It seems like the more interested I get in Linux, the less appealing it becomes. The community seems to have no fucking clue what they’re talking about, because everyone is just constantly talking over each other and contradicting themselves! I have spent so much time reading about Linux and distros and such to prepare for my eventual switch, but after all that I’m starting to question if I even want to make the switch. Here’s a few of the things I have read over and over, that confuse me to no end:
- It doesn’t matter what distro you use, but also you absolutely should not use that one!! Use that one it’s much better trust me!
- Gaming is good on Linux now, but also it’s super shit and you should keep windows if you want to game
- Sure you can use Nvidia cards, but also no you can’t because nothing will work with them
- Just dual boot if you’re not sure, but also no don’t dual boot because windows will erase your shit if you do
- Trust me bro Linux is super easy to learn, also here’s 14 different specific terms you’ll have to Google, but even then you’ll barely understand them
- Everything will work out of the box, but also you can’t use that thing with that other thing without configuring that other thing first but that’ll break that thing which needed that thing […]
I’m slightly exaggerating and I may get downvoted but I needed to vent. It honestly sometimes seems like Linux diehards are intentionally hiding some of its major pitfalls in order to “convert” more people to their side.
I know windows sucks and that’s why I want to switch, but at least when you have a windows question there’s a concrete answer, not a bunch of nerds yelling out incoherent technobabble-sounding answers that all contradict each other.
And for fucks sake please type the whole words when speaking to beginners. How am I supposed to know what a DE, a VM, a CLI, a WM, PM, or all that other stuff is?
Linux is the “least welcoming, yet most aggressively butthurt that no one is joining it” community I’ve seen in a while.
Alright rant over, you may yell at me now.
I don’t think those are contradictions, those who advocate for something and those who advocate against are two different sets of people. I don’t think you’ll find any community that doesn’t disagree on things. I would say ignore opinions without motivation, the argument is more important than the position for you can reason if it applies to you. A big point of Linux is freedom so it will never be a monolith like Windows or Mac, this is a feature. There will always be many different distros, way to do things, philosophies, etc. As long as people have the freedom to disagree and do things their own way, they will!
Your problem is similar to that of people who plan/prepare/debate endlessly on what the best programming language is to learn at first. The best advice is (in my opinion) to just pick one that appeals to you and go for it. If it is not the right choice for you, you will find out quickly. You can always switch, you are not set for life. When I started I just picked a distro that sounded like it would fit me and went for it. I’m not on that one anymore but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you get started.