this post was submitted on 14 Mar 2024
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Leas about needs, more about taking back control of mt personal electronics
That makes you a good candidate; it means you are motivated. Expect to learn new things. Expect that sometimes you are going to blame something on Linux when it's really your own ignorance. Expect that sometimes, it might be the fault of Linux, or might be the fault of the distro you chose, etc.
Some very fundamental things work differently. Go to a forum or community that is specific to the distro you choose and ask them about the proper way to install software and "package management." Understanding that one topic, and the nuance of how your chosen distro expects you to manage software, will stave off a great many of the problems you are likely to have as a noobie.
If considering this a learning experience sounds good to you, you will succeed. Don't try to "learn Linux" - try to learn what you need to in order to achieve individual tasks on your system, or solve minor annoyances. Doing that will pull in a lot of context. Linux forums are great, but forums specific to the distro you choose will almost always be superior during the learning phase.
In this very thread I see comments from folks who likely expected it to work just like Windows with different trappings. Don't expect that, because it's not what you are going to get. Consider it an adventure.
Source: Tried Linux and gave up in 1999. Tried Linux and gave up in 2004. Tried Linux and stuck with it in 2007. Have not touched Windows except when paid to do so since then, and each and every year since then has made it clearer and clearer what a good decision that was.
I support Windows for my job, and have done so for over twenty years. I find Linux easier to use in every way, and more reliable, and I don't have to force it to respect my authority as the owner of the system it runs on.
Thabk you
You're welcome!