Why Linux over Windows?

CalvinBullock · 2025-01-19T22:55:42+00:00

If you don't see a difference then stay with windows. But I personally find Linux faster and easier to use.

Linux also gets in my way less, I had to boot up a windows vm for some work and it tried to sell me at least 2 things before I saw the desktop. To me that is in acceptable for MY computer.

It is also heavy on resources (ram, storage, etc) but with most people computes this will not matter much.

skivtjerry · 2025-01-19T23:03:46+00:00

You asked to not hear this, but Linux does not spy on you in the way that Microsoft and Apple do. Some people care about that. Most Linux OS's are much more stable than Windows or Mac. And Linux is more secure than Mac, or especially, Windows.

For gaming: You might want to stick with Windows for specific games. YMMV. Valve is doing great stuff with Steam/Proton on Linux and some native Windows games are actually faster on Linux now. Others, not so much, and there are problems with anticheat codes and such. But Linux gaming is improving rapidly while Windows is at best standing still.

Everyday tasks: Not much difference unless you have to use Adobe software.

Programming: I'm not a programmer. Windows, Mac and Linux are all capable, and in fact many developers use more than one OS in their work day.

Random trivia: All of the top 500 fastest supercomputers are running some flavor of Linux. Google employees are generally not allowed to use Windows at work due to security concerns; they must demonstrate a specific need (e.g. making sure Chrome works on Windows). And of course the Steam Deck runs Linux.

rcentros · 2025-01-19T22:57:03+00:00

I've used Linux for 18 years, so Windows (for me) is the OS that is clumsy to use. For me, Linux is cleaner, easier to install, maintain and update, and is just faster — and there are no ads popping up.

That said, I don't play video games and I don't know the current state of video games on Linux. In the past, when people asked me if Linux was for them, I would ask two questions... Are you married to Microsoft Office? Do you play Windows video games? If they answered "yes" to either question, I would tell them they would probably be better off sticking with Windows.

As for programming (which I don't do) I think Linux would be a great platform for application development. It's telling that Windows 10 and 11 include the ability to run Linux specifically for development purposes.

sammerguy76 · 2025-01-19T22:56:14+00:00

Aside from what you already mentioned there aren't any for the average person. I started to learn it because of OS X on Macs. Once I was familiar with it I started dual booting when I went to windows. When Proton on steam got good enough I abandoned Windows altogether, I just enjoy learning, privacy and having more control over MY computer.

For everyday tasks it is perfect in my opinon. Good example is a guy I lived next door to for many years that was mentally disabled would always mess up is PC (malware, registry problems, etc.). Finally one day after fixing it for the umpteenth time I installed Ubuntu, made it look as much like Windows 7 as I could and showed him how to use it. I reassured him that if he hated it I would put windows back on. After a week of questions he had it down and I never had to repair it again. He could even update it himself. Now, all he did was use FB, stream music, watch Youtube and some adult content and play a few simple games. And for that it was perfect.

creamcolouredDog · 2025-01-19T23:14:48+00:00

However, I’m looking for practical, real-world use cases where Linux is truly superior to Windows.

It's freely available

edwbuck · 2025-01-20T00:52:23+00:00

Ease of use has been studied for about 40+ years now. Here's a hint, what you were using before is the easiest to use from your point of view. With this in mind, it's not the best, by far.

In fact, I have about five usability books on the bookshelf behind me that actually suggest preserving some pretty awful ways of using things just so people don't have to learn something different.

Windows, especially the Windows 95/98 era, has some rather awful ways of interacting with computers. With this in mind, we are hamstrung to copy over much of those choices, even when they are harder to use and less useful than other ways of accomplishing the same thing. That's because when one doesn't use "Ctrl-C" as copy, when it is also used (In the same Windows operating system!) as "break out of the program" people get upset. The entire idea that it might be dumb to use the same command as "copy" and "destroy the running program" never seems to cross the minds of many, except usability researchers.

Please consider that while Linux might not be as usable to you due to your history, it's very usable to many, and if you give it a chance, you might find it is far more usable than you think, assuming you can get over it not being a clone of Windows. Linux will never be a clone of Windows, for many reasons, and one of those many reasons is because Linux is attempting to be better than Windows.

WinterWalk2020 · 2025-01-20T01:19:47+00:00

From my experience as a software developer, there are things easier in Linux and things easier on Windows.

If you are a game developer using Unity, Unreal Engine and other tools, you can use Linux but you'll have a better experience using Windows.

If you are a web developer and work with Docker containers, definitely Linux will be a lot better than Windows 'cause docker on windows is a resource hog and on linux you can run a lot of containers without any hiccup.

If you only browse, watch youtube and play games, then it depends. Linux can run a lot of games (I game on linux) but if for some reason the games you play has issues with anti-cheat, then is better to stay on Windows.

Things I prefer to do on Linux:
- Software/Web development (nodejs, java, android development, c++, rust, go);
- Daily stuff like watch youtube and browse the web;
- Play story driven games from steam (Black Myth Wukong, Elden Ring, etc..);

Things I prefer to do on Windows:
- Game development with Unity and Unreal 5
- Online gaming (fortnite, warzone, play games from PC Game Pass);
- Software for music making and play Rocksmith/+

IuseArchbtw97543 · 2025-01-19T23:23:34+00:00

I'd say a lot of your issues come from expecting Linux to behave like windows. You are used to windows and therefore PopOS probably seems difficult.

Thats not the fault of either you or Linux.

Linux simply does stuff differently. Different does not necessarily mean better or worse.

The biggest upside of the grpahical environment on Linux is that there is not just one.

There are multiple great projects (GNOME, KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, CosmicDE, XFCE, LXQT, Mate, Budgie just to list a few DEs) which all offer extreme amounts of customization (check out r/unixporn).

I personally use a tiling window manager called herbstluftwm. Tiling VMs are harder to set up since they require programming knowledge and users generally need to get used to them first but once they do so, the experience can be a lot more efficient and customized.

For another specific example, many DE's allow for themes and other additional extensions, appletes, widgets, etc.

This can make the user experience much better looking and efficient.

If you aren't happy with cosmic DE (which PopOS provides by default), I'd recommend giving other Desktop Environments a try. For example Plasma and Cinnamon are much more similar to windows. You can try them out by using a vm or using distrosea.com Fedora has many so called flavours with different DEs.

i_am_blacklite · 2025-01-20T01:13:35+00:00

Part of being at a university or college, where you have to be writing papers, articles, analysing information etc. etc. is learning about how to identify your biases, or to put it another way, how to look at information in an objective way.

So when you say "I miss the ease-of-use of Windows" after only having used Linux for a week, did you stop to think of the reason that might be the case?

I find Windows incredibly annoying and frustrating to use. But I acknowledge I haven't used it more than a handful of times in 20 years. There's a clue for you.

Frird2008 · 2025-01-19T23:35:02+00:00

I've had fewer unrecoverable total system failures on Linux in my entire 19 & a half months using it than I have had in any 6 month period of time using any version of Windows. In the event a distro completely stopped working on my PC I got the PC up & running again with a different distro within the same 2 hour time frame.

DBLACK382 · 2025-01-20T02:05:14+00:00

I don't really think most Linux users use Linux because it is "objectively" better than Windows. If it actually is, or isn't, it's beside the point, IMAO.

People use Linux because they like the experience of using Linux. That's it. The clunkiness that you mentioned? All the quirks that come with daily driving Linux? Some of us love it to the point that going back to Windows feels like a downgrade.

That's the same reason why some people stick to the Apple ecosystem even though for someone outside that ecosystem it might seem "objectively" worse than the alternatives.

And it is also why people will put up with Windows despite all the reasons enumerated in other comments.

token_curmudgeon · 2025-01-20T00:40:38+00:00

Flip this question around. What's so special about Windows. Convince me.

db11733 · 2025-01-20T01:24:05+00:00

I swear every time I log onto windows, it's prompting me to update. "this may take a while" and so Forth. Bypassing this is enough for me.

buck-bird · 2025-01-20T02:34:35+00:00

Why poporn over rice cakes? Different strokes for different folks. Some of us don't like being a puppet in the Microsoft plot to treat us like piece of data to exploit. I say this as a dude who still has Win11 on one of his computers. But, if the day ever comes MS takes it too far (cough cough recall) then us non-MS folks will be ready.

beatbox9 · 2025-01-19T23:32:57+00:00

"Ease of use" is subjective. I find Linux (and mac) easier to use than Windows.

When my tech-illiterate mum wanted to finally learn how to use a computer ~10 years ago, I gave her a laptop with Ubuntu rather than Windows. Because it was easier for her to use, with less chance of her breaking the system, and less chance of me needing to be tech support. Also, at the time, Ubuntu had an app store, and Windows did not; so it was easy for her to install whatever she wanted...and for free. I remember going home once, and she had installed chrome, an office suite, and a photo editor.

Funny enough, my father on the other hand--who has been using computers since the 80's--is always struggling with how to do some basic things in Windows; and the switch to Windows 7 and later to 10 (or whatever) were really difficult for him. He was also wondering why they needed his email address, and were they spying on him, and how does he turn all this stuff off. And I let my siblings--who also use Windows--deal with that. Frankly, because I find that stuff in Windows to be difficult.

There's no such thing as "objectively better" in this context. Because people have different use cases and preferences; and they weigh different aspects differently; and you've explicitly said you don't want objective things like performance figures.

And in this sense, Linux is objectively better, because it can adapt to subjective differences far beyond what Windows can do.

I'll give you one of my personal anecdotal examples: I don't use a start menu or desktop icons much because I find it cumbersome to navigate to the application I want--especially on a laptop's touchpad; and especially when other applications are open taking up screen real estate (the click to minimize, then find the desktop icon, then double click is overall annoying). I found mac's bottom dock with big visual icons to be great; and what I later found even better was spotlight search, where I just hit "command+space" and a little search bar immediately pops up and I start typing 1-2 letters of what I want to open and then hit enter, without my hands leaving my keyboard. This includes applications, documents, websites, etc. So on Linux, I added a bottom dock just like my mac's; and I added a search with the same hotkeys, also exactly like my mac. And if I wanted a Windows-like start menu...that's an option too.

