Is Linux a better option than Windows 10?

del

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I know next to nothing about Linux.

What I do know is that I am fed up with the lack of practical support from Microsoft and especially Windows 10, annoying problems after every update, sometimes serious ones like browsers freezing, so called 'improvements' which are mostly worse , not better, vague & incomprehensible explanations or instructions, for example regarding features, sometimes incorrect as well due to updates.

Need I go on. I think you get the gist.

So for a while now I have been thinking is there a better and more straight forward OS? hence my broad question - Is Linux a better option than Windows 10?

Also is it easier to learn than Windows 10, especially as I don't use probably 80% of its features.

Obviously you are likely to be biased, but I still would like your viewpoints.

Also there appears to be several versions of Linux which I find confusing.

I look forward to your answers.

Regards
Derek
 


Hi del, and welcome to Linux.org!

To answer your question, and yes, I am biased, I find Linux to be far superior to Windows. From the DOS versions, all the way to the present. I find it to be more secure, non-intrusive (much more privacy), options to setup my computer the way I want, not the way some geek in Redmond thinks is better. And, a wonderful, seemingly unlimited amounts of choice. If there were no other benefit than just freedom of choice, Linux is best by far. Some people, mostly newbies, find that a bit intimidating, but only because they are used to Windows, and being forced to do things the Windows way.

Here's a link for you, it gives you a comprehensive list of most all the Linux Distros available, with a brief description and a download link. Read up on some, there are around 1000, or more. Make a list of what distros seeming interesting to you and we can help you test them. The site is called "DistroWatch.com."

https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major

Have fun surfing the site.
 
http://whylinuxisbetter.net/en/

You can TRY Linux without affecting Windows
1) Live CD/DVD
2) Live USB with persistence
3) Puppy Linux (it saves to Windows)
4) Virtualisation
5) Dual Booting

...There is even a website where you can try Linux online >>> https://distrotest.net/

DON'T throw away Windows unless and until you are ABSOLUTELY sure. Some things only run on Windows!
 
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Hello del,

I believe Linux is an excellent alternative to Windows 10.

The migration from a Windows environment isn't hard.

A new user should learn a little Linux how to so that their first Linux experience is a successful one.

The Linux repository's have plenty of excellent tested software which can be safely downloaded and installed as needed for whatever a users needs may be.

Security in Linux is excellent and no antivirus software is needed and all that is required is for a user to enable the firewall and be good to go.

For an added layer of protection firejail sandbox can be installed to run your browser and other software from inside of.

Linux has a lot of options and definitely worth a test drive to actually see if it is what you are looking for.
 
wow....now that is going to bring the bears out of the woods around here !
A bit like asking is the Pope Catholic...!

ok....all and sundry are going to answer YES it is a better option...(if they reply otherwise, Wizard will come along(he will be here shortly...depend on it ) and cast some horrendous spell upon them that they and their family will be unlikely to recover from for millennia ! )

SO having got that out of the way.....lets be sensible.....at least for a paragraph or two.

lack of practical support Becasue I spend some of my time at another site (occasionally tending to win 10 problems) I think I know what you mean. A problem arises in the OS....it is noticeable even to the blind that the support fro msft does not address the problem precisely. Usually it will give an around the garden type answer which may solve the problem for perhaps 20% of their audience......the rest get to fathom it out themselves. If they can't, then its install the backup or reset or reinstall the OS.....maybe system restore (good luck with that)

Updates Laughable. These are from the worlds leaders in Personal computers Operating Systems . The world is in trouble. If your car ran like that the public transportation system could not handle the load.


So....yes we have the gist.

Is there a better way without tying oneself in knots of frustration. (because win 10 is just that...frustration.)

I know the answer is yes.

I have experienced it. I live with it. have I at times experienced some frustration with it...yes. And when I do, I remind myself of 10's frustration....and I relax. You see the answer to my frustration/question/problem IS there....it is not tucked away in an unassailable/unreachable position in Redmond or where ever.

