Making the move from Win to Linux [closed]

I need to make the move from Windows to Linux.

I just need an OS that installs fast, has the same (or almost the same) feel and design as Windows (Xp, Vista, Win 7, or even Win98 doesn’t really matter), is easily customizable and which doesn’t need 10,000 upgrades and reinstalls in one year, like most of the distros I learned about seem to undergo (most of them seem to be upgraded once or twice per year).

Anyway, as I was saying I need a stable OS that will function flawlessly even after 10 or 20 years, without needing a single upgrade, update or re-install. I am not interested in learning to use terminals or lines of code, I am not interested in gazillions of packages in their collection of software and applications, I don’t need dozens of games or trying hundreds of new, cool and shiny apps, or anything like that. I will stick to the same browser that I’ve been using since it came out (mozilla firefox), I will stick to the same 2-3 games I’ve been playing since I was a kid, I’ll also stick to the same Winamp, Winace, and other stuff that I’ve been using since I got my first PC. So, a huge collection of apps and even games won’t impress me to install the latest and coolest distro if it fails to offer the minimum (stability and security)

I also need my OS to be highly intuitive (to look as much as Windows, if possible), to be easily customizable (drag and drop, or «click here click there done» type of customization, not typing alien coding into terminals and modifying dozens of config files and whatnot).

I am not very interested in saving on CPU resources as this year I will be getting a new PC anyway, with a minimum of 8GB RAM, SDD instead of HDD, too and so on and so forth. So PC resources won’t be a problem anymore for my new Linux install (even my current desktop is able to handle a heavy Linux distro) but I need something that works and works flawlessly out of the box. I installed Mint x64 Xfce about a week ago and wasted all my time reading everything on their forum and while the folks at Mint forum are very helpful I feel like I will never get where I want with Linux Mint. And after doing some even more research and reading in Google and on other related and on-topic websites I feel like the more I try to learn how a particular distro or desktop environment works the more minuses it has and the more distros and DEs I hear there are. Which becomes s confusing and so down letting that you just feel like sticking to Windows but I can’t (I WON’T) get back to it as I have already invested all of my energy and capacity of understanding it into it and it still looks like a program built by techie wannabes.

The drivers for my hardware is another biggie for me. After one week of research and forum asking I can’t make the sound card and my (already obsolete) Speedtouch ADSL modem connect to the internet through Linux Mint, which is why I am looking for another Linux option.

I can understand that it’s almost impossible for any distro to contain drivers for all possible device types and models, so I won’t insist on this aspect. But at least I need to be able to easily make the devices work properly.

Is there any chance at all that I ever find such an OS among all the Linux variations that exist on the market today? I am not interested in server based Linux, or commercial or enterprise or other BS like that. I just need a OS to function on my desktop, that’s all. I don’t think I ask for much

So anyway, is there someone who has possibly, thoroughly tried ALL of the distros and Wms/DEs out there (or at least the major ones, those listed on DW) that can offer an unbiased opinion on which Linux distro is the solution I am looking for?

How to Make the Switch From Windows to Linux

If you don’t want to upgrade from Windows 7 or are sick of Windows 10, here’s how to finally make the switch to Linux and install apps.

Microsoft is finally ending support for Windows 7 in January, meaning you won’t get bug fixes or security updates anymore. If you’re one of the final Windows 7 holdouts and don’t want to get stuck with an unsafe system, you have a choice to make: upgrade to Windows 10 or switch to something else entirely.

If you don’t like the direction Microsoft has taken with Windows 10, we understand. It’s gotten better (and you can make it feel more like Windows 7 with a few tweaks), but its new approach to Windows as a Service means there will always be more of a focus on embedded advertisements, constant updates, and data collection. If you’ve been thinking about making the jump to Linux, now is the time.

Choose Your Distribution

Unlike Windows and macOS, there isn’t just one version of Linux. Instead, Linux is packaged into many different distributions, or «distros,» each with their own interface and set of features. One may use a Mac-like interface with a dock and an «app store,» while others may use a more minimalist interface and require installing apps from the command line.