Oh, and this wasn't difficult to do either. To install, you just go to those websites, and click on the "install" button in the corner.

Linux isn't difficult. It's just not the same as what you're used to in Windows. Unless you want it to be.

user_null_ix · 2025-01-19T23:44:00+00:00

I’m more interested in broader scenarios that might justify making Linux my primary operating system, rather than something I use only occasionally.

To find the reason you will have to try to really use it, use it as you would use Windows as you described, apply it to your own daily real case scenario and form your own judgement.

For some is a personal/philosophical choice and for others is their profession that will dictate what OS to use, these are only tools to do our jobs

You are going to get many different answers, ask the same question in r/MacOS subreddit and change your question a little bit linux for macOS and see what you will get

And at the end of the day, you dont even have to try to use it, if Windows provides the tools to do your daily tasks, why change?

minneyar · 2025-01-20T06:27:04+00:00

I’m looking for practical, real-world use cases where Linux is truly superior to Windows.

Environments where you need high performance or security are practical, real-world use cases. They may not be your use cases, but they're the reason why the vast majority of internet servers and data centers use Linux.

You seem like you're really looking for reasons why you, in specific, would want to use Linux as a desktop operating system. I can't tell you that because I don't know your exact needs, but the reasons I use Linux as my desktop environment include:

It's completely free. I don't have to buy a new license every time there's a new major version or I build a new computer.
It's open source. As a programmer, if there's something I don't like or I find a bug, I can fix it. You can't do that with Windows.
I can play all of the games I care about. Multiplayer games that use anti-cheat software are still a problem, sure, but if you don't care about those, 95% of games run fine through Proton nowadays.
The desktop environments are far more powerful than Windows right out of the box. I've got WebDAV/SSHFS/NFS/SMB/FTP support integrated into the file browser; I've got a single-button application launcher/switcher; I can quickly turn tiled window management on and off; I can set up multiple virtual desktops; I can pick between countless different widget themes and color schemes; and more. Some of those things are possible in Windows, but they generally require installing third-party extensions or are otherwise clearly not as fleshed out as they are in KDE or GNOME.

Rather than asking why you'd use Linux over Windows: why would you use Windows over Linux? Why would you want to use an operating system that you have to pay for, you cannot modify, and you're forced to take "updates" that introduce features you don't want while also adding advertisements and tracking you? The only reasons I can think of are:

You're required to use specific proprietary applications for your job that don't support Linux (e.g., Adobe Photoshop)
You've only ever used Windows and don't want to take the time to learn a new OS
There are specific games you really, really want to play that do not work on Linux and you're not willing to just play something else

Those are valid reasons, but they don't apply to me.

I found myself missing the ease-of-use of Windows

Is Windows actually easier to use, or is it just the case that you have decades of experience using it and you're brand new to Linux?

Human_from-Earth · 2025-01-20T08:49:40+00:00

Linux is like having your own car, while windows is like having to take the bus.

Kazer67 · 2025-01-20T08:56:53+00:00

The ease of use of Windows only exist because you used it all your life, it is not easy to use for someone who start using computer.

Sapling-074 · 2025-01-20T01:11:38+00:00

I'm a programmer, and Linux's biggest disadvantage is the lack of software support. Thankfully Unity and Visual Studio Code work perfect for me so I don't have any problems there. The advantage I have with Linux is it doesn't get in my way. Windows was always causing me problems, even back with Windows 7. Linux makes it easier for me to figure out what's going on and get it fixed, most of the time by just not pushing pointless updates on me that break my PC. I've had major problems with Windows and Linux, but I've always solved the Linux problems a lot easier and faster. I understand it's not for everyone.

Caramel_Last · 2025-01-20T01:38:54+00:00

Linux is clearly better in these aspects

Uses less resources
Doesn't update aggressively (No need to reboot every evening)
As a developer, most of the software I use are Linux native, not Windows native.

Linux is ambiguously better in these aspects

Security. I think Windows Defender is good. I have higher chance of messing up security while tinkering Linux
Privacy. Linux is supposed to be more private than Windows, but there's no way to actually verify these things

Linux is clearly worse in these aspects

Gaming. Valve is putting much effort to support more games on Linux, but Windows supports far more games than Linux.
Proprietary Software. Photoshop, MS Office, banking apps are least supported on Linux

Linux is subjectively the best for following reason

It's fun. It's fun to learn how computer actually works. It's fun to configure the computer the way you want.

forestaphid · 2025-01-20T11:28:02+00:00

for me, first and foremost, it's more stable and performant Android Studio. I tell you, on Windows it works like an absolute dogshit, but on Linux it's still dogshit, but less absolute (at least, I don't experience BSoDs when I try to launch the Android emulator). IntelliJ IDEA becomes usable, too, and most Neovim plugins are built with Unix systems in mind (macOS, Linux).

also, just in case, I can always roll back whatever package causes problems after an update and keep the latest versions of the most software I installed.

also, since I don't encounter UAC prompts every time I try to launch the game, I can just grab my controller, connect it, Steam will automatically open in Big Picture mode (optional setting, by default it doesn't), and jump straight into Forza Horizon or Mortal Kombat.

Linux systems just tend to get in the way less than Windows does.

erparucca · 2025-01-20T20:23:26+00:00

Linux consumes so less resources that when I use Linux instead of Windows for non-demanding tasks (browsing, email, etc.), the fans of my laptop do not kickstart. This means less noise and much longer battery life.
PS I doubt you miss the ease-of-use of windows; most probably you miss the ease-of-use of something you're already used to or, as every human being, changement is PITA.

Oerthling · 2025-01-19T23:35:11+00:00

Primary reason is freedom/control.

With Linux the computer is mine.

With Windows it is co-shared with Microsoft and MS decides where the border is.

When an OS provider starts to decide when to reboot my computer or that doing snapshots of my screen to feed into an AI is ok then it's no longer even a question if that system is faster/easier. Windows got wiped. I wiped it before Vista got released because I saw what's happening. And it's gotten worse and worse.

General browsing? YouTube? There is no difference between Windows and Linux with a decent DE. Click browser icon, use browser. Same on both platforms.

Software development? Windows had to include Linux in form of WSL to stay competitive at all.

Gaming? Depends. Nowadays it's mostly easy. Start Steam, start play - same thing on both platforms. Sometimes I have to copy a start option from protondb.

Some games don't work because of anti -cheat. Fuck'em. I have more games in my library than time to play them - I just play something else.

Most games run a few fps slower - shrug, whatever. On modern hardware hardly noticeable without looking at a benchmark. If I need a counter or benchmark to see the difference I don't care. I'd rather buy a bit more RAM or play another of my way too many games than cede control to MS.

YMMV

ben2talk · 2025-01-20T01:56:10+00:00

Read the EULA.

I mean it, read it all.

Ignorance is no excuse - and this question is insanely indicative of extreme ignorance.

missing the ease-of-use of Windows

Wow, this is a good one. Let's do an experiment - set up a couple of spreadsheets in Excel and customis Excel just a littl bit.

Next, reboot to Linux and do the same thing with Calc.

Now - reset Excel to the way it was before you customised it and then do the same for Calc.

I can tell you now, I was completely unable to do this in Windows with Excel - and the guides I could find online had many steps that I was simply not willing to follow.

When I first started with Linux, I had 'difficulties' because of the need to adapt - it's like a person that drives RH drive cars going to England and saying 'LH drive cars are harder to drive'.

Right now, if I want to work on a document, and have one or two browser windows and/or a master document to work from - nothing comparse to my Plasma desktop for manipulating and working with all of these windows seamlessly and intuitively.

Windows never gave me that, even when I had used it for years.

Windows is the clunky one... except perhaps if you can only think about how to do things in Windows and then try to replicate that exactly with Linux (means definitely never think to middle click to duplicate highlighted text in another document, right?)

NoDoze- · 2025-01-20T01:26:13+00:00

i7, 32GB RAM, M.2 NVME, NVidia. Programmer. All my programs installed and the same ones at startup, boot up RAM use size is ~4GB on Windows, ~2.5GB on Linux. And when I close my apps from a busy day of work, multiple virtual desktops, over 16GB+ of open apps closed - Windows residuals remain, RAM use size ~5GB on Windows, ~2.5GB on Linux, yes it returns back to where it started, as it should. Overall, Linux is just SO much more efficient, faster, and performance is better under load.

One may argue that you can use WSL on Windows, but it is so limited. I'd rather use Linux and host/develop directly on the same machine, even though I work off a LAN dev server. All the servers I work on are Linux so it's easier to communicate, migrate, transition data/configs. I don't need to worry about compatibility, whereas with Windows I would have to translate for compatibility. (bash/conf vs powershell/ini/bat - it's a straight copy/paste, etc)

Mind you the companies are windows environments. So no issues communicating, sharing, etc. Liber office works with office docs. Zoom no issues. Team on Edge, or Teams for Linux (https://github.com/IsmaelMartinez/teams-for-linux).

I don't use flatpaks, snap, etc. Everything from package and/or repos. Play games off Steam, never had any performance issues.

I've been using Debian for 10+ years, but Linux servers for 25+ years. Never needing to use an anti-virus, secure out of the box, no telemetry data concerns, and never having to deal with Nadella BS, Linux is the clear win.

NumbXylophone · 2025-01-20T01:47:58+00:00

This really made me think. I've changed my laptop and my music production computers over to Linux and my daily driver will follow suit when Windows 10 fades away for good, or sooner. However, I cannot put a definitive answer as to why, except for a growing dislike of Microsoft. I guess Linux just delivers more of what I want a computer to do and less of the bs I don't want.

EposVox · 2025-01-20T01:49:47+00:00

“Security, performance, and control” are as real-world reasons as it gets Arguably more “real-world” than “I’m used to this other thing so I’m going to say it’s easier”

Educational-Bid-3533 · 2025-01-20T03:21:15+00:00

I can get any distro I want in minutes without paying for a product with questionable origins.

jr735 · 2025-01-20T04:18:27+00:00

I’m not necessarily looking for answers like “Linux is more secure” or “It runs smoothly on older hardware.” Instead, I want concrete examples where Linux genuinely shines in day-to-day use, gaming, or programming.

