Windows 10 refugees flock to Linux in what devs call their "biggest launch ever"
Windows 10 refugees flock to Linux in what devs call their "biggest launch ever"
I have been preparing the move to Linux for years, switching to FOSS cross-platform applications on Windows and installing Linux on my secondary machines. A few weeks ago I made my work machine dual boot with the intention to remove Windows completely. I find that I never log into Windows at all already, and my Debian Trixie + KDE Plasma experience is the same in many areas (mainly because I use the same applications as before) and vastly better in others.
There were issues I had to solve but nothing major. It is true that Windows has been very stable and efficient for me, but people forget that when this happens it is the result of many years of learning, fine-tuning, decluttering and getting used to Windows. You get to that stage with Linux very quickly, and it feels much better.
After several months of experimenting with different distros, I just yesterday made the full-time switch to Linux Mint. I'm pretty happy with it so far, I'm just wondering why I hadn't done it sooner.
I didn't have the patience to try out a few, but luckily Fedora has met my needs without annoying me as much as windows did. Though I am feeling a bit of an itch to try out some of the others, but am currently just chilling in this local minimum of effort and not regretting going from windows to Fedora one bit.
I'm in an interesting place. I dual boot Windows 10 and Pop OS. Windows 11 requires Secure Boot enabled and Pop OS doesn't support it. I'd dump Windows entirely but I still need it for school. Not sure if I should switch distros or just keep using Windows 10 until I graduate.
When I was in school, I wanted a Linux machine (since my school stuff was mostly linux and I wanted to be able to work locally instead of having to ssh in to school machines) but wasn't comfortable doing it on my main PC, so I bought a cheap laptop and inatalled linux on that. Had the extra bonus of being smaller and lighter than my gaming laptop that was my main PC at the time, too.
Your options will probably be a bit more expensive (and apologies for suggesting a solution that involves throwing money at it if you aren't in a position to get even a relatively cheap one) since it's running windows and needs the hardware for that, including TPM if your school stuff requires win 11 (though if you can get away with win 10 or 7, you could probably get a cheaper machine). Though on the other hand, your tasks might not require a GPU, which can save a lot right there.
Then you can truly isolate your personal stuff from winsows, especially if you set your LAN up to never let the windows machine know that the linux machine even exists.
I also use this with consoles to play games I'd like to try but they have DRM or anticheat that I don't want on my PC. Also kinda doing it with work, though the laptop belongs to them.
Good because fuck Microsoft and Windows.
Microsoft, a sponsor of the new White House ball room.
It bears repeating, so: fuck Microsoft and Windows.
I'm old enough to have seen this "flocking" several times. Some people stay and are pleasantly surprised. Most people go back a few weeks/months later, and leave a "Linux suxx" post behind them. I don't expect this time will be any different, and that's totally fine.
Linux is a lot better than the last few times.
It might just be 'good enough' at this point.
I agree. This time, it's actually different. Big name streamers and YouTubers are showing their support. Not just people in the tech industry, but random channels like EmKay and PewDiePie.
Linux is better than ever. Steam is a breeze. Wine support has never been better.
Meanwhile, Windows has more nasty surprises, underhanded backstabs, and security nightmares than ever before.
I think it's easily good enough for general use. It's only certain types of gamers (anti-cheat support is still pretty terrible), and people who are heavily attached to a specific Windows program that they spend a lot of time using, that will have trouble switching across full time. For everyone else, Linux is superior because it runs so much faster than the now incredibly bloated Windows. Depending on the distro, it's also arguably simpler than Windows too.
I mean I love linux but the biggest hurdle is that certain software/games just aren't compatible. I use my pc for sim racing in vr a lot. With no ability to use iracing or my vr in linux I'm stuck. While I hate Windows and would prefer to use linux, I'm not going to abandon my hobby and all the equipment I have for it just to use an os I prefer. Throughout many different domains of use for a computer their are many different variations of stories like mine. Until the software and games people use can be supported in the linux ecosystem 'good enough' never happens. Like for basic computer use linux is already better than good enough its fantastic, it just works has intuitive user interfaces the bones of the OS are there. The problem is that many companies and software providers just aren't filling the gap that is the needs beyond basic web browsing, media playback and, playing older/indie games without anticheat. Without the substance people expect it doesnt matter how good the bones of the system are they are gonna be trapped in windows and linux will be stuck as the outcast programmers and enthusiasts use while knowing they have to still use windows for the niche use cases they have. And time and time again, eventually running 2 systems gets tiring and linix use/adoption slows back down again.
