I think that is a very reasonable take on that topic. I like my Linux desktop because it doesn't try to sell my data all the time and doesn't force stuff on me. I feel that I'm in control of my desktop not the other way around. I also really love the package system which makes it really easy to keep the OS and all programs up to date. And then there are all those great and free programs. Some are very well integrated into the KDE desktop too, which I really enjoy. But as you said, not everything is perfect with Linux. In my experience Linux desktops are just buggy. I have never installed a Linux desktop without having to fix some bugs within the first 24 hours. Sometimes even the installer crashed, which is just pathetic. If you want to use Linux distros as a desktop, you need to learn how to fix stuff, because you will eventually run into problems. Besides the huge variety of distributions the bugs are the main reason why I wouldn't recommend Linux distros to users who don't have time to learn Linux.
'Linux desktops are just buggy.' - You're using KDE. Build your own from a Window manager and step out of their crappy software payloads and the way conspiracy theorists use Linux ('sell my data').
@@madthumbs1564 Man, don't you hate it when the best looking Desktop Environment is the slowest one. Gotta agree with you. Desktop Environments on Linux aren't the best on an old hdd. Window Managers are the way to go if you want the best performance, but the initial setup is a big pain to do. (Even then I'm not a big fan of the Win9X style start menus most of them have.) It's really a question of performance vs. convenience with a Linux desktop, there's no real in-between without getting your hands dirty.
That sounds odd to me. I have been running Linux for years, as in I moved from Red Hat to Fedora, when RHEL became the only Red Hat, and from Fedora to Ubuntu 6.06, when I got sick of trying to fix RPM Hell installs. Only thing that got me off the mainline Ubuntu was them changing to Unity 8 and then Gnome. I moved to Ubuntu Mate and Linux Mint, both Mate and Cinnamon. I have rarely had issues with my desktops, usually buggy sound drivers that end up needing a reboot. And Ubuntu Server editions have been rock solid stable for me, hardware failures have been the issue for my servers, be it old failing power supplies, bad capacitors on motherboards, or hardware that fails because of a lightning strike. Got important data or code? Back them up! I just have not had the problems that you and others describe.
@@javabeanz8549 pretty much same story for me except I found Ubuntu (also 6.06) to be really slow and bloated so switched to Debian with a minimal netinst install. Used that for 10+ years and then switched to arch just for newer packages. Never really had a big problem with desktop environment bugs, and I'm on KDE at the moment. Only problems I've ever really had were with package managers. Package fails to install/update and then gets stuck, can't easily complete install or roll back. Mostly when I was on Debian, although it might be better now, I don't know
Although I'd never have called myself a Windows power user, I did switch to linux a few years ago & I think it'd be fair to say that there was an initial dip in productivity. It's a matter of taking one step back to take two steps forward.
So True! The first month was rough... and i'd say it was about 6 months or so in that I really started to pull ahead on productivity compared to windows.
"It reignited my love for technology". Couldn't agree more! I switched to Linux two and a half years ago and your videos helped me to understand the basis of using Linux. I was a windows power user, tweaked this, modded that but in the mid -10s I was technology tired. I just needed my browser and I thought that we were living through the smartphone age. The desktop is dead. But then came Linux and I dual booted Ubuntu. And from that time on (and discovering problems with secure boot on my first try) it was quite the ride. Linux keeps on giving and I keep on learning. Now I'm home lab-ing setting up my own proxmox servers, switched to VIM three weeks ago and configured my first WM (qtile) one week ago. The rabbit hole is deep and that's great.
Similar story here I am also a windows power user same as you, modded this changed that broke those fix these Then in the last couple of months, my shenanigans began to drop like I only play games or watch yt/movies while slouching XD It's really boring without those problem solving moments I tried many linux distros and while it's fun to learn, I'm too afraid to dig deeper Maybe I should force myself daily driving linux someday
@@davidyusaku Most limitations with Linux are sitting in front of it. It can do everything you do already to day to day out of the box. You won't notice the switch much. Where it gets fun is when you start tinkering.
I’ve been trying Linux on and off for years. What held me back was the gaming aspect. I spent way more time installing and tweaking things than actually using them. It became frustrating when I tried to play a game with friends and I found a bug instead of the game starting. Started again 3 months ago and the advances in Proton + steam deck release have been a huge game changer. I haven’t come across a game I needed to boot into windows for yet and they aren’t breaking every single update since proton is getting first-class support now. Popular games are even starting to implement proton support for Anti-Cheat software. It’s an exciting time. I’m actually using the machine more than I am tweaking it now and I’m loving it.
I switched to linux mint about 2yrs ago and I haven't looked back hey. I wasn't a "windows power user" but I was able to fix most of my own problems, and you're right that any windows experience doesn't really matter, but I've still found mint and recently Pop OS easier to learn than windows or IOS. To me, as someone who is definitely no expert, it feels like linux has the ability to do exactly what I want if I put the effort in to work out how to do it, and everything is structured in a very logical way. Windows feels like they did that 30yrs ago and have been slapping bandaids and dodgy fixes on to it ever since, so when you want to do something you have to pick through such and extreme amount of rubbish it just becomes a waste of time. And the security dramas within Windows and Android, combined with the fact that a piece of 4x2 can run Linux, it was kind've a no brainer
Mint is a great distro. Even a lot of technical users prefer it; meddling can get tiresome lol. Things just work, and it's quite stable. :D I'd have to agree on the privacy part. Lot of things implemented in Windows has become very intrusive- like Edge. Microsoft tries their damnest to force it down your throat for ad revenue. This has even become intrinsic throughout their OS - for example searching through start.. It's awful, and takes away the intrusive free control.
Chris I have been using Linux as my primary operating system now for about 8 months. Your TH-cam videos have helped me immensely, once I came to point where I quit comparing it to Windows and started to educate myself on Linux and all it had offer I was sold I don't see me chasing Windows anymore. However, like you I had a lot invested in Windows software some that I like so over in the corner is a dedicated Windows computer that I use but lately mostly for games. I have been somewhat successful in bringing some over to Linux but I have discovered there Linux systems offer up a lot of gaming options too.
Yes!!!! Love your explanation and can relate 100%! It's so sad for me when you meet a Win,Mac,Linux fanboy that can not relate for the pros n cons. So thank you for putting My feelings into Words like this. Cheers //Crazy
Keeping things in the home folder is an advice I will take to heart. I've been daily driving Linux for a good couple of years now and I've broken more installations than I care to count (it's how I learn, don't judge!)... 😂
Same here lol! I also make the home folder a separate partition so that if Linux craps itself badly I can just format the root partition, recreate the fstab, redo the grub config, re-install all my packages, and get back on track in no time.
@@thepuzzlemaster64 I did start to keep home on a separate disk early on too... But I will admit that there's something cathartic about just wiping the system and starting over. 😂
This is what I love about this channel: it is not about being a fanboi of Linux, Windows or Mac. It is about learning all tools (including OSes) then choosing the ones that are right for you.
Switched to Lunix about the same time, 3-years ago. Absolute blast learning Linux, driving all three main flavors, Arch, Deb & Fedora. Still driving all three today and not looking back. Still have a Windows stream box for hardware, e.g., scanners/software that won't run without Windows. Working for a corporation, can't sever Windows completely. Good vid Chris.
Is the scanner on the network? If that's the case, it might just work out of the box. Have you ever tried Skanlite/Skanpage? My Epson-Scanner has a completely broken, unusable UI on Windows 11 on the other hand.
One of the reasons why I love your channel so much is because you promote a very pragmatic, "use the right tool for the job" philosophy instead of a more ideological philosophy that tends to be relatively common with Linux youtubers. It's really fun to see you make the best use of whatever tech you have, whether it be windows, macos, linux or even chromeos!
That part of you that would use something like final cut while being a big time linux user is what really made you look apart from other linux enthusiasts and what I really admire about u. Keep going like that Chris. Good luck
I started using redhat6.1 back in 1999 since 2006 on my daily computer but couldn't get my midi keyboard to work with the music editing programs that Linux has available and got a bit tired of it so I got a Mac mini and the midi keyboard worked the first time I plugged it in and so did my video camera in final cut pro I was impressed how easy it was to use compared to both windows and Linux this was back in 2011 and my mac has been dead for a long time now because of a failed graphics chip so I'm back in Linux and a lot of things are far better then it was ten years ago. Both my laptops, a used i5 based Dell latitude with 4gb ram and a i5 based Lenevo with 8 gb ram and a ssd as well as my intel nuc runs perfect with ubuntu Mate all three of them have intel based graphic cards and even the built in cameras works on the laptop and so does my hp printer my phone and digital video camera as well I have always done my research when it comes to hardware like printers and such and it has become easier over time to find compatible stuff, some printer manufacturers includes Linux drivers in the box on a cd or includes linux in a os compatibility list on their website The only major hardware issue I have had with Linux under my 22+ years running it was when I bought an AMD based MSI motherboard with a built in networks card (or was it a sound card?) that got the computer to hang during installation. The issue was fixed by turning it of in the bios settings I haven't tried Linux on a brand new computer though because I don't have any use for a new computer right now and it may be a gamble since some of the manufacturers have things built in to prevent Linux from being installed like secure boot.
I have been using Linux on my computers since 2004. I used Windows occationally, maybe once two months, with other computers installed, and most of the time at work. I learnt a lot daily and it gave me an understanding and confidence in technology as a whole.
I started using it as my main system back in 2008. It’s a heck of a lot of tinkering and time spent in forums with other tinkerers. The main problem I had with Linux over time is printing and graphics. I agree with you that AMD supports Linux best for GPUs.
Yeah, basic printing works very well if you use certain brands of printers (mainly HP), but if you want a full-featured printer driver for publishing, not so much…
@@thesullivanstreetproject Yeah that was the issue in the end. I could print, but then there always came time to scan something. That was extremely hard to hack in. I eventually got something to work, but this was years ago. I actually print off of my IMac now. Even print drivers for Mac aren’t quite as good either.
@@buckeyered80 I was pleasantly surprised with my HP all-in-one printer, even scanning was a simple issue of installing 'saned' and then you were good to go.
The switch to Linux and a tiling window manager happened so naturally for me. It's like drinking coke your whole life and then trying water for the first time. Things just make sense there and aren't hidden away behind think walls of abstractions. It's just so clear and nice (unless it isn't and you run into issues).
Hey Chris! I agree with your points on this video, it's very similar to my experience, you put it to words very accurately. At the same time, I think you should consider making more content about optimizing and simplifying gaming on Linux, it's getting a lot of interest now due to "windows 11" combined with steam deck success, so there's definitely more people that are considering Linux over Windows, hopefully more so as things progress further. It would be a good bet to reach more people. Take care and keep it up.
Many years back I was working for a company that produced magazines, and the some of the articles were submitted by stringers. The system they used was a Unix system. The fun part was it was considered secondary, and when they switched to a new system for the rest of the company they left the Unix system in tack sitting in a corner for the stringers, but the fired all the operators who worked on the old system, including the one Unix operator. Now they had a problem. There was no one who wanted to work on the Unix system. I was trying to break into the computer field so I told them I would be willing to take it over. So they sent me to school and ever since than I had a love for Unix and linux. I was a straight electronics technician and this was before the days of even 8 bit computer that ran on CP/M and HDOS. Anyway what I learned at one job, I went on to work a Comuncations Technican, and a lot of the conputers that drove the Muxes and other equipment was using Unix and Linux type systems to hold the software to run them. So Linux an Unix kind of gave me a career, plus the U.S. Army helping get practical experience, letting me work on Crypto equipment.
I think your take on this subject is pretty spot on. I had played with linux in the late 90's and early 2k and did all the big distro hopping. I ran business for a time and that was one of those proprietary software moments where my only choice would have been to design my own linux software. Fast forward and I am on a solid Debian platform and couldn't be happier. Thanks for the well reasoned update, I agree with your views on the matter 👍🏼
honestly, windows is getting worse and worse. i think your decision was and still is a good one as windows becomes a bloated, horrible, privacy-less mess. i'll be doing the same soon.
UPDATE: i'm installing linux mint on my computer right now! it already feels smoother and more responsive and i'm only using a flash drive! can't wait for it to be on my hard drive
I got into Linux 3 years ago. I found I had a lot of time spent online due to the pandemic, so spending even more time to learn more and more about Linux seemed a natural enough thing to do (although it was far more time than I had planned or hoped). It was only last month that I completely jettisoned Windows and its apps. A lot of my reluctance was just finding and installing comparable apps on Linux. It often seemed like the app existed, but finding a version that actually works on my installed distros turned out to be rather difficult sometimes.
I'm very glad for your success, well deserved. I was here 3 years ago when you started this journey, and from day 1 your videos were amazing. Keep up the good work!
I'm with you for using the right tool for the job. My Linux journey started about 30 years ago, running SLS (Softlanding Linux System), and quickly moved to Slackware, with a big stack of 3.5" floppy disks and half of the computer lab downloading disk images. (A great time to be in college.) (Anyone else remember working on setting up their monitor timings to get X working? Today's VESA standards are wonderful.) Then, Debian became the new hot thing, and I switched, and stayed there a LONG time. I got my feet wet in the Arch ecosystem about 5 years ago with Antergos. I ran that a couple of months, had a few issues, and switched back to Debian. Then I discovered Manjaro. I had the time to spend getting "under the hood" and learning how Arch works. While my daily driver is straight up Arch, all of my Raspberry Pi systems are running Manjaro, and I recommend Manjaro for those looking to try Linux. The AUR (Arch User Repository) and Arch Wiki are 100% applicable, and are fantastic. I still have a dedicated Windows computer (my gaming laptop), and a Windows VM on my Unraid server for those utilities that are only available on Windows. I'm considering importing my rarely used Mac Mini drive into a VM on my main machine; I may do a bit more with MacOS that way.
Thanks for video! I've been going back and forth with the idea of trying Linux as a daily driver. I have a dual boot Fedora and Windows, I'm taking classes for web development. After watching some of Linus Tech Tips Linux challenge been wanting to try it myself. I enjoy using Fedora I moved over there from Manjaro after a few issues I've had with bugs.
It’s a very fair assessment, and a great video. In my experience, though, on your point about Linux not being stable for new users, I would say that point applies to both new Windows and Linux users, for the same reason of installing new random things and of the habit of clicking every link possible on the Web. 😃
I recently installed 10 as a test (still a windows 7 user) and I would say 10 is hard to break. It blocks your every move and forces you to install tweakers to modify anything below the surface. So 10 is pretty stable for new users, but a bitch for old users who want to change anything more than the desktop background.