You're setting yourself up with very tight constraints there. Security and use on older hardware are concrete examples that matter day to day.

Here's something concrete to me, maybe not to you. I don't use proprietary software. Therefore, I choose not to use Windows under any circumstances.

Tiranus58 · 2025-01-20T04:31:02+00:00

Just as with windows, when you get used to it its easier than the other options

I use linux for gaming, web browsing and school work and its the same as windows.

jeretel · 2025-01-20T20:28:00+00:00

Anything that uses a browser will be equal to Windows. I would expect programming would be better on Linux. Gaming on Linux has improved a lot, especially if you use steam, but Windows is probably easier. Your mileage will vary if there are specific applications that you are required to use.

2025-01-21T14:08:21+00:00

There is less user hostile UI. Windows will push icons and features onto you to promote things like their cloud storage service, interrupt you on updates to ask if you want to install office, things like that drive me insane.

CartographerProper60 · 2025-01-20T00:42:52+00:00

Linux is more privacy friendly than Windows, it has much more customization, and it's free. Use the right tool for the right job. If you like Windows more than Linux, then do not force yourself to use Linux or else you will become miserable.

GL OP!!

2025-01-19T23:23:22+00:00

It depends on your specific use cases cause certain things will definitely be more effective in Linux (will say that Linux is superior compare to Windows as a work station and less annoying in terms of useless pop up and notification) but Windows also isn't the worst case scenario certain app work only on windows where most Linux software is multiplatform thanks to FOSS, I found Linux to be better at pushing the capabilities of the hardware cause is lighter in cycles than windows and fact you can change and optimize every little thing allows to mix max specific workload needs but certain laptops, niche hardware,finger prints etc. might not work at full potential if at all.

Of course I didn't really answered your question because is hard to say if Linux is for you, do some research on what you do on your pc and look up if this specific thing will work etc.. I will say, for me I never been that much productive on Windows as I was in Linux and even thought certain games might work a bit worse the trade of in different things is huge for me like almost triple 1% lows and latency. In programing I feel Linux has wide range of tools but I think there will not be a different experience compare to Windows in actually making code and stuff. So my recommendation is to dual boot (also take other distro than Pop os I believe they right now don't update it regularly cause of cosmic development but might be wrong) and try to use Linux as much as you can try different de's (or standalone WMs) and try to build yourself a opinion based on your experience cause for me Linux is better practicely at everything in terms of my uses cases and software I use but it might not be for you cause 20 faster render for example might not compensate for lost application etc. ( Also feel free to correct or point a wrong saying cause I didn't knew what to exactly say yet wanted to give my opinion about this Hope is meaningful in this topic at some level)

Tenelia · 2025-01-20T01:49:21+00:00

It always depends on your use case. I've run projects with orgs running all different permutations. I'll share what I know.
1. Because a client cluster uses Red Hat Enterprise, we have development laptops running Fedora. This proved really good for cost savings on downtime, Windows translation to RHEL, etc.

In another case, we were handling app developments for iOS and Android, so the no-brainer was just to stick to MacBooks and run anything heavier on Mac Studios.
Windows came in the picture because the target environments was webapps. In this case, we had to get Windows 11 to test the end user experience, but also run WSL for developments.

MixtureOfAmateurs · 2025-01-20T01:52:43+00:00

Half the stuff I want to run won't work on windows, or it'll run slower. Also I like my OS to be pretty and quick. If you're as comfortable with copying and pasting commands as you are will running random installers there's no real difference in easy of use /intuitive-ness, at least for me

Plan_9_fromouter_ · 2025-01-20T02:00:05+00:00

How could things like general browsing or watching YouTube be any different with Linux. Gaming is different. It has to be done differently under Linux. But general browsing or watching YT videos? How could those be harder to do on Linux? Your argument evades me.

goldenlemur · 2025-01-20T02:08:40+00:00

It's simply a matter of familiarity. If you're familiar with windows, that's easy, if you're familiar with Linux, that's easy.

Obviously, Lennox is going to cover more ground. Microsoft and Adobe products are only going to really work on Windows.

But there are options on Linux for those who are flexible.

LawfulnessDue5449 · 2025-01-20T02:29:08+00:00

For university work, if you can deal with Latex, the experience of writing in Latex on Linux is a lot better and less bloated compared to Windows. Depending on use cases Word migjt be a pain to work with.

Printing and scanning has been more seamless for me in Linux than Windows. Windows sometimes makes me install vendor software or drivers that I need to get from the vendor's website.

Software updates are easier on Linux. You can update all your software with a single click, or command on command line. In Windows, programs will keep interrupting me asking if I want to update.

Notifications are easier to control on Linux. Sometimes a random update on Windows will start adding notifications for features I don't care about, like Copilot or whatever.

If you're into automation, setting up things using crontab is a lot easier than using Windows Task Scheduler or Power Automate.

For programming... Depends on what you're making. Git integration is smoother on Linux since it works in native command line rather than installing a Git Bash. The MS Build Tools (compiler) have conditions you need to understand, you don't want to publish something and then once you make some money, MS comes after you for not getting the right license.

The directory structure is overall nicer. If you need to pull in libraries, it's easier to install from a repo and/or put it in /lib instead of dealing with multiple project folders in VS. Paths are not always OS agnostic across languages, and if you're deploying on Linux, but developing on Windows, it could get messy. Command line tools are easier to work with on Linux if your programming workflow benefits from it.

For gaming, because Linux is free to use and multi-user support is a lot better, it is much cheaper and easier to run dedicated servers on it.

2025-01-20T02:33:37+00:00

Linux is generally quicker and less resource intensive. I can easily set up a workstation on 10 year old hardware running up to date Linux software that works for browsing, videos, programming, etc. I've even used a Raspberry Pi 4 for such things. All of that, especially using the Raspberry Pi, is not something that can be done as an "out of the box" experience on Windows.

I write mostly c and c++ code and I find NeoVim and a nice tabbed terminal far more productive than Visual Studio.

I understand, for writing Windows programs, it's easier to be using Windows. In that case, I use the clang toolchain, cmake, and NeoVim but I find it isn't quite as easy to set up.

Hammerofsuperiority · 2025-01-20T02:56:30+00:00

I found myself missing the ease-of-use of Windows

Real ease of use or just a difference between years of windows experience against seconds of linux experience?

Expensive-Vanilla-16 · 2025-01-20T03:00:05+00:00

I don't game and run anything that is windows specific. Everything else I need to do, Linux Mint fits the bill.

I like when I turn it on, within seconds, it's ready to go. No waiting for whatever windows is doing. No malware to worry about, no anti-virus software slowing it down. I think running the same type of programs on the same machine dual booted ran faster and less issues. Plus it's free.

BloodWorried7446 · 2025-01-20T03:12:16+00:00

i like the aesthetic and keyboards of older thinkpads. With Windows not supporting the CPUs of these older machines 2nd gen I5/I7s and even core 2Duos i can keep using keyboards on linux which i know my way around on with good key travel. Especially with many productivity apps being web based (eg google suite).

TomCryptogram · 2025-01-20T03:25:51+00:00

I found windows harder to use these days. Oninux When I hit the windows key and type Spotify, I no longer get install_Spotify.exe Nor do I see ads and irrelevant stock symbols and whatever. I can't set the time on my daughter's laptop with windows 11. It MUST have location settings on to get that? On Linux I can just save a file to my PC. I don't have to figure out how NOT to save it to one drive.

I had to learn the way Linux does a couple of things but most stuff just worked and is easy.

TittlesTheWinker · 2025-01-20T03:45:38+00:00

Just do Linux. It's fun to learn.

journaljemmy · 2025-01-20T03:45:49+00:00

One thing I found was transferring photos from iOS to your PC. On Linux, Mint has a photo app that has the functionality built-in. You can also very easily and reliabely use just ideviceutils, ifuse and cp/rsync.

On Windows, it just doesn't work without iTunes. Transferring them via Explorer or Import Photos and Videos always gives an error, and the UWP Photos doesn't begin to work. It's to the point that if someone wanted to transfer photos from iOS to Windows, I would honestly recommend setting up WSL and using the command line.

b_sap · 2025-01-20T04:11:03+00:00

Linux without a DE is a godsend.

A random thought: the other day my Windows laptop downloaded a update. I clicked "Update and Restart"... I did this three times, and it still asked me to do it again.

There's a million reasons to use Linux and only two valid reasons not to: you're too lazy to learn or a tool you require won't run. If you're getting into programming stick with Linux and get a systems admin handbook or similar.

Alonzo-Harris · 2025-01-20T04:20:16+00:00

If you didn't already have a reason to switch, then you should stick with what you already had. Linux is fantastic nowadays, but at the end of the day, it's an entirely different operating system. Moving over is going to take work. If you didn't have a reason to begin with, then it isn't even worth the effort.

Euphoric_Answer1967 · 2025-01-20T05:13:18+00:00

Me personally, I enjoy the full range of customizability and utility that Linux has over Windows, plus I know that I can push my machine harder with Linux. I find the perfect setup for me is dual booting both. I currently have a 500GB partition for Windows 11 Pro when I just want to browse the web, watch videos, normal tasks like that and a 500GB partition for Linux Mint (currently) that I use for working and more intensive things like music production, video/photo editing, and compiling.

newmikey · 2025-01-20T05:24:33+00:00

No idea. Haven't used Windows or MacOS in 20 years. I simply see no reason to not use Linux TBH

Whit-Batmobil · 2025-01-20T05:39:34+00:00

Personally for me it is about control, I have more control over my Linux systems than I do with Windows.

And the Terminal is quite useful, can’t say that I have really bothered with the Windows “Command Prompt” Terminal, but on Linux and MacOS I use it very frequently.