many people will go back, but of these, i’m sure many will also come back eventually
i’ve tried a bunch of distros in my last 2 years with windows. many didn’t satisfy my needs at the time, so i stayed on windows.
but now, it’s been over a year since I definitely switched to linux, and over 6 months since i nuked (accidentally, but shhh) my windows partition. and i don’t plan on going back anytime soon.
I’ve looked at Linux for years but it was always so intimidating to me. I finally installed it when my pc was being aged out of windows 10 and honestly it’s really fun to play around with even though I’m not super tech savvy. It’s easy enough to find a solution online if I run into any problems and everything is free!
This is usually the case, people make it a monster in their heads but it's not bad as long as you're willing to accept it's a different OS to be used differently.
I was one of those nomadic users, every year, since 1998 with Mandrake Linux.
I have always been in love with the idea of an open source OS, but if I couldn't game and work on it, it wasn't ready. Every year, until Valve made it easy to game on Linux.
I made the switch when Proton was released and never looked back.
My point is, every time users go back to Windows, they have their own personal reasons, but those will some day not be the truth anymore.
Gaming for me is the only thing I don't use Windows for. But for gaming I still do. Because I mainly game in VR and that's still so far behind on LInux :(
But I have 20 odd computers in the house so it's easy to have one with windows around (two in fact, another old one with Win 10 LTSC for programming some old radios).
I love KDE for all the options it gives 🫶 I don't like Gnome, Systemd and all the other redhat influences but they are easy to avoid these days.
Desktops only frankly became remotely useable to normal people with recent revisions of things like kde...
Between that and software actually finally started becoming remotely reliable in like 2022-2023 for your avg windows user.
Comparing the past to now is not reliable fair.
More progress towards making things normal user friendly have happened in the last 3-5 years then the last 20.
Let me guess, you might have tried Linux on n the past but only really started using Linux full time around 2021/2022, because every time I see someone saying "Linux only became user friendly around year X" is always around a 1 year mark after they started using it daily, because it's a lot more a matter of being used to than actual usability. I have been using KDE since 2004, and while things have changed it wasn't all that much, I don't remember any big usability refactor or anything of the sort happening, I'm fairly confident that if I were to put you to use a KDE 3.5 UI you would feel right at home.
And also other operating systems are becoming terrible in recent years. So double plus good for Linux.
Many people will definitely go back, but the percentage staying might be better this time around. Linux has gotten a lot more usable and stable for those tech inclinced enough to be able to install it thanks in part to proton, immutable distros, flatpacks, Wayland, and improved defaults. Mint and bazzite are pretty darn good for daily use. I've never stayed on Linux as long as I have with this run, and I really don't feel much of a push to leave it. Most everything I want to do just works.
I agree, I notice more new blood around Linux compared to the previous "OMG, Micro$oft suxx, let's all ditch Windoze!1!!" craze (I guess it was Win8.1 -> Win10, maybe?)
my buddy wanted to switch from w10 to mint and i tried to recommend kubuntu because of wayland, i told him mint will be laggy because he has many screens with different refresh rates and mint can't handle that. he wouldn't listen, installed mint, and a few weeks later went back to w10 raging how linux suxx it's so laggy. could've just installed kubuntu but no, it had to be w10.
I've been trying to switch to Linux for at least 5 years. I wouldn't say it's any better now than it was then. I desperately want to love Linux, but it fights me at every step of the way. As a media pc... I have had zero success using it as a media pc. My one requirement is an on screen keyboard, but it doesn't come with one, and all the offerings I've found are shit. They won't work in some windows, or at all.
As a laptop... This has been the most successful. I've not had any real issues with Linux on various laptops, other than finding replacements for certain windows software, but that's not really a Linux problem.