First off, thanks for all your videos. I would like to comment that getting and installing Linux does not have to be complicated. I have a 15" Dell Inspiron laptop that I have set up as a dual boot, Windows 10 and Linux Mint. I got mad at Windows 10 being so busy doing it's own thing and not allowing me to do what I wanted to do, I tried Linux Mint. First I tried out Linux Mint from a live boot on a USB Flash Drive. It worked so well, I installed it on a old laptop, then installed it as a dual boot on my Dell i7 2-core laptop. I use Linux Mint 99% of the time, it is simple and it works and it works fast. Linux Mint found our FIOS internet and was able to log in right away (with password). Linux Mint also found our HP Officejet Pro 8610 printer and was able to print and scan. LINUX MINT HAS INSTRUCTIONS THAT WILL GUIDE YOU: I am a 72 year old retired auto mechanic not a computer tech. With instructions from Linux Mint, I made a live bootable USB Flash drive, tried it out with great results, then installed it on an old laptop computer. A few month later I installed it on my i7 Dell Inspiron 15 laptop as a dual boot from the USB flash drive. This was all done without using the command line! THE COMMAND LINE: I have watched countless videos on the use of the command line and how easy it is to use for people like Chris and Jay the Linux Guy but it is not always easy for me. It is not as intuitive as GUI. I have used Linux Mint's "Software Manager" (GUI) to search for and review information about programs that I wanted to add. Then the "Software Manager" provided for installing and after the install Linux Mint's "Update Manager" keeps the app up to date. I have installed all of my apps from the "Software Manager". EXAMPLE: sudo apt-get luckybackup Does not work but searching for "Lucky Backup" from the "Software Manager" does get results and allowed me to view a description of the program and provided a button to click on to install it. I have been using Linux Mint for a few years now and have installed Google Chromium, Bitwarden, and a few other apps and Linux Mint's "Update Manger" automatically keeps them up to date. You do not have to use the command line. In fact while watching Chris type in some commands, I said to myself "boy you really pulled that out of your ..." with amazement.
I got my Mom (at 74 years old) to use Linux Mint on her computer three years ago. She has not a problem! She just uses Firefox, games and FreeOffice mostly. The thing she missed (the best thing Microsoft ever made) was the Bing picture of the day, which I found a Linux program to do.... That's story worthy too!
I'm not familiar with bing picture of the day, but if there is a website with a static url with the image, maybe you could download it with a bash script
I have learned so much from Chris that I turned Linux into my "daily driver" - I still have to go back to windows for a few things, but for the most part I don't need to. No, Linux isn't just like running windows...and yea, I wanted Chris to show me how it could be. I understand now though and will keep watching his journey... and, well, Linux is more of a daily driver for me than I would have had without Chris. My parents (in their late 60's) both use Linux now on their main machines, and my dad begrudgingly uses windows on his laptop for a game he loves that simply doesn't work on Linux. This journey has been great - thanks Chris!
"Reignited my Love for Technology"-- Big time... I enjoyed the video. I switched to Linux maybe 3 years ago myself. Distro Hopped for a while... Settled on Manjaro ran it for 2 years as my main os... Started getting buggy... so I installed Arch... I personally didn't think it was worth the time of going through the Wiki and Dissecting that, but I learned a lot more than I imagined just installing it. I settled on MX Linux... which I think is a brilliant OS out of the box. Maybe a little too many tools, but the MX Tools that come with it are incredible. I onyl use windows for Music Production which I am trying to get away from on Windows, but Learning and transitioning to OpenSource Softwares. Productivity and work flow is exceptionally greater than I am on Windows. I even installed Debian on my old MBP just to get some more mileage out of it. Great video. Appreciate the content.
I used to run Arch for a while years ago, back then it was the go to distro if you wanted a rolling release, but now its much easier to just run Tumbleweed if you want a rolling release.
@@benjy288 Yea i hear Tumbleweed is pretty good too. I am actually trying out Fedora this weekend on a laptop to see if I run into any hiccups. I am too comfortable on Debian, I can always go back if I need to but I kind of want to see anything is "better" for me or not. Ive had my system running for most of the year i usually do a fresh install every 6 months. benefits of working off external drives all the time.
Hi Chris, Thnx for your videos. These are very valid & valuable comments. I am a windows-user [I started with DOS3.0 actually way back when...] when it comes to the most commonly used applications. Simply because the applications work well, I know what to expect and I can get the job done quickly. Uneventful is a good thing. Recently I started to use Linux; Not so much for day-to-day-stuff, but as a basis for services / servers that 'run in the background. Home Automation, Printserver, Filesharing, Mediaserver, Back-up-server; Stuff like that. I am learning new things in Linux. I find it difficult, confusing and a completely different perspective on computing. 'YT is my friend' means I get most things up and running fairly quickly. I find tweaking and fine tuning difficult because my basic knowledge is insufficient to do troubleshooting all that well yet. These servers / services are as stable as a rock, once I got them going. I still have lots and lots to learn, but as long as there are results at the end, I'm willing to put in the effort.
I've been on the journey for a long time now, at least 10 years and it's been a roller coaster ride to say the least. But there has been a lot of good things that have happened. I'm very fortunate to have hardware that just works with Linux. I use an Asus motherboard with an Amd processor, Creative sound card, Linksys Gig Network card and a Radeon video card. Everything works seamlessly in Arch Linux for the past 4 years. Occasionally I have some package issues but nothing too bad. I was a Windows user from 1993-2013 but no longer use it. Linux is my daily driver and it does everything I need it to do. I do video editing and audio editing. There is plenty of free software that works great. Also I code in several different languages, mostly Python and some Javascript and Rust. They all work. I'm really impressed with the power of Linux and the stability. I back up nightly with Borg and have never had a major crash, a few minor issues that were resolved in a few hours to a day but that's all. I guess I've been one of the luckier people with switching over to Linux. Also I'm using a tiling window manager, bspwm and sxhkd and I absolutely love it!
I really like the way you expres your self, and is very important to me. I was a hardware technician for windows based computers before Pentium1 existed at that time in Brazil I had no idea at allcabout software. Than I left the computer industry because of family situation and end up in US, now (54yo) after 5 years without and personal computer, just using android cell for all digital needs, I am checking the possibility to learn programming, starting very low on C+ language throughout TH-cam videos, a friend of mine give 3 his old and very low memory note book, I am planning to reinstall an windows 10 for free than add linux ubuntu to start learning C+. I Kinda seen my self in the future dancing between computers win/mac/lin to get my things done. You help a lot with this channel. God bless you 🙌🙏🙌
I change from windows to linux 2 years ago because I realized that all my programs are free and open source; blender, inkscape, krita, godot, drawpile, gimp, tahoma2d and now those programs work like they are in their zone XD And also because windows 10 was so broken in my machine, I always had a fear of what update is going to break even more
Hi Chris, I did give a Thumbs Up and your channel is one of my few favourites. I was and am still also a Windows power user. The only problem is which I find confusing is an irony. I personally use OpenSUSE with KDE. The problem is a lot of Windows users absolutely fell out with Microsoft about the Metro design with Windows 8 or 8.1. Things got better in Windows 10 when the start menu came back. This is exactly why I won't use Gnome. In Gnome you have to search or use scrolling horizontally and then vertically depending on where their desired app is. I don't understand why users complained about the change in Windows 8 or 8.1 and was fine when things got to their usual GUI going forward to Windows 10, yet love GNOME which is also similar, kind of like Metro. I wont use Debian or Fedora for that reason. OpenSUSE with KDE has always been my stable distro for approximately 26 years now. The other desktop would be Cinnamon. But people complaining of the Metro design about Windows 8 or 8.1 would get something similar using Gnome. That doesn't make sense. Please don't get me wrong. I am NOT backing Windows 8 or 8.1, absolutely not, because I hated it. It served its purpose for Windows Surface tablets and Windows mobile phones, nothing else in my honest opinion. I am just pointing out something that lots of people got pissed off because of the difference in the GUI layout in Windows and it seems hypocritical when people are fine with it in Linux with Gnome but moan so much when it is Windows with Metro. Windows Server 2012 also had the same problem. On a different note, the other reason I love OpenSUSE is YAST. I don't know of any Linux distro that can beat that. But this was my 2 cents of viewpoints. Your videos are always amazing!
Thanks for being honest. I really dislike the hype that some Linux users chant as if everything is perfect and it's easier for your normal market segment user.
Finally, a voice of reason: "Linux is not for everyone". I recently said that on reddit to answer a newbie's request for tips on switching to Linux, and I got shot down in flames big time, by other responders, apparently for committing the blasphemous act of saying that out loud. And another thing that might be worth mentioning here is that you have to be frustrated, angry and desperate enough from being let down by Windows or MacOS, to want to persevere with Linux, in order to be able to learn it properly so that you can get all you can out of it. But apparently that doesn't sit well with some Kool-Aid drinkers either. Go figure.
You sound like the kool-aid drinker tbh. Most people arent remotely interested in learning any OS "properly" or get anything more out of it than a web browser. A linux distro like fedora or popos is miles better than windows for that purpose. Gnome has much less of a learning curve than windows and its much less problem prone if on a good basis. When you say "Linux is not for everyone", youre seemingly thinking of what at the end of the day is a very small group, semi-advanced users who are used to windows specific quirks. They wont probably be able to have the exact same workflow in linux and arent desiring of putting in the effort to re-learn stuff
I agree. Not every user is the same. If you game a lot, use Windows. If you want ease of use for most thing, Mac. You want to tinker or customize or free stuff, go Linux
@@fgsaramago IMO it depends on what software you need to use (for any definition of "need"). For the average person doing the things the average person uses a computer for, Linux is more than reasonable and in many cases the better option. BUT: if you need to use Final Cut Pro, go with Mac. There are various proprietary software out there written for and only for use on Windows; if you need to use that, use Windows.
WOW! has it been 3 years already? I've been following since your Linux challenges. I enjoy your content through the years. Please keep it coming. Thanks!
You SOUND like a Windows power user who has realized the utilitarian benefits of linux and that's what makes this video so great. Having switched over to Windows for the time being to integrate with a new development team, I am AMAZED by how much clunkier the Windows desktop environment is. I really miss all my granular KDE customizations.
Thank you for such a reasonable take on all this. I look at it as neither Windows nor Linux is "better" than the other, they are just different, and Apple is EVIL. I'm a lifelong computer geek and love learning about and tinkering with Linux. But a complete computer noob's first experience with Linux is often a disaster. I was so glad that Nvidia open-sourced its drivers. When these get adapted to Linux it will be awesome.
2 and a half years ago I built a new PC (with an Nvidia gpu) and also took the decision to start trying linux. I almost immediately ran into trouble with my graphics card, and my drawing tablet(s), and pretty quickly figured out that if I wanted to get all my hardware to work out of the box I needed to pick my distros very carefully. I've managed to run linux daily for certain spans of time since then, a few months end-to-end maybe. But I always eventually either encounter some kind of fatal error that means I have to reinstall the whole OS, or else I find that I need to do something in Windows, so I switch over on another harddrive and then just kinda forget to switch back until several months have passed. I desperately *want* to fully switch to linux, especially now that Microsoft are doing what they're doing with Windows 11 & 12, but it's definately a struggle. I'm hoping that a combination of the popularity of the Steam Deck and improvements to proton will make it easier and easier to run windows apps in linux (not just games), so that when Windows 10 finally reaches the end of it's life support in a few years, I can confidently *fully* switch (without dual-booting) and never look back. Still, I'm glad I got my feet wet with linux in the meantime.
I have made the definitive switch in 2003. Since 2000, I was using two machines side-by-side, one with Slackware and another with win2k. So with a KVM (the switcher) I could go back and forth with the long term goal of transitioning to Linux without losing too much on productivity dip because of adopting a new tool. Back then, it was not as today... many missing drivers, QT and GTK each having their own clipboards, no real standards between distros and desktops like key mapping), not even automatic hardware detection at boot to insert the driver modules (that changed with the advent of Knoppix LiveCD). When in 2003 my upgrade from Win2K to XP ended up with a BSOD I could not recover from, that's when I switched. 19 years later, I'm still using Linux as my main driver, with Windows as a KVM (the kernel module) virtual machine just in case.
I'm with you on the pragmatic part of, get the OS that does what you need. am using Linux since 96, still got a windows partition though "something to do with a few games" but the need for me to reboot to windows is also getting less and less nowadays
Very well done and honest video! I'm a Linux sysadmin and network engineer since the '90's. I was there when Linux got out as Linus Torvalds personal project. I remember installing Slackware from floppy disks! At that time, i had a Sun Sparcstation 10 on my destkop and worked with DEC & IBM mini/mainframes. I used DOS/Windows and OS/2 since their inception. Very good memories! As you said, and it's very important, Linux is not Windows. And rightly so, we're not living in a black and white world. Distribution does matter for this: Fedora is the development branch of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (= RHEL which is ultra-stable) but lag-behind new features wise. Debian is about the same as RHEL for stability but is supported by community. Finally you have arch which is too supported by community but for real power users. I use Linux everywhere including my laptop, which i use everyday for my job. So i've chosen a laptop that is well supported by my Linux distribution. I use Ubuntu: I don't like it that much for many reason but at the end, Ubuntu takes sources from Debian, expand support from some things and add their own "spices" to the mix. Ubuntu is fully supported for 5 years for the LTS (Long Time Support) version. I'd like to use Fedora, all servers i manage are RHEL / CentOS / AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux (all RHEL based) but Fedora is a bit flaky at time and it's tougher to use some software on it. As for Debian, it's very stable but lack a bit on hardware and software support, like RHEL. I'm testing arch on my latest laptop, it's going well but we'll see. Linux is not perfect, indeed. But the bunch of tools, the way it works is simply amazing. From "everything is a file", the filesystem and tools (mdraid, LVM, choice of filesystems and schedulers, etc), the multiple choices of UI (i use both GNOME + QTile window manager as needed), all the network tools and features, scripting (Python, Bash, etc) and surely the package manager (so much better that Windows ultra-crappy and slow updates!), you're on something you can infinitely adjust to your need. Ah, and Linux is usually much lighter on hardware that Windows! I installed Linux on a bunch of older computers and it flies! On top of all that, i use WINE for a couple of tools like Winbox, a Windows tool to manage Mikrotik network routers and switches. I have KVM on my laptop and i use it for test and demos + i have a Windows VM (virtual machine) in case i need it (seldom use it). WINE can't run every Windows app but it's quite good for many things, specially for simple sofware and some games. My Linux journey have been tremendously productive and flexible, i simply LOVE IT! For grandpa, a good and well configured distribution can easily cut it. My father is doing web browsing, print and scan a few document and use LibreOffice. It has done the job very well for the last 5 years, no complaints: Much easier when somebody hasn't done too much Windows. I'm always able to connect to his machine wherever i am to support him (vi ssh, i'm able to do anything!). I configured automatic backups using Borg Backup which is safe and very efficient: set it and forget it!
