Why I use Linux and why you should too!

What is Linux?

So, the thing is, everyone and even their grandma have heard about Linux before. Most may have tried it on their college systems that run Debian (and also Ubuntu, I believe), some may even have gone ahead and researched Linux only to run into some jargon of the highest order. Seriously, what is kernel even supposed to mean? What is even the concept of a package manager?

To put it straight, Linux is a family of operating systems, systems like Windows or MacOS, but better. Why better? If you have a bug in Windows, the most you can do is report it and hope it gets picked up by the Microsoft team. If you have a bug on Linux, well you have got the authority to fix it yourself. Well, maybe not you specifically, but the point is that as all Linux distributions are open-source, anyone can fix anything, add new features, and do literally anything you want. All because the source code is readily available.

Ok, I get it. I can do loads of stuff with the source code of a full OS, but the average user cannot remotely make any change, can they? So why should I, a mere mortal whose only interaction with my system is to scroll through Reddit and watch the latest Mr. Beast video lying on my bed, awake at 3 in the morning, contemplating my life choices, even consider switching to a seemingly complex system that I would have to put in a lot of effort to maintain?

Why Linux?

Let me come back to my previous statement. Linux is just better than its counterparts. Although this is very much subjective, I believe I can defend myself. For me Linux is an OS that is so flexible that it could do anything, so versatile that it could be made into anything, so transparent that you know everything it does and so secure that the concept of an antivirus itself is irrelevant.

Each Linux machine is different. Your system belongs to you, not some multi-billion dollar corporation. It blows my mind that this is unfortunately not the case in the majority of systems. When you start using Linux, you start to understand your system. You know what all files execute on startup, what processes are run when, and if something goes wrong you know what causes it, this power of truly knowing your system is so much underrated.

The amount of customization opportunities in Linux is unparalleled. You could easily make two of the same systems unintelligible within minutes. The levels at which you have the power to change anything is astounding. And above all, it is completely free.

Not convinced yet? Well, Linux offers the most secure systems. Mainly due to a little thing called package managers. Well, think of them as something that maintains a lot of files corresponding to a lot of software. Just tell the package managers what software you want and it installs it directly onto your computer. As simple as that. You no longer need to go to any dodgy website to download video editing software that certainly doesn’t contain any amount of malware whatsoever. It also boasts a very unique permission system that protects that system from any attacks. It also can run for a long period without the need to reboot. This makes Linux very stable, and that is why most servers of today run Linux.

Linux is also much more lightweight than its counterparts. So it performs much better. Even your old dusty PCs would run Linux smoothly.

Which Linux distro?

Ok, assuming you’ve been convinced to switch to Linux, where do you start? There are so many Linux distributions (distros), what would be the perfect distro for you, believe it or not, it is up to you. I would highly recommend doing your own research before choosing. Most people would recommend some Debian-based distros like Ubuntu, Mint or Pop!_OS because these are tailored for your average user. You would hardly run into any issues in these. Debian systems are known for their extreme stability and would probably run forever even if you don’t do anything. The downside though is that you may not get the newest of the new software as there is always a risk of a new software breaking. This issue is, the so-called disadvantage is, in my opinion, irrelevant to the general user.

Next up is Arch. This is the so-called no-go zone for new Linux users. Arch is something that is a blessing for people who know what they are doing and a severe headache for those who do not. Arch can literally make or break your system. Personally, I’ve used ArcoLinux, a distro based on Arch and I loved everything about it. With Arch, you get the latest software updates and all the new cool stuff. The disadvantage though is that Arch can be quite unstable sometimes. Also if you don’t update it frequently, it can quite literally break on your face. Also, a plain Arch is quite hard to install.

Finally Fedora. This is what I run on my system, and it is quite pleasant. I like to think of it as lying between Debian and Arch. It gets frequent updates but you don’t have to update it as much as Arch, also it is much more stable than Arch but not as much as Debian. The only disadvantage I can think of is that resources for Fedora maybe slightly less than Arch or Debian. Fedora is supported by a company called Red-Hat which used to pave the way in the case of Open-Source R&D. As of now it is acquired by IBM and is performing rather questionable things through Red-Hat but that is a story for another article.

There are tons of other awesome distros that I could not include in this, there is even an AmogOS. When you think you heard it all, there will always be another one.

Disadvantages

I’ve talked about why you should switch to Linux, now let’s talk about why you might not want to switch to Linux. The first thing is software/hardware support. Most software is made for Windows or Mac, not Linux. There are countless popular software that are not supported on Linux. It is what it is. There is nothing that can be done. Your only bet is to depend on the open-source version of the software you are trying to use. Another thing is that you cannot be totally sure if an external mouse or keyboard is going to be compatible. Most of the time it would be, but that is not a guarantee. The projectors would never be compatible though, speaking from experience. What you could do to overcome this is to dual boot your system with Windows/Mac along with Linux so that you can use the former if necessary.

Conclusion

Finally, the big question is, should you switch to Linux as your main system? The answer is YES. So, if you consider switching to Linux and don’t know how to install it or need help with anything, you could feel free to ask anyone at FOSSMEC and they would be happy to help.