As my main pc... Gaming has been fine. Hdr has only really recently become a thing, and it seems fine. However, I'm constantly coming across stupid things are ARE a Linux problem. Downloading and installing software has too many methods. I understand downloading a file to install something. I understand downloading a script to install something. I even understand why you'd need to make that script executable before it'll work. I don't understand what to do with a bunch of random files that claim to be an installer but don't seem to have an install script or a .deb package. I don't understand why once I map/mount a network drive, it fucking disappears after a reboot and needs to have the mount process be automated at every reboot.
Linux is just hostile to users. And while it is, it'll never massively succeed.
LTSC is a much better option.
If you can find a package that works with your package manager, you can install most software with the manager or use a flatpack, but even install scripts are very easy once you learn to cd into the folder. You should really ask chatGPT to help you when you run into issues. It really helps. You can just copy and paste console output when you get errors and it will guide you through it.
Bazzite also comes with a built in onscreen keyboard and many things have it under the accessibility options. I run on screen keyboards on all my Linux devices for the occasional need, I also bought a pocket sized mini keyboard that is Bluetooth.
Windows, starting with 8, is inherently hostile to its users in ways that are very difficult or impossible to mitigate. It's a black box of complicated machinery, a lot of which is trying to spy on you, steal your data, show you ads, upsell you on their stupid cloud services so that they can steal more of your data, etc. At this point, disabling all of this is really difficult and unreliable.
Linux on the other hand is like a box of spare parts that you can build whatever you want from. You really do need to read the manual, or else whatever you build will look and work like shit. However, if you do build something good, it's yours now in a way that a proprietary OS never will be.
Each person knows what it feels more comfortable with.
Linux is not inherently hostile, it just has a very different way of doing things that what you're accustomed, so you perceive it as hostile. It is sometimes easier for someone who never touched a computer to learn Linux that someone who grew with Windows to unlearn the habits.
There's nothing wrong with feeling comfortable in Windows, it's the system you grew up with and know how to work with and maintain.
Thanks for the opinion Bill.
For anyone wondering, linux offers over a dozen virtual keyboards and btw they aren't called on screen keyboards. All of them work great. And lots of distros come with one included.
Same. I loathe Linux. I've been trying to use it since I was 19, periodically installing one distro or another, and I hate it. I absolutely hate it. I'm not saying it is bad or anything but I do not have the patience to fight with an OS over every tiny thing or having to look up a guide for every installation or having to double check what will work and won't because you're going to need a container.
Linux, I'm sure, is great but it's also one of the least user friendly operating systems out there, regardless of Distro. I keep trying to use Linux Mint and it keeps driving me up the fucking wall. Either Linux supports nothing without a battle or nothing supports Linux without a battle and I'm not remotely interested in fighting with my PC to do something simple. The second that that shit gets sorted is the second I'll be fine.
I understand downloading a file to install something.
That's a terrible start.
Software installation sources by priority:
You can add other stuff like toolbox after n.2 once you've got more experience.
Instead of an onscreen keyboard, you could try KDE connect.
I guess it is the year of the Linux desktop for at least some people.
I've used Linux desktop in various forms for just over two decades, this has to be the fourth time it felt like Linux was having its chance to seize marketshare. Each time it ends up not being the mass adoption that people hope for but it feels like the community grows each time so I think it is neat nonetheless.
Anecdotally, I was tinkering with it earlier this year and finally stopped being lazy and flipped my main PC over. After I talked about it enough in my friend chat, three more friends followed suit and a fourth is going to soon. It's not just the end of supporting Windows 10, it's all of the repeated bugs, glitches, and AI garbage Microsoft has been pushing everywhere so aggressively. People who would likely only rate themselves as "mildly" tech savvy are sick of it and willing to make a move, I feel.
I'm ok with that. You hit a point where a community sustains, and is good. Lemmy is a great example of that. Often, when it grows past that, it can become.. unsavory.
Often, when it grows past that, it can become.. unsavory.
Exactly! Like the Internet, Linux is for anybody! . . .but not necessarily everybody.
I've been a Windows user since 95. I tried a few times to move to Linux, but basic user unfriendly problems always brought me back to Windows. Now there's no option to go back. Linux Mint has had some bumps, but I'm properly motivated to jump over those hurdles now. I've become a proud Linux user this last week. Finally free of Microsoft's gravity.
