Now i’ve been considering moving to linux. I don’t have much of a history using a computer and find it tougher to use than my phone. But I also really appreciate the foss movement. I’ve currently got an old laptop running windows 11 I think and it would prolly speed up with linux too. But I’m afraid I’d fuck smth up trying to download linux, understand it or while using it. Is it worth switching and how different is it to a windows experience.
I haven’t seen anyone mentioning this yet, so I will: if you’re looking for the most accessible way to use Linux, nothing beats Endless OS. It’s a Linux distribution that is built specifically with ease of use and offline usage in mind (if you don’t know what a “distribution” is, feel free to ask). It’s pretty different from Windows (the user interface is nothing alike, you should download every program/app from the App Center instead of downloading from your browser), but I think you’d get the gist of it quickly.
Now, whether you would want to change to Linux or not greatly depends on what you use your computer for. If you use your computer mostly for browsing the Internet and making Word documents, then I think you should change. If you play videogames on your computer, but mostly via Steam, then Linux won’t be bad. But if your work depends on something like Adobe Photoshop and you really aren’t available to using any other program, then you would not want tochange to Linux, because Photoshop isn’t compatible with it.
TL;DR: Have a look at Endless OS; and please share what you use your computer for / what devices other than a normal keyboard and mouse you normally connect to your computer, so we can help you determine whether you should just switch to Linux or not.
Technically, Linux is just the kernel. What makes a distro different is the software they choose to install and package, and what version: some come with the latest version of kde plasma and busybox, others use versions of GNOME and the GNU core system utilities that are a few years old, etc.
I really think you would have a great time with either “Linux Mint” because of its rocksolid philosophy of not breaking stuff or shipping “beta software”.
Otherwise a safe option would be a Linux variant with professional support options - just in case you need it. ZorinOS, Tuxedo or Pop_OS! are the most common ones.
Personally i’d take Linux Mint, which in most cases works flawless out of the box. The premium options are nonetheless also great options.
I really don’t think people is reasoning “yes I definitely need a computer that exclusively can browse the web no matter the price” because otherwise, if price is no objection, they would buy an ipad with a keyboard.
This considering that a Chromebook instantly loses the resale value as soon as you pay it and it comes with a time bomb which is known only to hyper technical people. Chromebooks on discount have just 1-2 years of updates left or in some cases they’re already EOL. It’s crime against the environment that a Linux machine with a browser has a EOL date when it could receive browser updates indefinitely without any issue.
I am very curious about the type of person who would rather use a phone than a computer. I am already getting annoyed just typing these two sentences on my phone, because I know hoe much more convenient this would be on my computer.
For someone as tech illiterate as my mom, I’d advise against trying it. But you are here and my mom would never know that Lemmy is a thing. You also ask about Linux.
I’d guess that you will have great fun using and appreciating what Linux and the foss communities have created.
I put Linux Mint on my wifes, her parents and my parents computers, they all are somewhat to absolutely tech illiterate. I have to remind them to update once in a while and new software gets installed by me. But apart from that, everyone is happy with their rocksolid day to day system. Windows wouldn’t make anything easier, neither for me nor for them.
Smart choice! The option to just try it in a safe way with the live USB is a good way to try it.
Also try out some of the themes in the settings 😉 The amazing wallpapers of Linux Mint are so fancy, so I decided to use it on my work Windows PC, which I am forced to deal with ☺️
My mum is completely tech illiterate, I have to teach her how to every task individually, and she has to write them down and follow them step my step. Tasks like emailing a document are a challenge. Linux is great for her. She isn’t used to windows anyway, and Linux makes it harder for her to accidentally make damaging changes, collect viruses or experience unexpected ui updates. It has much less maintaince, so it’s a lot less work for me to manage the system.
Here’s a bad usecase:
You are a user who can do the basics of using a website, install new apps, use usb drives etc etc. You are used to windows ui like where to find apps, where the close button is etc. You dont have a tech friend set up your stuff but if something goes wrong you are boned. This isn’t a good use unless you are interesting in becoming more tech literate (its easier to learn, if you can google your problems).
Thanks I appreciate the detailed response. Luckily I dont game. I’ll be honest I was hoping/ expecting it to suddenly be twice as fast and that was a major factor in considering linux. But if it decreases overheating I’m still happy with that.
I have been degoogling and going the foss roite on my phone to the point of considering graphene os for my phone too so won’t be going the google route thats for sure.
Even if you wanted to game casually, getting Steam and games running is straightforward these days. You just need to enable Steam Play for all titles in settings.
I think it depends on what you plan to use it for.
