What Linux distro as a newbie - and should I even try linux??

  • Want to keep track of this thread?
    Accounts can bookmark posts, watch threads for updates, and jump back to where you stopped reading.
    Create account
del_toid

del_toid

#1 RFK Jr. Superfan
kiwifarms.net
Joined
Apr 21, 2021
I've been switching to FOSS/privacy centric software, thinking about switching to Linux basically as a middle finger to Windows. Manjaro seems cool.
I'm not a power user, I just game and browse on my pc. Worth switching or retarded?
 
Solution
Gargamel
Arch Linux user here. If you don't have a good reason to leave Windows, don't.

If you want to learn Linux or you're curious about the dark side, try WSL. It's like having a Linux inside your Windows, because it literally is.

If you're insistent on leaving Windows, try an Ubuntu-derived distro. Do this especially if you have a newer laptop. The Ubuntu OEM kernel has a lot of hardware support lacking in the kernels of other distros.

It is best to avoid Arch if you don't have prior Linux experience. It's not impossible to learn Linux with Arch, but it will be extremely frustrating when it inevitably breaks. If you're insistent on Arch-derived distros over Arch, just don't. Arch itself has enough issues, being downstream of it just...
Sort by date Sort by votes
dt_oid said:
I definitely want to try it out for fun, but I don't even know what a "good reason" to switch to Linux is lmao
Click to expand...

If you're trying to disconnect yourself from the global panopticon, it's a necessary but insufficient condition. You also need to stop using credit cards for anything but utility bills delete your social media, and delete any accounts you have with Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc.

Another good reason to switch is you hate the way Microsoft keeps sneaking in ads and pride flags and mainstream news into Windows so much is that you'd rather lose access to a variety of commercial applications than have to disable the rainbow flag notification ever again.

The freeware ecosystem is generally better if you have no money. What I mean is free Windows software tends to be worse than free Linux software. There are proportionately more nerds working on passion projects for Linux than for Windows.

If you code, I would argue that Linux is no longer the best environment even for Linux software development as of Windows 11 working out the major kinks in WSL. I switched to Windows for Linux software development a couple years ago and will never go back.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The Ugly One said:
If you're trying to disconnect yourself from the global panopticon, it's a necessary but insufficient condition. You also need to stop using credit cards for anything but utility bills delete your social media, and delete any accounts you have with Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc.
Click to expand...
I've almost completely de-googled my life, deleted all of my social media etc. I'm choosing my next phone based on how many android custom roms are available for it.
The Ugly One said:
The freeware ecosystem is generally better if you have no money. What I mean is free Windows software tends to be worse than free Linux software. There are proportionately more nerds working on passion projects for Linux than for Windows
Click to expand...

The prospect of a large passion project ecosystem is enticing
PositiveMonk said:
The thing is, moving to Linux because of the shitty stuff Microsoft does IS a valid reason.
Click to expand...

Based
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
PositiveMonk said:
The thing is, moving to Linux because of the shitty stuff Microsoft does IS a valid reason.
Click to expand...

It's a valid reason, but people need to be aware of the downsides, which a lot of Linux People will deny are real until you play 20 questions. Downsides:
  1. There's a lot of commercial software you won't have access to. It's not as bad as it was in 2006, but some of the stuff you can't use is some of the biggest stuff, ranging from Photoshop to Fortnite. "Everything that doesn't work is goyslop" is a cope.

  2. You will need to manually intervene far more often than you do with Windows to make stuff work. Expect occasional major breakages. It isn't "part of the fun of having a computer," it's part of the cost of using something free that is cobbled together out of uncoordinated projects.

  3. There is a fair amount of hardware that plain does not work. You will need to make sure hardware works before buying it, and this is far more important with laptops. If you get a laptop, do not expect to be able to buy just any old Windows laptop and put Linux on it. Buy a laptop that has Linux preinstalled by the OEM.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The Ugly One said:
It's a valid reason, but people need to be aware of the downsides, which a lot of Linux People will deny are real until you play 20 questions. Downsides:
  1. There's a lot of commercial software you won't have access to. It's not as bad as it was in 2006, but some of the stuff you can't use is some of the biggest stuff, ranging from Photoshop to Fortnite. "Everything that doesn't work is goyslop" is a cope.

  2. You will need to manually intervene far more often than you do with Windows to make stuff work. Expect occasional major breakages. It isn't "part of the fun of having a computer," it's part of the cost of using something free that is cobbled together out of uncoordinated projects.

  3. There is a fair amount of hardware that plain does not work. You will need to make sure hardware works before buying it, and this is far more important with laptops. If you get a laptop, do not expect to be able to buy just any old Windows laptop and put Linux on it. Buy a laptop that has Linux preinstalled by the OEM.
Click to expand...
@3
Any Lenovo or Dell XPS for laptops.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Linux Mint has become less user friendly since 20, GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) is no longer pre-installed, and there is a shitty IPTV player named Hypnotix. It's also become slower and some things are no longer supported such as Gnash for running SWF files.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Bruno Powroznik said:
Debain or Fedora

More fedora if you want to play games via proton. There is a distro called "nobara linux" which is based on fedora that sets up all the gaming shit for you out of the box.

Click to expand...
I just installed nobara (gnome) today and got it running. It's been fun messing with it and getting all of the programs I use working. It feels really sluggish though? Like even if I only have Firefox open, it constantly "hangs" and youtube stutters a lot. Games all play at <10 fps. I have a i9 10900k and a 1660TI, 32g of ram, surely it isn't hardware related?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
dt_oid said:
I just installed nobara (gnome) today and got it running. It's been fun messing with it and getting all of the programs I use working. It feels really sluggish though? Like even if I only have Firefox open, it constantly "hangs" and youtube stutters a lot. Games all play at <10 fps. I have a i9 10900k and a 1660TI, 32g of ram, surely it isn't hardware related?
Click to expand...
dud you specifically download the (nvidia) build or just the normal one?. on linux there are 2 different drivers for nvidia cards, a proprietary one made by nvidia and a open sourced, reversed engineered one called nouveau. (its confusing i know, thank nvidia for being jews). nouveau has bad 3d performance compared to the proprietary driver so it sounds like that could be the issue
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Bruno Powroznik said:
dud you specifically download the (nvidia) build or just the normal one?. on linux there are 2 different drivers for nvidia cards, a proprietary one made by nvidia and a open sourced, reversed engineered one called nouveau. (its confusing i know, thank nvidia for being jews). nouveau has bad 3d performance compared to the proprietary driver so it sounds like that could be the issue
Click to expand...
Nope, I downloaded the standard version, didn't even scroll down to see the Nvidia versions, I'll try it again tonight :D
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom