It all started a little while before the support of Windows 7 ended, somewhere late 2019. Already using a couple of open source programs like Inkscape and Gimp, and at some point I wanted a bit more flexibility than my desktop. So a laptop was an obvious choice. The challenge was that I had a very small budget, so I asked around and my sister had an old laptop. This was a Compaq nx7400 with 80Gb hdd and 512Mb ram with a 32bits processor. This was probably a good spec laptop at some point in history, but it had far lower specs than my desktop. Anyway it was portable, and a good starting point for experimenting with alternative operating systems.
After installing Linux Mint I was pleasantly surprised how smooth everything was working. A quick start both operating system and programs like Gimp. Of course when using filters in Gimp there was a noticeable slowing down, this could take minutes 😁. So after a short while a small upgrade of extra cheap ram and ssd was ordered. Then it was okay and I worked with this set up for probably about 1 or 2 years.
Then a couple of years later I was very lucky at Christmas, I got an used HP Probook, with Windows 10. So I finally had a chance to go back to Windows. I tried the fresh installed Windows of course I needed a Microsoft account, after that the usual removal of bloat ware and unwanted software. I was thinking: why am I doing this.. this took 2 or 3 hours, my favorite software is build for Linux, everything feels restricted and unnatural. So after one day Windows 10 was gone and Linux Mint was installed.
This laptop was capable of running a lot of more programs, because it had a 64bits processor ( like any slightly modern computer). So this was the moment where I started exploring. Different programs, mostly out of curiosity just to see what is possible. And in this process I picked up some new interests. It turns out Linux is great if you're interested in coding.
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| Screenshot of my current Debian desktop |
Recently I tried some other distro, and ended with Debian. And for my work I'm still chained to Windows, because a lot of specialized technical software is only designed for Windows. So I have a good comparison between the two.
And here's what I've learned through the years: Linux is different than Windows and so things are done different, that doesn't mean it's more difficult. Of course some things are easier in Windows, but also a lot of things are way easier in Linux. And the same applies to the software, for example LibreOffice works better in many ways than Microsoft Office ( that is now replaced with CoPilot ). The biggest advantages are a operating system that starts and closes faster, and is less resource hungry. Linux also respects you as a user and doesn't stop you because there is an update. You can update when you have the time and even if you update automatically this process runs smoothly in the background. The majority of things can be done in the graphic user interface and doesn't require the command line. But after a while you can learn a thing or two and get used to the command line. For example you can install programs from flathub.org and that's just a simple step of copy and paste a small piece of text in the commandline. The overall freedom is great, but it comes with responsibility. For example you can run older versions of software, but you can also delete some important parts of your operating system like your boot section or internet browser. So be sure to backup on regular basis ( or don't do stupid things). And more recently I've experienced that a game build for Windows available in the Steamstore runs perfect on Linux thanks to Proton. So even if you're a gamer, changes are that you don't need Windows.
So if you're interested in using Linux, give it a try. You can install an image on a usb stick for a live test without installing anything. You could have a look at flathub for an idea what kind of apps there are build for Linux. It's free, and if you like it you can give a donation.
I'm planning on writing some more tips, so if you have any suggestions or questions just leave a comment.
Have a great day and until next time.
Greetings Andres