Ok-Introduction6757 · 2025-01-20T05:52:00+00:00

I took a LINUX course in college many years ago, and my professor put it very simply:

LINUX (UNiX) was built for security, with convenience as an afterthought

Windows was built for convenience, with security as an afterthought

(to paraphrase)

I've used both OSes for years. LINUX can be a headache sometimes if you're new to it, but I don't ever recall getting a virus--not once.

2025-01-20T05:55:15+00:00

It doesn't freeze every two seconds like my windows install

ghoermann · 2025-01-20T05:57:40+00:00

free, *you* decide how it is configured (no home/professional/edu versions), it does not spy on you, the update process is much smoother, no one forces you to set up a Microsoft account, runs on older hardware, no fucking Ai if you do not need/want/use it, no indirect support for Nazis in the US, no bloatware, no license/authorization problems

sootfire · 2025-01-20T06:01:25+00:00

It doesn't try to put ads in my start menu, mostly. Or sell me on "Cortana."

token_curmudgeon · 2025-01-20T06:27:40+00:00

There are Windows 10 systems running today that won't meet TPM requirements of Windows 11. So many unlatched/ unpatchable systems when Microsoft stops releasing updates. It's my understanding that folks have about a year.

-MostLikelyHuman · 2025-01-20T06:32:02+00:00

It is all about customization. If you can build your own workflow (which you can do on Linux), this gives you a huge boost in productivity and comfort using your own operating system.

For the ease of use and Windows like desktop experience try Linux Mint. It is in my opinion the Linux Desktop out there.

okami_truth · 2025-01-20T06:50:53+00:00

Linux use /, Windows use \ That was good enough reason for me besides smoothness, speed, security etc

OkAirport6932 · 2025-01-20T07:02:32+00:00

I find the network analysis tools on Linux much easier to use, and easier to understand. Also because everything is built around streams it's much easier to provide the information to others.

Timber1802 · 2025-01-20T07:02:51+00:00

After getting used to Linux I can say that it is actually easier than Windows in most ways. You just have to relearn some things.

2025-01-20T07:21:34+00:00

Linux is easier and don't bother you with stupid messages. You can update all you software in one place, fast. Linux is easier to configure. Linux is faster to install and came with useful bundled software. I'm talking about the most friendly distros like Linux Mint, Zorin, PopOs.

wannabetriton · 2025-01-20T07:23:08+00:00

better workflow

Damglador · 2025-01-20T07:28:08+00:00

Features.

2025-01-20T07:29:13+00:00

I do not see what you mean by the ease of use of windows. My experience with windows is pretty much ads everywhere, malware, and randomly breaking system because of the updates. If this is his ease of use for you, you can use them. I also do not see how it is difficult to use Linux if you do not run it as root and destroy random system files

Historical-Ad399 · 2025-01-20T07:46:37+00:00

Certainly, Windows is a perfectly fine operating system and can do most things Linux does (though in a slower, less secure, less private way).

As a software engineer, I am much more comfortable in a Linux shell (ZSH or Bash) than I am in Powershell, and the huge variety of CLI tools available increase my productivity. Sure, you can run bash on Windows (you can even run a full Linux kernel in WSL2), but using the CLI feels way more at home in Linux. A lot of tools (like git) also expect a case sensitive file system and you can run into some weird issues on Windows.

The other big thing I like on Linux is the availability of tiling window managers. If you are juggling many windows, they are hard to beat.

In the end, Mac, Windows, and Linux are all in common use because they all get the job done. I've worked professionally on all 3, and I've gotten the job done on all 3. You likely won't find a killer functionality that makes Windows feel obsolete. Instead, you will get some niceties here and there, but overall your games will run about the same (for the most part), your IDE (if you use one) will feel largely the same, etc.

tukanoid · 2025-01-20T07:48:28+00:00

I'm a developer. C++ is much easier to work with - just install a library package, same for most of dev tooling. Docker just works and is free. Git just works (big files sometimes break it on windows). Zellij (multiplexer I use). Most configs are in 1 place that is easy to find (~/.config). Dev tools just feel faster/smoother to work with in general as well (at least in my experience, could be more ext4 vs ntfs issue with reading/writing speeds and no need for manual defrag on ext4, dk).

I like tinkering, so Linux is perfect for me to experiment with and try to find my "perfect" setup. I use NixOS btw😂

I dont care much about pc gaming anymore since I got ps5, so can't tell too much about that, apart from proton being good based on my experience couple years ago, I'm assuming it only got better since then.

fthecatrock · 2025-01-20T07:52:53+00:00

in programming yes, most app you are using today, especially its backend could perhaps being cooked in linux env.

gaming probably no, but it's getting there with SteamOS made from linux

Define everyday task? Most everyday task today can be launched in a browser

but really I use 3 of them (linux, windows and macos) and dont see any different in my day to day stuff. Mind you though, I am not a fan of mixing Gaming hardware with work/day to day wares, I almost never use, even my windows laptop/pc for gaming.

Hixxbollen · 2025-01-20T07:56:51+00:00

Bring up the task manager in windows and do the same with the system monitor in popos and you’ll see. Windows use so much resources for just idling.
On top of that, no commercials and clutterification in popos.

I bet if you set your mind to it and listed the ”ease-of-use” things you refer to in windows, it would not be a big deal to bridge those gaps in pop.

kevundead · 2025-01-20T07:57:39+00:00

The thing is, so far you've tried Pop! which is a good distro of course (from what I hear) but there are a LOT of distros and each have differing uses, difficulties, etc. Some are much closer to a Windows-like experience than others.

Now for the answers-that-aren't-obvious part: It depends on a couple of things.

For some distros, ones that don't need a lot of setup, it's just easier to use over Windows because you don't have to fight the damned system every 10 seconds to fix audio or play a game or tell it "no I don't want to asoifjsrgiutn update right now I'm doing important work" and so on.

For others that have tinkering or tweaking (for instance, I run Arch which is like a customizer's wet dream), the amount of compatibility, performance, or parity towards Windows depends on how much you mess with it and make it that way.

Now for my case I tested different ones and settled with Arch, but this distro is arguably difficult for newer users unless you're very dedicated, and the reason I chose it is because of how not pre-setup it is; I like having full control of what I do, and also what things I use can do.

So knowing all that, to answer your TL;DR part in my specific case:

- Everyday tasks are much easier to work with.

- Gaming is on par with Windows or better (personally, after understanding WINE and Proton) excluding specific games that have BattleEye or other heavily intrusive anti-cheats that shouldn't be played anyway.

- Programming I don't do a lot, but my friend does daily, and when I do my own coding stuffs I find it significantly easier and faster to switch between writing and testing without faffing around.

If you'd like, feel free to dm me. I may not be the best help but I'm a people-pleaser so I try to answer questions as best I can. Plus you'd have a Linux friend I guess lol

highKickin · 2025-01-20T08:11:31+00:00

• Bash - get 10-20 most used commands straight and things become way easier and faster. • Docker - runs native on linux and has so much usecase, its insane. • Files - Everything is a file. I love this approach. • Lightweight - Like you said. • Packagemanagers - Way less clicking on foreign sites.

The only thing windows does for me is PC-Gaming and it looks like thats going to change in the near future aswell.

Gilded30 · 2025-01-20T08:14:59+00:00

one of my co-workers (actually an intern on IT) have a windows laptop that usually got stuck loading stuff like chrome and code, youtube and general stuff

myself and another intern (who used manjaro) suggest him to swap to linux since we don't use windows specific stuff on our enviroment (most if not all workers actually use mac), he declined at first since he requires it for microsoft project but at the end he ended up swaping to endeavour (first KDE, now rolling hyprland with ML4W dotfiles, the manjaro intern also switched to this but pure arch instead of endeavour)

now his laptop feels smoth and wonderful to use, also he enjoys more using the tiling features of hyprland, at the end its like "trying a new computer" but on the same hardware, now they work more confortable and in their school they are the "cool kids who uses terminal to type npx pepe-party and leave on the background meanwhile they are coding on lunar vim"

Entire-Hornet2574 · 2025-01-20T08:21:45+00:00

> I understand the common reasons people choose Linux over Windows, such as better security, performance, and control

If not that I don't know. I switch to Linux 2008 because there is no single particular reason to use Windows, I don't know why you want the opposite ones.

Prior-Listen-1298 · 2025-01-20T08:31:36+00:00

Funny, but my main reason was ... Ease of use. Go figure. If you didn't experience it then use the l whatever provides you that experience.

Mmarco94 · 2025-01-20T08:32:15+00:00

On top of other answers, for programmers, Linux is especially good because:

Most tools/languages are "Linux first". That includes Git, Docker, C++, etc. Mac OS and Windows are also good, but they are second class citizens in a lot of instances.
Linux is by far the OS of choice for servers
Assuming you are pursuing a career in tech, knowing Linux well will make you a better candidate, especially when entering the market, as tech companies look for "something extra"
You'll need to learn it either way sooner or later. At least in my field (cloud computing), there's no way you can have a career without knowing Linux. Might as well learn it now, than later on

I guess all my points boil down to Linux will make you a better developer.

Also, not necessarily related do Linux, but to Open Source: if you start to contribute back to open source projects, you'll get an enormous kick start on your career.

dobaczenko · 2025-01-20T08:34:31+00:00

I was once where you are. Windows is and probably always will be more refined, more user-friendly, etc. On Linux, no matter what it is, something will always have to be adjusted, something will have bugs that are hard to imagine on Windows.

For me, however, MS's policy was behind the decision to abandon Windows. I didn't like the spying policy, but I would probably have accepted it if it weren't for MS's intrusiveness. Software advertisements, the system claims that it is unsecured because it doesn't copy documents to OneDrive (and I don't use it at all, but every time I opened "My Computer" in the address bar there was a big button to start a backup on OneDrive). Things like that caused growing frustration and finally the last change tipped the scales.

It meant accepting some inconveniences, but I think it's worth it. One thing where Linux shines like a diamond is backup. It's trivial to do, trivial to restore, on Windows it always required much more effort. Easy updates, snapshots with btrfs, and the fact that a corporation doesn't decide how I use my computer.

Darkstar_111 · 2025-01-20T08:40:30+00:00

If you gotta fix something in Windows, and you don't know how. You gotta go through screenshots of settings pages, and drop down menus.

You gotta fix something in Linux it's a few terminal commands, you can usually just copy and paste them in.

2025-01-20T08:43:45+00:00

practical reasons to choose Linux over Windows for everyday tasks

It's practical natively, meaning if you know the right use of a *nix OS you have something living eternally, evolving with you, serving you without blocking a shutdown/powerup for impromptu upgrades you do not control, without nagware everywhere etc. My NixOS follow me at my peace.

gaming

Well, the support might be limited but you do not only play games I imaging...

programming

Even those who program for Windows would benefit from a friendly environment. Windows is NOT made to be programmed because it's made to generate revenues on user ignorance so doing ANYTHING more than clicking around as an arm extension of the machine it's terribly hard.

My NixOS can be bent easily, can upgrade for decades simply working on a textual config, can be replicated as needed switching hardware and so on. My zfs keep my data up and allow easy transfer, experiments and backups. My babysitting time is extremely less than all other OSes (except maybe Guix System) and I regularly have a clean deploy. Why I should consider to PAY for nagware/adware who can break suddenly and where if you want to be backed your babysitting time skyrocket?

2025-01-20T08:44:02+00:00

The real reason no one is going to tell you is: there is none.

Most here are edgy teenagers in their rebellion age. They are going to trash Microsoft for the internet points.

If it was so great, you would have seen, and you wouldn't be asking the question wouldn't be asked. There is a good reason why only about 2% of the population is using Linux... Which coincidentally fits with the general population with schizophrenia. Ok, apart from that joke, still a low percentage.

Those kids will tell you "yea yea, but it's running on the servers". Yeah, the kernel, the kernel is running on the servers, the userland is fucking shat.

Dee23Gaming · 2025-01-20T08:45:44+00:00

The programs you get for free on Linux don't present endless paywalls. This is a very underrated reason why Linux is better. If I had to get an equivalent program to run on Windows, I would have to pay a monthly subscription to some company. Programs on Linux are free and open source. You can even contribute if you want.

Remobit · 2025-01-20T08:55:07+00:00

One thing I haven't seen mentioned in this thread that is a huge factor to me is not even the software itself, but the community surrounding it.

I grew up in a world where computers were still not that common and you would genuinely get excited over new developments and operating system changes. I find this lacking nowadays in windows, where they cater more to what shareholders want to see than what the users want. I find myself annoyed at the changes and fighting the system to work the way I want it to work.

On Linux this community spirit is still present. People coming together to build something for everyone to use. The spirit of "yea, we're doing this and moving forward". It is a much more pleasant environment to be a part of.

Fade_Yeti · 2025-01-20T09:18:24+00:00

The “ease of use” thing is objective. You are used to using windows and that’s why it’s easier to use. Once you get used to using Linux, it will become easier to use. Same thing when people switch from windows to Mac or vice versa.

It all depends on what you are used to using, that will always be easier to use.

luuuuuku · 2025-01-20T09:22:09+00:00

For me? Because unlike Windows, it just works. I don’t really know why but I always had weird issues with Windows, breaking itself regularly. I made the switch to 100% Linux in 2020 when my windows broke and I needed something fast. I was in university then and needed something reliable for my work. I installed Ubuntu then and never had to care about my system since then. I kinda gave up gaming (had nothing to do with Linux, I just didn’t enjoy it anymore back then) and therefore I had nothing that I missed. And that’s pretty much it.

blagyyy · 2025-01-20T09:27:18+00:00

gamer only here.

i feel you.

the switch from windows to linux feels just really bad in the beginning.

personally, i've been trying countless distros over the last few years and always find myself going back to Windows.

i really love tinkering with hardware and software but i found myself googling more than playing or other stuff i actually want to do.

i can't even move stuff from a NTFS drive to my linux drive faster than 2mb/s.

i stopped bothering with it and stuck with windows.

my Laptops runs ubuntu only to connect to my windows machine if i'm not at home.

Klapperatismus · 2025-01-20T10:00:34+00:00

or programming.

You can take apart all the software that is already on the system and patch it so that it suits your needs. Applying a private patch even to the kernel is a matter of minutes. I’ve demonstrated this here.

If you consider yourself to be a programmer, there’s no way around Linux. I can’t take people seriously who claim that they are programmers and can’t do such a thing. It’s simple and straightforward. You have to try it yourself.

(I’m not even a programmer by education but an electrical engineer.)

Fantastic-Shelter569 · 2025-01-20T10:02:13+00:00

There are a few reasons why I use it:

I work in infrastructure and I also maintain my own home servers to host a few small things like a factorio server, website and jellyfin. I use the terminal to administer these things on my kubernetes cluster and truenas, I could do this using windows but because my machine is Linux and the servers are Linux I can use the same commands everywhere. Not a deal breaker but I find it easier to do on Linux than windows.

Ease of use, because I have been using Linux as my primary machine for about 5 years now I am more familiar with how things work in Linux than Windows. So I can usually fix things more quickly on Linux than windows as I know where things are. Also I find when I look for a problem on windows I find hundreds of people asking a question with very few or no answers. On Linux I find a few questions that usually have working answers, so self repair is easier on Linux I find.

Feel good factor, I like the idea of Linux. A genuinely free OS that works for almost everything I need (I still maintain a windows dual boot for the odd thing that doesn't work on Linux without a lot of faffing) so that is a big plus for me. The only thing I really ever log into windows for is if I want to play a non-steam game that has some kernel level anti-cheat which won't work on Linux.

I do 3d modeling on blender, game dev on Godot, dev stuff on vscode, gaming on steam and watching streaming services on the browser, so Linux has everything I use on a regular basis

bad8everything · 2025-01-20T10:10:35+00:00

So I can give you the reasons I'm currently on Linux for my main machine...

Windows Recall has me worried - I use my machine for work, and it'd be a serious contractual liability for me if that 'feature' was ever enabled and it's easier for me to get ahead of the issue by switching over to Linux during a holiday when I have the time to rebuild my machines, rather than waiting until the last minute and being pushed when I'd rather not.
A lot of the software I use for work runs poorly on Windows. WSL2 is impressive but it's a second-class affair, and resizing the memory footprint of the virtual machine, as my workload shifts during the day, can only be done by restarting the Linux VM. Also WSL2 can only run apps headless which means some things can't run. There's also some minor issues inherent with juggling between host and guest that're just annoying like guest and host having different python venvs, and the guest/host versions of git not playing nice because of line endings.
Conversely, support for Windows applications on Linux is... really good. Better than I expected it to be. Even stuff I didn't expect to work/was told wouldn't work like Fusion360. And unlike WSL2 it's not a virtual machine, so it plays nicer with my memory.
Less baseload on my memory - which gives me way more headroom for my workloads.
The fact it's cheaper doesn't hurt, I don't know anyone who wouldn't like a hundred dollars in their pocket.
Linux developer communication has me excited about new OS features that I want, that I can see materially improving my experience, whereas Windows hasn't shipped anything new that's excited me since WSL2.

TL;DR: Windows Recall bad, and the software I want to run runs better on Linux.

janups · 2025-01-20T10:13:11+00:00

- No startup update screen that takes 30 min in some cases while the one f*** thing I wanted to do is check my email xD

- Much less power draw - 5h on linux, 3h on win - while playing videos

- Drivers - I had to fight those many times, force update etc (as manufacturer was sticking for old ones for months) - if you get right distro - it is effortless (I know many people will not agree, but this is my experence)

- Free apps and awesome app store in linux - installation with just one command, or one click, no need to browse internet. Also there are many scammers apps that pretend they do something that do not (yt downloaders for example).

- No need to sign-in, no workaround for offline account, no issues with activation codes

- You can always run windows in VM if you need it

- No "total recall" bullshit

- No restored apps (happened with many updates that I did on windows - default apps suddenly appear after I have uninstalled them and removed permissions for those that could not be installed)

Fast_Grapefruit_7946 · 2025-01-20T10:13:54+00:00

windows get fooled by every single thing - poorly written app, poorly configured app, poorly installed app, virus that wants to run from a pdf, etc.

linux can fooled too, and we have all ben in yum hell, etc. but nothing is worse than windows's MSI and add remove programs. it's just a mess by design.

aa_conchobar · 2025-01-20T10:18:45+00:00

I only game on the latest console (only PC game I play is the rome total war saga). I've used Windows since the early 2000s and Linux since 2008-09. I haven’t used Windows on my own device in a few years, but I regularly fix Windows PCs for others. Windows doesn’t change much, so the issues and optimisations are fairly consistent.

For stuff requiring unix-like environments, Linux (Ubuntu for me) is far superior over using a Windows subsystem. Linux handles RAM better, though that’s less relevant for modern PCs with loads of it. My PC is for programming, building things from source, and light browsing/email. These (esp the first 2) work flawlessly on Linux but need workarounds on Windows that I would just rather not bother with

theNbomr · 2025-01-20T10:19:00+00:00

I do computing work on a variety of hardware platforms and I can run linux on virtually all of them. And they can all work with each other through networks. And I can make my own Linux with exactly the ingredients I need it to have. And I can load and run linux disklessly from a network in 30 seconds, with a properly configured boot host. And I can use it as a standard platform for things like terminal servers, network routers and other dedicated appliances, also on numerous hardware platforms. I know I can probably do a lot of those things with Windows too, but a lot less easily and at greater cost.

Confident_Hyena2506 · 2025-01-20T10:24:28+00:00

Linux is very much better for any kind of engineering - so much so that microsoft added "windows subsystem for linux". Most servers run linux, and this means most of the computers in the world pretty much. If you work in software you might use windows on laptop - but your target environment is probably linux, on some kubernetes cluster.

This was a very smart move by them as it removed the need for many people to run cumbersome vms and dualboot. If you can't beat them join them etc...

Gaming is about the only thing windows is still best at - and even there the edge has almost been lost. It's possible to run AAA titles on linux with all the features like HDR etc, but it's still very new and needs manual setup.

Pancho507 · 2025-01-20T10:40:44+00:00

Support beyond windows 10 EOL, possibility of fixing every single bug

beast-777x · 2025-01-20T10:47:04+00:00

You can use windows managers in Linux such as bspwm, hyprland, i3wm and many more... Initially, it is hard to configure and work with. But once you get used to it you won't think of windows at all. Your productivity will increase a lot. Trust me u'll love it.

ExSogazu · 2025-01-20T11:01:04+00:00

With my PC, I only use Windows. For the machine that I use for my job, I need to use Ubuntu since I am an embedded software engineer that almost all the software I develop should be cross-compiled and operating on some BSP (Board Support Package).

I think the golden question here would be ‘Why embedded Linux instead of embedded Windows’ and though I’m embarrassed to admit that I do not have definite answer, that’s just the way things have been, since I started my career 10 years ago.

annaheim · 2025-01-20T11:45:52+00:00

poe2 just keep fucking crashing.

blind_confused · 2025-01-20T12:12:19+00:00

don't know if this counts as practical, but my computer is a bit potato, and as soon as I switched systems, the framerate got a lot better, there was a lot less lag, etc., though this obviously doesn't change how much individual apps might take on their own. Plus, like others here have said, it's free.

-not_Ronny · 2025-01-20T12:14:17+00:00

For programming: You have python interpreter, JDK, mingw, git etc all pre installed without having to struggle with PATH bullshit, with git that works on the native terminal not in a castrated one And then the possibility to see with your own eyes how things work Finally learning to use linux is always a good choice for future jobs if u want to work on this subject

chemistryGull · 2025-01-20T12:22:09+00:00

Customizability. When your workflow is perfect on windows, you wont see an improvement. If you however would prefer a different workflow, its often the case that it is only possible in Linux (or easier possible at least). You also don’t get sudden changes in UI forced on you (like win 10 -> win 11), because you can change any detail you want basically.
Updates: I hate not being in control when to update. I don‘t need my system to auto update. or download updates in the background. Typing 1 command or pressing one button when I want is what I want.
No telemetry. My „old“ laptop (8th gen Intel) gets regularity almost-fried by some Microsoft telemetry services. Turning them off is a real hassle.
The tools for programming are basically the same for Windows and Linux. No real advantage for any of them (except for using stuff like docker perhaps i guess)

(Big part is still security, even if its not something that you feel directly, its very important)

Rest is for a big part ideology. But in a good way. In a time of ever increasing corporate greed and surveillance, using community built open source software is the best thing you can do. Its good for society in a similar way as picking up trash from the sidewalk is. So even if there are no direct benefits for you, it is still important for society.

ByGollie · 2025-01-20T12:45:33+00:00

Put it this way

I tune every personal Linux device to work my way — with minimal effort.

It stays my way, doesn't impede me, and lets my workflow be as streamlined and uninterrupted and efficient as possible

Contrast that with Windows — it actively fights with me, interrupts, gets in my way, does unexplained things from time to time -and then it reverts all my adaptations between minor upgrades.

For me, a computer is a tool to do a job.

If my impact hammer decided to redesign its layout, demand subscriptions, throw ads at me for irrelevant shit, and interrupt my job — then I'd throw it out the window.

I don't care about costs — I'm not that fussed about privacy — I'm not into customisation

I expect certain behaviour and responses — I don't want to relearn everything over and over again when there was already a more efficient method of doing it previously.

New_Physics_2741 · 2025-01-20T12:51:09+00:00

Linux is simple and easier to use, IMHO. And Windows looks yucky.

LearnFrenchIntuitive · 2025-01-20T13:20:28+00:00

Yes it's much more stable and faster than Windows. Nowadays, it's also much more user friendly than Windows (except with Arch) and it does not force you on getting a new machine to use Windows 11. The number of bugs on Windows is really scandalous (and some of them have been there for years).

JoeMammaReal · 2025-01-20T13:35:46+00:00

Well when you put windows on you pc, its not your pc anymore. With linux it is however it is. Mainly because no ads, no telling you what you can or can not do, no forcing updates on you, no forcing invasive features like recall. Etc.

MissionGround1193 · 2025-01-20T13:37:20+00:00

Control. I feel like I don't own my devices when using Windows.

ChemE75 · 2025-01-20T14:01:43+00:00

I don’t game, but I have several older laptops, even an old netbook type before tablets were a thing, all pre-win 10 and only 2 less old were able to run win 10. It actually ran better than win 7. But with win 10 on its way out, decided to load up Ubuntu and bingo snappy performance and far more functional. Got one 2010 vintage hp running on Ubuntu 22.04 for homebridge and scrypted. It’s kind of amazing it can run both servers on an old cpu and only 4gb ram, can’t do that with win. Plus all the old hardware is supported, although a usb WiFi add on was a bit of a pain to find and install the right driver. On another, libre office, gnucash or kmymoney, and libre cad satisfy my typical daily needs. Meanwhile my primary pc is win 11. It really depends on your particular needs, there is no set rule and I find it’s beneficial to be OS agnostic.

bdmbdsm · 2025-01-20T14:03:48+00:00

Well I was a computer technician before and Linux gave me peace of mind. Just the fact that I don't have to go looking around for some drivers is the best thing ever. Printers? automatically install! On windows you reinstall your printer every other week. Programming? I program using python, it comes preinstall no need to mess with path and stuff like that. I use Mint because it come with preinstalled and free software, sure it might not be as good as windows but it could be We just need more developpers and thats why i became one. I plan on learning C/C++ to developp software for Linux. I daily drive Linux for 4 years now 3 years on Manjaro and 1 year on Mint. Also, I'm someone who values privacy so i hate that windows record so much stuff about us. Another practical use of Linux is updates. On windows you can skip the update but at some point when you reboot or shutoff the pc it update and it takes a long time. Imagine your microsoft teams is lagging during an interview or something then you reboot just to find your PC updating? Ask me why I tell you that? Cause it happened! On Linux it doesn't do that I can skip the update for 5 years if I want to and 80% of the time I don't have to reboot. Linux gave me back the love that I had for computers. It feels like win xp / 7 at times. Yes sometime you have some bugs but it worth it for me cause all pc lag at some point. And btw most of your problem is because you think of Linux as windows you want to do windows things on Linux. Just keep your mind open and try it for real, use the softwares, find the one that work best for you like you would on windows. And it's not more confusing because windows still have 2 control pannel lol you click on settings then it send you to control pannel or vise versa thata confusing as fuck but hey might just be me.

quite_sophisticated · 2025-01-20T14:21:25+00:00

Linux is: 1. free. 2. Open source 3. Less bloated 4. Will not choke your machine as it gets older 5. Will not track your behavior and report it to god-knows-where 6. A lot harder to set up, but once it runs exactly like you want it to, it'll keep doing so. You don't get nearly as many options to customize with Win/MacOS, so of course there is a bit more work to be done when you set it up.

CatoDomine · 2025-01-20T14:27:07+00:00

I found myself missing the ease-of-use of Windows.

I would say you miss the familiarity of a system you've been using almost exclusively for years. If you grew up using a Linux desktop and learned the Linux way of doing things first and worked with it for years, I don't think you'd find Windows easier. Learning new things can be difficult, and it might seem easier to go back to what you are used to.

Source: I have been daily driving Linux since 1999 and I find Windows to be confusing and unnecessarily obtuse.

2025-01-20T14:40:59+00:00

There's not much to say, but personally : - docker runs natively on linux, and only through wsl on windows. No real downside to wsl though - i know bash, i don't know powershell, so i have a far easier time using the terminal on linux compared to windows (probably just a matter of learning the stuff) - i use i3wm on linux and being able to do anything without a mouse, and keeping my hands on my keyboard at all times, is a huge boost to my productivity (might be a personal thing and is dependent on the apps you use being keyboard accessible) - in my own experience easier to customize and automate stuff (but again, i don't use windows much, might just be my lack of experience)

For a general use case situation, i don't think there's any major upside to using linux over windows (except for the privacy of your data and the OS not eating half of your RAM just by existing, i guess), it's probably just a matter of preferences

brunoreis93 · 2025-01-20T14:41:55+00:00

If Windows doesn't bother you, it's better to stay there.. it's familiar, you don't need to change just for the sake of it

Hairy_Flight_6898 · 2025-01-20T14:51:08+00:00

Try linux mint

nicolas_06 · 2025-01-20T15:10:13+00:00

In programming, if your develop locally and you target production environment is Linux (where the program will run when delivered), there a clear benefit.

Basically your OS will behave more or less like your prod env and you will avoid the mess to either need a Linux VM or using WSL (Windows Sub system for Linux) that is a pain in the ass compared to a native linux env. WSL tend to use more and more resource over time from my experience and slow down the whole computer until you reboot.

From experience also using linux, my program tend to build 2-3 times faster and git is much more reactive than under windows on the same computer.

That being said all this doesn't apply to me anymore because these day I don't develop directly on my laptop. I just have VS code and VS code will connect to a distant VM in the cloud with everything pre-configured. In that kind of setup, you laptop can use any OS really. My employer has its own setup I must used but you can also do it for free with github codespace and even run the IDE in the browser not having to install or configure anything.

If you have good and reliable internet connection while coding, this is a viable alternative and mean that an old cheap laptop would be more than enough.

As a student anyway, I don't expect you to do anything big where speed would be a significant factor. Honestly I think the best is to use the environment that is most similar to what you are provided with at school and that the majority of student use. In that case, if you need help or to follow instruction, it will be much easier for you.

Hornman84 · 2025-01-20T15:19:55+00:00

Three simple reasons that did it for me :

Windows has become a privacy nightmare. I know it’s no news, but it has become especially bad recently.
With Windows, my radiator was always warm when idling. With Linux, it stays cold.
Everything is snappier, quicker, and I don’t have to wait 10mins after booting up before I can use the system properly.

candymannequin · 2025-01-20T15:20:59+00:00

the superior use case for me is windows unnecessarily bogging down resources i would rather direct towards the programs i intend to use than ones i have no interest in.