Exploring the bevy of Linux distributions out there is a fun part of the hobby, but for your first installation, you will likely want something popular and beginner-friendly, so it’s easy to get help when you need it. That’s why I recommend starting with Linux Mint.

There are a lot of distributions that aim to mimic Windows in layout and functionality, like Zorin OS, but they’re on the smaller side, and you won’t have as big a community to tap as you learn your way around. Ubuntu, on the other hand, is arguably the most popular distro on desktop PCs, but it isn’t very Windows-like at all these days.

Linux Mint is a perfect in-between option: it’s designed for beginners, offers a familiar desktop environment, and it’s based on Ubuntu, so you can make use of the enormous Ubuntu/Mint community when you need help.

You’re free to check out other distros instead, but I’ll be using Mint for the purposes of this guide, and I recommend you do too. It’s not my personal distro of choice, but it’s great for new Windows migrants, and it’s easier to explore other distros once you’ve nailed down the basics on a beginner-friendly system.

Create Your Installation Drive

Head to Mint’s download page and choose the 64-bit «Cinnamon» version. Cinnamon is the desktop environment I recommend for former Windows users, though MATE is also pretty Windows-like, even though it’s a bit less modern. XFCE is ideal for old or low-powered PCs, thanks to its light resource usage.

Mint’s download page provides a number of links depending on where you live. If you use BitTorrent, I recommend grabbing the torrent file, which will download much faster.

The installer will come as an ISO, or disc image file. To install it on your system, you’ll need to burn it to a DVD (by right-clicking it and choosing Burn Disc Image in Windows 7) or USB flash drive. We’re going to do the latter using a tool called Rufus. Install Rufus, open it up, and insert a flash drive that’s 2GB or larger. (If you have a fast USB 3.0 drive, all the better.) You should see it appear in the Device drop-down at the top of Rufus’ main window.

Next, click the Select button next to Disk or ISO image, and choose the Linux Mint ISO you just downloaded. Press the Start button, and if prompted to download new versions of Syslinux, click Yes. Note that this will erase your flash drive, so make sure there isn’t anything important on there before continuing.

When it’s finished, you’ll see a success message and your flash drive will be named LINUX MINT. Back up your data, reboot your computer, and buckle your seat belts: it’s time to install Linux.

Install Linux on Your PC

As your computer reboots, you should see a message telling you to press a certain key to access the Boot Menu (usually something like F12). If not, you’ll see a key to enter Setup (often Delete). Press one of those keys, and look for the option to boot from the inserted USB drive. (If you enter the full setup menu, it’ll be in a Boot settings menu somewhere, and you’ll have to exit the menu to reboot again when you’re done.)

You will then be greeted by GRUB, Linux Mint’s boot menu, where you can choose to boot into Linux Mint. If you run into any errors, you may need to Google around for a fix. I had to enable the nomodeset option for my graphics card, for example. Others may have to tweak or disable Secure Boot in the BIOS.

This installer is what we call a Live CD, where you can actually poke around and use the Linux Mint desktop before installing it. This will give you a chance to see if this particular distro appeals to you without it actually touching your system drive.

Once you’re satisfied, double-click the Install Linux Mint icon and go through the wizard. Be sure to check the box next to Install third-party software, since it contains useful drivers and codecs you almost certainly want.

From here, you have a few options. You can wipe your hard drive entirely, erasing all traces of Windows and using Linux as your only operating system. (Make double sure you’ve backed up your data before doing this.) Alternatively, you can divide your drive up into two partitions and dual boot Linux alongside Windows.

This will allow you to reboot into one or the other whenever you want. Keep in mind that Windows 7 will be left insecure, so you don’t want to spend too much time there. If nothing else, it’s comforting to know you have that safety net during the transition before you remove Windows entirely.

Choose the relevant option from the Installation Type menu, and click Install Now. The process may take a little while, but when it’s done, you’ll get a success message. Click the Restart Now button to boot into Linux Mint and start getting acquainted with your new OS.

Get Acquainted With Linux and Install Some Apps

When you reboot, you’ll be dropped into the Linux Mint desktop once again—only this time, it’s installed on your PC. The basics are pretty familiar: click the button in the lower-left corner to see applications, manage windows from the bottom taskbar, and so on. There are, however, a few things in Linux that work differently than in Windows, with apps being the biggest.

