booting, using 2 devices, running a Windows VM inside Linux, or running a Linux VM inside Windows, depending on your needs.I highly disagree with recommending regular users to use virtual machines, it defeats the whole purpose, at the end of the day, you are still using windows, and on top of that, it adds additional complexities that can only create frustration to users.
Enough with your psyop, Bill. Go back to trying to cure malaria to atone for your past sins.
I would still say dual booting is the superior option, but that might be complicated for some people, so this is probably a good recommendation.
Dual booting is also an option.
The major problem with dual-booting is if you get lazy and end up never booting the Linux install. Sure you can do most stuff on Linux but Windows does all your stuff, so you end up with “I might play after those YouTube videos” and boot into Windows to save the possible upcoming reboot. And then you’re always on Windows.
But it’s a very good option if you can manage to get yourself into the opposite situation: avoiding having to reboot into Windows and find workarounds and alternatives.
I have two applications that does not have a replacement for Linux, running Windows as a virtual machine is a great alternative as you don’t have to leave Linux (or reboot) to use them.
In order to use dual boot, one must be able to set up dual boot. This guide is addressed towards people who have never used Linux.
If you’re lucky enough to have more than one device, then I’d just say use Linux on your secondary device. I used my Steam Deck as my PC for a month before I made the change.
Dual booting is done for you in the installer, at least for mint.
I know it has the ability to, but I don’t recommend it. I’ve recently commented on this so I’ll paste it here:
DO NOT dual boot as a beginner. I did this when I started and would screw up something with the bootloader and be unable to boot one of the OSs (data can still be copied off, but installed app data isn’t easily recovered). Being a noob at the time, I even accidentally wiped the wrong drive during a distro hop.
For a beginner I would recommend you remove your Windows SSD and keep it safe in a drawer. Or clone the drive first. Then you can mess around all you want while keeping your original SSD safe.if the data and OS/app installs are valuable then don’t fuck around learning a new system with the drive in situ. Certainly don’t try to learn to partition and dual boot off the same drive. The noob risk is just too high.
