I bought a laptop yesterday, it came pre-installed with Windows 11. I hate win 11 so I switched it down to Windows 10, but then started considering using Linux for total control over the laptop, but here’s the thing: I keep seeing memes about how complicated or fucky wucky Linux is to install and run. I love the idea of open source software and an operating system without any of the bullshit that comes with Windows, but most of the open source stuff I have is on my android and fairly easy to install. Installing and using Linux just feels like it’ll be a whole different beast that’ll eat up most of my time and I’m kind of intimidated by it.

TL;DR Linux scawy, how does a barely computer literate scrub like me who’s used nothing but windows since the dawn of their life get started with Linux?

  • Feathercrown@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    6 months ago

    I’m using Nix and it’s basically the same as every other Linux distro except settings and packages are managed slightly differently. It’s the DE that really makes a difference for people I think.

    • Skull giver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nlEnglish
      2·
      6 months ago

      Conceptually, Nix is just the next evolution of tools like Ansible, and tangentially related to projects like Silverblue, but in practice, it’s only used by enthusiasts. And, of course, you can use Nix outside of NixOS.

      Unless there’s a tool I don’t know about, there’s no equivalent for Discover or Gnome Software for NixOS. Because that’s the class of boring people that make up the silent majority: the people who don’t know how to, or don’t want to edit configuration files. This was how Valve made Linux on a console a success, and it’s why Ubuntu is still popular despite their experiments causing them to be decried by the community over and over again.