If it’s just browsing the web or basic usage (email, watching videos, etc.) it’s perfect for a tech illiterate person. You have distros that just work, like Mint, or Pop!_Os (compared to distros like Debian that can require a bit of tinkering, or Arch/Gentoo where you need to tinker a lot more). I’m not certain but I think these distros work well for gaming as well.
If you have specific needs for software like the Adobe suite, Excel or audio/video software, it’s still possible but definitely less accessible.
As far as the difference between Linux and Windows, I’m not sure you’d notice much if you stay at the surface. The main difference is the fact that you actually own your system and you can literally do what you want with it (even irreversibly break it).
This is pretty much my take. For tech newbies that essentially only need a browser, linux mint is great. On the other extreme, if you want to tinker, get your hands dirty, then you probably already know what distro you want.
It’s toughest for the people in between who need some more advanced os functionality or need programs that aren’t natively supported, but otherwise don’t want to know more about their os than they have to. Not because Linux doesn’t have that advanced functionality (and more!) or because there aren’t alternatives and workarounds for those programs, but because of the learning curve.
For someone already tech illiterate, the learning curve is almost a moot point. For the tinkerer, it’s practically a feature. But for the people in between, it can a real obstacle.
In fairness, I frequently forgot my steamdeck root password, because the need to use it was so few and far between. If you’re always in game mode, then there’s almost 0 reason that I’d need my password.
The hardest part will probably be the installation, but if you can follow a youtube guide you’ll be fine. Go for a distro like PopOS or Fedora that have polished out of the box experiences.
I’m going to reframe the question as “Are computers good for someone tech illiterate?”
I think the answer is “yes, if you have someone that can help you”.
The problem with proprietary systems like Windows or OS X is that that “someone” is a large corporation. And, in fairness, they generally do a good job of looking after tech illiterate people. They ensure that their users don’t have to worry about how to do updates, or figure out what browser they should be using, or what have you.
But (and it’s a big but) they don’t actually care about you. Their interest making sure you have a good experience ends at a dollar sign. If they think what’s best for you is to show you ads and spy on you, that’s what they’ll do. And you’re in a tricky position with them because you kind of have to trust them.
So with Linux you don’t have a corporation looking after you. You do have a community (like this one) to some degree, but there’s a limit to how much we can help you. We’re not there on your computer with you (thankfully, for your privacy’s sake), so to a large degree, you are kind of on your own.
But Linux actually works very well if you have a trusted friend/partner/child/sibling/whoever who can help you out now and then. If you’ve got someone to help you out with it, Linux can actually work very very well for tech illiterate people. The general experience of browsing around, editing documents, editing photos, etc., works very much the same way as it does on Windows or OS X. You will probably be able to do all that without help.
But you might not know which software is best for editing photos. Or you might need help with a specific task (like getting a printer set up) and having someone to fall back on will give you much better experience.
Probably the most important thing to ask before you do anything is, do you have someone who can fix the computer if you screw it up? Installing Linux means removing Windows, so if you get half way through and get stuck, you’re going to be left with a computer that doesn’t work. Will you be able to recover it, or have someone who can?
Once you’re on the desktop, most of what you do is going to be very similar to Windows, except most of the programs will have different names. I would imagine that the vast majority of people can use Linux once it’s installed, especially if they’re in your situation, where they’re not used to computers and don’t have any habits from Windows.
Create a linux mint install USB. When you boot from it, you’ll be in a fully functional linux OS, without installing anything. This way you can try it out before making a commitment.
Although a recurring recommendation is to install linux on a second PC to try it for a while.
It doesn’t have to be someone who knows Linux, you just need to be able to get back to a working computer. If it means going back to Windows until you know more, that’s fine, just keep learning :)
Are you sure about that? Most countries around the world have a Linux user group of some sort. Find out what your local group is called, get in touch and I’m sure you’ll be able to find someone who’ll be more than happy to help.
Ok i’m reading up on this sub and not arch seems to be the consensus for a newbie. I want to download smth and just have it there without thinking bout it the way it is with windows. Not a hobby that i spend hours on.
Apparently theres many versions of linux you can get?
Linux Mint is very easy with GUI’s for everything you need and the UI is pretty similar out of the box. Try it out on a live usb before making the switch.
Yeah, don’t use Arch if you’re new to Linux and not tech-literate. You seem pretty interested in Linux Mint from other comments here, I’d say give that a go.
i gotta join in with the other Linux Mint voices here. It’s very user friendly. You just need to know:
the desktop environment is called Cinnamon. this will help you google stuff.
the system package manager is called APT, and if you just use the update manager you won’t have to interact with it directly, but it’s good to know.
in the software center many apps have the options sytem package or flatpak. system package means it goes through APT, flatpak is a sandbox system that is good for isolating your apps from your system. imo always choose flatpak, except for steam.
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