If you're thinking about switching from Windows or MacOS, below you'll find essential tips that will help you get the most out of your new operating system.
The good news: Linux today isn't as difficult as it once was. In fact, Linux is very easy.
However, there are a few things you should know as you begin your journey with an open source operating system.
Let's start
1. Say goodbye to lockdown
If you use Windows or MacOS, you're essentially locked into the way Microsoft or Apple does things. When you use those operating systems, you get what you get, and that's it.
With Linux, you have choices — lots of choices. If you don't like the way your chosen distribution looks or works, change it. Install a different desktop or customize the default one to perfectly suit your needs.
You're also not locked into using Microsoft or Apple's cloud services. If you prefer, you don't have to have a cloud service as part of your computing experience.
You don't need to use a Windows login or OneDrive, or iCloud, or the default desktop.
Instead, you can use whatever you want, get rid of whatever you don't want, and combine almost anything until you have exactly what you want.
2. The terminal is optional (but useful)
Almost everyone who thinks about switching to Linux says, “I don’t want to learn how to use commands.” There’s good news: The terminal isn’t necessary. Sure, it used to be mandatory, but that was due to a lack of well-designed GUI tools.
Modern Linux distributions have all the graphical tools you need to get everything done without ever touching the command line, so you can put those fears aside and trust that the command line (CLI for command line interface) is not something you should be using.
However, CLI is very powerful and one of the most efficient ways to do many things. I recommend not to ignore it completely. Instead, slowly start exploring it by learning some of the very basic commands like ls, cd, mkdir, cp, etc.
3. Stick to the main distributions
There are some really great niche distributions, some of which offer amazing desktops that are like works of art. There are distributions aimed at gamers, administrators, creators, and more.
What is important, however, at the beginning, is to choose one of the main distributions (such as Ubuntu, Linux Mint, ZorinOS, Fedora).
Why
These distributions have a proven track record and do a great job of combining user-friendliness, stability, security, and performance. With these mainstream distributions, you can be sure that everything works, updates won't fail, and support will be there for a long time.
Plus, when you use one of the major distributions, there are large online communities ready to help you, and that's very hard to put a price on.
4. Don't expect Linux to be Windows or MacOS
There are distributions available that look like Windows or MacOS, but you're starting off wrong. Remember that these three operating systems Linux, Windows, and MacOS are not the same. If you think Linux looks and behaves exactly like Windows, you're in for a surprise.
With Windows, you can do many things without having to enter a security password. With Linux, every task you attempt requires elevated privileges, and requires you to type in your password.
This doesn't mean that everything will be different, as there are many similarities (such as drag-and-drop support, GUI tools, file managers, browsers). But it's important not to think of Linux and Windows (or MacOS) as the same, just because they're all operating systems.
5. There is an app store
Believe it or not, Linux was the first operating system to use an app store-like feature. In the early days, there was Synaptic, a GUI front end for package managers. You opened Synaptic, searched for the application you wanted to install, and installed it with a few clicks. The same is true today, except Linux app stores are much more powerful.
When you compare Linux app stores to those on Windows or macOS, you'll see more flexibility and power on the Linux side. For example, you can add Flatpak or Snap support to some of the Linux app stores (like GNOME Software and KDE Discover), which greatly expands the amount of software available for installation.
6. You may not find the app you need, but…
On Linux, you may not always find the application you want to install. For example, you can’t install Photoshop on Linux. However, there is always an equivalent application for what you need. You can install GIMP instead of Photoshop and still have a very powerful image editing tool. (We’re not talking about professionals who make a living with Photoshop.)
What's important is that, if you want an application that isn't available for Linux, open your search engine and type: "What is the equivalent of Photoshop for Linux?"
You will be surprised by how many alternatives there are to choose from.
7. Linux is not as difficult as you think
Finally, you should know that Linux is not as difficult to learn as you have been led to believe. Modern Linux distributions are as easy to use as Windows or MacOS.
They have some of the most amazing desktop environments. Linux has never stopped you from getting things done. It is efficient, powerful, flexible, secure, stable and easy to use for all your daily tasks.
Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.