I know there are 100's and 100's of linux type OS's (operating systems)

I elected to keep i simple. Linux Mint

I took it for a trial run on a usb stick. It is a very clever way to find out if you like a particular distro (OS) without actually installing it

It is easy to set up and run.....and you can do NO damage to your existing system/OS

Also is it easier to learn than Windows 10, especially as I don't use probably 80% of its features


Tell me what features you do use....
browser?

office.... of any kind?

Email ?

screenshot ?

music player ?

skype ?

facebook ?

Pictures ?

???....etc ?

as far as easy to learn is concerned.....I approach it this way. I have an external hard drive. I use that hdd to send "snapshots" of my system to...daily weekly and monthly.

That is done via an "app" called Timeshift. It is a default app/program on Linux Mint 19. Setting it up is easier than opening and using Microsoft Edge.

It is similar to system restore in windows, with one major difference...It Works.

So....if you are just trying out Linux mint or whatever on a usb trial run....there is no need to set up Timeshift....BUT....if you have actually installed Linux to your hard drive, then the very FIRST thing you should do is set up Timeshift (and enable the firewall...more about that later)

Why you ask?....because as you play with linux/whatever you may make a mistake or two or fifty.....and the easiest way to make things good again...is to open Timeshift...click on restore....highlight the snapshot to restore (usually the most recent)......and then go make a coffee. It will be finished by the time you get back. Perfect. All ready to break again !!!....you think I am joking?....No, I am not.

The overall beauty of Linux is.....its FREE

So you screw up the OS....so what ?....either use Timeshift or if you are really in over your head and have screwed things so royally, then simply reinstall the OS. Easy.

Your mind is screaming but what about my pics/music/documents.....blah blah.....

You have a backup dont you !.......I have one...in fact many....one a month for over three/four years (and haven't used one yet
)

Ok I think I may have outdone myself....that is certainly more than a couple of paragraphs !......typing diarrhea !!

del, ....you will not go wrong. You can trust what you read here. While there may be a thousand and one choices put forward.....Take my advice and keep it simple. (Linux Mint)

The poll on the side of this page indicates the most popular distro for new users. Linux Mint has the high number for a reason.



Now......your windows 10......@ arochester makes a good point. Do not 'throw' your windows 10 away. Yet. Play safe. Keep it somewhere to go back to if you really wish to.

How you go about that is probably the most complex decision of the lot.

I am sure the good people here will bombard you with details of dual booting etc etc....or partitioning your current hard drive to fit both Linux and win 10 on the same hdd....etc etc etc

or
Save all you need from yoiur current win 10...pictures, music, documents, ??/....only you know what is invaluable to you.

Then install Linus over the top of your windows install. Yes it will wipe it. If you ever change your mind, simply download win 10 again and reinstall....it will wipe Linux. Your product key and

activation key are stored on the motherboard etc of your pc and it will automatically be recognised and will fire up as if nothing has happened. (then you can tangle with update mania again ..lol...)

That is a not a solution for the fainthearted, but depending on the amount of info/pics/etc you have stored it may be a reasonable way to do it.

If very little data/pics etc etc...then it may work for you.


Have I made this too complicated ?

Brian










 
Hello @del

You have already so many answers that you should be covered right now & to realize that linux is (of course) a better option than windows.
I would like only to tell you that linux change the way I see computers.
Linux is not just a OS, is a way of living. Thanks to linux I met so interesting people, I learn so beautiful things and finally I found a nice hobby.
The only that I like in windows is that "force" me to Linux.
 
I just installed Linux Mint and Ubuntu Mate yesterday on two separate laptops and I am loving it so far. It was extremely easy. I used a thumb drive, downloaded the 2 OS's from this website to the thumb drive, downloaded UNetbootin from it's website, ran UNetbootin, and then restarted the laptop and within minutes I had the respective OS's up and running. It took less than 20 minutes to do both. It is magical. I am trying to figure everything out now within the OS's and later will have to figure out the alternatives to the things that I normally use such as office.

I am sure I have links to options somewhere since I researched extensively and saved everything, but it was a lot of information to attempt to take in and organize to find later. A process, but one I look forward to. I want to get away from the big brother companies and the Oligopolies in general. If they want to use me as the product, they can pay me for it. lol
 
Hi Nick, sounds like you are humming along sweet :)

(Wizard appears in a puff of smoke, late for the party)

Make alternativeto.net one of your friends. For example if you Google "alternative to ms office" or "alternative to photoshop" you will find it ranked highly, and find that we have LibreOffice and GIMP.

