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Ditching Windows and Switching to Linux

This is the start of a blog series about my journey from being a dedicated Windows fan to a Linux user, specifically Pop!_OS. Here I'll be sharing the hurdles and complications I encountered and my solutions to those complications. I am now using Linux for my gaming machine and my work laptop. I hope that reading about my journey will help smoothen your journey into the world of Linux!

Introduction

Skill level required: Intermediate

Before you even consider Linux as a solution to your computing needs you need to ask yourself why. Why would you like to switch over to Linux?

Here are some excellent reasons to try Linux:

  • You want to learn something new
  • You enjoy tinkering
  • You cannot afford a new computer and your current machine is getting slower every day.
  • Your computer is getting quite old and your current Windows installation is no longer supported
  • You don't like the new built-in telemetry ads in Windows
  • You cannot upgrade to Windows 11

Reasons not to switch to Linux:

  • You are not technical (Installing and setting up Linux is not for computer novices). Also, you WILL encounter issues that will require googling and figuring out.
  • You have specific software that you HAVE to use and this software isn't available for Linux. e.g. Photoshop, Microsoft Office, Adobe Premiere, etc...
  • You expect everything to be free on Linux. You'll be surprised just how much commercial software is available on Linux. There is some excellent free software available out there but sometimes the retail options are significantly better.

Trying Out Linux

Before you decide to install Linux remember that you can try Linux first as most Linux distributions have what is known as a Live Distro or Live CD. So you can test if Linux works on your hardware and see what software works for you before taking the plunge and installing it.

When it comes to trying out and installing other operating systems. I would recommend that you use the tool called Ventoy. Ventoy allows you to boot an operating system by just copying the ISO file of the operating system onto a bootable flash drive. It even works for Windows 10 and 11.

Next, have a look at Distrowatch and a look to see which of the top 5 distros you like the most. I selected POP!_OS because I had heard about it quite a bit of YouTube, and it seemed to be beginner-friendly. Linux Mint is another good option but for the rest of my guide I'll be assuming that you are using POP!_OS.

Install Ventoy and download the ISOs of the Linux distros that you would like to try. Then simply reboot your computer, enter into your boot menu and boot Linux to try it.

The main things you want to see are the following:

  • Do you like the look and feel of the system?
  • Does all your hardware work: i.e. test your ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity, test that your sound works.
  • Confirm that the software that you want to use on the system is available on your selected distro

Cross-Platform Software

I would recommend that you switch over to using cross-platform software whenever possible as this will make your transition over to Linux much simpler. So for example instead of using Microsoft Office, either make sure that you're using the web version of the office suite or make sure that you are using Libre-office

Forcing yourself to use the software that you are going to use in your future Linux system will make the transition much more seamless.

Here are some Windows/Mac-only tools with some cross-platform suggestions to use instead:

  • Microsoft Office - Web version of the Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite or Libre-Office
  • Paint.NET - Pinta (note that I'm not going to recommend GIMP as it is very complicated to use)
  • Adobe Premiere - DaVinci Resolve
  • Visual Studio - VsCode or JetBrains Tool Suite
  • Microsoft Teams - Web version of Microsoft Teams
  • Outlook - Web version of Outlook
  • SQL Server Management Studio - Azure Data Studio and JetBrains DataGrip
  • Ableton Live - Bitwig or Ardour

If there is software that you cannot find an appropriate cross-platform alternative. Then I'm afraid Linux is probably not for you. But before you give up though, have a look at Codeweavers Crossover. This tool is a compatibility layer for running Windows-specific software on Linux (or Mac). Alternatively, you could go with the free option of Wine to run your Windows-specific tools on Linux. Personally, I've had very limited success with this route.

What Is Next

The first thing I did in Linux was something unusual. I switched to Pop!_OS on my gaming PC. Just a few years ago gaming on Linux was really difficult to do, but this is no longer the case. We'll be looking at installing Steam and gaming on Pop!_OS next.