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.
It can be a great experience. I used to work in a program for teaching informatics to people who didn’t have access to technology, and we used linux. The results were great. Most people who came from a phone-only background would feel more comfortable with gnome as a gui, so I’d recommend a gnome-based distro for you, like ubuntu, pop os or fedora. Don’t think too much about the distr, just pick one and give it a try. And don’t forget to post your experience here later.
But you don’t have to remove windows. You can install linux in another partition and have an option to choose which system you want to boot. If I remember well, the ubuntu installer has an option t do that automatically ( I will check for you later) . You can also install linux to an external usb media for testing and insert it every time you want to give it a try (usually, pressing f12 or other vendor-specific combination at boot time allows you to choose boot media)
I’d say so - since you’re coming in relatively cold you’re probably not so used to Windows that you’d get frustrated with how Linux works compared to it, and if you’re just using it for regular, everyday stuff like web browsing there’s practically no difference.
Yes just install something that never breaks, has a graphical appstore with the correct sources, and a good GUI.
I would say try Fedora Silverblue from Ublue.it. it updates automatically (at least it should), and all your apps can be installed from your software store.
If you’re not doing anything crazy, there’s no reason linux should be any harder to use than Windows.
Once you’re up and running, daily life will be pretty straightforward.
Plenty of great advice in the other posts that I won’t rehash. One thing I didn’t see mentioned is using a live boot to try out linux. You can basically run it off a USB stick before you install it to get a feel for what it’s like. Most “beginner friendly” distros will have tutorials on how to create the live disk. Example for Pop!_OS: support.system76.com/articles/live-disk/
Assuming your laptop has hardware that has Linux support—wifi cards manufactured by certain companies are what typically make things difficult—a just works distribution like Ubuntu, Mint, and Pop!_OS will have a gentle learning curve for doing things that you want.
Mint is almost purpose made for people new to Linux or for people who just want to use their computer. It also has a large and friendly community around it, so there is community support, if you get stuck or confused on something. My parents, who are no tech people, have been happily using Mint for a couple of years now, with far less headache compared to Windows.
As others have said, the installation of whatever distribution you chose will probably be the most intimidating aspect of switching to Linux. It doesn’t require being technically savy, just a willingness to learn and follow the procedures. It will be helpful to have your phone handy when you are doing the installation, so you can look things up incase there is something you don’t understand.
If there is anything on the laptop that is important to you, back it up. The simplest way to install Linux will make whatever on the drive inaccessible. Additionally, find and record your Windows product key, just incase you want tk go back to Windows.
Linux has come a long way and is very user friendly now that even non-techie people can hit the ground running when using it. Similar to what the other comment mentioned, installing it is like 80% of the hard part. Just pick a distro that is recommended for beginners (i.e. Mint), and read up on a guide for creating a bootable usb installer. Distros like Mint make it very easy to install, you just need to know how to boot it from a usb drive.
I’d say so, too. I’ve seen at least 3 tech illiterate people (who gave it a chance) be really happy with Linux. You will probably face some annoyance at some point, as it is with everything. But I think Linux is a good choice. Get help installing it if you know someone who can. It’s not that difficult but that would speed up the process. The most important thing is to save your data so you don’t accidentally overwrite it.
Your biggest tech challenge will likely be in installing linux. So take your time and work through a tutorial.
Linux is a fundamentally different OS from Windows. Some desktop environments resemble various Windows versions, while others are very different: they might be more Mac like, or more mobile like, or completely unfamiliar.
Installing programs is generally easier on linux because the default is to use the package manager (basically an app store) rather than downloading sketchy programs off websites that all want to update on their own schedule and all want to start when you boot the OS. Just search them, set updates to pop up weekly or whatever your preferred schedule is, and your package manager will do the rest.
Troubleshooting is harder for new users but easier for experienced users: it typically requires more work that can be daunting for casual users, but it lets you get much deeper into the OS to fix problems, where on Windows you might just be stuck waiting for a patch.
Compatibility is usually the biggest frustration, since many programs do not release a linux version, so you need to find alternatives or run them in a compatibility layer. Both of these solutions can sometimes cause problems getting the exact functionality you need, whereas if you’re using the natively supporting OS it may be smoother.
You shouşd definetly give mint a try it is one of the most just works distros. great for beginners, maybe test the software you want to use on the live environment before installing, if all goes well than give it a spin.
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