GIMP, the GNU Image Manipulation Program, is also cross-platform, so you could try it from Windows as well.

With both your Ubuntu and you Mint, find your way to Terminal or Ctrl-Alt-t and enter the following

Code:
sudo ufw enable

You will be prompted for your password, type it (no movement, security) and press Enter.

Output will tell you your Uncomplicated FireWall is activated in real time and will be enabled every time you boot-reboot.

Enjoy your Linux

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
 
I know next to nothing about Linux.

What I do know is that I am fed up with the lack of practical support from Microsoft and especially Windows 10, annoying problems after every update, sometimes serious ones like browsers freezing, so called 'improvements' which are mostly worse , not better, vague & incomprehensible explanations or instructions, for example regarding features, sometimes incorrect as well due to updates.

Need I go on. I think you get the gist.

So for a while now I have been thinking is there a better and more straight forward OS? hence my broad question - Is Linux a better option than Windows 10?

Also is it easier to learn than Windows 10, especially as I don't use probably 80% of its features.

Obviously you are likely to be biased, but I still would like your viewpoints.

Also there appears to be several versions of Linux which I find confusing.

I look forward to your answers.

Regards
Derek
I know next to nothing about Linux.

What I do know is that I am fed up with the lack of practical support from Microsoft and especially Windows 10, annoying problems after every update, sometimes serious ones like browsers freezing, so called 'improvements' which are mostly worse , not better, vague & incomprehensible explanations or instructions, for example regarding features, sometimes incorrect as well due to updates.

Need I go on. I think you get the gist.

So for a while now I have been thinking is there a better and more straight forward OS? hence my broad question - Is Linux a better option than Windows 10?

Also is it easier to learn than Windows 10, especially as I don't use probably 80% of its features.

Obviously you are likely to be biased, but I still would like your viewpoints.

Also there appears to be several versions of Linux which I find confusing.

I look forward to your answers.

Regards
Derek

Morning!
As many others have commented on already, the freedom and the available choices are mind - blowing compared to Windows or Mac! As a fairly inexperienced Linux user myself one of the greatest advantages of using Linux as my daily OS is the ability to learn and in most cases get college level tutorials from experts in nearly any facet of Linux that you choose! When I started to tinker with Linux about 6 years ago I had trouble getting certain programs and there were things that I still had to return to either Windows or Mac to accomplish but that is no longer the case (I am sure there are exceptions that I haven't run into). I too was baffled by the amount of available distros or flavors but quickly learned that is an advantage and not a hindrance! You will get excellent advice on this site! My "novice" advice is to start with Mint for all of the reasons that many others have given. It's a friendly distro, Cinnamon (although a bit of a resource glutton) is gorgeous as far as the desktop is concerned and can be made to look and feel much like Windows or customized to fit your personal needs. Mint, being Debian based is stable and has a fantastic repository of available software to download! If you decide to take the plunge my advice is to become comfortable with the terminal and accomplishing tasks using the CLI to break the dependence on the graphical interfaces that Windows and Mac lock us into using. My second bit of advice is to find a community (Linux.org has been the best I found) where you feel comfortable asking questions as I think that ends up being the key to successfully migrating - like any big transition in life your support network can make or break you! Finally, be patient and forgiving of yourself - you are going to make mistakes, get confused,"nuke" your system (see my recent posts) and the like! It is all a learning experience and in my humble opinion, necessary to be free of Cupertino and Redmond!

Best of luck!
 
WOW! That's what I call support.
A big thank you to all of you.
Sorry it's taken so long to answer. I started writing but had to l leave it due to interruptions.

I have read all the replies to my question - "Is Linux a better option than Windows 10?"

I will re read them all and check out the suggestions some of you have replied. Also I will go through what I use Windows for as Condobloke asked and let you know for further advice.

I am certainly impressed by all your replies. Which I am sure will make my decision much easier.

Thanks again
Will reply fuirther

Del

PS I can' see where to log out so will just have to close the tab.
 
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