Welcome brother or sister or nb thing inbetween! This is the way!
Sibling is the word you want lol
Good luck. I jumped ship 10 years ago, you get used to it to the point Windows starts feeling weird.
Don't hesistate to reach out when you're stuck
I'm really enjoying the learning curve with Linux because it's a valuable skill to master. On the other hand, every time I've had to "go under the hood" with Windows, it's been to keep it from doing something awful to me.
I remember someone on Discord server I used to be on kept telling people to "use Linux" which back then, I thought it was some scary OS for people who's tech savvy and wrote him off to be annoying. It was few years when I have my own laptop as early birthday present that I find Windows 10 annoying and remembered Linux exist so I run up a virtual machine and watch so many videos on YouTube about it. Then, I made USB-Boot and installed Linux Mint.
Far from perfect but I feel so much more comfortable using Linux over Windows, feels so much more smoother
I've been on Mint for 2 years now. So far the only roadblock I've hit is my obsolete audio interface not talking to it, and that's not Mint's fault. Everything else was a seamless transition for me. I will admit that I'm not super enthusiastic about GIMP though. Welcome to the club.
I miss Windows 95.
That ui was so damn clean. There was basically zero bloat and everything had a place.
A computer was a tool and only did what you wanted it to. Nothing more, nothing less.
Windows 10 died a few days ago, leaving users with three options: stick with the OS, upgrade to Windows 11, or switch to an entirely different platform like macOS or GNU/Linux. But months before Microsoft dropped support for the OS, Linux-focused companies were already campaigning to poach Microsoft customers and convert them into Linux users.
The Document Foundation, the folks behind LibreOffice, started its push as far back as June this year, criticizing Microsoft's decision to end support, which would render millions of perfectly functional PCs obsolete, and presented Linux as a cost-effective and secure alternative. We have also seen initiatives like The "End of 10" Campaign by KDE, making the case for Linux and providing guides and info on how to switch.
Of all the projects trying to poach Windows users, Zorin Group might be the most aggressive, launching its biggest OS upgrade, Zorin OS 18, on the very day Windows 10 died.
In a recent post on X, Zorin Group celebrated the launch of version 18, claiming that it hit 100,000 downloads in "a little over 2 days". The company called it its "biggest launch ever" and claimed that over 72% of those downloads came from Windows.
Zorin OS 18 just reached 100,000 downloads in a little over 2 days 🎉️
Over 72% of these downloads came from Windows, reflecting our mission to provide a better alternative to the incumbent operating systems from Big Tech.
Thank you for making this our biggest launch ever! pic.twitter.com/6U4h3EQ3dq — Zorin OS (@ZorinOS) October 16, 2025
So what's the big deal with Zorin OS 18? The new version comes with a redesigned desktop that feels a lot more modern. It uses a lighter color palette and a taskbar that has a floating, rounded style by default. The developers also introduced a much better window tiling system. If you drag a window to the top of the screen, a layout manager pops up, similar to Windows 11's Snap Layouts. The main difference here is that Zorin allows you to create your own custom tiling layouts.
As for Windows app compatibility, Zorin OS 18 now includes an updated version of WINE 10 for better support of Windows software. On top of that, there's also an expanded database that helps when it detects a Windows installer. The system checks the file and suggests the best way to run over 170 popular apps, whether that means installing a native Linux version, using the web-based alternative, or firing it up through WINE.
Windows 10 didn’t “die”
Microsoft isn’t offering support for it, but their help was barely useful to begin with.
There’s a few small hoops to jump through to enroll in the Extended Security Updates program, after which Windows 10 devices will continue to be functional and secure for at least another year.
Ultimately, I’m all for folks going out and dabbling in Linux. Unfortunately, most consumers are interpreting this situation as a requirement to rush out and buy a new Windows 11 PC and that’s bad.
There are two massive hoops as far as I am concerned, no local account & ms office forcing the use of one drive. I know these arent that big of an issue for most people, but I will never do either of those things.
It's okay, Microsoft can't hurt you here anymore. You have just been living your whole life in an abusive relationship. It's okay we will be nice to you.