In Linux, it’s less common to download apps from the web. Instead, each distro has its own repository—kind of like a free app store, with a directory of popular apps. You can install an app from the repositories in one of two ways: from a graphical software manager (again, which looks like an app store) or from the command line.

To open Linux Mint’s Software Manager, click the menu button in the lower-left corner and head to Administration > Software Manager (or just start typing «software manager,» like you would in Windows). From here you can download plenty of free, open-source apps.

Some are Linux versions of their Windows counterparts, like Steam and Spotify, while others are open-source alternatives to common apps (Banshee is a music player similar to iTunes, Gimp is an image editor akin to Photoshop). You can browse here or search for apps using the bar at the top.

How to Install and Uninstall Apps

If you know what you’re looking for, it’s generally faster to install apps from the command line. And while it may seem intimidating at first, Linux still relies on the command line for various tasks, so it might behoove you to get comfortable with it. To install an app—let’s say the open-source media player VLC—open a Terminal window and run:

Sudo apt update

sudo apt install vlc

Let’s break that down: sudo tells the system to run the command as root (or, as it might be called in Windows, as an administrator), apt is the name of Linux Mint’s package manager, and update ensures the list of available apps is up to date.

The second command, which includes install vlc, is self-explanatory. You should run sudo apt update before installing any app, and you can replace vlc with the name of any app you want to install. If you aren’t sure what the repository calls it, you can run sudo apt cache search vlc to see what comes up.

To uninstall an app, just run:

sudo apt remove vlc

This will remove the app, but not your configuration files, so if you decide to reinstall it later, your settings will still be there.

If you want to remove configuration files too, you can instead run:

sudo apt purge vlc

How to Update Apps

You’ll also want to periodically update those apps, so you have the latest versions. You can do this, again, in two ways: from the graphical tool or from the command line. For the graphical tool, click the shield icon in the lower-right corner, which opens the Update Manager app. You can then click the Install Updates button to update all your software.

Alternatively, you can open a Terminal and run two commands:

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade

Again, the update command checks for new versions of your software, and the upgrade command actually upgrades all your apps. You’ll want to run these two together, just like you do for installing new apps.

Those are the most crucial things to know right now, but take some time to browse around Mint’s interface and its settings to see what it has to offer. The Welcome window that appears at startup can be a big help—its First Steps area will show you how to choose different desktop layouts, install multimedia codecs you might want, and install necessary drivers for your hardware.

You’ll get the hang of the basics pretty quickly, but the Mint and Ubuntu forums are always there to help if you get stuck. Just be sure to search around, since there’s a good chance someone before you has had the same question.

How to move from Windows to Linux?

Stack Exchange users offer tips on the transition between operating systems.

Stack Exchange — Jul 7, 2012 7:45 pm UTC

reader comments

Share this story

I need to reconcile these 2 facts:

1. I don’t feel comfortable working on Linux;

2. I need to develop software for Linux.

Some background: I have 10+ years of programming experience on Windows (almost exclusively C/C++, but some .NET as well), I was a user of FreeBSD at home for about 3 years or so (then had to go back to Windows), and I’ve never had much luck with Linux. And now I have to develop software for Linux. I need a plan.

On Windows, you can get away with just knowing a programming language, an API you’re coding against, your IDE (VisualStudio) and some very basic tools for troubleshooting (Depends, ProcessExplorer, DebugView, WinDbg). Everything else comes naturally.

On Linux, it’s a very different story. How the hell would I know what DLL (sorry, Shared Object) would load, if I link to it from Firefox plugin? What’s the Linux equivalent of inserting __asm int 3/DebugBreak() in the source and running the program, and then letting the OS call a debugger? Why do release builds use something, called appLoader, while debug builds work somehow different? Worst of all: How to provision Linux development environment?

So, taking into account that my hatred might be associated with not knowing enough, what would you recommend? I’m ok with Emacs and GCC. I need to educate myself as a Linux admin/user, and I need to learn proper troubleshooting tools (strace is cool, btw), equivalents to the ones I mentioned above.

