Introduction Link to heading
It all started in September of 2020, I had a very low end laptop from 2009 with a dual core CPU and 3 GB of RAM. I was having a terrible experience with Windows 10 on it, it would lag all the time and would take a couple of minutes to boot. That’s when decided to try out a Linux distro.
About Linux Link to heading
The Linux kernel was developed by Linus Torvalds as he didn’t have enough money to buy the UNIX operating system during his college. I have always been curious about Linux, the free and open source operating system that powers many of the world’s servers, supercomputers, and smartphones. Over the years it has seen tremendous growth from many contributors thanks to the concept of OPen Source Software. I wanted to know what it was like to use Linux as my main operating system, and how it compared to Windows, which I had been using for most of my life.
Getting Started Link to heading
I started by doing some research online, reading articles and watching videos about Linux. I learned that Linux is just the kernel whereas the operating systems that utilise the Linux kernel are called Linux distributions or distros, that cater to different needs and preferences. Some of the most popular ones are Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, Debian and Arch. I also learned that Linux is highly customizable and flexible, allowing users to tweak almost every aspect of their system.
I decided to give Linux a try on my laptop, which was running Windows 10. I did not want to erase Windows completely, so I opted for a dual boot setup, which means that I could choose between Windows and Linux every time I booted my laptop. To do this, I had to create a bootable USB drive with a Linux distro of my choice. I chose the XFCE edition of Linux Mint, because it seemed beginner-friendly and had a large community of users and support and also beacause I had poor hardware.
I followed the guide on the Linux Mint website to create the bootable USB drive and install Linux Mint alongside Windows. The process was fairly straightforward and did not take too long although I was anxious as I hadn’t backed up my data. I was able to resize my Windows partition and create a new one for Linux Mint without losing any data. After the installation was complete, I rebooted my laptop and was welcomed by the GRUB menu.
My Experience Link to heading
I chose Linux Mint and was greeted by a sleek and modern desktop environment. I was impressed by how fast and smooth everything was. I explored the default applications and settings, and found them easy to use and intuitive. I also installed some additional software from the Linux Mint Software Center, which had a huge selection of free and open source programs.
I spent the next few weeks using Linux Mint as my primary operating system. I used it for browsing the web, writing documents, watching videos, listening to music, and more. I found that Linux Mint could do everything that Windows could do, and sometimes even better. I also enjoyed learning new things about Linux and discovering its features and capabilities. Initially i was a bit hesitant to use the terminal but as time went by I was able to understand it better and exploring its amazing capabilities.
Although many of the apps I used were available on Linux, I still had to figure out alternatives for some. I did not come across any major issues while using Linux, some of the minor bugs that iI came across were resolved with help from the community. Switching to Linux will demand some of your time initially but I think it is worth it and you should also give it a try.
Switching to Linux Completely Link to heading
I later came to know that I had made the /boot partition too small and as a result I couldn’t install my wifi drivers. After a few weeks went by I decided to reinstall Mint but in that process ended up erasing the Windows boot entry 😆 as a result I ended up switching to Linux full time and learned many new things about it as I dove deeper. I discovered the customising capabilities of Linux, various Desktop Environments and Window Managers. You can check them out here.
Conclusion Link to heading
That is how my Linux journey began. Since then, I have tried out other Linux distros as well, such as Mint, Fedora, Debian and Arch. I have also learned more about the command line, the kernel, the file system, the package manager, and other aspects of Linux. I have become a part of the Linux community, which is friendly and helpful and also try to help others with their problems. I also made some friends in the process.
I am glad that I discovered Linux and gave it a chance. It has changed my computing experience for the better and taught me about FOSS. If you are curious about Linux too, I encourage you to try it out for yourself. You might be surprised by how much you like it.