Report: Three Months With Linux

As some of you know, I somewhat inadvertently switched from Windows 10 to Linux Mint three months ago. I had been threatening to do so for quite some time, being sick and tired of having few if any choices about how Windows ran, how much data it collected on me, and with the entire update process. Not to mention blue screens, freezes, and error messages.

So I downloaded the latest version of Linux Mint. Luckily, when I missed unchecking a box and wiped my hard drive of Windows in favor of Linux (I had intended to try them side-by-side, something you can do with Linux) I had previously saved all my documents and photos to an external drive so none of that was lost.

Now that I was on Linux, however, I determined to give it a try for a while – I could always put my Win 10 recovery stick in and restore it, I reasoned. Here’s my summary of my first three months on Linux Mint 19.3 with the Cinnamon desktop:

Installation: This may be the touchiest part, as I learned. Making an installation USB stick or DVD isn’t hard, but the language and options presented when you boot to it might be a bit confusing – as it was to me.

Stability: I have had zero hiccups. No blue screens, no hangups, and no error messages; it just works flawlessly.

Security: Linux does not allow ANY changes or additions to its coding either external or through my input unless I type in my administrator authorization password. So there’s zero chance of malware, hacking, or ransomware. I no longer need anti-virus software.

Open Source: Because it has no proprietary code, it is almost impossible for someone to hide “backdoor access” or even buggy coding without it being caught by thousands of worldwide developers in no time. Most software made for Linux is also open source, so the same thing applies. There are open-source versions of almost every Windows application.

Compatibility: See above. Software is written with full access to the core kernel of Linux, so it all just runs, with no compatibility issues from version to version or machine to machine. The reason I didn’t switch to Linux long ago was because I am a devoted Quicken user, and Linux does not run Quicken. Or so I thought. Linux comes with or easily installs a “translation” program called Wine that allows me to run most Windows software including Quicken, under Linux. Wine allows you to use most but not quite all Windows programs.

Updates: Linux updates in small bites, not in huge monthly uploads. When I get an update notice for either the core program or some other bit of software, it downloads and installs (only AFTER I give the go-ahead) in seconds to not more than a couple minutes, AND I can do other things while it does so. No lengthy downloads, repeated reboots, or monopolizing of the machine for hours during the process. Painless.

Customization: The version I installed (and there are literally hundreds of versions of Linux) has the look and feel of Windows. Most aspects of it are intuitive to a Windows user, once you learn some new terms. Virtually everything about it, however, can be customized to anything I’d like. You cannot do that in Windows. Many or most changes can be done from pull-down menus, some from Terminal (Command Line). I left mine almost as-is and it is just fine.

Cost: Linux is free and comes with most of what you’d need like Firefox and Chromium browsers, Libre Office, dozens of accessories, and more. If it isn’t in the installation package, you can download and install hundreds of programs, most of which are free or very cheap.

User Data: Linux does not track your browsing, does not offer your data to advertisers, has no always-on “assistant” that records everything you do, and does not allow outside places to probe your machine for any. This is huge.

Size: Before I reloaded all my documents and photos, Linux Mint took up less than a quarter of the space on my hard drive that Windows did. Even with everything moved in plus installing a few games and other software, it takes up only 85 Gbytes and uses 2 Gbytes of memory.

Downsides: If you must use certain proprietary business software written only for Windows, such as CAD/CAM, or you are mostly a gamer, Linux is not for you. I have some devices such as my golf GPS that won’t “sync” with my Linux. No workaround found yet, but I’m still looking. I had to figure a way to backup my Quicken files, because Quicken looks for C: F: etc drives, and Linux doesn’t label them that way. (I save my backup to the desktop and then drag it to a thumb drive. Simple.)

Summary: I have no intention of ever going back to Windows. Linux may not be for everyone but for most people it solves a lot of frustration caused by Windows. If you hate the “take it or leave it” attitude of Microsoft, you can in fact leave it.

If you do, your hardest decision will be which version or “distribution” of Linux to try. The top two are Ubuntu and Mint, but there are Peppermint, Debian, Zorin, Manjaro, Arch, Solus, KDE and many many more. Some versions are intended for real experts and depend on you being able to code or at least manipulate code. Some are meant for new users. Some are very small and are for older machines with limited memory or space. Almost all are now built for 64-bit systems. Let me simplify it for you: Mint.

My distribution is Linux Mint 19.3 Cinnamon. Cinnamon refers to the look and feel of the desktop, and it is hard to tell from Windows. 19.3 is the latest update. It is by far the most popular “distro” today because it is such an easy transition from Windows to Linux. I recommend it as the one to try and maybe stick with. Go here: https://linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=274

You can try any distribution you like on a bootable USB stick or DVD without installing any of them. Or install one side-by-side with Windows if you choose. NOTE! As a precaution make sure you save your documents, photos, music, videos and the like to an external drive or the cloud, but NOT as a Windows backup. Copy them intact. Then, when you find the Linux you like, just import them to the appropriate folders.

If you need instructions, help, or have questions, PM me.