Iā€™ve some weeks ago moved my main computer from Windows 10 to Linux, specifically OpenSUSE Leap with the Plasma user environment, mainly because it doesnā€™t have the magic Windows 11 chip. I had never used Linux and have been a Windows user since I was six years old or somewhere around then (Iā€™m in my late twenties now). Iā€™d just like to share my likes and dislikes.

Things I like about Linux (my specific install, anyway):

  • Not being a corporate environment. There arenā€™t any cheeky attempts at making money or advertisement anywhere, like the annoying fake widgets in Windows 11 and the half-filled start menu. Iā€™ve gotten used to that on my laptop (which is running 11), but you do always have the feeling of ā€˜what are they trying now?ā€™ That not being a thing is quite refreshing.
  • In that veign, having actual widgets. I loved them in Windows 7; Iā€™ve got a webpage widget on my second screen showing a Zoho sheet I made with an RSS feed. Just being able to be a bit creative like that is cool.
  • The system seems quite a bit quicker than it was in Windows - though in all honesty this will also be because Iā€™m still on a fairly fresh install.
  • Iā€™m positively surprised by how little I miss from Windows when it comes to programs. Steam having compatibility tools is great, for example. Otherwise there are often replacements for what Iā€™m missing (eg. Iā€™ve found one to allow general settings for my Logitech mouse).
  • The general ability to change the way everything looks and feels. I feel technical people sometimes look down a bit on aesthetics, but I really care about the user interface I use day in day out looking and feeling nice. While Iā€™m a fan of the Windows 11 look myself, I really like how much Iā€™ve been able to get my UI to look how I want it to in Plasma. Though Iā€™m a bit surprised that itā€™s so hard to change the appearance of the start menu and bottom panel. Iā€™ve had to install a specific program to change their colouring.
  • The little icon jumping next to your cursor when opening a program (I know, Iā€™m easily amused).

Things Iā€™ve found annoying:

  • Not knowing where to find anything. Of course, coming from Windows Iā€™m used to there being a program files folder with my programsā€™ folders, and a documents folder with (often) user settings for those programs. In Linux, everything just seems to be everywhere. What seems to be the ā€˜documentsā€™ equivalent for the game Factorio is in my user folder in a hidden .factorio, but Iā€™ve to no avail been trying to find out where my ā€˜documentsā€™ for Workers and Resources are. Iā€™ll find them eventually, Iā€™m sure. In general, Iā€™m looking around a lot, though.
  • The lingering feeling of instability. This is my second install of OpenSUSE, after I messed up something leading to my computer having some files which it wanted to update, but using urls which didnā€™t exist. After this, Iā€™ve been feeling a bit insecure and afraid of doing something that ruins my installation. I know thereā€™s the saying that Linux ā€˜just worksā€™, but Iā€™ve never messed up a Windows installationā€¦
  • The capslock works differently, apparently. Iā€™m used to writing every capital letter using the capslock key, meaning if I write a capital at the beginning of a word, I press capslock, then type the first letter, then quickly press capslock again and type the rest. In Linux, this often doesnā€™t work as it somehow takes a while for the capslock press to go into effect, so you often end up with ā€˜LInuxā€™, for example. After lots of looking around, I have found some script that seems to fix this (ā€˜Linux CapsLock Delay Fixer Masterā€™), but it also randomly stops working and there are other ā€˜odditiesā€™ I canā€™t really explain.
  • Every once in a while, my desktop icons get rearranged. This seems to be a known issue, but itā€™s really annoying.
  • It seems impossible to get Firefox to not restore sessions after shutting down the computer with it still open. Iā€™ve tried several things, but I canā€™t get Firefox to just give me a fresh session on startup.
  • The above all add to a bit of a general ā€˜stuck together with adhesive tape and loveā€™ feeling.
  • Not knowing how to install programs. This is more of a learning-curve thing, obviously. The software centre didnā€™t contain everything I could find online - for some programs, you could use ā€˜one clickā€™ in OpenSUSE, but that seems to work more like a self-destruct button: Iā€™ve tried those several times and have always had bad results >.>. Iā€™ve found itā€™s easiest to install programs just using flatpaks.

All in all, I am quite happy. Though I am still afraid Iā€™ll mess up my installation, and Iā€™m now at a point where thatā€™d hurt. I have installed Timeshift, but also with mixed resultsā€¦

  • utopiah@lemmy.ml
    5Ā·
    22 hours ago

    First and foremost, welcome to Linux!

    Few pointers to hopefully help the process :

    • ā€œNot knowing where to find anything.ā€ indeed, itā€™s disorienting but it will come. You can find actual ā€œmapsā€ but honestly, just as you would do in other operating system, use the search function. If itā€™s not obvious this way, search online. The first few times it will be weird then each time it does become easier until it actually makes sense!
    • ā€œThe lingering feeling of instability.ā€ have a /home directory (not ā€œfolderā€, thatā€™s funnily enough a Windows term as they tried to be different, going from the unanimously used / to their own C:\ things) so that you can actually go ā€œnutsā€ with your installation, actually messing things up but without the fear of losing your precious data! Each new install is an occasion to learn. That being said, Linux is very VERY stable. Iā€™ve been running the same installation for years, on desktop and servers alike. If something goes wrong it can usually be fixed and itā€™s, again, an occasion to learn. That being said, having a dedicated /home directory on its own partition or even disk gives you the opportunity for a low effort low risk blank slate.
    • ā€œThe capslock works differentlyā€ ā€¦ well this one is quick, youā€™re looking for the SHIFT key if you only want to type few characters in uppercase ;)
    • ā€œEvery once in a while, my desktop icons get rearranged.ā€ yet another occasion to learn. Whatā€™s the bug from? Is there an issue open? Is it being worked on? By whom? How? Why? You might even be able to fix it!
    • ā€œIt seems impossible to get Firefox to not restore sessions after shutting down the computer with it still open.ā€ itā€™s in the Firefox preference : Settings -> Startup -> untick ā€œOpen previous windows and tabsā€, literally the first option.
    • ā€œThe above all add to a bit of a general ā€˜stuck together with adhesive tape and loveā€™ feeling.ā€ nice, and thatā€™s just the surface, itā€™s now YOUR system so you can do whatever you want, even if everybody else disagree.
    • ā€œNot knowing how to install programs.ā€ well that loops back to all the learning opportunities above and the last remark, itā€™s YOUR system so you can use whatever you prefer, both in terms of apps, settings or even how to install (or not! Check e.g. Nix) apps. There are even ā€œweirderā€ things like https://github.com/ivan-hc/AM but the point is, you decide, again, always!