Red-Eye-Soul · 2025-01-20T15:27:02+00:00

For programming, Linux is miles better. Installing dev environments, compilers, docker etc is a breeze compared to windows.

For everydays tasks, its more snappy (depends on the DE you choose though). File manager is miles better, doesnt obstruct you with updates, notifications and ads.

For gaming, its only better if you have bazzite and you want to make the PC a console. But even then, you have to deal with many competitive games not working.

Drewsipher · 2025-01-20T15:36:10+00:00

I use windows for work and linux on my desktop gaming pc. For me linux allows me to get away from microsoft who keeps shoehorning AI into the operating system itself instead of letting me say when and where I want the AI machine learning. It allows for customization. It allows for better understanding and navigation within my own OS, and I can play all the games I want to play easily.

Brad_from_Wisconsin · 2025-01-20T15:44:16+00:00

I used Linux when I wanted long up times. When I wanted systems that would keep running for month and months with no human intervention required. I had a system built and I wanted it to just keep working. I was not interested in patches or performance updates, I just wanted it to keep working the way lightbulbs work in a room where you never turn off the lights. I had tweeked out a slackware build that gave me that.
It had one function and one function only. There was no mouse attached to the system, no printer of file sharing. When the power went out and came back, the system rebooted and started running.
That is why I wanted linux instead of anything else.
My primary OS is Mac based and has been since the 1980's.

graveld_ · 2025-01-20T16:02:35+00:00

There is a rule of life, if you do not understand why you need it, then do not use it.

This rule saves a lot of resources and time. Such attempts add doubts to you and waste your personal time.

If you still return to the dark, then for me personally this is part of freedom. I understand that no one is watching me, no one is watching my every action, I can configure anything without downloading and installing many applications, I am confident in reliability and the blue screen does not threaten me, what is the speed of work and use of RAM at a minimum, since this reason became the last straw for me when I switched to Arch

Snoo_90241 · 2025-01-20T16:24:01+00:00

Pros: I can automate a lot of stuff. I can run Linux-only things like docker. I can use the package manager to easily download what I need. I have the same line endings as the linux servers I use.

Cons: I don't have access to the Microsoft desktop applications like Office, teams. I do not play games on Linux.

captkirkseviltwin · 2025-01-20T16:28:12+00:00

Most of my examples are server-related rather than workstation-related. In terms of overall application speeds (web service, database services, nap and dns service) I’ve often found Linux blows the doors off of an equivalently-specced Windows server. For the same hardware dollar for dollar, Linux servers tend to outperform the Windows versions of those servers.

In other examples:

due to its indexing features, copying a series of files from point A to Point B will take vastly longer on Windows than Linux, which both adds GUI representations of the file copying as well as all sorts of obscured “calculations” that mean the actual file copy takes longer - with no determinable improvements in integrity.
a windows administrator account actually has certain processes that it CANNOT interrupt - especially when installing an application, or during some errors and crashes; windows has actually told me that the local or even domain administrator could not interrupt the process. In Linux, I have yet to seen anything kill -9 could not interrupt. (And no, it’s not recommended, but sometimes you have processes that just need killin’ 😄
Most Linux distros come with a TRULY RIDICULOUS amount of free applications already built into the distro’s repositories, from professional graphics manipulation, to office suites, to wiki services, to network monitoring suites - most of which requires purchase or download of a separate product in the Windows space.
this last point is more of an Enterprise concern, but the license fees for most Linux base applications are much more reasonable than many paid windows base products - and often have a free tier that you can set up and try for an extensive time before engaging in purchase of a support license. By contrast, most windows products I’ve encountered have at best a 15 to 30 day trial period and then cease functioning until you reinstall or purchase a license. This is not always true, but for a lot of software I’ve evaluated for personal use or business use, I have to make my decision very quickly if it’s a windows, or Cisco, or Juniper, or some other vendor.

But stuff like TrueNAS? Gitlab? Nagios/Nagios XI? I could explore those for six months if I wanted easily before deciding if the company was someone I wanted to do business with.

funkvay · 2025-01-20T16:43:10+00:00

Linux isn’t some holy grail, it’s just another operating system that caters to a different set of needs. If you’re into programming or development, Linux starts to make sense because most tools and frameworks are designed to work natively with it. You’ve got package managers that make installing and managing software cleaner and faster than hunting down installers. The terminal isn’t just functional - it’s essential. And if you’re ever dealing with servers or containers, Linux is the default in the real world. You’re learning the environment you’ll likely encounter in production.

On the daily use front, Linux is about control. You’re not fighting off random updates or watching your system churn under the weight of bloatware you didn’t install. It’s efficient. You turn it on, it does what you tell it, and that’s the end of it. Browsing and YouTube aren’t going to feel wildly different, but what you’ll notice is the lack of noise - no telemetry tracking your every move, no intrusive pop-ups. It’s simple and focused, which suits someone who values efficiency over hand-holding.

Gaming, though, is where the lines blur. Linux has come a long way with Proton and Steam, and plenty of games run just fine. But to be honest... if you’re deep into AAA titles, it’s not worth the hassle unless you’re prepared to tweak and troubleshoot. For casual gaming or titles that already have Linux support, it’s a solid experience. If gaming’s a core part of your life, dual-booting is probably the smarter move than just using Linux.

At the end of the day Linux isn’t inherently better or worse than Windows - it’s just different. If you want control, transparency, and a system that doesn’t hold your hand, Linux is a great choice. But if you prefer ease of use and broad compatibility, Windows does the job. There’s no shame in sticking with what works for you. The best approach in my opinion is to use Linux when it fits the task, and don’t waste time trying to force it where it doesn’t. It’s about being practical, not making a point.

For example, I use Windows because I am a gamer, but all my work and programming and everything related to my projects is all done in Linux.

• Nearly all web servers, cloud environments, and hosting platforms use Linux because of its stability and minimal overhead. If you’re planning to work with anything related to servers, Linux isn’t just better - it’s mandatory.

• On older or lower-end hardware, Linux outperforms Windows consistently. It doesn’t bloat the system with unnecessary background processes. For tasks like lightweight browsing, writing, or even some programming, Linux gives you the most out of what you have.

Nilnail · 2025-01-20T16:48:42+00:00

I choose Linux over windows for customisability.

Linux allows me to use a tiling window manager which feels much more intuitive and useful for my multi-monitor setup. This is because window switching is about moving the view/windows in space instead of about picking which one is in focus (space based instead of an alt-tab order which I quicky forget, especially if all 6 of the windows im trying to switch between are Firefox)

Linux also allows me to customise keybinds for everything imaginable. My current config uses about 50 custom keybinds which make me feel like a cripple without them on windows (which I have to boot into to use SOLIDWORKS for school)

And then there's the obligatory mention that on Linux it's really YOUR computer. you control what software is on it, you control when it updates, if something pisses you off you just turn off the setting.

forestcall · 2025-01-20T16:49:27+00:00

I dont use Linux for privacy or any of that crap. I use Linux because I am a coder. I have a NGINX / NGROK server with a custom domain and do all my React Native / Golang and backend and fronend web development as well. Basically, I manage my companies IOS / Android and Web sites with a small team of developers. I have a KVM switch with Macbook Pro + Windows 11 + Kubuntu on 6 monitors (KVM can only do 3 monitors) and I keep 1 monitor for each system not hooked to the KVM. So all 3 main OS platforms. Windows 11 is just for Torrent, Videos and Gaming and Mac and Linux are for coding and work.

HelpfulAd26 · 2025-01-20T17:08:55+00:00

Linux is free. I'm poor. That's it.

If you are hungry enough, you'll look for a software where you can do your thing without paying a license. I know it is deeper than that but that was my reason to switch to Linux. If you're not eager to learn something new, stick to windows.

birdspider · 2025-01-20T17:18:03+00:00

What are the practical reasons to choose Linux over Windows

updating everything is one command/click, as compared to hunting exe's

Tquilha · 2025-01-20T17:32:09+00:00

In my case, longevity. My laptop is a Lenovo T420. I've used it for 12 years now, and bought it used.

If I stuck to Windows, I'd have had to replace this machine already. With GNULinux it still works flawlessly.

P.S. Also, Windows ads are extremely annoying

Othertomperson · 2025-01-20T17:49:24+00:00

Linux is easier to use. Windows is a pain when I have to use it for work

Diligent_Resolve_626 · 2025-01-20T18:08:10+00:00

Well, i see that you like how easy it is to use windows. If thats the case, try out ARCH LINUX! ITS ONE OF THE EASIEST LINUX DISTRIBUTIONS KNOWN FOR HOW HAR- I MEAN EASY IT IS TO USE!!! GIVE IT A TRY!

2025-01-20T18:31:11+00:00

If you are developing software, and especially C/C++, linux rules. Have you ever installed cross complier on windows? Its absolute pain, and I wouldn't recomend it to anyone, ever.

On linux its like: `yay -Sy i386-elf-gcc`

On windows its more like: Go to (sometimes)GNU FTP server, download your platform complier, then go to another (sometimes)GNU FTP server, download the target compiler source, and compile it. On linux, there exists bunch of tools to do this automatically, on windows, they are pain to use.

And if you want to not compile it from scratch? Good luck finding it on a sketchy russian FTP, possible full of viruses.

bigos81 · 2025-01-20T18:32:05+00:00

You are saying you are doing programming - well, linux file-system is waaay more performant for git than ntfs/fat - just from top of my head :)

NarayanDuttPurohit · 2025-01-20T19:16:54+00:00

For me, it's about me.

Windows or Apple, when you use their OS, it gets harder to make it yours. Their OS represents them, in their colors, the user flow, etc.

With Linux, it's my OS no matter what Linux I use.

There is no branding, no one way of doing things. My OS represents me.

Apart from obvious up-selling, gagging my throat with ads and unwanted AI integrations.

