Time to Switch from Windows to Linux?

Unfortunately, I have too many applications I use everyday that don't run natively on Linux. Yes I could run them in a virtual machine. But then I still have to deal with installing and maintaining Windows for the virtual machine, including updates, etc. So I stick with Windows for most of my stuff. I run Linux separately for software development, playing around, etc.

I made the switch to Linux in 2008 as I was not very happy with Windows. I was using Windows XP and there was talk of another OS called Windows 8.

I investigated Ubuntu Linux for quite a while by dual-booting the Linux OS with Windows XP. After trying out the Linux OS for 5 months, I made the switch in one day after coming up with a plan to move the necessary files.

I started my Linux journey with Ubuntu 8 until a forced change to a new desktop made me move to Linux Mint. I have been happy with Mint as it is a very reliable OS. I do use Ubuntu on other machines, but those are extra machines I have for separate projects.

I wish you all much luck trying out Linux. All the reasons Mr. Rankin gave to change to Linux are valid.

Well-written article, Mr. Rankin. I've tried out way too many Linux distros, and still use a couple to keep my hand in. As you point out, Linux has made significant progress over the last decade to make the shift from Windows easier, and for the vast majority of home users it's probably more than adequate for their needs. Had I not switched to a Mac my main computer would be running Linux. Instead, I continue to run leading edge distros on a couple of computers to get a sense of what's available and/or coming down the pike.

I tried a distro of Linux Mint a couple of years ago on a laptop, set up as dual-boot. I never got it to a satisfactory state, and then could not undo the install, so to this day that computer snarls and makes insulting noises when I try to boot up.
Nonetheless, I'm considering a second try, using one of your recommended distros for heavily Windows dependent old folks like me. Thanks for the detailed information.

Bob, great article.
I have been using Linux Mint on my old laptop a couple of years back and liked it a lot.
My current and old lap is running on Windows 10.
I bought a new one with Windows 11 but would like to run Linux on a second partition.
A European friend told me that there are USB sticks with the whole Linux system available including detailed instruction how to install and use it.
Even from the stick you can run Linux.

Bob, great article.
I have been using Linux Mint on my old laptop a couple of years back and liked it a lot.
My current and old lap is running on Windows 10.
I bought a new one with Windows 11 but would like to run Linux on a second partition.
A European friend told me that there are USB sticks with the whole Linux system available including detailed instruction how to install and use it.
Even from the stick you can run Linux.

"or you're dreading the move to Windows 11"

I bought a Windows laptop this year which had Windows 11 installed. I have only ever had Apple computers at home but didn't find the change to Windows 11 a problem. However there are many comments about how the move from Windows 10 to 11 is difficult, so I assume that these two versions are very different.

Incidentally I found moving from a desktop to a laptop more of a problem than macOS to Windows 11, but maybe that is just me.

If you have not switched do it now. Its never too late and you will be glad once you do. I sitched when XP expired. Such an easy learning curve. My favorite ditro was not listed above, Ubuntu-Mate. Very easy, low resource requirements. If you have that one Windows program, (mine is Turbo Tax), you can always install an evaluation version of Windows inside Virtualbox or some other virtual system for those needs.

Wow! Windoze kept nagging me to restart to install updates. After a day or so I let it. It took quite awhile to finish the update then I learned it was 24h2. Went to use Wordpad and it had disappeared from my taskbar! What?
Then Windowz installed kb5063878. Audio disappeared after KB5063878 update. Live Linux couldn't find a sound device either. After 24h2 corrupted files on this Intel laptop I used Macrium backup to roll back to 23h2. Paused updates. No reason for Microsoft to release this BS.

Reply to my post. Does MS want to wreck hardware to force users to buy new? Just search the internet for the havoc kb5063878 has caused users. Yes I've used Linux in the past. During kernel updates on Mint my install was trashed. So Timeshift backups are necessary. And install Linux on another drive from Windoz or Windoz will trash Linux after a Windoz update. And wreck Grub. Fare thee well.

To Michael Weber; Yes. Get a large usb stick. Search for Ventoy installer. Use it and install Linux Live OS distros you choose to run. I've at least 5 different distros on a 64gb usb drive that I can boot at startup. Only one downside- Ventoy has to be setup for a MBR or GPT TYPE drive. If you have computers with both use 2 usb sticks? Have fun.

I used to be a Windows user for decades. Then having had more time on my hands I started experimenting with Linux.

First I tried MX-Linux because it was at the top of their table in Distrowatch at the time. I used it for about a year and then I decided to change my hardware. I bought a TUXEDO PC to replace my Dell laptop. I have been using TUXEDO OS on that PC for almost two years with no problems at all.

Linux can be made to be as simple as you want. I like to tweak and try out different ways to use the operating system and it's a lot of fun.

I would never see me going back to Windows.

Another great article! For my desktop computer, I have been using a dual boot system, which at present has Windows 11 and Linux Mint. It works well for me. I am thinking that, when the time comes to replace my desktop, I will only use Linux for that.

