Why did you switch to Linux? I’d like to hear your story.
Btw I switched (from win11 to arch) because I got bored and wanted a challenge. Thx :3
I’d dabbled with Linux and multiple distros in the past and while I liked what I saw I had my frustrations. Various distros had their pros and cons and I wasn’t as technically capable back then.
After Windows 11’s unnecessary launch I gave Windows 10 LTSC a try. I don’t think it was LTSC specific but my experience was buggy as hell and would BSOD every other day. So I thought I’d force myself to use Linux and have used Arch or other flavors of Arch ever since. No sink or swim, I was just going to live with it and not deal with Microsoft’s bullshit anymore.
Back in the day I wanted to be a 1337 hAx0R so I installed Linux to get my wifi adapter into monitor mode so I could pwn wifi. Eventually I just didn’t leave Linux, probably in part because a few friends of mine ran it and refused to run Windows, we used to have LAN parties fairly regularly so yeah just convenient.
Lack of support for Win10. Also, I’m a contrarian who doesn’t want to be beholden to the whims of a multinational corporation.
Therapy
Copilot.
I’ve used Windows since version 95. I even learned how to use version 3.1 back in the day (people actually used to take classes for using the PC!). Every new version after 98 was a pain in the ass, they’d get rid of a lot of functionality, change menus, and add crap no one asked for. XP might be a nostalgic memory now, but I thought the UI was horrible at first. Same with 7 and 10.
I first learned about Linux through forums, and then I found out about Canonical sending CDs with Ubuntu for free. So I gave it a try and I liked it. There was a lot of tinkering to do unfortunately. Stuff like the cheap ADSL modem I was given by my ISP weren’t recognized, so I had to dual boot. Eventually I found some file from one dude who had the exact same modem and knew what to do, and so I was able to go online in Ubuntu. (All of that ended up being very useful knowledge, though. If something happens on my computer, I don’t panic anymore, I roll up my sleeves and try to figure out how to fix it.)
I’ve been alternating between Windows and Ubuntu ever since. I switched permanently to Windows 10 a few years ago for some reason I don’t remember. And last year I switched to Pop! OS after finding out about Recall. I was pleasantly surprised by how far gaming has come in Linux, so the switch is permanent this time. I will switch distros, however, once I switch my hardware to AMD.
The final straw for me was when windows 11 removed the windows 10 start bar ability to move the start bar to the top of the screen.
I heard that the Playstation 3 would be able to run something called Linux and I wanted to become some kind of Neo😅
Then I went on and off between Windows and Ubuntu until fully switching to Linux around 2020.
Running Fedora with Gnome these last few years.
Bruh i remember as a kid watching a tutorial on youtube from some guy installing yellow dog linux on his ps3, wanted to try it as well but never managed to do it at the time, and then later the other os feature was removed from ps3.
It’s almost a requirement for Linux users, spend a few years ( or decades ) distro hopping, but eventually settle in a stable edition.
When I first tried it out in a VM, it was just a pinch of curiosity. Some people argue for Linux, so, maybe there’s some merit to that? And, unlike MacOS, you can install it anywhere without all the hackery.
When I actually tried it (my first one was Manjaro KDE, and that’s what I stuck with for my first 1,5 years later when I decided to go for a real install), I was amazed at how smooth and frictionless everything is.
The system is blazing fast, even on a limited VM, there’s no bloat anywhere, no ads, no design choices to trick you into doing something you don’t want to. The interface is way more ergonomic and out of the way at the same time. Seriously, Microsoft, do learn from KDE, pretty please.
So, when I moved to a new home, I decided that my virtual home needs an upgrade as well. I installed Linux alongside Windows (on two different physical drives), and ran it as dual-boot ever since. Not that I address Windows that much (normally about once in two to three months), but it’s handy to keep around.
Later, I went into some distro-hopping and also got a laptop, which has become my testing grounds. After trying various options, namely Mint, Arch/EndeavourOS, Debian, Fedora, and OpenSUSE, I gravitated towards the latter, and I use it as my regular daily driver on both my desktop (Tumbleweed) and laptop (Slowroll). I love how it manages to keep the system both up-to-date and extremely stable, and has everything set up just right (except KDE defaults, what the hell is wrong with SUSE folks on that end? Luckily, it takes 5 minutes to change). So, there it is!
I used Linux for a good while 20 something years ago. Mostly for recording music and some gaming (you can say what you want, cube/sauerbraten/openarena/… I had a great time that I look back to fondly).
Then got back on windows around vista all the way to w11 7/8/10 all “ok” OS experiences imo.
11… man, this thing frustrates me so much. Everything you try to do is like getting gaslighted. Updates/reboots whenever it feels like, regardless of what you have going on. (My setup requires a few keystrokes at boot, if not the fan goes nuts)
Coming back to Linux feels like a breath of fresh air. Especially now that installing/using it has become a breeze compared to back then. It does what you ask. Why doesn’t big tech corp get that through its thick skull?
Also, my data is mine.
~2007, Compiz wobbly windows and the desktop cube was my gateway via Ubuntu, after a few years shifted over to Debian with XFCE
Post subject:
Why?
Post content:
Why did you switch to Linux? I’d like to hear your story.
I feel like I’ve been click-baited.
Back in 1999 my windows laptop got hacked and my bank identity was accessed. On a Clean Windows I had Just Installed.That did it. I formatted my hard disk and installed first Linux Mandrake and finally settled on Debian Potato . Never looked back.
I switched while studying Cyber Security (it wasn’t a good course) probably because I figured a more techy OS is better.
