Reaction on Linux

If I tell someone that I use Linux I get many disturbed prejudices reactions.

• laughed at
• spending too much time get the OS running
• taken it as a joke

The reality on Linux

My current situation

A year ago I switched with my main Desktop PC at home to Linux (xubuntu at first, now with Mint). For the time being I still had Windows 7 installed, but I rarely used it. Some months later after no usage of Windows I removed it completely and converted remaining partitions to ext4.

What do I miss?

• Nothing and apart from that
• that some applications don’t support Linux. But then I either don’t buy it or if I have to use wine to get it running.
• that some hardware vendors doesn’t support Linux. That only happens rarely nowadays and mostly for periphery devices.
• better graphic driver support

What I don’t miss?

• Viruses / Virus scanner
• adware bloated applications (Linux has only a few top)
• Install Windows updates now/automatic restart
• changing USB ports because it isn’t recognized any more
• Do you want to switch to Windows Basic Theme
• Pressing Shift x times message
• Changing keyboard layout by default by pressing alt shift l
• Changing display rotation by shortcut
• Internet Explorer, which is used built-in in many applications
• Windows 8
• The monopol of document files
• and probably many more 🙂
• No administrator account by default like in Windows XP

What do I like on Linux?

Freedom

You are free to customize your Linux the way you like it. Beginning with the distribution flavour, desktop design, terminal software, software versions (ranging from bleeding edge to hardened) and many more possibilities.

Free software?

If we talk about freedom, then of course we have to talk about free software. But what sadly many people don’t get that the main focus is not on free in terms of money, but free in terms of source code aka open source. I have no problem paying money for an application. I often do that buying Linux games on Steam or Humble Bundle.

Open Source has the big advantage that you can see for yourself what the code does, change it or fix it. Or you can use existing software to enhance your own application.

Terminal

I like how you can write commands, have auto-completion and have a wide variety of different terminal applications. I like to use mplayer to play my videos and music.

And many more…

• Many simple tools for daily jobs
  • Simple Scan. There’s probably no easier scanner software out there.
  • youtube-dl. Simple command line tool to download youtube videos.
• plenty of games. Yet there could be more. Steam counts 1132 games.
  • Steam box on its way with more native games to come
  • new opengl api Vulkan
• network configuration profiles
• Multiple workspaces (coming with Windows 10)
• Desktop Notifications service (coming with Windows 10)
• file system organization
  • separation of user content and everything else is already in the data structure
    • easy to backup a user
• no gui needed for servers

TL;TR

Linux is a cool feature rich, customizable OS. It is a real competitor to all other OS out there. Even if only 1.5 % users world wide are using Linux. In absolute numbers these are still a lot of people.