So Iâve been thinking about Linux recently, and Iâm told this is where the Linux experts hang out. I have a lot of questions that I can barely articulate, so Iâm just hoping someone gets where Iâm coming from.
I always knew there were more than two operating systems, but the closest I got to open-source software was dabbling with Firefox and OpenOffice in college. Iâm an engineer, and trying to stay compatible with all the engineering programs means youâre probably going to use Windows whether you like it or not, so I never seriously considered another OS until now. Iâm proud of being good at Windows, but also bitter about it⊠I canât shake the nagging feeling that Iâve been missing out.
So I started looking up guides on Linux, and I have so many questions.
Iâm astonished by how many distros there are. Itâs not just Ubuntu, we have Mint and Zorin and MX and enough options to make my head spin. So how do you choose a distro? Do you just know, or do you have to try them all? Trying one is daunting enough. Iâm afraid people might lose respect for me and the open-source software movement if I change my mind. Is there some place where you can try distros on for size without the trouble and risk of migrating multiple times?
How do I know if Linux is right for me? How do I know Windows is wrong? If I loathe my user experience with Windows, is that the fault of Windows or just me? If Linux starts feeling comfortable, how do I know itâs because Iâve made the right choice and itâs not just inertia setting in? Does that even matter?
Iâm at least good with Windows, but I lack the intuition of the average Linux user. Could I really master Linux the way I have Windows, or would my awkward personality relegate me to being a permanent tourist?
Is my hardware too old to start tinkering with OSs?
I know your choice of OS should take priority over your programs, as long as those programs arenât vital, but I have a full Steam library and donât look forward to losing any old friends. Can I partition my drive? Is that worth the trouble, switching from OS to OS depending on circumstances? I hear some distros these days can run some windows programs, and that you donât have to leave your old programs behind the way you used to, but can I count on that trend continuing?
Will losing touch with the Windows environment make it more difficult for me to succeed in a Windows-dominated career?
Sorry for the ramble. Iâm probably overthinking this. I overthink everything. But I also grew up in a time and place where changing OSs meant you risked losing everything.
EDIT: The post title has been updated from âNeed help with Linuxâ to âeggđ§irlâ to meet local standards. This post happened because I was writing a post for a tech forum, but had other things on my mind, things which Iâve yet to find the courage to verbalize directly. I appreciate the advice and encouragement, both about migrating to Linux, and⊠yaknow⊠âmigrating to Linux.â
Your OS can grow with you. It should grow with you. All the same, thereâs no hurry to choose a distro and stick with it.
Couldnât have said it better myself! đ You clearly have a way with words, I very much enjoyed your post.
EDIT: Iâd like to add, I know people who donât even have a main OS, theyâre just constantly distro-hopping, and thatâs valid too. Sure, maybe some people would say theyâre needlessly complicating their workflow with constant re-installs, but who cares if thatâs what they like?