Having worked with Linux since '92 (started with Slackware) it has been a fun ride for decades! I still have certain things that I have to use Windows for, and that's okay. I spend 99% of my time in Linux with that occasional time I have to use Windows to complete something for a client. I have enjoyed hearing you take on the state of Linux and couldn't agree more with your assessment.
Well Said, I started with PC DOS1. something and I still have three windows systems I use for my Business. I too Switched to Linux on my daily desktop in 2017 or 18 I forget. And your assessment is spot on, the desktop environment is by far more important than the distro. and stability is more a function of user than system.
Outstanding video. You're candor is unprecedented in this space. I'm agnostic in terms of using tools and programs. I simply want to use something that works well, and is generally intuitive for its intended purpose. Thank you for mentioning your experience with editing and use of GIMP versus Photoshop. Far too many people are fanboys about this stuff. I need a stable coding machine and ran into problems when I had to run my PHP code in a GUI server [XAMPP and MAMP] but I had all my Node JS stuff installed in my WSL2 Ubuntu setup. The two layers couldn't interact with each other. When I tried to install all the Node stuff natively in Windows, one of the installs got hung up and crashed my machine. I'm going with Linux as my programming environment because all the dependencies I need practically ship with the base install.
Spot On,Thank You Chris ,I'm a 48yo and been using Linux now seriously for 8months and I've learnt more about computers on that time using Linux than the previous years, what a wonderful learning experience!!
As a longtime Linux user, ithink you’re a great teacher. I’ve learned a lot about how to make user more effective and even more interesting for me. Thanks. This is one of the better OS discussions- - with no breathless fan content! Next time, I would list more specifics of the enjoyable, productive aspects of Linux.. I love your work and how much YOU seem to enjoy it.
The first thing I learned back in the '70s was, "pick the software you want to run, then pick the hardware that will run it". OS wasn't a thing at the time it was all DOS. So now that logically is included.
extremely well put, over the years I have raved on about it so much to friends that a fair few eventually want to try it, but it rarely goes well, mainly just a torrent of questions which google would help far better with than i can, and constant attempts at trying to download and install apps using google rather than the package manager after multiple explanations of how it all works, so when the android and eventual chromebook revolution happened it has helped a lot in converting muggles, my 85 year old granddad just got the out of updates eol warning from his first cbook, it's been by his side for 8 years and he instantly stopped switching his windows desktop on after buying it. the love of technology thing i think plays the biggest part in whether or not gnu is for you, and if you are frightened of breaking things or have any urge to give up on things then stick to windows and just triple your ram lol
Finally, an actual video of the many uses of various Operating Systems. I am an old-timer that lived in the PC vs. Mac, Windows vs. Mac OS flame wars of the 80s-90s. During my 62 years on Earth, I have collected numerous PCs (Personal Computers of different Operating Systems ), being my 1986 Amiga 1000, which I still use from time to time, as my first PC, and then I bought a Mac Se30 in 1989, which I still use when I am in the mood. I have a Windows PC that is only used to play games, old games. My main PC is a 2017 MackBook Pro which I use for my emails and writing when I am in my yard sipping rum and smoking cigars. When I do my final papers (I am finishing my master's degree ), I most likely use one of my Linux PCs, either on LibreWriter or LaTeX. Most of my time is spent on a Linux PC. Each OS has its pros and cons. There is no magical equation for deciding which OS to use; use the one that fits your needs. BTW, I rely on two Raspberry Pi to test out distros and DE 😂😂😂. After watching this video, I decided to subscribe, stay safe.
Most problems in Linux now have less to do with the functionality of the OS and more with companies that fail to provide support on it as a platform. If you mostly use OS agnostic software and hardware, then using it is fairly straight-forward.
Recently have switched over to Linux. Mistakes I have made a few hundred, but each time I learn something new. Thank you for all your videos that have taught me a lot about how to navigate through this new experience.
Very useful tips. I started with Gnome, but I feel you learn as you go. The main things I have seen is malware controls something in your system so if you notice a lot you will find it and get rid of. I would love for some antivirus companies to work with the programmers in finding a way to scan these files before they are installed. KDE Neon does a great job in skipping packages that have missing headers or not recognized functions. I also recommend you stick to OS only updates. Partners aren't necessarily friends, it takes commitment and show of integrity to trust.
One thing I love about linux is even though I broke it to the point beyond repeair by my current knowledge, I can easily re-install a clean installation. I did that several times. That’s how I learn. Each time I am getting better and better. As for someone like me, I would suggest backup some files such as work or school-work on cloud or external drive constantly so when the system break, we can just do a clean install which can sometimes be faster than fixing the broken one. Especially when you are fairly new to linux and don’t know much about it. You’ll learn like I do, but sometimes we just need a quickest way for it to work so you can do that school-work or some other work that is really close to deadline and finish it on time. When I used windows, if I break my system at midnight and have a homework due tomorrow at 8 AM, I will be in trouble because I would have to find someone else to fix my computer in a computer shop which usually open at 10:30 AM. At that time googling how to fix a window machine did not helpful at all. It usually started with turn it off and on again. If that did not work - fix these (though a bunch of useless setting configuration that if I did not google I would still try to fix it that way anyway). If it these two did not work - the advise would tell me to find tech support. I was so sick of that so I switch to linux. I started by dualboot it with window. Still do. I love my computer more after that. Linux gives me a better and more fun experience. I also agree that linux does have hardwares problems which is admittedly harder to fix.
It's a very long journey; one in which you must experience hard truths almost every day until you figure it out. It's one thing to boot up a distro for entertainment purposes- but to use it as an actual workstation is an entire different beast for some of us. The support for little things can be slim (for example: permission CAs) and spending way too much time trying to get it to work on distros we're comfortable with (Deb usually).. Then realize: "Oh, this works on Fedora, because of the bleeding edge aspect of it." What a awesome journey man, glad you made it through- can be a super bumpy ride sometimes & exhilarating the next.
I remember your linux videos... I've seen then back in 2019. I got angry to Windows back then and moved to Linux Mint and I was searching for some videos for newbies and found yours. Anyway, I moved back to Windows after three months because my hardware doesn't fully work with Linux (it got frozen completely often). But despite of that, I still kinda love Linux and today I use it on my all notebooks. :)
I absolutely agree and understand. I was a Windows user since Windows 3.1 and I am a draftsman, using AutoCAD so I had a strong bond with Windows. However, i never really loved Windows. Maybe that was the reason I became curious about Linux. I actually bought a disk with Red Hat Linux and I even installed it on the comuter, back in 2003... Right around that time I got several discs of Ubuntu... It was a strugle for a while but in 2006, when Linux Mint was born, I switched to Mint. Today I am using Mint 90% of the time and I am using Windows only to run my CAD sofware. Everything that I use Linux for is much faster and smoother to me than if it was done on Windows. I would just say, for those people who are interested in just surfing the Net and watching streams, Linux is the best, cheapest and fastest solution. Cheers.
Yup, it always come down to applications and for the common user and his determines their computer platform. Thank you for sharing you're honest feedback on Linux.
I definitely agree, there are many things I love about Linux mostly its simplicity, customisability and bash. but I will probably never daily drive it, since there is so many ruff edges(sure just like on windows), more importantly missing programs and the constant need for searching non proprietary counterparts for my equipment or needs sometimes with the need of me creating something I get out of the box on windows. yes you can mostly overcome my issues a different way, If you search hard enough you will probably find a solution that can be maybe even faster. I did try it multiple times for extended periods. but at the end I always ended up switching back to windows as a daily, but now I did create multiple Linux wms for specific use cases. Programming, Web testing, prototyping and networking is where Linux does absolutely shine.
Dual Booting is your friend. I know Linux doesn't have all my audio hardware connectivity and software. But it does have everything else. I can record audio in my DAW on Win10 without a problem and all that includes. I can game on WIn 10 with my old race games I like. I have LMDE 6 on a 2nd SSD and find myself using it more and more everyday for my daily driver. I need to learn what Kdenlive can do in place of Vegas Movie Studio on Windows. I need to learn more about the audio side of Linux as well. I knew all that coming into it. I don't like Microsoft's take on my desktop for the future and I've watched Linux grow over that last 15 years. I ready. Thanks for the video and your honest no fan boy resolve. I simply love that I control my Linux desktop not some corporation telling my what I need. I know what I need thankyou.
Sometimes the truth hurts. You have several good points. That being said, Linux Mint is on all four of my laptops. We in the Linux community need to be honest with ourselves, that Linux still needs work to be truly functional on the desktop.
I ran Debian and RedHat (pre-enterprise) in the late 90’s as my daily driver, split Stinkpad and a Dell, while doing software dev in dot coms, the same thing was said then.
I appreciate you making this video. I have been tossing around the idea about building a cheap (or buying a decent used) PC to install and learn Linux. This video gave me some starting point to jump off of, and tells of some pitfalls to watch out for. While I have been using PCs since 386 days, I originally had an Amiga 1000 and then an A2000 as well, before finally switching over to PCs. Since I had that 'nix experience from the AmigaDOS/CLI , I just don't have any fear over learning Linux. I know that I know NOTHING about using Linux (at all) and my past knowledge with my Amiga will only take me a few steps towards learning a new OS, I feel more assured by this video (and a few others I have watched so far) and feel NO FEAR!
Have you tried Shotcut as a video editor? I find it to be a really nice video editing program if you figure out the keyboard shortcuts. It has never crashed on me (yet). Has basically all the video editing tools for a basic youtube video. For linux, mac, windows. And it's open source. Great stuff! Fast program start-up times as well which I absolutely love about it. Feels lightweight and it has so many tools
Hi! I have used computers all my life... My first experience with Linux was installing one of the very early versions of Slackware Linux (from physical 3.5" floppy disks). I tested several distributions at the time (like most beginners do), liked a lot Mandrake at the time, but then came back to Slackware (now with a CDs to install it) and loved it. I learned to customize almost everything (I remember recompile the kernel to change the color of my terminal xD)... Then, for many years I couldn't use Linux at work, I didn't have a computer at home, so, I lost track. But recently (this year) I had the opportunity to start working on Linux again. I work for a multinational telecommunications company that doesn't want to spend much on hardware, so I got an i7 gen6 notebook with 8GB RAM and a mechanical disk, with a corporate windows 10 image that turn the computer unusable. So, I installed Arch because seemed like most "Slackware like" distro and I am loving it so far. I still have to configure a box client to sync my files... All solutions I see are WebDAV based and since box remove support in 2019, I don't know how stable would be nowadays. Do you have any tip to do that?? Thanks in advance...
Here's a couple more beginner tips: Install your home directory on a separate partition from your operating system. That way you can completely wipe and reinstall your distro / desktop environment and not lose anything you can't quickly reinstall with a package manager. (Keep your dot files in your home directory, and you won't even have to reconfigure most settings.) Next, never copy and paste commands blindly into the terminal. There aren't training wheels, you can nuke your computer with just a few characters. When you have to look things up, use it as an opportunity to learn what that command does and what all the flags mean. If you do this, you will learn more and more just as you go about your business. Lastly, and this isn't Linux-specific, but always follow the 3-2-1 backup rule. 3 copies of your data, 2 onsite, 1 offsite. That way if you break things, you aren't totally screwed.
I agree with the pragmatic approach to the Linux desktop. As a user of Linux of ~21 years (more if you count my first encounter with it) I kept a windows desktop as a dual boot for many years for anything I couldn't do in Linux. I have now been using Linux as my primary OS since about 2018 and only boot up my Windows VM once in a blue moon. Yes I had to sacrifice certain games but since I have young kids I don't generally get all that much time to game and I choose games these days based on their protondb rating and usually if I do get a chance to game it is typically single player only. As my PC hasn't had any upgrades to speak of for about 13 years, running windows 11 is basically out of the question but as everything goes more and more to web and cloud services and the Linux desktop continues to improve my reliance on windows grows less and less with every passing year
Honestly I didn't understand distro-hopping until recently one of the fresh Linux user told me that looking at different distros, and the way they pre-configure their DEs gives him better understanding on what can be changes and to what extends, which is pretty valid point. I know that I can configure any distro to my liking considering my ~25 years of experience, but for someone not aware of what CAN be done, distro-hopping might be a good starting point to get to know what works best for them specifically.
Switch to Linux about 1.5 years back and I have watched a bunch of Linux TH-cam channels. Thanks for "being the voice of reason". I so badly want to give up on Office and Adobe Creative Cloud but work cannot afford to take that dip. This is blasphemy in other Linux channels. I have always enjoyed your videos because you realize that while Linux is our main Os and we love it, in practice we cannot give up on all proprietary software (as much as we would like to).
I switched to penguin land ~4 years ago. And boy, the first month or so was rough indeed, even if I was using Kubuntu, a very noob-friendly distro. Eventually, I managed to learn to use LibreOffice, KAlgebra and Audacity for my work stuff, and Lutris/Steam (may Tux bless you, Gabe) for gaming. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that all of my games library worked, except for two really old games that I had already trouble running even in Windows. It wasn't easy, but (imo) it was well worth the initial headaches.
I think your approach to helping people convert to Linux is the best approach. You yourself use window and Mac, but prove, constantly and sincerely, to people that Linux can be a better choice for some of them. You don't stand there and bash those who use other OS's, which definitely reflect a bad picture of Linux and turn people away. "Hey, I'm like you, a windows and Mac user, but here is my experience with Linux and it could be a good OS for you. You can use any OS you want and I'm still your friend". This is how it should be done. Thank you, Chris.
'The voice of reason' - Absolutely. When it comes to evaluating a distro: 'first looks' don't cut it. Do a search for 'what's wrong with Manjaro' for instance. -You'll find major issues that could take months to years to discover. -Another good on CTT for not doing that 'first look' garbage. I embraced vim, tiling window management, and cli and it's why I'm hooked on an OS that doesn't do a lot of things I actually miss being able to do in Windows. -But when I boot Windows; it's just so cumbersome that I can't wait to get back.
