Linux Year One
“A computer is like an air-conditioner. It becomes useless when you open Windows.”
Linus Torvalds
I started using Linux in January, 2019 and it’s been one hell of a ride so far.
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution. (Wikipedia)
Alright, that’s a lot to take in and sounds quite geeky. Well, to put it simply, Linux is just another operating system like your Windows or MacOS, but a lot different than the two. What makes it different is that firstly, it is free of cost to download and use, secondly, it is an open source project (I will be discussing it below) and lastly, it is very much resource-friendly and easy to set-up and use. Also, when you’re installing Linux in your workstation, you’re actually installing a Linux distribution (commonly referred to as distro). Linux users usually obtain their operating system by downloading one of the Linux distributions, which are available for a wide variety of systems ranging from embedded devices (for example, OpenWrt) and personal computers (for example, Linux Mint) to powerful supercomputers (for example, Rocks Cluster Distribution). (Wikipedia)
I still remember myself, struggling with my Windows 10 PC in my 3rd semester of college. Even though my machine had the specifications of an entry level gaming laptop, it had trouble running Android Studio and other resource-hungry applications efficiently. Even with an 8th generation Intel i5 processor and 8 gigs of memory, my laptop used to heat up and Android Studio used to lag so much. The Android Emulator won’t even open up, without forcefully needing to restart my laptop.
It was then that a senior of mine suggested me to give Linux a try. And, that became the turning point of my budding developer life.
I have been using Manjaro Linux for more than a year now, and, so far, I haven’t experienced a problem. There is absolutely nothing that Linux can’t be made into doing. The feeling of having complete command over my system is breathtaking. The experience has been so good that I keep recommending Linux to every second person I come across.
But, Faran, we have been using Windows all our lives, won’t it be difficult to change the ecosystem?
Yes, I agree, switching the environment will be a really big thing. But, the moment you get the hang of it, you won’t even bother switching back to Windows. Even I faced difficulties. The open-source Office suites weren’t as good as Microsoft Office, I wasn’t able to use Adobe softwares for designing and media and the biggest one, I had to say Sayonara to games. But, on the bright side, I got exposure to the open-source universe. Open-source softwares, for those of you don’t know, are the softwares who’s source code is available to the general public and are usually free. Anyone can download the source-code, modify it, compile it and generate their own version of the software. A few examples of open-source softwares are Mozilla Firefox, Google Chromium, Atom Editor, WPS Office, etc.
But, Faran, isn’t Linux way too Command-ish?
I agree there are commands, but there are both ways to work around Linux. There are command line ways and there are GUI ways. You just need to know a few commands to gain total control of your system.
But, Faran, I am happy with Windows, why should I bother switching to Linux?
Personally, I have been very disappointed in Windows. I mean, who hasn’t cursed Windows when this happened:
I remember when I was running late for my classes and when I shut down my laptop, this started.
Also, talking about Windows flaws, who can forget the blue screen of death?
This always used to happen with me, when I tried to run Android Studio and Adobe Illustrator together. I understand that both of these are resource hungry softwares, but, Windows 10 itself consumes a lot of RAM.
Manjaro, on the other hand, consumes less than a GB of RAM when the system is ideal. I have never encountered any issue while running Android Studio or any other resource hungry applications on my PC now. Linux consumes a lot less RAM than Windows, and even an old laptop with dinosaur resources can easily run Linux without the fear of burning out your motherboard.
The next thing is privacy and security. It is not unknown to anyone that Windows does not value the privacy of the users. Linux is not owned by any particular organization. Linux distros are open-source and community-driven programs. There is no way that your Linux PC can get a virus infection, unless you’re stupid. Linux PCs are natively incapable of executing .exe files. Viruses are .exe files.
But, Faran, won’t it be difficult switching to Linux, I mean I will miss out on so many stuff?
Well, there’s always a way. You can install WINE (Wine Is Not Emulator). Wine can help you to install Windows applications on your Linux PC. Yes, games too. Wow. This includes the Microsoft Office package and Adobe softwares too. Or, you can switch to the free and open-source alternatives to your favourite softwares. If you want an Office, you can try WPS Office. If you’re into Graphic Designing, you can try Inkscape or Figma-Linux. If you want image processing, you can use GIMP. Also, the tech-giant, Valve, is trying its best to make gaming-on-linux a thing. There’s even a Reddit on it r/linux_gaming, and AMD has made its drivers open-source.
Lastly, Linux is completely free to use. I know that most of us use pirated Windows, but, Linux is completely free to use.
If you think Linux is too hard to use, think again. Modern Linux distributions are as easy to use as Windows XP ever was. In particular, I like Manjaro with the KDE desktop. If you want to start off with something easy, you can switch to Linux Mint with Cinnamon Desktop Environment. Mint has everything that a traditional WIMP (windows, icons, menu and pointer) desktop should have. If you’ve used any desktop in the last 10 years, you’ll get up to speed with Mint quickly.