If just this one OS, that i havent even really heard of, hit 100k downloads in two days, then there must have been like 100M downloads in the last week or so for all linux distros combined. Now i wanna see someone try to aggregate all download numbers from the major distros into a time plot to see if there is a noticeable change.
"Zorin Group" never heard of that. Seems to be a shop that just wants to lift along with the Windows 10 discontinuation tbh.
And if their selling point is running windows apps then they have no chance. You can't get better at being windows than windows already is. You'll always be one step behind the real thing.
And really you don't need to, most linux apps are much better now that windows apps are more and more dumbed down. Look at the "new outlook" for example. It doesn't even do local storage anymore, you must import all your email into the microsoft cloud overlord.
I hope this doesn't mean the enshitifcaiton of Linux as we start to cater for people who don't want to learn.... We watched it with Microsoft products, though they also had a profitable reason to nerf their software.
Windows was developed by a huge corporation for profit, and that drives enshittification, because eventually they have all the users they think they can get, so instead they start trying to milk those users for more $$$.
Linux is developed by a bunch of nerds who are doing it as a hobby, or because they weren’t happy with the other options. This type of group does not leas to enshittification.
Being simple to use out of the box is NOT a bad thing on its own. We are simply used to seeing the proprietary profit-driven version, which is the path to enshittification. When something works great out of the box but you still own your machine and have access to any damn thing you want that's hidden from view by default, that is just a good product.
I've been an engineer in electronics and software for over 20 years. I have a masters in software engineering. I currently work on C and C++ code every day for embedded systems, including one that's embedded linux. The terminal is my comfort zone. Screens full of super-legible monospaced text please my eyes.
I run Linux Mint Cinnamon (btw) on every computer of mine, even my work machine, and I don't care who knows it!
I recommend it to anybody of any skill level who will listen.
That's the beauty of Linux- there are so many distros to choose from.
Something for everyone.
And if enough people don't like the existing options, you are always free to fork what exists and make something that fits your needs better.
It doesn't have to. KDE is a great example here. Out of the box, it's extremely simple to use, as well as familiar in look and feel to Windows. But if you want to - it gives you a lot of customization options. So it doesn't seem to lose out on anything due to being simplified by default.
And frankly, a lot of Unix software could use a similar approach. I know it's not that simple, but it helps the users greatly - particularly new ones, but experienced ones too. Perhaps this wave of Windows refugees will in some way lead to progress in this area.
Just Canonical.
Linux doesn't really have the profit motives that lead to enshittification.
I guess a bigger entity could try to start charging for... something... Support, maybe, but that seems unlikely to take off.
I guess a bigger entity could try to start charging for... something... Support, maybe, but that seems unlikely to take off.
Are you aware that Red Hat alone makes billions of dollars per year off Linux?
My biggest concern is the whole "removing powerful features = user friendliness!" mentality that these big tech companies have been pushing for years.
Why make users smarter when you can make software worse and charge more for it?
The dummies don't get the bigger picture, they just see "nobody needs powerful features that make things too confusing for me!" My hope is that they don't flood Linux with this drivel - profit margin or not, it's a toxic cultre that has already been created in commercial software.
Stop calling yourself a "refugee" whenever big tech fucks up something you were using. Anyone who thinks having to switch software is worthy of that word has no idea what it's like to be a refugee. Check your privileged ass.
This.
For Years, you had the Option to use Linux. Since the release of the win 11 beta, Linux has not made any relevant big steps. The leopards have simply decided to eat your face this time.
A refugee would be someone losing their home in a bombing. A windows 10 turned Linux user is more like a Trump voter turned no kings protestor because he though sending the government emails will sure stop the anti trans laws.
And no, sOmE uSeRs hAvE tO uSe WinDoWs is not an argument. If everyone who was still on windows until now was reliant on it, why are they installing and switching to Linux? Every new Linux user is someone who was simply too ignorant to install it.
I mean I switched my work computer to Linux and risked being reprimanded/ losing my job because I'm never using windows ever again in any capacity.
I feel like that's a little bit closer to a refugee lol. Luckily so far no one has seemed to notice or care.
