Bonum Certa Men Certa

It Is Not Hard to Switch to GNU/Linux

HP machine
My wife's computer



Summary: Myth-busting regarding the difficulty -- or lack thereof -- when moving to GNU/Linux on the desktop

EVERYONE in my family (parents, siblings) is using GNU/Linux or has used it in the past. It is not hard; Android is used by almost everyone, but on the desktop too I never really encountered serious support-related issues/questions. So this new article from Life Hacker [1] irked me somewhat. It basically shows some screenshots very selectively and pretends that with Windows there can never be technical challenges (let alone routine complications like viruses, fragmentation, bad patches, lack of software repositories, lack of functionality on the desktop, restarts, freezes and the list goes on and on). Based on my experience, people choose to switch to GNU/Linux because Windows becomes a big mess requiring a lot of technical support, not because they are after a platform which is more complicated and technical. The motivations are technical, not idealogical. My wife uses KDE with multiple desktops, a clipboard stack (through Klipper), bash terminals, and ssh. These are not too hard to grasp, it just takes a bit of adjustment. Those four features are not even basic features, and they aren't accommodated at all by Windows (in GNU/Linux these are all built in). There is one particular article [2] titled "Confessions of a 40 year old virgin". Published only a few days ago, the article explains what a new GNU/Linux user may have to go through. It's nothing too daunting. Slackware 14.1 was released some days ago [3] and it surely targets veteran users of GNU/Linux. It doesn't need to create a stereotype about the level of difficulty of GNU/Linux, which is basically a stack that suits everyone, provided a suitably simple/advanced desktop front end. Point Linux 2.2 is another distribution which has just come out [4] and it goes a long way in simplifying things; to quote the new review, "Point Linux gives you the ability to watch Flash videos (and play games) as well as listen to MP3s by default." When it comes to installing new software, it is so much easier than Windows. The ending words of this review say: "Whilst Synaptic isn't as glamourous looking as one of the many software centres out there it is incredibly functional and gives you full access to repositories."



Related/contextual items from the news:



  1. How Hard Is It to Switch to Linux?
    In the end, Linux is great for a lot of things, even if you don't use it as your main OS. It's perfect for setting up a home theater PC without buying Windows, or reviving a super old machine. But if you want to really dig deeply and use it as your main operating system, just know that things are going to be a little different than Windows or OS X. For some, it's well worth the effort, but others may find that it's too much work for little payoff. The only way you can know is to try it out for yourself.


  2. Confessions of a 40 year old virgin
    Well actually, to be more specific, I was a LINUX virgin who didn't know the difference between Ubunto (yes, in that spelling!) and Mint. And DarkDuck helped me to 'pop my cherry'. Now I think that I should stop with the lame sexual analogies before this gets downright weird.

    [...]

    DarkDuck, the owner of the above mentioned site, suggested that it was probably worth waiting for the latest version and I took his advice, opting for the 64-bit version. The disk arrived a couple of days after the release date for 13.10, and the installation was fast and painless. I found a few tips on the web about configuring the Firewall and so on and now the laptop is working again.


  3. Slackware Release Announcement [14.1]
    Yes, it is that time again! After well over a year of planning, development, and testing, the Slackware Linux Project is proud to announce the latest stable release of the longest running distribution of the Linux operating system, Slackware version 14.1!


  4. Point Linux 2.2 - Is there life on Mars?
    Point Linux 2.2 is a welcome blast from the past with the way it looks. It reminds you of how good things were back when Gnome 2 was prominent.

    The performance of Point Linux on the Toshiba Satellite Pro that I am using is excellent.

    I didn't come across any issues whilst using Point Linux and the experience has been really good.

    There is one thing I would like to add though. If I could go back to any point in time in my past then it would be either the 1970s or the 1980s.

    I like the 1970s because in my head it would be like "Life on Mars" and I like the 1980s because I have lived through it once already and life seemed easier back then.

    The truth is the reason why I would be happy back in the 1980s is because I know what happened and during my 1980s nothing bad happened.

    The same can be said of Ubuntu back at version 10.04. I used it. I remember it well. It was great, it was stable and I really liked it and I know nothing bad happened whilst I used it.

    Is that a good enough reason to go back in time?

    Unity, Cinnamon, Gnome 3. They have all added something new and they are clearly the future of Linux. (Ok KDE as well, if you must).

    Point Linux is like a time machine. It gives me back a really good operating system which works in a way I used to work. Do I still want to work that way? I am not quite sure.

    Taking it on face value, Point Linux is a really nice operating system that performs well, is easy enough to navigate and has no real major issues. If that is what you need then it is well worth a shot.