Microsoft does a lot of underhanded practices, such as installing Microsoft Edge, when you want to have it removed form your computer. [I keep uninstalling that junk browser.] Even though I removed the bloatware and crap-ware, it seems like it is not 100% removed. I believe that the reason for this is exactly what the article mentions, that Microsoft want to track "telemetry data" from people's computers. Importantly, I find Linux to be much more efficient. Last, I have been using Linux for almost 30 years professionally at my jobs and for personal use.

Thank you, Bob, for another very informative article!

Not for me! I have tried Linux more than once, dual booted more than one distribution (each claimed to be the latest, best replacement for Windows, and I never found it worth the effort. Windows 11 (I have been a PC guy since Win 3.0, I never tried any of the letter versions, always numbers) on my NUC 11TNKi7 does everything I need it to do, fast! And a lot of things I will never need it to do. I do have a nice iPad that I use for a Kindle mostly as well as a place to keep my chords and lyrics to play guitar and ukulele. My iPhone 15 Pro Max is as nice as I need it to be, a phone, messenger, game machine, and I can write emails and Facebook in a pinch, though it is far easier to do most of that on my PC. In general I prefer the Windows UI by far.

Hello Bob, I have been a follower since before the turn of the century and have found many tips and tricks useful over the years. Switching from Windows 10 to Linux just may be the solution to my problem.

I'm a long time Microsoft user since (MS-DOS), and switching might be the solution for a senior whose resources do not allow me to buy new hardware just because Windows 11 has the need for things that computers a little long in the tooth do not have installed in them.

Have an ACER Laptop that just might have a few years life left in her.

Thanks for the idea.

Before reading your article, I am going to put this other article about Linux:

"Desktop Linux Keeps Winning the Wrong Battles"
From

I have never disagreed with your great posts over many decades but this is like recommending to "throw the baby out w/the bathwater".

Your 10 bullet-points seem massaged by AI and they are all equally achievable in non-Home versions of Windows.

I have never had to do a "fresh install" of a WindowsOS since Win95, and currently on Windows11Pro.

Before the turn of the century SunMicroSystems CEO Scott McNeally -during Jini intro) said "Privacy is a red herring... get over it!"

If you want convenience over security, you deserve neither. But the notion of an 'insecure' system is that little device you hold in your hand and NOT your Windows desktop that can be made secure!

Sorry. BobRankin!

I've been using various GNU/Linux distributions off and on since the late 1990s. I started with Mandrake Linux, then after Mandrake (Mandriva at the time) stopped developing/maintaining the distribution, II migrated to Mageia, a community driven fork of Mandriva. When I encountered issues with Magis 8, I started distro-hopping for a while. Notable among the distributions I tried were Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) and several others until I came across Garuda KDE-Lite edition which I'm running in a dual-boot configuration today. I don't recommend it to Windows refugees because it's based on Arch Linux, and therefore probably not the best choice for GNU/Linux newbies, but for me, it's the ideal OS for experimentation.

No matter which distribution you decide to use, the easiest way I've found to set up any distribution so it can be booted from a USB stick is to first download the Ventoy installer for Windows. To set up your USB stick (I have a 128GB Samsung Flash Drive FIT) download the Windows installer zip file from https://www.ventoy.net/en/download.html then extract the installer from the zip archive and after you connect the USB stick you want to use, execute the Ventoy2Disk.exe file you will find in the extracted Ventoy folder, then select your USB drive if its not already selected and click the Install button. After installation completes, you can copy the ISO file you want to install on your computer to your new Ventoy USB stick. Restart your computer and boot from the USB stick (the function key that works on your computer may be different than on my Lenovo Legion 5 laptop, the F12 key selects the boot options screen), click the ISO image you want to boot then execute the installer for your distribution and follow the on-screen prompts to complete installation. If you want to dual-boot your new GNU/Linux distribution with Windows, when you get to the installation options screen, choose the option to install Linux along side of Windows. If you decide to remove Windows and have your new Linux distribution as the only OS on your computer, choose the erase the entire dist option. I strongly recommend that you choose to instal your Linux distribution along side Windows so if you don't like your new GNU/Linux system, you still have Windows available to you.

I hope something here helps others,

Ernie

It's been a while since I did this exercise.
It was a breeze to set up.
BUT. Then came the driver issues, there was no way to find the drivers to enable my wifi internet cos I couldn't get on line.
Viva Windows...

I tried Red Hat Linux (v.5) back in 1998, and have been using different distributions exclusively since. Debian linux is my go-to "flavour" for the last 10 years (with over 30,000 free software programs at my disposal. The only time I require Windows (or Mac) is for one tax program I use each year. Everything else (music, video, entertainment, graphics, office, etc) is done on linux and I've always been satisfied with the results. Linux has "saved" a lot of windows machines I have had to do I.T. work on (like recovering the files from a damaged hard drive) and have even had a few seniors switch over when they realized what a pain Windows can be.
Thank you, Bob, for this article! It's good to see an article written in an easy to understand format that we can share with others who are questioning whether to try linux!