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.
Ahhh, it seems like you’re experiencing the dichotomy of Linux. The best part about Linux is the community, and the worst part about Linux is the community.
I’ve been using Linux off and on for over 30 years, and have been using it full-time for the last 7 or so. I’ll try to cut through some of the elitist bullshit out there and answer your questions, and hope it helps.
Distro: Honestly, what really makes a distro a distro (from a new user perspective) is the package manager, and the DE. Yes, I know you can change the DE, but a new guy won’t. I would try a bunch of distros in a Virtual Machine and try out the various different package managers (apt, yum, dnf, etc) and see which one clicks. Of course, this is only going to be used at the command line, but at some point - once you get your feet under you, you’ll be using the command line. I prefer apt, therefore, I use an Ubuntu based distro.
Gaming: Honestly, it’s hit or miss. A lot more hits as of late. However, if you’re into online multiplayer games that enforce a kernel level anti-cheat, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Look at protondb.com and look up the games you play, and see how well they work. If it’s silver or better, you’ll probably be happy with it.
Nvidia: This would tend to get into the weeds. AMD has native drivers in the kernel. Plug and play, unless you want to install proprietary drivers for Machine Learning, and even that can be a hassle sometimes. Nvidia has open source, but not great. Their proprietary drivers are better, but the compositor may cause problems.
Dual Boot: If you do (I do), do it on a separate drive. Microsoft can fuck with your bootloader if it’s on the same drive. I’ve had no problem dual booting.
Easy to Learn: Depending on distro and hardware, you don’t really have to know how to do anything other than install via a usb drive. You can do everything with a GUI if you want. It’s not like you have to jump in feet first, set up a VM and play around.
Everything works OOB: This is mostly true. However, it is important to understand that most stuff’s drivers are written for Windows. As you build/buy hardware, you’ll get used to looking to see if it works with Linux. Some stuff does, some stuff doesn’t, some stuff needs some “hacking” to get it to work.
I love Linux, would love for you to join us, but if you’re getting overwhelmed, I can understand. I would start fiddling with them in VMs, see if you even like the idea of it. After that - start looking at your hardware and see if it works with Linux and you want to go bare metal - go for it. But keep your windows drive ready to swap in. Eventually, you’ll be calling guys noobs and bitching about them not reading the Arch wiki… :D