Recent Techrights' Posts

Microsoft's "FUD-as-a-Service" (Against Linux) Not Functioning Well
This is the kind of contribution companies like Microsoft and Google have to offer to society
Betanews Becoming a Slopfarm is "Betanews Growing Alongside You", According to Betanews
Their first 'article' in over two weeks is 52% "AI-generated" (slop), 33% mixed (edited slop), 18% human-written, says an advanced scanner.
Double-Dipping the Docket for Microsoft Glory and Censorship of Microsoft Critics
same lawyer, same barrister, all US, all Microsoft
 
Links 17/06/2025: "The Grift Economy" and Kubernetes Does Proprietary
Links for the day
Coffee Day and LLM Sloppers
The LLM slop "bros" are a lot like fake-money bros; they lie to people, they boast that they lie to people, and they're generally bad people, BS artists in colloquial terms
TheLayoff Censorship of IBM Threads Has Gone Truly Ludicrous
we do not argue that TheLayoff should not cull LLM slop
More Stallmanites Added to FSF Board and Summer Fundraiser Commences
There's some good news from the FSF
Gemini Links 17/06/2025: Consistency and Notes About NixOS
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, June 16, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, June 16, 2025
July 2 2025 Would Not be First Big Wave of Microsoft Layoffs Before Major National Holiday
July 2 or 3 mark the start of a very long weekend in the US
IDG's NetworkWorld Seems to Have Just Become LLM Slop
If IDG (now controlled by China) does that in at least one site, why not the rest? Only a matter of time?
Gemini Links 16/06/2025: Free Lunches and Bookmarklet for Mastodon
Links for the day
Gemini Protocol Turns 6 on Friday
Active (online) Gemini capsules are estimated by Lupa at over 3,000
IBM: Less Than a Month's Severance for Each Decade of Service
Yes, decade!
Taking a Lesson From Denmark and Greenland? Iceland Shows New Lows for Windows, All-Time Highs for GNU/Linux
If Microsoft sabotages systems of judges at the Hague (in order to appease the insane man who wanted to invade Greenland), why won't its neighbour Iceland take note?
BetaNews Has Just Deleted Its Latest 'Article' or Got Cracked Again and Restored From Outdated Backup Again
BetaNews seems to be in some serious trouble right now
Software Freedom is "Activism" Because the Corporate Agenda Revolves Around Bribery, Deceit, and Betrayal
At the end Software Freedom will win because it's on the same side as truth and lawfulness
The EPO, Europe's Largest Patent Office, Admits Outsourcing to Microsoft Slop
Their sole goal is to make more money
Links 16/06/2025: EchoLeak and NASA Teaming up With India
Links for the day
The Better the Understanding or the More Nations Understand the Threat Posed by Microsoft, the Faster It'll be Eradicated
We believe that the thing to advocate is self-hosting and Free software... A lack of simplicity or absence of alternatives is a form of vendor lock-in
A Week of Sunlight
They say transparency is like sunlight to a vampire
"Linux" Sites That Went Astray
there are even worse things than shutdowns
Links 16/06/2025: Climate, Wildfires, Breaches, and Monopolies
Links for the day
Links 16/06/2025: Summer in Finland and Misunderstandings
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, June 15, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, June 15, 2025
Gemini Links 15/06/2025: Rainy Season and OpenDocument Format (ODF)
Links for the day
Links 15/06/2025: Military Games, Parade, and Actions
Links for the day
Links 15/06/2025: Windows TCO, Openwashing, and Wars
Links for the day
Gemini Links 15/06/2025: "AI Fatigue and Crappiness"
Links for the day
When Abusive Law Firms (Working for Microsofters Against Us) Assert That Someone Writing in Social Media About Himself is Confidential Information
There was no reason to throw "GDPR" into 2 SLAPPs; they know it, but the goal was to increase the cost of a Defence and lessen the incentive to challenge the SLAPPs
Microsoft Attack Dogs Against Watchdogs and Guard Dogs in Software
Last year Microsofters hired attack dogs or "guns for hire"
Slop Cannot Replace Domain Expertise
All this "AI" hype (it's not even intelligence, it's all a misnomer, as many of us have insisted all along) will fizzle and be written off as a failed experiment
IBM's Fresh 'PIPs' (Action Before Layoffs)
At times like these, even once-reputable employers resort to PIPs and other procedures/tricks for denial of workers' rights
Microsoft is a Problem Not Just for Denmark
Every country should consider what Denmark is doing, why Denmark is doing it, and then do the same
The Slopfarms' Self Detonation
If more sites like BetaNews go under, then maybe we can still salvage some of the Web
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, June 14, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, June 14, 2025