Started off in my early graphics design career using MacOS back in '86 (Yes, 1986) Stuck with Apple/Macintosh for years, thru the PowerPC years, then the Clone years. I must have purchased at least 6-7 Macs in total. Used tons of 'em during my career. After purchasing a $2000+ G3 back in the early 2000's for my home office/sidework, was getting a little frustrated having to 'upgrade' the OS every year or so. Some upgrades were free, but others not (think around $100 a hit average). Then, few years later, i wasn't able to upgrade anymore. I'd have to purchase a new Mac (another investment of $$$$$) to run the newest OS!. I said screw it and started looking around while still using my good ole Mac to do production work, daily driver etc. But, little by little, started learning more about linux, purchased an old PC, installed Ubuntu and it changed my life. Found out there's alternatives to PhotoShop, Illustrator, etc and they were FREE! Sure, they weren't the same, but with a little practice they could do the same thing. Excel, Word? Well there's LibreOffice. PhotoShop? There's GIMP. Illustrator? There's a program called InkScape. At around 2014 or so, after using my Mac everyday as a daily driver, I went full Linux. Mac hardly even gets booted up anymore. I don't think i've booted it up in 3-4 years now. I've switched from Ubuntu to Linux Mint and couldn't be happier after using it for the last 7+ years now. Best thing is, it runs hella fast. I have a Windows partition on my main machine and its sluggish compared to Mint running on the same machine. I mean its freakin dreadful. I have it on there just in case I need to do a firmware update on some hardware or something that can only run on windows but damn. The difference is striking! I only had to pay around $150 to get a screaming machine, put Linux Mint (MATE) on there and boom! Wow! I can do graphic design, audio production and have used it for video editing, etc. Couldn't be happier. Will never turn back.
Honestly I agree with you. This was a great simple summary of what its like to use Linux as a daily driver for those coming from Windows and MacOS. I'm still dual-booting on my Desktop PC because some software doesn't work on Linux or the alternatives aren't good enough for my personal taste. With the arrival of Steam Proton I've even started gaming on Linux and it works amazingly well (if anti-cheat isn't an issue) I've even messed around with running Windows 10 as a VM using KVM and Hardware Pass-through. It actually works so good, I've considered using that instead of a native Windows install.
Operating systems are a tool, not a religion. You, Joe Collins, Luke Smith and the Switched to Linux guy kept me entertained during Covid lockdown. Please do some Linux break/fix how-to's. Like what to do if your DE won't start or resetting KDE back to default after flipping too many switches etc etc...
Im a hardcore linux fangirl and will always advocate for pushing it forward But we do need to be realistic and say that sometimes (in its current form) its not the best tool for the job and thats ok Theres no point ruining your workflow over idealism. But im still excited for linux to grow and become a suitable tool for more people
I've been false starting with Linux since SuSE 6.0 in the late nineties. Haven't had a personal computer in several years, decided to go all in with Linux as daily driver and no dual boot. Been having a very fun journey and getting everything setup and figuring things out. Currently running Garuda with the dr460nized KDE plasma desktop. Currently learning how samba works so I can login to some of the SQL servers for work.
I just wanna add to your list of 3, and say openSUSE! I 100% agree with you though on the main ones, but would just add them as well :) Mostly used in Europe, they're basically the RedHat of Europe! I gotta agree with you about using all the different OSs as a tool! It's what they are, use what works for you. I've used Windows since 98, Linux since Ubuntu 11.04, and macOS since 2 months ago (06/11/2022). I thoroughly enjoy my M1 MBA as I use it as a portable programming device, and since I'm mainly in the terminal or in a VM, it doesn't really matter which tool I use for the job. Now! That being said, I did run into an issue where currently RedHat based OSs on AARCH64 (ARM) assume the wrong Page_File size and won't run atm in a VM on ARM, so I just went to my Ryzen and continued the job there! You gotta use what works, and being OS / Hardware agnostic to me is so important.
I have been using Linux for 2 years in a row. I used it since my laptop were to slow for Windows. Now a days I sometimes install Linux of the same reason. The latest was LMDE 4 "Debbie" Cinnamon Edition for an Asus EEE PC with 2GB RAM. It's really clean, what Windows used to be. Of course not a lot of power but the user will have LibraOffice for free And also Gimp and VLC with some simple downloads.
I find what you said in this video solid and very agreeable. I use Mint as its where I am learning Linux at and I have it installed on 2 PCs (on my main rig on a secondary drive and as the OS of my older pc). Haven't made the full jump to daily drive a Linux Desktop OS as I have stuff that needs Windows (mostly due to school). If I didn't need to use Visual Studio I could daily drive Linux, though there's also me not being used to GIMP yet and PSD files being more common for working with projects so that needs Photoshop. Agree that distros are a mess and there's a lot of them that I don't even know or really want to spend energy to learn about what differences they have compared to other distros that use the same DEs and/or apps. I just landed on Mint after messing with a bunch of Ubuntu and Debian based ones over the past few years and found it to be decently polished, fast, and stable. Surprisingly I haven't broke a Linux distro by modifying the root directory and stuff that needs root permissions. (That may be due to having an idea that messing with the root directory and stuff that needs superuser permissions form my time messing with custom Android roms on my old phones from 2011 to 2018 and I've had major screwups where the phone wouldn't boot to anything but the kernel and recovery LOL.) I've broke Linux with Nvidia drivers though. Then there's Zorin OS that has never been stable for me 6 years ago or last year, the desktop itself has been very buggy and crashes on me and that's on Intel integrated graphics and not even on Nvidia. Learning about open source apps was a great step on figuring out what apps I can use to try them under Windows if possible the reverse of that also happened and led to me to adopting them into my Windows install after trying them under Linux and liking them. I might eventually swap Windows 10 and Linux which is my main OS on my PC but would probably still keep a Windows install for some programs, similarly to how I have a Windows 7 VM to use MS Visio 2016 and have it not interfere with Office 365 on Windows 10. I still have to figure out how to use my Epson Printer/Scanner combo unit on Linux as the jump of Linux MInt 21 to the Ubuntu 22.04 base broke the Epson ImageScan app + driver bundle for Linux that I use since the dependencies required don't exist on Ubuntu 22.04 repos. Anyway that's that thank you again for sharing the important parts of your Linux journey Chris.
Just a note on GIMP vs Photoshop... this is purely anecdotal, but I think it is pretty cool. I am not a graphic designer myself, but I work with a couple and even though they are actually Windows users, they prefer GIMP primarily because when they need something (for example, some effect or module, etc) they can develop it themselves (or hire a developer to do it)... basically, because GIMP is open source and extensible, you can literally do more with it than you can do with Photoshop. With Photoshop, you are stuck with whatever they offer (though, I admit, that is a lot), but with GIMP you can use whatever you are able to program it to do.
To be fair, if they believe they can develop (or hire a developer) a module/plugin for gimp in C, but that they can't develop (or hire a developer) to make that same module/plugin in html/css/JS for photoshop... Something is wrong in the argument. Especially considering the gap in skill needed between JS and C. Also with Photoshop you are stuck With whatever they offer plus whatever the available (paid or free) plugins are offered by the community and compagnies plus whatever plugins you can make in HTML/CSS/JS. On the other hand, with Gimp you are stuck with whatever they offer plus whatever free or paid plugin are offered by the community and compagnies plus whatever you can make yourself in C.
@@AndrewErwin73 the official docs show C not python, but even whatever the language the plugin can be written into, the point is that both programs have plugin API to extend them so the argument that they prefer gimp because they can extend it and not Photoshop is still very weak.
@@glidentity my folder full of plugins show python. GIMP would not have lasted as long as it has if it forced you to know C to write plugins for it. That would be ridiculous. And I have no idea what you mean about html and js for Photoshop. If that is what runs it, I'm not sure why anyone would pay. There is literally no sort of photo manipulation you could do in javascript.
@@AndrewErwin73 see that's the difference, I make simple online search before saying. Yes apparently gimp offer ways to write in python, but the plugin API documentation examples are all in C. As for Photoshop, well if you would have searched before, you would have found many plugins and also simply the official docs to create plugins and yes, the plugin/interface are on HTML/CSS/JS (so you would find your coworker argument weak), because it's the simplest, fastest more modular ways to create UI and extend an application for 90% of the compagnies out there. As for why people want to pay for it, well it depends on everyone points of view and need in feature, support and user experience. There are plenty (easily searchable) talks about the pros and cons of both of them depending on the use case and that is neither the point/argument of your comment or mine.
Hey Chris after spending my life in major market Radio, and afterwards 19 years in NASA’s IT department I feel you did a great job at communicating this. Windows is becoming worse and worse !! Looking forward I’m not sure what I’ll be doing except probably moving over to Linux. A friend of mine told me that “perhaps the closest thing to a Windows type environment,”. Would be Linux Mint ?? I guess ?? I don’t know the first about Linux and don’t pretend to, either. As always thanks for the great video 👍👍 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I would highly suggest that you use open source application alternatives to what you do day to day first beforehand. It is what I always suggest to people that have only used Windows as their main OS. Once you've done that - install a distro in a VM (don't expect to game in it) or onto a second system. That way if what one of my friends calls "intervention of passionate fingers" strike you will still have a main functional system.
I honestly think your approach is very pragmatic. I am a HEAVY linux user. maybe even a linux power user now, lol. For the past 7 years Linux mint has been my system. And I've not used windows for 5 of those years. It took me 2 years to switch over to linux fully. i also have a raspberry pi with kali. To say linux is for everyone, i think is VERY naive. I do think that linux is getting better, but that could also be a bias, since im so used to it, but who knows. honestly, its CRAZY to me to think that people would think a certain system is for everyone, or everything.
No thunbs down from me. You are correct, I am a newbie to Linux Mint, just 2 months now. Got tired of windows, win 11 is what really made me mad. Why create a OS that no one can use unless you buy NEW hardware or new system. But yea guy you hit the nail on the head! Good talk man. Keep up the good work.
I’ve always been a computer novice. But I started getting into computer programming last fall and then in the spring I took a class which forced me to work with vim and submit assignments with git on a Linux server. I had a windows laptop at the time so I tried dual booting Linux mint since it had a similar look to windows. There was no support for the screen resolution of my laptop and when I tried Ubuntu I ran into a horrible screen flickering issue. I was not equipped to deal with these issues-So I went back to windows. I now have a MacBook though, which is probably the perfect system for me. As a math student, I don’t have any system specific software requirements. I just want to quickly be able to make files of any type to write math simple programs to better understand concepts or to find counter examples for my research. On Mac I have all the tools I could need available right in the terminal. Vim for editing files, brew for installations, and any programming language or computer algebra system (pari/gp, gap, wolframscript) available at any time all from within the terminal. MacOS feels much more lightweight than windows for my use case since I don’t have to rely on ides or graphical interface to get things done, but also has none of the quirks that Linux does when it comes to bugs. If I were to use a computer as a server at some point, I would choose Linux any day though. I just think Mac does a great job with providing a good desktop experience.
I'm a new comer to Linux but have a fair bit of experience with computers from pre DOS to now. I noticed your display showing up time and wondered how to get it. Opened a terminal and entered "uptime" and there it is. Probably the first time I've guessed anything correctly since I started using Linux Mint XFCE. Linux strikes me as easier than Windoze and with better assistance available. 🤣 🖖 👌
I've also been a windows power user for years, and SharePoint Admin at work. the only thing that pushes me to do the partial switch to Linux anyway is that all programs for windows require a monthly payment and are no longer owned by you! At work it was necessary to work with Windows, Office, Adobe and these licenses were paid by the company. Now that I'm retired, these costs will be on my account, so I started to delve into open source! I like Libre Office, krita, Gimp, Blender, Inkscape, Scribus, Darktable and Resolve! I'm practicing Arch Linux, trying to keep it stable, but all the effort it takes is nothing compared to the cost of Windows and all the expensive programs!
I recently started learning to code and I've found dual booting Linux with Windows to be the best of both worlds. When I am learning I stick to Linux and Windows works as my entertainment OS.
I am a Mac "power user" with my music and video editing. I use Manjaro on my little PC laptop (simply because I don't like Windows), however the biggest problem I came across was installing plugins and extensions for various programs. I wanted to install some music and video editing software. When the main apps install nicely and easily, installing plugins and extensions is a true nightmare. This should be addressed by the developers. Users, especially artists like me, want to install those packages like on Mac or Windows. One kick and done.
You are so right, I like you because you speak the truth, I started to using windows back in 95-96 and hated it then, then in the following year I heard about Linux I bought 10 cd's of Suse and it was difficult installing and using but a learning experience, dual booted until 2001 and then now full time for the past 21 years with Linux and installed it on other peoples PC's and they are pleased with it.
I've been running Linux just before Fedora came out. I learned that I needed to install it on it's own hard drive so the Windows drive didn't get messed up. (a suggestion you could give to new Linux users so they don't create a problem with their Windows drive). A problem I had years ago was that there was no scanner driver for my HP all-in-one printer. So I had to run Windows to scan and to play games, specifically flight simulators. So Linux was a hobby back then but now, many, many years later Linux Mint is my daily driver. I like the way I can have workspaces in the bottom tray where I separate the different task I am running, like Firefox, email, etc. The one thing about Windows that I think is still true today is that I can't access my Linux drive(s) from Window but visa-versa. I could go on and on but Linux Mint is my favorite. I tried Ubuntu but I don't like the Gnome desktop. I guess I'm so used to Linux Mint that something else bothers me when I try to learn it. There is a lot to learn at this point in my life about Linux still. I'm currently getting into more detail about command line commands. Keep the videos coming, I always enjoy them.
Pretty fair evaluation. I love linux and for the average user that checks emails, browses the net and types up some documents, they'd likely have no issues with it. But it's not without its flaws in areas. There's no shame in dual booting. I use linux for whatever I can, but some tasks / games - VR in particular, I'm back in windows. Realising that the DE is separate (and changeable) to the distribution, man that took me too long, and too many installs to work out haha.
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I think that is a very reasonable take on that topic. I like my Linux desktop because it doesn't try to sell my data all the time and doesn't force stuff on me. I feel that I'm in control of my desktop not the other way around. I also really love the package system which makes it really easy to keep the OS and all programs up to date. And then there are all those great and free programs. Some are very well integrated into the KDE desktop too, which I really enjoy. But as you said, not everything is perfect with Linux. In my experience Linux desktops are just buggy. I have never installed a Linux desktop without having to fix some bugs within the first 24 hours. Sometimes even the installer crashed, which is just pathetic. If you want to use Linux distros as a desktop, you need to learn how to fix stuff, because you will eventually run into problems. Besides the huge variety of distributions the bugs are the main reason why I wouldn't recommend Linux distros to users who don't have time to learn Linux.
'Linux desktops are just buggy.' - You're using KDE. Build your own from a Window manager and step out of their crappy software payloads and the way conspiracy theorists use Linux ('sell my data').
@@madthumbs1564 Man, don't you hate it when the best looking Desktop Environment is the slowest one.
Gotta agree with you. Desktop Environments on Linux aren't the best on an old hdd. Window Managers are the way to go if you want the best performance, but the initial setup is a big pain to do. (Even then I'm not a big fan of the Win9X style start menus most of them have.)
It's really a question of performance vs. convenience with a Linux desktop, there's no real in-between without getting your hands dirty.
@@madthumbs1564 Ah yes, build your own because troubleshooting normal bugs wasn't enough of a pain in the ass.
