I’ve been using windows since I was in 2nd grade (1990). Of course the school had windows PC’s and my father bought our first PC when I was in fourth grade.
Didn’t really get into computers until I started drafting class as a freshman. Even then it was drafting software and surfing the web. Once I got started pc gaming in my 20 is when I really started to get acquainted with windows but it was all down hill form there.
The more I learned the more I realized we were being spied on, and it didn’t stop at the PC. With everyone carrying a smart phone around I realized the spying was just getting worse.
I mulled over switching to linux for about 2 years now. When windows announced they would no longer be supporting windows 10 I decided it was time to make the move.
Last august I downloaded linux mint and Garuda and put them on old machines and started tinkering.
The first game I wanted to install was eve online and that kind of put me off to the whole thing to be honest. I would have never been able to get it done alone because there is a long running issue with that game and wine and it just won’t install smoothly. I have a buddy that is well versed in linux and through console commands we executed before the install. We prepared the system for the install and were able to get it done and it runs smooth, but it took 3 hours to troubleshoot, so I put it off for the main machine.
But the spying is getting worse and now with windows intent on integrating AI and monitoring screen content (taking images of your screen) and feeding it to AI, I decided to just put on the big boy pants and make the move.
Just took an image of my main machine last week and wiped it to install Garuda. I settled on Garuda on because it seems like the unbuntu side of linux is taking the same path that windows did Just about a decade behind.
Another buddy (who is a data engineer) thinks I’m nuts for going through all this trouble to get away from microsoft but I feel satisfied in my choice to no longer feed the machine.
I just want to say that I think you guys are really nailing it here with GUI’s. To be honest that has been the biggest barrier for me. I’m sure a lot of other windows users feel the same about making the switch to linux is in the command console structure that has been the norm.
Making the move to GUI’s I think will bring linux to the people, as just being able to see what you are able to do is a lower barrier to entry than learning a bunch of commands, as you have a bit of guidance to what you are able to do.
For example just being able to right click a drive and see a list of options is better IMO than having to already know the specific command you need to execute to create a new folder.
Anyway, this seems a lot longer than most of the into’s I have read so far, So im going to cut it off here, so far the OS looks and feels great and I am excited to learn as I go here.
Hope you all have a good experience and good to meet you all.
Guradao
Welcome to the family !!