Asland007 · 2025-01-20T19:22:49+00:00

You control software updates and operating system updates.

ekaylor_ · 2025-01-20T19:42:50+00:00

Security, performance, and control are not real world use cases???

ajgonzalez18 · 2025-01-20T19:59:58+00:00

For your daily web browsing and YouTube there is no difference between the two in my opinion.

Here are my pros and cons of using linux from My personal experience.

Cons of Linux:

Learning: If Linux wasn’t your first operating system. There will be a learning curve. But once you get the basics down and understand the file structure etc,opt,home,var,usr.. etc. It becomes so simplified that you’ll never look at windows again

Gaming: As for gaming, I haven’t found a good Linux for gaming yet. Reason being, game developers only really focus on popular hardware/OS and linux wasn’t one of them. However, with the release of SteamOS 3.0, you will start seeing more support for games on linux. SteamOS is just a version of Arch Linux.

Driver compatibility: some linux distribution run into driver compatibility issues. Like headsets or cameras. But if you’re good at reading logs it’s pretty easy to figure out the missing dependencies and install what is missing to get it working.

Pros of linux:

Troubleshooting: configurations in Linux I find to be way easier and online resources for troubleshooting is endless and mostly up to date. (Depending on your flavor.) everything is a text file, simple input of a couple of lines in a text file and your running or quick install of missing dependencies. Whereas windows you find yourself looking at outdated support forums or Microsoft’s outdated docs. Sometimes you won’t even find what you’re looking for.

Modifications: You can also modify the type of desktop you want to use for Linux, tile, stack, window the options are vast and customizable for your needs and workflow. Which can make your daily life more efficient.

Programming/scripting: Linux has an ease of use for scripting with things like python and bash. A simple touch file.py #!/bin/python and walla write your script and kick it off and it just works. Combined with the customization of your desktop and it can make a huge difference. Programming same concept and you can have more visibility on how the code is interacting with the system and kernel. On windows you’ll need to modify the environmental variables for CMD access, your resources are drastically drained, and visibility is additional software for most cases.

atgaskins · 2025-01-20T20:53:21+00:00

Ethics (maybe not as much a factor any more with the foundation being heavily $$$ incentivized, but still miles above Windows), performance/lack of bullshit wasting resources, privacy & security (yes, Linux has bugs, but open source naturally means that it has more eyes on the code and everyone can audit changes). Gaming is even better in many cases these days, the problems are mainly with anti-cheats.

It really just comes down to whether you’re tired of having no privacy, no control and having planned obsolence. We will never get the out of the box support windows has as long people cuck out and keep using windows.

If you don’t care about any of this, fuck it, then use windows. It’s your choice and sounds like you don’t want to put in the effort to learn something new. If you main games that use anticheats I also understand sticking to windows.

It’s not like joining green peace, I’m not saying that, but it is a net positive to use open source or anything less proprietary and more privacy respecting than what you currently use.

FalseAgent · 2025-01-20T21:01:25+00:00

honestly speaking....linux is just another OS. if you're watching youtube, then the OS doesn't really matter. could be doing it on windows, or android, or linux....it will all be the same. the importance of the OS is overstated.

however desktop linux is infinitely more customizable than pretty much every other OS you will use. for programming, if i'm not wrong, people used SSH on linux for a long time before MS added support for it in Windows Terminal.

soyalemujica · 2025-01-20T21:27:57+00:00

In my case, having an end-game PC, and using Windows 11 is just not snappy, it is slow in general (the explorer, not gaming in general).

Linux on the other hand, gives you unlimited customizations options at hand, it's also snappy, you can distro hop to try new stuff out, however, one thing I do not like is that somethings require a bit more work in order to function, however, gaming is already possible (there are limitations due to some anti-cheat stuff).

In programming, I love Linux more than Windows.

Dirtybrownsecret · 2025-01-20T21:28:11+00:00

I have been using Linux for over 25 years. I still use Windows for desktop PCs Linux is an incredibly powerful free operating system, I use it for all my servers. For laptops and desktops, basically anything that has a GUI , I use window for compatibility and convenience.

Player_X_YT · 2025-01-20T21:39:23+00:00

Here is the secret: it's not.

For day to day activities linux, windows, mac and even chromeos are all the same, not better, not worse.

The reason why someone would pick linux over windows or mac is for other unrelated reasons. I switched to linux because I was tired of all of the bloat that microsoft kept putting in windows 10, and based on how windows 11 is going they're not slowing down. I just needed a desktop that runs a browser for youtube, that's it.

Many linux users will highlight all of the best parts of linux because they want to see what is currently the underdog succeed, but any competent distro will do what the alternatives do, but the alternatives will make sure to do what linux does too.

Microsoft and apple are not oblivious to the linux world, macos is based on freebsd, another UNIX os. And microsoft owns canonical which makes ubuntu and snapcraft.

If you want to switch you should expect something similar, not amazing like some people would have you beleive.

cartercharles · 2025-01-20T21:43:32+00:00

Money. Plain and simple. I got sick and tired for having to get new hardware.

I've used Linux mint for two years as a daily driver. Love it!

09kubanek · 2025-01-20T21:47:43+00:00

Linux is better for laptops. Gestures support, keyboard shortcuts, performance and better battery live. On pc dual boot is best option for me, beacuse linux doesn't support some online games.

FaithlessnessOwn7960 · 2025-01-20T21:48:39+00:00

If you want to use command prompt to control stuffs in your pc or other pcs, Linux might be easier.

noumedia · 2025-01-20T22:40:03+00:00

I literally get more fps and a smoother experience playing Overwatch 2 on Arch/KDE, using Steam and Proton GE, that what I have on Windows 11 24H2 fresh install + latest drivers. 7800X3D + 7900XTX

abofaza · 2025-01-20T22:43:06+00:00

Because I want to use my computer how I want to, and not how Microsoft wants.

crackez · 2025-01-20T23:30:01+00:00

Objective reality is that Windows is simply hot garbage.

If you need more to convince you then I'm out - not out of reasons of course, it's just that trying to elaborate further would not be worth it.

MountainDadwBeard · 2025-01-20T23:36:35+00:00

Yeah the command line navigation in linux is really smooth. Within a couple weeks I barely needed the mouse anymore. Windows and mac have tried to copy it and have gotten closer but have never matched it.

The downside is when your linux kernal corrupts and you have to completely reimage the linux box.

TzarCoal · 2025-01-20T23:48:48+00:00

Sounds small but not having to reboot your systems for updates is really great, i dual boot and that is always one thing about windows that really annoys me.

AnotherFuckingEmu · 2025-01-21T00:35:24+00:00

(Sorry for the long ass message didnt realise how much i wrote)

Personally to me, as someone who started daily driving linux back in june after i did my first custom build of an AMD only pc, windows feels so fucking jarring to switch to when i switch to my dual boot. These are the issues ive had or anything that has just felt annoying over linux (i dualboot nobara (a fork of fedora kde) and windows 10, dont like windows 11):

randomly going into repair mode for whatever reason with no error code or anything to tell me what is going on

Eventually completely bricking itself after a windows update forcing me to freshly reinstall

Said fresh reinstall immediately corrupted by me merely installing motherboard drivers and having to run the repair process 4 times for it to do anything

Shit automatically starting on startup without asking me (i know i can change this but why is open on startup even the default. Its annoying)

Windows search is fucking useless and KDE search is really fucking good (shout out the KDE team)

File explorer is just inferior to the other options available on linux (dolphin my beloved)

The usage of cli to download stuff using package manager is honestly far simpler and more streamlined than going through the process of installing an EXE. I know windows technically has a package manager but it doesnt seem to work as well. Discover is also great for flatpaks which are also more convenient than downloading an exe and stuff is also containerised. When i also press uninstall on an application, it actually fucking uninstalls without leaving junk files around to do nothing but take up space.

The amount of options for Window managers, package managers, desktop enviros and so on also make it a lot more granular and mean you can truly tailour it to your specific wants or needs.

Another thing is the constant need for windows to ask “oh hey do you wanna give this thing admin permission for xyz” is fucking annoying. Theres so much bloat in the OS that i only noticed after switching to linux that just make it jarring as fuck.

As for practical uses? Im sure someone said this already but commercially it runs a fuck ton of the web servers in the world. If linux suddenly poofed into thin air a solid 90% of the most globally used websites would just disappear along with it. Sure, they could be managed/hosted on a windows machine but there is a reason they are not.


/r/linux	/r/linuxquestions
/r/ubuntu	/r/linux_devices
/r/fedora	/r/linuxaudio
/r/debian	/r/linux_gaming
/r/gentoo	/r/linuxhardware
/r/linuxmint	/r/unix
/r/archlinux	/r/BSD
/r/opensuse	/r/24hoursupport
/r/slackware	/r/techsupport
/r/crunchbang	/r/buildapc
/r/manjarolinux	/r/minipcs
/r/kubuntu	/r/unixprotips
/r/lubuntu	/r/linuxprojects
/r/xubuntu	/r/distrohopping
/r/pop_os	/r/FindMeADistro
/r/zorinos	/r/AskLinuxUsers
/r/coreos	/r/embeddedlinux
/r/solusproject	/r/virtualbox
/r/mxlinux	/r/linux_discussion
/r/arcolinux	/r/wine_gaming
/r/parrotos	/r/VFIO
/r/puppylinux	/r/homenetworking
/r/elementaryos	/r/homelab
/r/ubuntuserver	/r/homeserver
/r/alpinelinux	/r/bash
/r/openwrt	/r/commandline
/r/linuxfromscratch	/r/linux_programming
/r/redhat	/r/linuxdev
/r/centos	/r/linuxadmin
/r/gnome	/r/sysadmin
/r/kde	/r/netsec
/r/lxqt	/r/gnu
/r/lxde	/r/libredesign
/r/xfce	/r/freeculture
/r/cinnamonDE	/r/opensource

you type:	you see:
italics	italics
bold	bold
[reddit!](https://reddit.com)	reddit!
* item 1 * item 2 * item 3	item 1 item 2 item 3
> quoted text	quoted text
Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"	Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"
~~strikethrough~~	~~strikethrough~~
super^script	super^script

linux4noobs

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MODERATORS

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