Noob question: what to arrange before switching to linux

EDIT: I am thrilled with so many awesome responses! I’m taking notes and looking into all the recommendations. Again, thank you so much for taking the time to help me out (and many others, i’m sure), i’m glad i asked!

Hi,

I’m getting ready to switch to Linux. I’m looking for a kind of checklist of what to do beforehand. When i search online, there is a lot of advice on which distribution to choose and how to set it up, which i already know, but my question is the step before. I made a list of which programs i currently use (almost all have a linux variant or i can use them in the browser) and i am making screenshots of their settings. I have basically everything important backupped, both on my ProtonDrive and on a private server in the house. Is there anything else i need to prepare before switching? I wouldn’t want to overlook something.

(I already have the distribution and am trying it out, but my plan is to actually install debian and without dual boot. Also, many, many years ago i already used debian but then i had the luxury of someone who basically arranged everything for me)

Currently, i run windows 10 with Nvidia GeForce. I already am in the process of degoogling and de-microsofting so to speak, so i don’t use google drive or onedrive, or MS Office anymore (nor a lot of other things).

Apologies if this is not appropriate for this community. Have a great day :-)

detalferous,

In my opinion you’re overthinking it.

Just get a live distro, put it on a USB, and boot into it. If it meets your needs, then install it.

amju_wolf,
@amju_wolf@pawb.social avatar

If you have a large USB stick you can even install Ventoy and put multiple distros on it so you can try out several live distros one after another!

lung,
@lung@lemmy.world avatar

Nah you’re all good homie, and clearly an A+ student. Let the good debs roll!

Papanca,

Lol, thanks. I have some perfectionist tendencies, but good to know i’m not missing something glaringly obvious!

TWeaK,

The fun part comes later on, when you get a bit laissez-faire with the backups and kick yourself for missing something and having to configure it from scratch. Then you start tinkering and remember that you actually like configuring things.

johsny,
@johsny@lemmy.world avatar

I found I love poking around in settings and config files etc. Which I think is why I prefer KDE. Lots of settings to mess around with.

Papanca,

Yes, i’m switching to KDE too. One of the first things i do when installing anything, whether on my phone or pc, is taking a peak at the settings

TWeaK,

I love poking around in good settings menus. I can’t stand Windows 11, and even Windows 10 and 7 are rubbish - there shouldn’t be two layered styles of settings menus, and I shouldn’t have to click through multiple pages to get to the function I want. Android, too, has gotten a bit crap, but at least the search function works well.

Papanca,

So far, everything gets backupped automatically, but on top of this, i already am in the habit of backupping important documents by hand in files that don’t get synced. So, as soon as i’m editing important files, i backup them, on top of the sync folders. I will need to switch to manual backups anyway, since proton drive - which syncs automatically - is not yet available on linux, but they do have a web app where you can backup manually.

cygnus,
@cygnus@lemmy.ca avatar

If you have a server or second computer on your network you can use Syncthing as a kind of cloud-drive-esque bacup.

luthis,

Note that there isn’t a Linux version of the protondrive app. … I know! what the fuck right?

Secondly, I would just shove Linux Mint onto a USB and use that as a live distro with persistence for a while, just to get used to things. I’m not a fan of debian(/-based) or apt, but it works.

Papanca,

Yes, you’re right, but at least they have a web app, so it’s not a total deal breaker. I think a linux version is in the works, but knowing Proton it can still take a long time before one will be available. I also know that their VPN linux version is pretty shaky for some people.

luthis,

As a protonvpn user on linux (arch) I can say that it is totally fine for me. I am using Gnome though.

killthefish,

You can use this app to sync with proton drive flathub.org/apps/com.hunterwittenborn.Celeste

Papanca,

Interesting, is it something like Syncthing? I will definitely check it out, thank you for the link!

killthefish,

not sure what syncthing does! I’m not a big fan of the cloud, I just knew of that app because The Linux Experiment channel talked about it

Papanca,

I haven’t used it yet, but apparently it’s not hosted by a third party and syncs between 2 computers in real time and encrypted.

JaxNakamura, (edited )

That’s correct. It’s not just limited to computers or only two devices though.

daredevil,
@daredevil@kbin.social avatar

It sounds like you've taken the appropriate precautions. I'm sure others will have better suggestions, but perhaps you can try running a VM for a week or so as if you've made the switch and take note of anything you feel you may be lacking.

Papanca,

I’ve been running a live distro and doing exactly that. So far, so good :-)

d3Xt3r, (edited )

deleted_by_author

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    hunter2, (edited )

    I read that a lot, but my RTX4080 works quite well on linux. I’m running gnome with wayland on openSUSE tumbleweed. According to lemmy and reddit, that should be a disaster combination.

    Papanca,

    I have heard both sides; some people complained of issues with nvidia on linux, others said; nope, no problem whatsoever.

    killthefish,

    I used to have problems and visual glitches with text in flatpaks (like VS code, or Spotify, the text would be bugged), but as of the latest drivers that is fixed.

    From my experience on Fedora, my advice is that after a new kernel installs, don’t restart immediately, give it a minute or two to build the nvidia drivers for that kernel. If you are signing them for secure boot i guess the recommended wait is 5 minutes.

    kuadhual,

    It should be fine with gnome and Wayland.

    But, if you use KDE Plasma and Wayland, don’t install Nvidia proprietary driver.

    I have to get back to KDE Plasma 5 and XOrg until Plasma 6 is released.

    rehydrate5503,

    I read this a lot as well, and I think for a time this was true, but in my experience with a 1070 and 1080ti, Ubuntu and Fedora worked fine with minor tinkering, pop_os and nobara work out of the box. Currently on nobara, and most apps and games work just as well if not a little better than on Windows. A mate of mine runs nobara with a 3080 and no issues there either.

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