That sounds odd to me. I have been running Linux for years, as in I moved from Red Hat to Fedora, when RHEL became the only Red Hat, and from Fedora to Ubuntu 6.06, when I got sick of trying to fix RPM Hell installs. Only thing that got me off the mainline Ubuntu was them changing to Unity 8 and then Gnome. I moved to Ubuntu Mate and Linux Mint, both Mate and Cinnamon. I have rarely had issues with my desktops, usually buggy sound drivers that end up needing a reboot. And Ubuntu Server editions have been rock solid stable for me, hardware failures have been the issue for my servers, be it old failing power supplies, bad capacitors on motherboards, or hardware that fails because of a lightning strike. Got important data or code? Back them up! I just have not had the problems that you and others describe.
@@javabeanz8549 pretty much same story for me except I found Ubuntu (also 6.06) to be really slow and bloated so switched to Debian with a minimal netinst install. Used that for 10+ years and then switched to arch just for newer packages.
Never really had a big problem with desktop environment bugs, and I'm on KDE at the moment.
Only problems I've ever really had were with package managers. Package fails to install/update and then gets stuck, can't easily complete install or roll back. Mostly when I was on Debian, although it might be better now, I don't know
Although I'd never have called myself a Windows power user, I did switch to linux a few years ago & I think it'd be fair to say that there was an initial dip in productivity. It's a matter of taking one step back to take two steps forward.
So True! The first month was rough... and i'd say it was about 6 months or so in that I really started to pull ahead on productivity compared to windows.
@@ChrisTitusTech Maybe you should do a video for Windows users who would want to switch to a more friendly user Linux distro like Zorin OS?
Still waiting for the two steps.
@@radieschen79 I like Zorin OS but am left puzzled how to make it useful.
@@peterbreis5407 What problems are you having?
"It reignited my love for technology". Couldn't agree more! I switched to Linux two and a half years ago and your videos helped me to understand the basis of using Linux. I was a windows power user, tweaked this, modded that but in the mid -10s I was technology tired. I just needed my browser and I thought that we were living through the smartphone age. The desktop is dead. But then came Linux and I dual booted Ubuntu. And from that time on (and discovering problems with secure boot on my first try) it was quite the ride. Linux keeps on giving and I keep on learning. Now I'm home lab-ing setting up my own proxmox servers, switched to VIM three weeks ago and configured my first WM (qtile) one week ago. The rabbit hole is deep and that's great.
Similar story here
I am also a windows power user same as you, modded this changed that broke those fix these
Then in the last couple of months, my shenanigans began to drop like I only play games or watch yt/movies while slouching XD
It's really boring without those problem solving moments
I tried many linux distros and while it's fun to learn, I'm too afraid to dig deeper
Maybe I should force myself daily driving linux someday
try a ventoy USB stick and setup a persistant file.. should give you a great shot at how it drives without any HDD installs😊
@@davidyusaku Most limitations with Linux are sitting in front of it. It can do everything you do already to day to day out of the box. You won't notice the switch much.
Where it gets fun is when you start tinkering.
I’ve been trying Linux on and off for years. What held me back was the gaming aspect. I spent way more time installing and tweaking things than actually using them. It became frustrating when I tried to play a game with friends and I found a bug instead of the game starting.
Started again 3 months ago and the advances in Proton + steam deck release have been a huge game changer. I haven’t come across a game I needed to boot into windows for yet and they aren’t breaking every single update since proton is getting first-class support now. Popular games are even starting to implement proton support for Anti-Cheat software. It’s an exciting time. I’m actually using the machine more than I am tweaking it now and I’m loving it.
Only one thing: kernel level anticheat games like mw2 or valorant will never work
I switched to linux mint about 2yrs ago and I haven't looked back hey. I wasn't a "windows power user" but I was able to fix most of my own problems, and you're right that any windows experience doesn't really matter, but I've still found mint and recently Pop OS easier to learn than windows or IOS.
To me, as someone who is definitely no expert, it feels like linux has the ability to do exactly what I want if I put the effort in to work out how to do it, and everything is structured in a very logical way. Windows feels like they did that 30yrs ago and have been slapping bandaids and dodgy fixes on to it ever since, so when you want to do something you have to pick through such and extreme amount of rubbish it just becomes a waste of time.
And the security dramas within Windows and Android, combined with the fact that a piece of 4x2 can run Linux, it was kind've a no brainer
Mint is a great distro. Even a lot of technical users prefer it; meddling can get tiresome lol. Things just work, and it's quite stable. :D
I'd have to agree on the privacy part. Lot of things implemented in Windows has become very intrusive- like Edge. Microsoft tries their damnest to force it down your throat for ad revenue. This has even become intrinsic throughout their OS - for example searching through start.. It's awful, and takes away the intrusive free control.
Chris I have been using Linux as my primary operating system now for about 8 months. Your TH-cam videos have helped me immensely, once I came to point where I quit comparing it to Windows and started to educate myself on Linux and all it had offer I was sold I don't see me chasing Windows anymore. However, like you I had a lot invested in Windows software some that I like so over in the corner is a dedicated Windows computer that I use but lately mostly for games. I have been somewhat successful in bringing some over to Linux but I have discovered there Linux systems offer up a lot of gaming options too.
Yes!!!!
Love your explanation and can relate 100%!
It's so sad for me when you meet a Win,Mac,Linux fanboy that can not relate for the pros n cons.
So thank you for putting My feelings into Words like this. Cheers //Crazy
Open mind > open source
Keeping things in the home folder is an advice I will take to heart. I've been daily driving Linux for a good couple of years now and I've broken more installations than I care to count (it's how I learn, don't judge!)... 😂
I did the same thing and keep coming back to Linux
I just wish software devs would stop just doing whatever they want with my home folder though, it gets SO messy
Same here lol! I also make the home folder a separate partition so that if Linux craps itself badly I can just format the root partition, recreate the fstab, redo the grub config, re-install all my packages, and get back on track in no time.
@@thepuzzlemaster64 I did start to keep home on a separate disk early on too... But I will admit that there's something cathartic about just wiping the system and starting over. 😂
Now imagine you accidentally run `rm *` but hit slash instead of dot, while being root.. now take that and imagine you had some external disks mounted
This is what I love about this channel: it is not about being a fanboi of Linux, Windows or Mac. It is about learning all tools (including OSes) then choosing the ones that are right for you.
yeah fanboying is dumb, i love and daily drive linux but i'm not blind to its shortcomings
Switched to Lunix about the same time, 3-years ago. Absolute blast learning Linux, driving all three main flavors, Arch, Deb & Fedora. Still driving all three today and not looking back. Still have a Windows stream box for hardware, e.g., scanners/software that won't run without Windows. Working for a corporation, can't sever Windows completely. Good vid Chris.
Is the scanner on the network? If that's the case, it might just work out of the box. Have you ever tried Skanlite/Skanpage?
My Epson-Scanner has a completely broken, unusable UI on Windows 11 on the other hand.
One of the reasons why I love your channel so much is because you promote a very pragmatic, "use the right tool for the job" philosophy instead of a more ideological philosophy that tends to be relatively common with Linux youtubers. It's really fun to see you make the best use of whatever tech you have, whether it be windows, macos, linux or even chromeos!
That part of you that would use something like final cut while being a big time linux user is what really made you look apart from other linux enthusiasts and what I really admire about u. Keep going like that Chris. Good luck
I started using redhat6.1 back in 1999 since 2006 on my daily computer but couldn't get my midi keyboard to work with the music editing programs that Linux has available and got a bit tired of it so I got a Mac mini and the midi keyboard worked the first time I plugged it in and so did my video camera in final cut pro
I was impressed how easy it was to use compared to both windows and Linux
this was back in 2011 and my mac has been dead for a long time now because of a failed graphics chip so I'm back in Linux and a lot of things are far better then it was ten years ago.
Both my laptops, a used i5 based Dell latitude with 4gb ram and a i5 based Lenevo with 8 gb ram and a ssd as well as my intel nuc runs perfect with ubuntu Mate all three of them have intel based graphic cards and even the built in cameras works on the laptop and so does my hp printer my phone and digital video camera as well
I have always done my research when it comes to hardware like printers and such and it has become easier over time to find compatible stuff, some printer manufacturers includes Linux drivers in the box on a cd or includes linux in a os compatibility list on their website
The only major hardware issue I have had with Linux under my 22+ years running it was when I bought an AMD based MSI motherboard with a built in networks card (or was it a sound card?) that got the computer to hang during installation. The issue was fixed by turning it of in the bios settings
I haven't tried Linux on a brand new computer though because I don't have any use for a new computer right now and it may be a gamble since some of the manufacturers have things built in to prevent Linux from being installed like secure boot.
I have been using Linux on my computers since 2004. I used Windows occationally, maybe once two months, with other computers installed, and most of the time at work. I learnt a lot daily and it gave me an understanding and confidence in technology as a whole.
I started using it as my main system back in 2008. It’s a heck of a lot of tinkering and time spent in forums with other tinkerers. The main problem I had with Linux over time is printing and graphics. I agree with you that AMD supports Linux best for GPUs.
I found out that HP printers work very well with linux, so if you want painless printer experience, then their products are easiest to use.
Yeah, basic printing works very well if you use certain brands of printers (mainly HP), but if you want a full-featured printer driver for publishing, not so much…
@@thesullivanstreetproject Yeah that was the issue in the end. I could print, but then there always came time to scan something. That was extremely hard to hack in. I eventually got something to work, but this was years ago. I actually print off of my IMac now. Even print drivers for Mac aren’t quite as good either.
@@buckeyered80 I was pleasantly surprised with my HP all-in-one printer, even scanning was a simple issue of installing 'saned' and then you were good to go.
@@wikingagresor That’s good to hear. Maybe I just didn’t have a good model. I think I did have an HP, but it was bottom of the line.
The switch to Linux and a tiling window manager happened so naturally for me.
It's like drinking coke your whole life and then trying water for the first time. Things just make sense there and aren't hidden away behind think walls of abstractions. It's just so clear and nice (unless it isn't and you run into issues).
Thank you, Chris. Yes, hardware does matter.
Hey Chris! I agree with your points on this video, it's very similar to my experience, you put it to words very accurately. At the same time, I think you should consider making more content about optimizing and simplifying gaming on Linux, it's getting a lot of interest now due to "windows 11" combined with steam deck success, so there's definitely more people that are considering Linux over Windows, hopefully more so as things progress further. It would be a good bet to reach more people. Take care and keep it up.
Many years back I was working for a company that produced magazines, and the some of the articles were submitted by stringers. The system they used was a Unix system. The fun part was it was considered secondary, and when they switched to a new system for the rest of the company they left the Unix system in tack sitting in a corner for the stringers, but the fired all the operators who worked on the old system, including the one Unix operator. Now they had a problem. There was no one who wanted to work on the Unix system. I was trying to break into the computer field so I told them I would be willing to take it over. So they sent me to school and ever since than I had a love for Unix and linux. I was a straight electronics technician and this was before the days of even 8 bit computer that ran on CP/M and HDOS. Anyway what I learned at one job, I went on to work a Comuncations Technican, and a lot of the conputers that drove the Muxes and other equipment was using Unix and Linux type systems to hold the software to run them. So Linux an Unix kind of gave me a career, plus the U.S. Army helping get practical experience, letting me work on Crypto equipment.
I think your take on this subject is pretty spot on. I had played with linux in the late 90's and early 2k and did all the big distro hopping. I ran business for a time and that was one of those proprietary software moments where my only choice would have been to design my own linux software. Fast forward and I am on a solid Debian platform and couldn't be happier. Thanks for the well reasoned update, I agree with your views on the matter 👍🏼
honestly, windows is getting worse and worse. i think your decision was and still is a good one as windows becomes a bloated, horrible, privacy-less mess. i'll be doing the same soon.
Windows 😂😂
There is a reason why it's called Windows. Snoopers gotta peer in some how.. You may use blinds, but they're still able to see a little bit behind it.
One of us!
It quite literally attaches your PC to a borg now lol it gets angry when it cant communicate with the mothership.
UPDATE: i'm installing linux mint on my computer right now! it already feels smoother and more responsive and i'm only using a flash drive! can't wait for it to be on my hard drive
I got into Linux 3 years ago. I found I had a lot of time spent online due to the pandemic, so spending even more time to learn more and more about Linux seemed a natural enough thing to do (although it was far more time than I had planned or hoped). It was only last month that I completely jettisoned Windows and its apps. A lot of my reluctance was just finding and installing comparable apps on Linux. It often seemed like the app existed, but finding a version that actually works on my installed distros turned out to be rather difficult sometimes.
I'm very glad for your success, well deserved. I was here 3 years ago when you started this journey, and from day 1 your videos were amazing. Keep up the good work!
I have always loved your approach because it's just so practical. I look toward to the next 3 years
I'm with you for using the right tool for the job. My Linux journey started about 30 years ago, running SLS (Softlanding Linux System), and quickly moved to Slackware, with a big stack of 3.5" floppy disks and half of the computer lab downloading disk images. (A great time to be in college.) (Anyone else remember working on setting up their monitor timings to get X working? Today's VESA standards are wonderful.) Then, Debian became the new hot thing, and I switched, and stayed there a LONG time.
I got my feet wet in the Arch ecosystem about 5 years ago with Antergos. I ran that a couple of months, had a few issues, and switched back to Debian. Then I discovered Manjaro. I had the time to spend getting "under the hood" and learning how Arch works. While my daily driver is straight up Arch, all of my Raspberry Pi systems are running Manjaro, and I recommend Manjaro for those looking to try Linux. The AUR (Arch User Repository) and Arch Wiki are 100% applicable, and are fantastic.
I still have a dedicated Windows computer (my gaming laptop), and a Windows VM on my Unraid server for those utilities that are only available on Windows. I'm considering importing my rarely used Mac Mini drive into a VM on my main machine; I may do a bit more with MacOS that way.
Thanks for video! I've been going back and forth with the idea of trying Linux as a daily driver. I have a dual boot Fedora and Windows, I'm taking classes for web development. After watching some of Linus Tech Tips Linux challenge been wanting to try it myself. I enjoy using Fedora I moved over there from Manjaro after a few issues I've had with bugs.
It’s a very fair assessment, and a great video.
In my experience, though, on your point about Linux not being stable for new users, I would say that point applies to both new Windows and Linux users, for the same reason of installing new random things and of the habit of clicking every link possible on the Web. 😃
I recently installed 10 as a test (still a windows 7 user) and I would say 10 is hard to break. It blocks your every move and forces you to install tweakers to modify anything below the surface. So 10 is pretty stable for new users, but a bitch for old users who want to change anything more than the desktop background.
First off, thanks for all your videos.
