beehaw.orgNeed help with Linux - BeehawSo I’ve been thinking about Linux recently, and I’m told this is where the Linux
experts hang out. I have a lot of questions that I can barely articulate, so I’m
just hoping someone gets where I’m coming from. I always knew there were more
than two operating systems, but the closest I got to open-source software was
dabbling with Firefox and OpenOffice in college. I’m an engineer, and trying to
stay compatible with all the engineering programs means you’re probably going to
use Windows whether you like it or not, so I never seriously considered another
OS until now. I’m proud of being good at Windows, but also bitter about it… I
can’t shake the nagging feeling that I’ve been missing out. So I started looking
up guides on Linux, and I have so many questions. I’m astonished by how many
distros there are. It’s not just Ubuntu, we have Mint and Zorin and MX and
enough options to make my head spin. So how do you choose a distro? Do you just
know, or do you have to try them all? Trying one is daunting enough. I’m afraid
people might lose respect for me and the open-source software movement if I
change my mind. Is there some place where you can try distros on for size
without the trouble and risk of migrating multiple times? How do I know if Linux
is right for me? How do I know Windows is wrong? If I loathe my user experience
with Windows, is that the fault of Windows or just me? If Linux starts feeling
comfortable, how do I know it’s because I’ve made the right choice and it’s not
just inertia setting in? Does that even matter? I’m at least good with Windows,
but I lack the intuition of the average Linux user. Could I really master Linux
the way I have Windows, or would my awkward personality relegate me to being a
permanent tourist? Is my hardware too old to start tinkering with OSs? I know
your choice of OS should take priority over your programs, as long as those
programs aren’t vital, but I have a full Steam library and don’t look forward to
losing any old friends. Can I partition my drive? Is that worth the trouble,
switching from OS to OS depending on circumstances? I hear some distros these
days can run some windows programs, and that you don’t have to leave your old
programs behind the way you used to, but can I count on that trend continuing?
Will losing touch with the Windows environment make it more difficult for me to
succeed in a Windows-dominated career? Sorry for the ramble. I’m probably
overthinking this. I overthink everything. But I also grew up in a time and
place where changing OSs meant you risked losing everything.