Do I need to do Linux From Scratch? Or do I need to just read some books? (I’ve read UNIX programming enviornment by Kernighan and Advanced Programming. by Stevens, but I could use something more practical.) Or do I need to have some Linux distro on my home computer?

Answer: Lots to Read. (34 Votes)

You might find the article Dynamic Linking in Linux and Windows interesting (it explains how each OS does dynamic linking). The article Shared Library Search Paths explains how the libraries are found. Also Static, Shared Dynamic and Loadable Linux Libraries is very good. A nice thing about Linux libraries is that they have better support for versioning and more versions of a library than Windows (AFAIK, I don’t do Windows). See Library Interface Versioning in Solaris and Linux for that. These articles should really get you covered with libraries.

The GDB is very mighty, and a good introduction is probably RMS’s gdb Tutorial. You might want to read up on conditional breakpoints. For equivalents to __asm(int 3) see the Stack Overflow question Set breakpoint in C or C++ code programmatically for gdb on Linux.

The book Advanced Unix Programming by Marc Rochkind is a must-read, IMHO. It offers lots of examples and covers all POSIX/SUS topics in a very well-explained way. It’s the best book about this topic I’ve read so far.

But to make your life easier I actually recommend you use a highlevel API that abstracts stuff for you, like Qt. It will also make writing cross-platform a lot easier.

Doing Linux From Scratch helps you get an understanding of how a Linux system is composed, but I think it doesn’t much improve your knowledge about it from a developer’s point of view. It does, however, make you more comfortable with Linux, as you learn what parts are there in a Linux environment (and also why). A Linux won’t be a big blackbox to you after working through Linux From Scratch.

Answer: If you like strace. (9 Votes)

Don’t forget ltrace: the equivalent for library calls.

Also, yes, I recommend Linux From Scratch. It’s a good exercise in working out the core elements of the OS and how they fit together.

For a modern, complete system programming reference treatment, I’d recommend picking up The Linux Programming Interface.

Answer: Use Your Experience (7 Votes)

Why not develop on Mono with Monodevelop? This would get you started quite easily by re-using your experience in .NET.

Answer: A Shortcut (3 Votes)

Do not force yourself to do something you do not like. Use Windows as your development environment, write a portable code, cross-compile it for Linux, and only test it occasionally in a VM.

Answer: Steb-By-Step (5 Votes)

It’s daunting when you look at it from the outset (just like if you were a Linux developer being tasked with doing some Windows development). I would tackle this one problem at a time.

1) First, get your environment setup (compiler, IDE—yes they exist, Netbeans/Eclipse etc.)

2) Next, get the higher level APIs installed (boost/Qt etc.)

3) Start slowly. If there is an immediate problem to solve, get the code compiling (or start writing from scratch). Like you would tackle any development project, get the stuff you know working first (i.e. things that don’t need OS specific interaction), and then when you hit a snag—search. I’m sure someone out there has come across the same problem before and resolved it.

Most importantly, leave all your preconceived notions at the door. And no, you don’t need to be a guru to develop in Linux, I know enough to get around, but not everything—and I’m comfortable with that.

Answer: An Ode to Linux (6 Votes)

The Mac OS X is like a Mercedes; it’s the prettiest and cleanest but it costs a lot. Windows is like a Toyota; it will get you there and back.

Linux is like a hot rod; It’s for people to dig into and take apart and put back together again. Linux is not for someone who just wants to use the computer; it’s for people who love computers. People who don’t love computers should stay away from it.

The stuff you learned in Windows won’t translate very well, no. But you get to see the internals and watch the engine run.

Try to take Linux as a new toy, that you can play with and crawl into and see what’s going on. Things that are easy in Windows are harder in Linux; things that are impossible in Windows are possible in Linux.

If you love computers you can love Linux; if you don’t love computers why are you programming at all?

Think you know the best way to go from Windows to Linux? Disagree with the opinions expressed above? Bring your wisdom to the original post at Stack Exchange, a network of 80+ sites where you can freely trade expert knowledge on topics like web apps, cycling, scientific skepticism, and (almost) everything in between.