I would like to comment that getting and installing Linux does not have to be complicated.
I have a 15" Dell Inspiron laptop that I have set up as a dual boot, Windows 10 and Linux Mint. I got mad at Windows 10 being so busy doing it's own thing and not allowing me to do what I wanted to do, I tried Linux Mint. First I tried out Linux Mint from a live boot on a USB Flash Drive. It worked so well, I installed it on a old laptop, then installed it as a dual boot on my Dell i7 2-core laptop. I use Linux Mint 99% of the time, it is simple and it works and it works fast. Linux Mint found our FIOS internet and was able to log in right away (with password). Linux Mint also found our HP Officejet Pro 8610 printer and was able to print and scan.
LINUX MINT HAS INSTRUCTIONS THAT WILL GUIDE YOU:
I am a 72 year old retired auto mechanic not a computer tech. With instructions from Linux Mint, I made a live bootable USB Flash drive, tried it out with great results, then installed it on an old laptop computer. A few month later I installed it on my i7 Dell Inspiron 15 laptop as a dual boot from the USB flash drive. This was all done without using the command line!
THE COMMAND LINE:
I have watched countless videos on the use of the command line and how easy it is to use for people like Chris and Jay the Linux Guy but it is not always easy for me. It is not as intuitive as GUI. I have used Linux Mint's "Software Manager" (GUI) to search for and review information about programs that I wanted to add. Then the "Software Manager" provided for installing and after the install Linux Mint's "Update Manager" keeps the app up to date.
I have installed all of my apps from the "Software Manager".
EXAMPLE:
sudo apt-get luckybackup
Does not work but searching for "Lucky Backup" from the "Software Manager" does get results and allowed me to view a description of the program and provided a button to click on to install it.
I have been using Linux Mint for a few years now and have installed Google Chromium, Bitwarden, and a few other apps and Linux Mint's "Update Manger" automatically keeps them up to date. You do not have to use the command line.
In fact while watching Chris type in some commands, I said to myself "boy you really pulled that out of your ..." with amazement.
Love your videos. Watching your channel made me switch to Linux 2 years ago
I got my Mom (at 74 years old) to use Linux Mint on her computer three years ago. She has not a problem! She just uses Firefox, games and FreeOffice mostly. The thing she missed (the best thing Microsoft ever made) was the Bing picture of the day, which I found a Linux program to do.... That's story worthy too!
I'm not familiar with bing picture of the day, but if there is a website with a static url with the image, maybe you could download it with a bash script
@@goxore1037/videos Check out Variety program. It's in Ubuntu repo and probably in others too.
I have learned so much from Chris that I turned Linux into my "daily driver" - I still have to go back to windows for a few things, but for the most part I don't need to. No, Linux isn't just like running windows...and yea, I wanted Chris to show me how it could be. I understand now though and will keep watching his journey... and, well, Linux is more of a daily driver for me than I would have had without Chris. My parents (in their late 60's) both use Linux now on their main machines, and my dad begrudgingly uses windows on his laptop for a game he loves that simply doesn't work on Linux. This journey has been great - thanks Chris!
"Reignited my Love for Technology"-- Big time... I enjoyed the video. I switched to Linux maybe 3 years ago myself. Distro Hopped for a while... Settled on Manjaro ran it for 2 years as my main os... Started getting buggy... so I installed Arch... I personally didn't think it was worth the time of going through the Wiki and Dissecting that, but I learned a lot more than I imagined just installing it. I settled on MX Linux... which I think is a brilliant OS out of the box. Maybe a little too many tools, but the MX Tools that come with it are incredible. I onyl use windows for Music Production which I am trying to get away from on Windows, but Learning and transitioning to OpenSource Softwares. Productivity and work flow is exceptionally greater than I am on Windows. I even installed Debian on my old MBP just to get some more mileage out of it. Great video. Appreciate the content.
I used to run Arch for a while years ago, back then it was the go to distro if you wanted a rolling release, but now its much easier to just run Tumbleweed if you want a rolling release.
@@benjy288 Yea i hear Tumbleweed is pretty good too. I am actually trying out Fedora this weekend on a laptop to see if I run into any hiccups. I am too comfortable on Debian, I can always go back if I need to but I kind of want to see anything is "better" for me or not. Ive had my system running for most of the year i usually do a fresh install every 6 months. benefits of working off external drives all the time.
Hi Chris, Thnx for your videos. These are very valid & valuable comments. I am a windows-user [I started with DOS3.0 actually way back when...] when it comes to the most commonly used applications. Simply because the applications work well, I know what to expect and I can get the job done quickly. Uneventful is a good thing.
Recently I started to use Linux; Not so much for day-to-day-stuff, but as a basis for services / servers that 'run in the background.
Home Automation, Printserver, Filesharing, Mediaserver, Back-up-server; Stuff like that. I am learning new things in Linux. I find it difficult, confusing and a completely different perspective on computing. 'YT is my friend' means I get most things up and running fairly quickly. I find tweaking and fine tuning difficult because my basic knowledge is insufficient to do troubleshooting all that well yet. These servers / services are as stable as a rock, once I got them going.
I still have lots and lots to learn, but as long as there are results at the end, I'm willing to put in the effort.
I've been on the journey for a long time now, at least 10 years and it's been a roller coaster ride to say the least. But there has been a lot of good things that have happened. I'm very fortunate to have hardware that just works with Linux. I use an Asus motherboard with an Amd processor, Creative sound card, Linksys Gig Network card and a Radeon video card. Everything works seamlessly in Arch Linux for the past 4 years. Occasionally I have some package issues but nothing too bad. I was a Windows user from 1993-2013 but no longer use it. Linux is my daily driver and it does everything I need it to do. I do video editing and audio editing. There is plenty of free software that works great. Also I code in several different languages, mostly Python and some Javascript and Rust. They all work. I'm really impressed with the power of Linux and the stability. I back up nightly with Borg and have never had a major crash, a few minor issues that were resolved in a few hours to a day but that's all. I guess I've been one of the luckier people with switching over to Linux. Also I'm using a tiling window manager, bspwm and sxhkd and I absolutely love it!
I really like the way you expres your self, and is very important to me. I was a hardware technician for windows based computers before Pentium1 existed at that time in Brazil I had no idea at allcabout software. Than I left the computer industry because of family situation and end up in US, now (54yo) after 5 years without and personal computer, just using android cell for all digital needs, I am checking the possibility to learn programming, starting very low on C+ language throughout TH-cam videos, a friend of mine give 3 his old and very low memory note book, I am planning to reinstall an windows 10 for free than add linux ubuntu to start learning C+. I Kinda seen my self in the future dancing between computers win/mac/lin to get my things done.
You help a lot with this channel.
God bless you 🙌🙏🙌
You're right, I hear some Linux users say Linux just works, well that's not always the case. Hardware does matter.
I change from windows to linux 2 years ago because I realized that all my programs are free and open source; blender, inkscape, krita, godot, drawpile, gimp, tahoma2d and now those programs work like they are in their zone XD
And also because windows 10 was so broken in my machine, I always had a fear of what update is going to break even more
Hi Chris, I did give a Thumbs Up and your channel is one of my few favourites. I was and am still also a Windows power user. The only problem is which I find confusing is an irony. I personally use OpenSUSE with KDE. The problem is a lot of Windows users absolutely fell out with Microsoft about the Metro design with Windows 8 or 8.1. Things got better in Windows 10 when the start menu came back. This is exactly why I won't use Gnome. In Gnome you have to search or use scrolling horizontally and then vertically depending on where their desired app is. I don't understand why users complained about the change in Windows 8 or 8.1 and was fine when things got to their usual GUI going forward to Windows 10, yet love GNOME which is also similar, kind of like Metro. I wont use Debian or Fedora for that reason. OpenSUSE with KDE has always been my stable distro for approximately 26 years now. The other desktop would be Cinnamon. But people complaining of the Metro design about Windows 8 or 8.1 would get something similar using Gnome. That doesn't make sense. Please don't get me wrong. I am NOT backing Windows 8 or 8.1, absolutely not, because I hated it. It served its purpose for Windows Surface tablets and Windows mobile phones, nothing else in my honest opinion.
I am just pointing out something that lots of people got pissed off because of the difference in the GUI layout in Windows and it seems hypocritical when people are fine with it in Linux with Gnome but moan so much when it is Windows with Metro. Windows Server 2012 also had the same problem. On a different note, the other reason I love OpenSUSE is YAST. I don't know of any Linux distro that can beat that. But this was my 2 cents of viewpoints. Your videos are always amazing!
Thanks for being honest. I really dislike the hype that some Linux users chant as if everything is perfect and it's easier for your normal market segment user.
Finally, a voice of reason: "Linux is not for everyone". I recently said that on reddit to answer a newbie's request for tips on switching to Linux, and I got shot down in flames big time, by other responders, apparently for committing the blasphemous act of saying that out loud. And another thing that might be worth mentioning here is that you have to be frustrated, angry and desperate enough from being let down by Windows or MacOS, to want to persevere with Linux, in order to be able to learn it properly so that you can get all you can out of it. But apparently that doesn't sit well with some Kool-Aid drinkers either. Go figure.
You sound like the kool-aid drinker tbh. Most people arent remotely interested in learning any OS "properly" or get anything more out of it than a web browser. A linux distro like fedora or popos is miles better than windows for that purpose. Gnome has much less of a learning curve than windows and its much less problem prone if on a good basis.
When you say "Linux is not for everyone", youre seemingly thinking of what at the end of the day is a very small group, semi-advanced users who are used to windows specific quirks. They wont probably be able to have the exact same workflow in linux and arent desiring of putting in the effort to re-learn stuff
I agree.
Not every user is the same.
If you game a lot, use Windows.
If you want ease of use for most thing, Mac.
You want to tinker or customize or free stuff, go Linux
@@fgsaramago IMO it depends on what software you need to use (for any definition of "need"). For the average person doing the things the average person uses a computer for, Linux is more than reasonable and in many cases the better option. BUT: if you need to use Final Cut Pro, go with Mac. There are various proprietary software out there written for and only for use on Windows; if you need to use that, use Windows.
WOW! has it been 3 years already? I've been following since your Linux challenges. I enjoy your content through the years. Please keep it coming. Thanks!
You SOUND like a Windows power user who has realized the utilitarian benefits of linux and that's what makes this video so great. Having switched over to Windows for the time being to integrate with a new development team, I am AMAZED by how much clunkier the Windows desktop environment is. I really miss all my granular KDE customizations.
Thank you for such a reasonable take on all this. I look at it as neither Windows nor Linux is "better" than the other, they are just different, and Apple is EVIL. I'm a lifelong computer geek and love learning about and tinkering with Linux. But a complete computer noob's first experience with Linux is often a disaster. I was so glad that Nvidia open-sourced its drivers. When these get adapted to Linux it will be awesome.
I just overcame my fanboy hypetrain phase and honestly I am way more open minded towards MANY things now 🙏💪
2 and a half years ago I built a new PC (with an Nvidia gpu) and also took the decision to start trying linux. I almost immediately ran into trouble with my graphics card, and my drawing tablet(s), and pretty quickly figured out that if I wanted to get all my hardware to work out of the box I needed to pick my distros very carefully. I've managed to run linux daily for certain spans of time since then, a few months end-to-end maybe. But I always eventually either encounter some kind of fatal error that means I have to reinstall the whole OS, or else I find that I need to do something in Windows, so I switch over on another harddrive and then just kinda forget to switch back until several months have passed. I desperately *want* to fully switch to linux, especially now that Microsoft are doing what they're doing with Windows 11 & 12, but it's definately a struggle. I'm hoping that a combination of the popularity of the Steam Deck and improvements to proton will make it easier and easier to run windows apps in linux (not just games), so that when Windows 10 finally reaches the end of it's life support in a few years, I can confidently *fully* switch (without dual-booting) and never look back. Still, I'm glad I got my feet wet with linux in the meantime.
I have made the definitive switch in 2003. Since 2000, I was using two machines side-by-side, one with Slackware and another with win2k. So with a KVM (the switcher) I could go back and forth with the long term goal of transitioning to Linux without losing too much on productivity dip because of adopting a new tool. Back then, it was not as today... many missing drivers, QT and GTK each having their own clipboards, no real standards between distros and desktops like key mapping), not even automatic hardware detection at boot to insert the driver modules (that changed with the advent of Knoppix LiveCD). When in 2003 my upgrade from Win2K to XP ended up with a BSOD I could not recover from, that's when I switched. 19 years later, I'm still using Linux as my main driver, with Windows as a KVM (the kernel module) virtual machine just in case.
I'm with you on the pragmatic part of, get the OS that does what you need.
am using Linux since 96, still got a windows partition though "something to do with a few games"
but the need for me to reboot to windows is also getting less and less nowadays
Very well done and honest video! I'm a Linux sysadmin and network engineer since the '90's. I was there when Linux got out as Linus Torvalds personal project. I remember installing Slackware from floppy disks! At that time, i had a Sun Sparcstation 10 on my destkop and worked with DEC & IBM mini/mainframes. I used DOS/Windows and OS/2 since their inception. Very good memories!
As you said, and it's very important, Linux is not Windows. And rightly so, we're not living in a black and white world. Distribution does matter for this: Fedora is the development branch of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (= RHEL which is ultra-stable) but lag-behind new features wise. Debian is about the same as RHEL for stability but is supported by community. Finally you have arch which is too supported by community but for real power users.
I use Linux everywhere including my laptop, which i use everyday for my job. So i've chosen a laptop that is well supported by my Linux distribution. I use Ubuntu: I don't like it that much for many reason but at the end, Ubuntu takes sources from Debian, expand support from some things and add their own "spices" to the mix. Ubuntu is fully supported for 5 years for the LTS (Long Time Support) version. I'd like to use Fedora, all servers i manage are RHEL / CentOS / AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux (all RHEL based) but Fedora is a bit flaky at time and it's tougher to use some software on it. As for Debian, it's very stable but lack a bit on hardware and software support, like RHEL. I'm testing arch on my latest laptop, it's going well but we'll see.
Linux is not perfect, indeed. But the bunch of tools, the way it works is simply amazing. From "everything is a file", the filesystem and tools (mdraid, LVM, choice of filesystems and schedulers, etc), the multiple choices of UI (i use both GNOME + QTile window manager as needed), all the network tools and features, scripting (Python, Bash, etc) and surely the package manager (so much better that Windows ultra-crappy and slow updates!), you're on something you can infinitely adjust to your need. Ah, and Linux is usually much lighter on hardware that Windows! I installed Linux on a bunch of older computers and it flies!
On top of all that, i use WINE for a couple of tools like Winbox, a Windows tool to manage Mikrotik network routers and switches. I have KVM on my laptop and i use it for test and demos + i have a Windows VM (virtual machine) in case i need it (seldom use it). WINE can't run every Windows app but it's quite good for many things, specially for simple sofware and some games. My Linux journey have been tremendously productive and flexible, i simply LOVE IT!
For grandpa, a good and well configured distribution can easily cut it. My father is doing web browsing, print and scan a few document and use LibreOffice. It has done the job very well for the last 5 years, no complaints: Much easier when somebody hasn't done too much Windows. I'm always able to connect to his machine wherever i am to support him (vi ssh, i'm able to do anything!). I configured automatic backups using Borg Backup which is safe and very efficient: set it and forget it!
Having worked with Linux since '92 (started with Slackware) it has been a fun ride for decades! I still have certain things that I have to use Windows for, and that's okay. I spend 99% of my time in Linux with that occasional time I have to use Windows to complete something for a client. I have enjoyed hearing you take on the state of Linux and couldn't agree more with your assessment.
What "certain things" do you mean ?
Well Said, I started with PC DOS1. something and I still have three windows systems I use for my Business. I too Switched to Linux on my daily desktop in 2017 or 18 I forget. And your assessment is spot on, the desktop environment is by far more important than the distro. and stability is more a function of user than system.
Outstanding video. You're candor is unprecedented in this space. I'm agnostic in terms of using tools and programs. I simply want to use something that works well, and is generally intuitive for its intended purpose. Thank you for mentioning your experience with editing and use of GIMP versus Photoshop. Far too many people are fanboys about this stuff. I need a stable coding machine and ran into problems when I had to run my PHP code in a GUI server [XAMPP and MAMP] but I had all my Node JS stuff installed in my WSL2 Ubuntu setup. The two layers couldn't interact with each other. When I tried to install all the Node stuff natively in Windows, one of the installs got hung up and crashed my machine. I'm going with Linux as my programming environment because all the dependencies I need practically ship with the base install.
Spot On,Thank You Chris ,I'm a 48yo and been using Linux now seriously for 8months and I've learnt more about computers on that time using Linux than the previous years, what a wonderful learning experience!!
As a longtime Linux user, ithink you’re a great teacher. I’ve learned a lot about how to make user more effective and even more interesting for me. Thanks. This is one of the better OS discussions- - with no breathless fan content! Next time, I would list more specifics of the enjoyable, productive aspects of Linux..
I love your work and how much YOU seem to enjoy it.
The first thing I learned back in the '70s was, "pick the software you want to run, then pick the hardware that will run it". OS wasn't a thing at the time it was all DOS. So now that logically is included.
extremely well put, over the years I have raved on about it so much to friends that a fair few eventually want to try it, but it rarely goes well, mainly just a torrent of questions which google would help far better with than i can, and constant attempts at trying to download and install apps using google rather than the package manager after multiple explanations of how it all works, so when the android and eventual chromebook revolution happened it has helped a lot in converting muggles, my 85 year old granddad just got the out of updates eol warning from his first cbook, it's been by his side for 8 years and he instantly stopped switching his windows desktop on after buying it.
the love of technology thing i think plays the biggest part in whether or not gnu is for you, and if you are frightened of breaking things or have any urge to give up on things then stick to windows and just triple your ram lol
Finally, an actual video of the many uses of various Operating Systems. I am an old-timer that lived in the PC vs. Mac, Windows vs. Mac OS flame wars of the 80s-90s. During my 62 years on Earth, I have collected numerous PCs (Personal Computers of different Operating Systems ), being my 1986 Amiga 1000, which I still use from time to time, as my first PC, and then I bought a Mac Se30 in 1989, which I still use when I am in the mood. I have a Windows PC that is only used to play games, old games. My main PC is a 2017 MackBook Pro which I use for my emails and writing when I am in my yard sipping rum and smoking cigars. When I do my final papers (I am finishing my master's degree ), I most likely use one of my Linux PCs, either on LibreWriter or LaTeX. Most of my time is spent on a Linux PC. Each OS has its pros and cons. There is no magical equation for deciding which OS to use; use the one that fits your needs. BTW, I rely on two Raspberry Pi to test out distros and DE 😂😂😂. After watching this video, I decided to subscribe, stay safe.
And the best has to be the Amiga 1000
@@stefcep 🤫🤫🤫 don't say that; it might trigger a flame war 😂😂😂
I couldn't agree more! Really enjoyed! Thanks Chirs, You're amazing!!! 🙂🙂✌✌🥰🥰
Most problems in Linux now have less to do with the functionality of the OS and more with companies that fail to provide support on it as a platform. If you mostly use OS agnostic software and hardware, then using it is fairly straight-forward.
Recently have switched over to Linux. Mistakes I have made a few hundred, but each time I learn something new. Thank you for all your videos that have taught me a lot about how to navigate through this new experience.
Very useful tips. I started with Gnome, but I feel you learn as you go. The main things I have seen is malware controls something in your system so if you notice a lot you will find it and get rid of. I would love for some antivirus companies to work with the programmers in finding a way to scan these files before they are installed. KDE Neon does a great job in skipping packages that have missing headers or not recognized functions. I also recommend you stick to OS only updates. Partners aren't necessarily friends, it takes commitment and show of integrity to trust.
One thing I love about linux is even though I broke it to the point beyond repeair by my current knowledge, I can easily re-install a clean installation. I did that several times. That’s how I learn. Each time I am getting better and better. As for someone like me, I would suggest backup some files such as work or school-work on cloud or external drive constantly so when the system break, we can just do a clean install which can sometimes be faster than fixing the broken one. Especially when you are fairly new to linux and don’t know much about it. You’ll learn like I do, but sometimes we just need a quickest way for it to work so you can do that school-work or some other work that is really close to deadline and finish it on time.
When I used windows, if I break my system at midnight and have a homework due tomorrow at 8 AM, I will be in trouble because I would have to find someone else to fix my computer in a computer shop which usually open at 10:30 AM. At that time googling how to fix a window machine did not helpful at all. It usually started with turn it off and on again. If that did not work - fix these (though a bunch of useless setting configuration that if I did not google I would still try to fix it that way anyway). If it these two did not work - the advise would tell me to find tech support. I was so sick of that so I switch to linux. I started by dualboot it with window. Still do. I love my computer more after that. Linux gives me a better and more fun experience.
I also agree that linux does have hardwares problems which is admittedly harder to fix.
It's a very long journey; one in which you must experience hard truths almost every day until you figure it out. It's one thing to boot up a distro for entertainment purposes- but to use it as an actual workstation is an entire different beast for some of us. The support for little things can be slim (for example: permission CAs) and spending way too much time trying to get it to work on distros we're comfortable with (Deb usually).. Then realize: "Oh, this works on Fedora, because of the bleeding edge aspect of it." What a awesome journey man, glad you made it through- can be a super bumpy ride sometimes & exhilarating the next.
I remember your linux videos... I've seen then back in 2019. I got angry to Windows back then and moved to Linux Mint and I was searching for some videos for newbies and found yours. Anyway, I moved back to Windows after three months because my hardware doesn't fully work with Linux (it got frozen completely often). But despite of that, I still kinda love Linux and today I use it on my all notebooks. :)
I absolutely agree and understand. I was a Windows user since Windows 3.1 and I am a draftsman, using AutoCAD so I had a strong bond with Windows. However, i never really loved Windows. Maybe that was the reason I became curious about Linux. I actually bought a disk with Red Hat Linux and I even installed it on the comuter, back in 2003... Right around that time I got several discs of Ubuntu... It was a strugle for a while but in 2006, when Linux Mint was born, I switched to Mint. Today I am using Mint 90% of the time and I am using Windows only to run my CAD sofware. Everything that I use Linux for is much faster and smoother to me than if it was done on Windows. I would just say, for those people who are interested in just surfing the Net and watching streams, Linux is the best, cheapest and fastest solution. Cheers.
Yup, it always come down to applications and for the common user and his determines their computer platform. Thank you for sharing you're honest feedback on Linux.
I definitely agree, there are many things I love about Linux mostly its simplicity, customisability and bash. but I will probably never daily drive it, since there is so many ruff edges(sure just like on windows), more importantly missing programs and the constant need for searching non proprietary counterparts for my equipment or needs sometimes with the need of me creating something I get out of the box on windows. yes you can mostly overcome my issues a different way, If you search hard enough you will probably find a solution that can be maybe even faster. I did try it multiple times for extended periods. but at the end I always ended up switching back to windows as a daily, but now I did create multiple Linux wms for specific use cases. Programming, Web testing, prototyping and networking is where Linux does absolutely shine.
Dual Booting is your friend. I know Linux doesn't have all my audio hardware connectivity and software. But it does have everything else. I can record audio in my DAW on Win10 without a problem and all that includes. I can game on WIn 10 with my old race games I like. I have LMDE 6 on a 2nd SSD and find myself using it more and more everyday for my daily driver. I need to learn what Kdenlive can do in place of Vegas Movie Studio on Windows. I need to learn more about the audio side of Linux as well. I knew all that coming into it. I don't like Microsoft's take on my desktop for the future and I've watched Linux grow over that last 15 years. I ready. Thanks for the video and your honest no fan boy resolve. I simply love that I control my Linux desktop not some corporation telling my what I need. I know what I need thankyou.
Sometimes the truth hurts. You have several good points. That being said, Linux Mint is on all four of my laptops. We in the Linux community need to be honest with ourselves, that Linux still needs work to be truly functional on the desktop.
I ran Debian and RedHat (pre-enterprise) in the late 90’s as my daily driver, split Stinkpad and a Dell, while doing software dev in dot coms, the same thing was said then.
I appreciate you making this video. I have been tossing around the idea about building a cheap (or buying a decent used) PC to install and learn Linux. This video gave me some starting point to jump off of, and tells of some pitfalls to watch out for. While I have been using PCs since 386 days, I originally had an Amiga 1000 and then an A2000 as well, before finally switching over to PCs. Since I had that 'nix experience from the AmigaDOS/CLI , I just don't have any fear over learning Linux. I know that I know NOTHING about using Linux (at all) and my past knowledge with my Amiga will only take me a few steps towards learning a new OS, I feel more assured by this video (and a few others I have watched so far) and feel NO FEAR!
Have you tried Shotcut as a video editor? I find it to be a really nice video editing program if you figure out the keyboard shortcuts. It has never crashed on me (yet). Has basically all the video editing tools for a basic youtube video. For linux, mac, windows. And it's open source. Great stuff! Fast program start-up times as well which I absolutely love about it. Feels lightweight and it has so many tools
Hi! I have used computers all my life... My first experience with Linux was installing one of the very early versions of Slackware Linux (from physical 3.5" floppy disks). I tested several distributions at the time (like most beginners do), liked a lot Mandrake at the time, but then came back to Slackware (now with a CDs to install it) and loved it. I learned to customize almost everything (I remember recompile the kernel to change the color of my terminal xD)... Then, for many years I couldn't use Linux at work, I didn't have a computer at home, so, I lost track. But recently (this year) I had the opportunity to start working on Linux again. I work for a multinational telecommunications company that doesn't want to spend much on hardware, so I got an i7 gen6 notebook with 8GB RAM and a mechanical disk, with a corporate windows 10 image that turn the computer unusable. So, I installed Arch because seemed like most "Slackware like" distro and I am loving it so far. I still have to configure a box client to sync my files... All solutions I see are WebDAV based and since box remove support in 2019, I don't know how stable would be nowadays. Do you have any tip to do that?? Thanks in advance...
Here's a couple more beginner tips: Install your home directory on a separate partition from your operating system. That way you can completely wipe and reinstall your distro / desktop environment and not lose anything you can't quickly reinstall with a package manager. (Keep your dot files in your home directory, and you won't even have to reconfigure most settings.)
Next, never copy and paste commands blindly into the terminal. There aren't training wheels, you can nuke your computer with just a few characters. When you have to look things up, use it as an opportunity to learn what that command does and what all the flags mean. If you do this, you will learn more and more just as you go about your business.
Lastly, and this isn't Linux-specific, but always follow the 3-2-1 backup rule. 3 copies of your data, 2 onsite, 1 offsite. That way if you break things, you aren't totally screwed.
I agree with the pragmatic approach to the Linux desktop. As a user of Linux of ~21 years (more if you count my first encounter with it) I kept a windows desktop as a dual boot for many years for anything I couldn't do in Linux. I have now been using Linux as my primary OS since about 2018 and only boot up my Windows VM once in a blue moon. Yes I had to sacrifice certain games but since I have young kids I don't generally get all that much time to game and I choose games these days based on their protondb rating and usually if I do get a chance to game it is typically single player only. As my PC hasn't had any upgrades to speak of for about 13 years, running windows 11 is basically out of the question but as everything goes more and more to web and cloud services and the Linux desktop continues to improve my reliance on windows grows less and less with every passing year
Honestly I didn't understand distro-hopping until recently one of the fresh Linux user told me that looking at different distros, and the way they pre-configure their DEs gives him better understanding on what can be changes and to what extends, which is pretty valid point. I know that I can configure any distro to my liking considering my ~25 years of experience, but for someone not aware of what CAN be done, distro-hopping might be a good starting point to get to know what works best for them specifically.
Switch to Linux about 1.5 years back and I have watched a bunch of Linux TH-cam channels. Thanks for "being the voice of reason". I so badly want to give up on Office and Adobe Creative Cloud but work cannot afford to take that dip. This is blasphemy in other Linux channels. I have always enjoyed your videos because you realize that while Linux is our main Os and we love it, in practice we cannot give up on all proprietary software (as much as we would like to).
I switched to penguin land ~4 years ago. And boy, the first month or so was rough indeed, even if I was using Kubuntu, a very noob-friendly distro. Eventually, I managed to learn to use LibreOffice, KAlgebra and Audacity for my work stuff, and Lutris/Steam (may Tux bless you, Gabe) for gaming. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that all of my games library worked, except for two really old games that I had already trouble running even in Windows. It wasn't easy, but (imo) it was well worth the initial headaches.
I think your approach to helping people convert to Linux is the best approach. You yourself use window and Mac, but prove, constantly and sincerely, to people that Linux can be a better choice for some of them. You don't stand there and bash those who use other OS's, which definitely reflect a bad picture of Linux and turn people away. "Hey, I'm like you, a windows and Mac user, but here is my experience with Linux and it could be a good OS for you. You can use any OS you want and I'm still your friend". This is how it should be done. Thank you, Chris.
'The voice of reason' - Absolutely. When it comes to evaluating a distro: 'first looks' don't cut it. Do a search for 'what's wrong with Manjaro' for instance. -You'll find major issues that could take months to years to discover. -Another good on CTT for not doing that 'first look' garbage. I embraced vim, tiling window management, and cli and it's why I'm hooked on an OS that doesn't do a lot of things I actually miss being able to do in Windows. -But when I boot Windows; it's just so cumbersome that I can't wait to get back.
