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Linux is an open source operating system like other operating systems, for example, Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS, iOS, Google Android, etc. An operating system is software that enables communication between computer hardware and software. It intervenes in the inputs that are processed by the processor and passes the outputs to the hardware for display. This is the basic function of an operating system. Although it performs many other important tasks, we will not talk about them. Linux has been around since the mid-90s. It can be used on everything from wristwatches to supercomputers. It’s everywhere on our phones, laptops, PCs, cars, and even refrigerators. It is popular with both developers and regular computer users.
Things to know before switching to Linux
Don’t install Linux on a new computer
If you have a new Windows or macOS computer, you may want to wait a year or two before trying to install Linux. Trying to install Linux on new hardware is often more trouble than it’s worth.
Most PC manufacturers don’t bother to check if Linux will run on their machines. They don’t sell Linux computers, and the vast majority of their customers don’t care. That often means they don’t provide drivers for components that aren’t yet supported by the Linux kernel, and then it’s up to someone else to develop a solution. That costs time.
In some cases, you may not be able to install Linux at all. In other cases, you may be able to install Linux only to find that the WLAN is not working or the sound card is not outputting sound through the speakers. Good luck trying to return a PC that you removed the original OS from.
Avoid software from external sources
On Windows, you usually go to a website and download an installer when you need new software. Linux, for the most part, doesn’t work this way. There are too many versions of Linux for a developer to know which one to provide an installer for. Instead, users go to a Linux app store (which is full of free software) or a package manager to download what they want. However, there comes a time when the desired application is not included in the chosen Linux distribution. In this case, the only way to get the desired application is to install it from an external source. Many Linux manuals recommend this and walk you through the process.
Installing software from external sources may cause problems in the future. Sometimes an application requires a different version of a system component than the one provided by your desktop. For the app to work, it must come with the latest version. Unfortunately, other programs on your computer may not be ready or compatible, causing crashes or other problems. So you wonder why Linux has so many bugs and you are ready to switch to another operating system.
However, this is not guaranteed. You can install quite a few apps from external sources without problems, such as Google Chrome and Steam. But when things start to go wrong, it can be very difficult to determine which installation caused the problems. Even if you have traced the source, it can be difficult to undo the changes. If you have installed software from different sources, this can also cause updates to hang or an upgrade from one version of Linux to another to go wrong.
Use software built specifically for Linux
If you’re coming from Windows, you may not have thought about what operating systems a program was designed for. You may not have even considered that a particular program may not run on all computers. Since most desktop PCs run Windows, most applications were developed for Microsoft’s operating system, even if they also support other options like macOS and Linux. If you’re switching to Linux for the first time, you should stick to what you know. That means you have to download the Linux versions of the programs you used on your old system. Unfortunately, companies often spend less resources on Linux version development.
It’s not just about missing features or bugs. Many people would say that Google Chrome is the best web browser available on Linux, but that doesn’t mean that it integrates that well with the rest of your Linux desktop. Mozilla Firefox is a free and open source browser, but it also feels more comfortable on Windows than Linux. Fortunately, the situation improves for these two browsers.
It’s not that cross-platform software can’t prioritize Linux or that cross-platform software is inherently bad. VLC is just as good on Linux as it is elsewhere. Many free tools were first developed on Linux before moving to other platforms, such as GIMP and Pidgin. Software that only runs on Linux isn’t necessarily good either.
Be open to new experiences
Many Linux apps aren’t similar to the ones you find on Windows or macOS. While they perform a similar general function, they approach the task in a different way. If you insist on having a program that works exactly like the one you left behind, it may prevent you from experiencing all that Linux has to offer.
The GNOME desktop environment is what you’ll likely find in many of the more popular Linux distributions, and it’s not like other interfaces. Many GNOME applications also emphasize search, such as GNOME Music and GNOME Photos. Both are relatively simple apps, but they present your songs and images in interesting ways.
KDE software may seem complex at first glance, but if you poke around in the settings, you can customize it to look just the way you want. You can get so used to this level of control that any other interface on Linux or any other operating system seems too restrictive! But you won’t find out unless you take the time to explore it first.
What you see may be all you get
In the world of commercial software, applications are often constantly revised until a developer loses interest and the program disappears. With free software, changes are usually slower. Since there is usually not that much money behind a project, developers can only spend so much time. People work when they can and the number of collaborators can change depending on whether someone is interested or not. Even if no one is interested anymore, the code doesn’t disappear. Applications that are available on your Linux distribution can go years without an update. This means that the app you just discovered for the first time may not see many changes for the foreseeable future. This is fine if you like the user interface exactly the way it is, and the program does everything you need it to do. It’s not so good if you run into a bug.
This situation is not just a question of financial resources. The Linux ecosystem is relatively democratic compared to other computing environments. Teams have to find a consensus to take a new direction, and because the code is open source, developers and users who aren’t happy with a change can usually choose to keep things the way they were. Application developers need to support many desktop environments, and better integration of an application in one environment can make it feel worse in another. Keeping things as they are can satisfy as many people as possible.
That’s not to say that Linux software doesn’t change. The GNOME desktop environment looks and feels much different today than it did ten years ago. Elementary OS and curated software on its App Store didn’t exist back then. There is always something new. But if you’re waiting for GIMP, Inkscape, or AbiWord to be completely redesigned, there’s no guarantee that day will come.
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