So we're bashing the people who installed Linux now if they used something else first? What, if they've ever used windows we should send them to the Gulag? Wtf is this take? Like hey you dumb fucking person who finally figured out how to get away from the corporate software you were taught to use in high school, you are FuCkInG iGnOrAnT for putting yourself in this position in the first place!!1!
Let's not talk about the multi billion dollar industry spent locking people into an ecosystem from day 1, because blaming high schoolers and teenagers for not switching to an OS best know for running web servers is an awesome use of our time.
Speaking from experience: no one thinks about operating systems as much as we do. We are not the norm. Most people don't want to use the computer to begin with, but conceded its faster than hand writing everything. The guy who paved my driveway will never install Arch, because he only uses the computer to get paid. My office's cleaner doesn't understand how computers can even be unsafe.
When I went to primary school we had windows computers. Same thing in high school. In uni, because I did comp sci, I used Linux and found it was better for me. 350 people went through first year with me. Most of them continued using Windows, although a good chunk used Mac too. Like 10 of us used Linux. It is easier not to switch and that's not going to change. So can we stop having a go at people for not having the same interests as us, because that's the only difference.
For Years, you had the Option to use Linux. Since the release of the win 11 beta, Linux has not made any relevant big steps.
I would argue it doesn't need to. It's pretty perfect these days as it is, especially with KDE (and the great thing about it having so much control over how your computer works and feels, Windows can never offer that).
okay fed
Windows 8 is what pushed me to Linux. Linux is better than ever. Proton is just amazing.
Is there a dumbie sheet or cheat sheet . I just feel lost on linex.
Depends on what you feel lost about, if it is the basics in general then I would suggest you start of and read about the basics here https://labex.io/linuxjourney they write about the very basics in a very simple way. I think they did a good job, they start of with what Linux is, what distros are to commands from the most basics as how to navigate in the terminal to more advanced combinations. They also have vms where you can try out the commands if you haven't switched yet.
If it is a cheat sheet as in commands then i would say it is better to make your own of the commands you care about but you can start of by using other ppls list like this one https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/linux-unix/linux-commands-cheat-sheet/ but it can be overwhelming for you so use the linuxjouney first. Also it is very important to learn how to look up how to use the arguments in the terminal with man or -h to make it faster and less painful to use.
If you are lost about programs then there are a lot of good GitHub pages that links to useful programs and cli tools, you just need to search for awesome Linux
<what you want>
listExamples:
https://github.com/luong-komorebi/Awesome-Linux-Software You can use their web pages version too https://luong-komorebi.github.io/Awesome-Linux-Software/ https://githublists.com/lists/awesome-lists/awesome-bash
Here is one for distros https://github.com/kolioaris/awesome-linux-distros
Here is an example for customizing https://github.com/fosslife/awesome-ricing
When looking for programs is it very important that you know what distro you are on, what desktop environment (like kde, gnome, xfce) and what window composition you use (usually Wayland or x11, x11 is older and is more compatible).
So in short start of at https://labex.io/linuxjourney
Then look up distros here https://github.com/kolioaris/awesome-linux-distros
For new ppl do I think Ubuntu based is best because almost everything has a Ubuntu version, when you feel ready can you test out other distros. I haven't tried bazzite, I started of many years ago on debian (a few random ones like arch and mint) and then pop os for many years and now cachyos, I liked my journey but that doesn't mean it is correct for others.
I would suggest to have all of your data you care about on a separate disk or have automatic backup of it so you can break your os without care. And if you start customizing would I suggest setting up a GitHub repo and commit your changes everytime you like what you see so it is easy to go back if you regret something.
I hoped this helped on your journey, I didn't want to overwhelm you so I hope I kept it simple enough :D
Butting in to say: your post may be the help I needed to actively consider switching.
Thanks for that, I've saved your post for when I switch. My laptop runs windows 11 but I'm not enjoying the experience. Used linux a bit in the 90s but I've forgotten everything and will have to start from scratch. Yep, when I get some time I'm going to make the jump.
If it is a cheat sheet as in commands
With most modern distros, I would say that most typical users shouldn't have to go to the command line any more than they had to in windows (which is to say very seldom).
Yet there is that lingering reputation that you have to be some sort of command line guru to even think about using Linux- and that simply isn't true. Hasn't been true for decades.