Started off in my early graphics design career using MacOS back in '86 (Yes, 1986) Stuck with Apple/Macintosh for years, thru the PowerPC years, then the Clone years. I must have purchased at least 6-7 Macs in total. Used tons of 'em during my career. After purchasing a $2000+ G3 back in the early 2000's for my home office/sidework, was getting a little frustrated having to 'upgrade' the OS every year or so. Some upgrades were free, but others not (think around $100 a hit average). Then, few years later, i wasn't able to upgrade anymore. I'd have to purchase a new Mac (another investment of $$$$$) to run the newest OS!. I said screw it and started looking around while still using my good ole Mac to do production work, daily driver etc. But, little by little, started learning more about linux, purchased an old PC, installed Ubuntu and it changed my life. Found out there's alternatives to PhotoShop, Illustrator, etc and they were FREE! Sure, they weren't the same, but with a little practice they could do the same thing. Excel, Word? Well there's LibreOffice. PhotoShop? There's GIMP. Illustrator? There's a program called InkScape. At around 2014 or so, after using my Mac everyday as a daily driver, I went full Linux. Mac hardly even gets booted up anymore. I don't think i've booted it up in 3-4 years now. I've switched from Ubuntu to Linux Mint and couldn't be happier after using it for the last 7+ years now.
Best thing is, it runs hella fast. I have a Windows partition on my main machine and its sluggish compared to Mint running on the same machine. I mean its freakin dreadful. I have it on there just in case I need to do a firmware update on some hardware or something that can only run on windows but damn. The difference is striking!
I only had to pay around $150 to get a screaming machine, put Linux Mint (MATE) on there and boom! Wow! I can do graphic design, audio production and have used it for video editing, etc.
Couldn't be happier. Will never turn back.
Honestly I agree with you. This was a great simple summary of what its like to use Linux as a daily driver for those coming from Windows and MacOS.
I'm still dual-booting on my Desktop PC because some software doesn't work on Linux or the alternatives aren't good enough for my personal taste.
With the arrival of Steam Proton I've even started gaming on Linux and it works amazingly well (if anti-cheat isn't an issue)
I've even messed around with running Windows 10 as a VM using KVM and Hardware Pass-through. It actually works so good, I've considered using that instead of a native Windows install.
Operating systems are a tool, not a religion. You, Joe Collins, Luke Smith and the Switched to Linux guy kept me entertained during Covid lockdown. Please do some Linux break/fix how-to's. Like what to do if your DE won't start or resetting KDE back to default after flipping too many switches etc etc...
Im a hardcore linux fangirl and will always advocate for pushing it forward
But we do need to be realistic and say that sometimes (in its current form) its not the best tool for the job and thats ok
Theres no point ruining your workflow over idealism. But im still excited for linux to grow and become a suitable tool for more people
Note to gamers. do not use Linux, stick with Windows or be prepared for a shit load of problems and crashes.
Good Video. And about the comments about you using other computers. Well you said it perfectly. "You use the the right tool to get the job done"
I've been false starting with Linux since SuSE 6.0 in the late nineties. Haven't had a personal computer in several years, decided to go all in with Linux as daily driver and no dual boot.
Been having a very fun journey and getting everything setup and figuring things out. Currently running Garuda with the dr460nized KDE plasma desktop.
Currently learning how samba works so I can login to some of the SQL servers for work.
I just wanna add to your list of 3, and say openSUSE! I 100% agree with you though on the main ones, but would just add them as well :) Mostly used in Europe, they're basically the RedHat of Europe!
I gotta agree with you about using all the different OSs as a tool! It's what they are, use what works for you. I've used Windows since 98, Linux since Ubuntu 11.04, and macOS since 2 months ago (06/11/2022). I thoroughly enjoy my M1 MBA as I use it as a portable programming device, and since I'm mainly in the terminal or in a VM, it doesn't really matter which tool I use for the job. Now! That being said, I did run into an issue where currently RedHat based OSs on AARCH64 (ARM) assume the wrong Page_File size and won't run atm in a VM on ARM, so I just went to my Ryzen and continued the job there! You gotta use what works, and being OS / Hardware agnostic to me is so important.
I have been using Linux for 2 years in a row. I used it since my laptop were to slow for Windows. Now a days I sometimes install Linux of the same reason. The latest was LMDE 4 "Debbie" Cinnamon Edition for an Asus EEE PC with 2GB RAM. It's really clean, what Windows used to be. Of course not a lot of power but the user will have LibraOffice for free And also Gimp and VLC with some simple downloads.
I find what you said in this video solid and very agreeable. I use Mint as its where I am learning Linux at and I have it installed on 2 PCs (on my main rig on a secondary drive and as the OS of my older pc).
Haven't made the full jump to daily drive a Linux Desktop OS as I have stuff that needs Windows (mostly due to school). If I didn't need to use Visual Studio I could daily drive Linux, though there's also me not being used to GIMP yet and PSD files being more common for working with projects so that needs Photoshop.
Agree that distros are a mess and there's a lot of them that I don't even know or really want to spend energy to learn about what differences they have compared to other distros that use the same DEs and/or apps. I just landed on Mint after messing with a bunch of Ubuntu and Debian based ones over the past few years and found it to be decently polished, fast, and stable.
Surprisingly I haven't broke a Linux distro by modifying the root directory and stuff that needs root permissions. (That may be due to having an idea that messing with the root directory and stuff that needs superuser permissions form my time messing with custom Android roms on my old phones from 2011 to 2018 and I've had major screwups where the phone wouldn't boot to anything but the kernel and recovery LOL.)
I've broke Linux with Nvidia drivers though. Then there's Zorin OS that has never been stable for me 6 years ago or last year, the desktop itself has been very buggy and crashes on me and that's on Intel integrated graphics and not even on Nvidia.
Learning about open source apps was a great step on figuring out what apps I can use to try them under Windows if possible the reverse of that also happened and led to me to adopting them into my Windows install after trying them under Linux and liking them.
I might eventually swap Windows 10 and Linux which is my main OS on my PC but would probably still keep a Windows install for some programs, similarly to how I have a Windows 7 VM to use MS Visio 2016 and have it not interfere with Office 365 on Windows 10. I still have to figure out how to use my Epson Printer/Scanner combo unit on Linux as the jump of Linux MInt 21 to the Ubuntu 22.04 base broke the Epson ImageScan app + driver bundle for Linux that I use since the dependencies required don't exist on Ubuntu 22.04 repos.
Anyway that's that thank you again for sharing the important parts of your Linux journey Chris.
Just a note on GIMP vs Photoshop... this is purely anecdotal, but I think it is pretty cool. I am not a graphic designer myself, but I work with a couple and even though they are actually Windows users, they prefer GIMP primarily because when they need something (for example, some effect or module, etc) they can develop it themselves (or hire a developer to do it)... basically, because GIMP is open source and extensible, you can literally do more with it than you can do with Photoshop. With Photoshop, you are stuck with whatever they offer (though, I admit, that is a lot), but with GIMP you can use whatever you are able to program it to do.
To be fair, if they believe they can develop (or hire a developer) a module/plugin for gimp in C, but that they can't develop (or hire a developer) to make that same module/plugin in html/css/JS for photoshop... Something is wrong in the argument. Especially considering the gap in skill needed between JS and C.
Also with Photoshop you are stuck With whatever they offer plus whatever the available (paid or free) plugins are offered by the community and compagnies plus whatever plugins you can make in HTML/CSS/JS.
On the other hand, with Gimp you are stuck with whatever they offer plus whatever free or paid plugin are offered by the community and compagnies plus whatever you can make yourself in C.
@@glidentity gimp plugins are primarily written in Python.
@@AndrewErwin73 the official docs show C not python, but even whatever the language the plugin can be written into, the point is that both programs have plugin API to extend them so the argument that they prefer gimp because they can extend it and not Photoshop is still very weak.
@@glidentity my folder full of plugins show python. GIMP would not have lasted as long as it has if it forced you to know C to write plugins for it. That would be ridiculous. And I have no idea what you mean about html and js for Photoshop. If that is what runs it, I'm not sure why anyone would pay. There is literally no sort of photo manipulation you could do in javascript.
@@AndrewErwin73 see that's the difference, I make simple online search before saying.
Yes apparently gimp offer ways to write in python, but the plugin API documentation examples are all in C.
As for Photoshop, well if you would have searched before, you would have found many plugins and also simply the official docs to create plugins and yes, the plugin/interface are on HTML/CSS/JS (so you would find your coworker argument weak), because it's the simplest, fastest more modular ways to create UI and extend an application for 90% of the compagnies out there. As for why people want to pay for it, well it depends on everyone points of view and need in feature, support and user experience. There are plenty (easily searchable) talks about the pros and cons of both of them depending on the use case and that is neither the point/argument of your comment or mine.
Hey Chris after spending my life in major market Radio, and afterwards 19 years in NASA’s IT department I feel you did a great job at communicating this. Windows is becoming worse and worse !!
Looking forward I’m not sure what I’ll be doing except probably moving over to Linux. A friend of mine told me that “perhaps the closest thing to a Windows type environment,”. Would be Linux Mint ?? I guess ??
I don’t know the first about Linux and don’t pretend to, either.
As always thanks for the great video 👍👍 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I would highly suggest that you use open source application alternatives to what you do day to day first beforehand. It is what I always suggest to people that have only used Windows as their main OS. Once you've done that - install a distro in a VM (don't expect to game in it) or onto a second system. That way if what one of my friends calls "intervention of passionate fingers" strike you will still have a main functional system.
@@Spanner_Man Sounds good !! We’ll try that .. I appreciate you taking the time to reach out. 👍 Keith
I honestly think your approach is very pragmatic.
I am a HEAVY linux user. maybe even a linux power user now, lol. For the past 7 years Linux mint has been my system. And I've not used windows for 5 of those years. It took me 2 years to switch over to linux fully.
i also have a raspberry pi with kali.
To say linux is for everyone, i think is VERY naive. I do think that linux is getting better, but that could also be a bias, since im so used to it, but who knows.
honestly, its CRAZY to me to think that people would think a certain system is for everyone, or everything.
No thunbs down from me. You are correct, I am a newbie to Linux Mint, just 2 months now. Got tired of windows, win 11 is what really made me mad. Why create a OS that no one can use unless you buy NEW hardware or new system. But yea guy you hit the nail on the head! Good talk man. Keep up the good work.
I’ve always been a computer novice. But I started getting into computer programming last fall and then in the spring I took a class which forced me to work with vim and submit assignments with git on a Linux server. I had a windows laptop at the time so I tried dual booting Linux mint since it had a similar look to windows. There was no support for the screen resolution of my laptop and when I tried Ubuntu I ran into a horrible screen flickering issue. I was not equipped to deal with these issues-So I went back to windows. I now have a MacBook though, which is probably the perfect system for me. As a math student, I don’t have any system specific software requirements. I just want to quickly be able to make files of any type to write math simple programs to better understand concepts or to find counter examples for my research. On Mac I have all the tools I could need available right in the terminal. Vim for editing files, brew for installations, and any programming language or computer algebra system (pari/gp, gap, wolframscript) available at any time all from within the terminal. MacOS feels much more lightweight than windows for my use case since I don’t have to rely on ides or graphical interface to get things done, but also has none of the quirks that Linux does when it comes to bugs. If I were to use a computer as a server at some point, I would choose Linux any day though. I just think Mac does a great job with providing a good desktop experience.
I'm a new comer to Linux but have a fair bit of experience with computers from pre DOS to now. I noticed your display showing up time and wondered how to get it. Opened a terminal and entered "uptime" and there it is. Probably the first time I've guessed anything correctly since I started using Linux Mint XFCE.
Linux strikes me as easier than Windoze and with better assistance available. 🤣 🖖 👌
I've also been a windows power user for years, and SharePoint Admin at work.
the only thing that pushes me to do the partial switch to Linux anyway is that all programs for windows require a monthly payment and are no longer owned by you!
At work it was necessary to work with Windows, Office, Adobe and these licenses were paid by the company.
Now that I'm retired, these costs will be on my account, so I started to delve into open source!
I like Libre Office, krita, Gimp, Blender, Inkscape, Scribus, Darktable and Resolve!
I'm practicing Arch Linux, trying to keep it stable, but all the effort it takes is nothing compared to the cost of Windows and all the expensive programs!
I've been with GNU/Linux for twelve years now. I'm running my Arch xfce lts build and am loving it. Won't be switching to anything else anytime soon.
I recently started learning to code and I've found dual booting Linux with Windows to be the best of both worlds. When I am learning I stick to Linux and Windows works as my entertainment OS.
I am a Mac "power user" with my music and video editing. I use Manjaro on my little PC laptop (simply because I don't like Windows), however the biggest problem I came across was installing plugins and extensions for various programs. I wanted to install some music and video editing software. When the main apps install nicely and easily, installing plugins and extensions is a true nightmare. This should be addressed by the developers. Users, especially artists like me, want to install those packages like on Mac or Windows. One kick and done.
You are so right, I like you because you speak the truth, I started to using windows back in 95-96 and hated it then, then in the following year I heard about Linux I bought 10 cd's of Suse and it was difficult installing and using but a learning experience, dual booted until 2001 and then now full time for the past 21 years with Linux and installed it on other peoples PC's and they are pleased with it.
I've been running Linux just before Fedora came out. I learned that I needed to install it on it's own hard drive so the Windows drive didn't get messed up. (a suggestion you could give to new Linux users so they don't create a problem with their Windows drive). A problem I had years ago was that there was no scanner driver for my HP all-in-one printer. So I had to run Windows to scan and to play games, specifically flight simulators. So Linux was a hobby back then but now, many, many years later Linux Mint is my daily driver. I like the way I can have workspaces in the bottom tray where I separate the different task I am running, like Firefox, email, etc. The one thing about Windows that I think is still true today is that I can't access my Linux drive(s) from Window but visa-versa. I could go on and on but Linux Mint is my favorite. I tried Ubuntu but I don't like the Gnome desktop. I guess I'm so used to Linux Mint that something else bothers me when I try to learn it. There is a lot to learn at this point in my life about Linux still. I'm currently getting into more detail about command line commands. Keep the videos coming, I always enjoy them.
Pretty fair evaluation. I love linux and for the average user that checks emails, browses the net and types up some documents, they'd likely have no issues with it.
But it's not without its flaws in areas. There's no shame in dual booting. I use linux for whatever I can, but some tasks / games - VR in particular, I'm back in windows.
Realising that the DE is separate (and changeable) to the distribution, man that took me too long, and too many installs to work out haha.