Im setting up a raspberry pi for media then switching my pc to linux. So it should be interesting. Thank you for all the great starting points.
For all their faults, LLMs are pretty damn good at basic trouble shooting of Linux. Ideally prepare context for them with installation details. Use CLI client, recommend opencode CLI, plan agent is good to inspect the commands it will plan to run and let's you inspect and think through what it is doing. Can also ask for clarifications along the way.
It's not perfect but very good.
Honestly, if you go that route I'd probably recommend using an LLM only for information and asking questions, but run commands yourself and actually read it's responses. If you don't understanding something, ask for elaboration. Otherwise, you risk too much automation, letting it set up configurations you don't have actual understanding of and making a spaghettified mess.
If you are new I suggest bazzite, and get lutris to install windows apps outside of steam. It takes care of most of the stuff and to install software, on bazzite you use "sudo rpm-ostree install
<package name>
" and then reboot because bazzite uses an ostree system, or just get it in a flatpak if available. Between bazzite and knowing how to install packages outside of the flatpak repository, that should cover most of your bases for a few years and you can learn other stuff when you have the inclination. ChatGPT is really knowledgeable about Linux since it's open source. It's often much faster than digging through forums just be specific when you speak to it.Also if you get your setup in a decent shape, you can shrink the partition and image it with dd with a single command, and then compress it to have a full system backup, which is basically your own image. Then you just write it back with a program like etcher later if you screw up your system and then just reexpand the partition to the full drive. If you get bazzite though you won't have much need to use the terminal or install anything outside flathub which will keep you from breaking the system. Also update the system occasionally, to get security fixes once a week or two is probably fine if you don't have open ports to run a server and aren't running random software.
Is this satire?
Seriously, if I was new to Linux, coming from Windows, asking for a cheat sheet or Linux for dummies manual, everything you wrote would sound like absolute gibberish to me.
If this was someone's response to me when asking for advice I'd immediately reinstall windows where at least (from the perspective of a typical end user) they speak words that make sense.
You shouldn't ever use rpm-ostree to install stuff with, as it can cause issues with future system updates.
First port of call should be flatpaks in the bazaar.
Second, look for flatpaks or appimages online.
Third, use distrobox to install something via a different distro and export it as a shortcut to bazzite. I use arch in a distrobox, btw.
I'm using it on my laptop as a teacher. My gaming PC with steam is linux. I see improvements in performance every half year.
Had a student want to use it. I told him he needs to dual boot. Keep his options open. Then time will tell whether he will make the great leap.
Dual boot should be default suggestion for everyone trying Linux out. No pressure, just try it.
VMs are a solution too, depending on what you use each OS for. I've worked some jobs where my main work machine was Linux, but would sometimes need to use Windows-only software, and would just run it on a VM.
First boot may create problems (especially with legacy nVidia) so dual boot makes the blame not fall on Linux.
I finally dumped Windows for KDE Neon on my desktop and my Surface about 5 months ago now. Never looked back.
Which surface do you use? And what features are missing still?
It's the Laptop Studio 1, and strangely enough, it's about flawless! The Surface kernel drivers are really good, and my model just so happens to have full support. The only gotcha is that howdy (Windows Hello style unlock using IR camera) doesn't really work with KDE Plasma. The touchscreen will also pick up your palm as regular touch input, but a good palm glove solves that.
Dare we say it ...?
Always... 2026 is year of linux desktop
Maybe 2027
Bro I'm not going to wait 15 seconds to read that article fucking cloudflare, takes years to complete on a smartphone.
You're clearly not a human.
I certainly feel dehumanised
I'm all for Linux adoption. However, seeing less tech-literate people feel as if they have to choose between an unsecured device and spending money they don't have on a new Windows 11 machine really makes me angry.
Most won't understand what no more security updates mean, and some overreact and get really worried.
Swapped to pop!Os on my gaming PC on the 14 and not looking back.
Same, really liking it. Bit of a learning curve, but in a fun way.
I really really hope, Zorin brings up a screen and says that it has detected a "legacy application" when it proposes better alternatives...
Yeah, turns out people don't like surveillance against their will..