Re: Switching to Linux from Win7
Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 2:58 am
KDE user here. Some notes about Linux in general:
- LOVE works great!
- New users often try to install software like they do on Windows by navigating to the website and then downloading and installing from there. On Linux you generally don't want to do this - it's actually more headache than it's worth (Google Chrome is probably one of the few exceptions to this). Instead, you should be using your package manager if possible. It allows you to install software from a wide library of titles directly from the Internet through a terminal or a GUI. Third-party software is a bit trickier however, since they aren't often packaged the same way as you install your other software. On Ubuntu, however, you have things called "PPAs" (Personal Package Archives) which allow you to install new "sources" that expand your available software library (LOVE uses this method for Ubuntu, many other programs do too).
- In terms of graphics drivers, you're going to get mixed results depending on what you're using. There are actually TWO different drivers to choose from each for nVidia and AMD chipsets: the open-source drivers (by the community) and the proprietary ones (the official drivers from the vendors). Generally speaking, you want the proprietary drivers since they are often much, much better at handling 3D graphics - nVidia's proprietary drivers handle OpenGL on Linux just about as well as they do on Windows (which is to say, very well. First time I played around with nVidia on Linux, I forgot I was actually on Linux).
- For that matter, gaming on Linux is a lot better than you might think, but it obviously isn't perfect. Here's an interesting article about the current state of Linux gaming and the Humble Indie Bundle: http://cheesetalks.twolofbees.com/humbleStats3.php
- A lot of program errors have a tendency to not display any sort of dialog and instead just print errors to standard output. This might cause a bit of confusion for new users, especially when an application doesn't seem to launch. When in doubt, run the application from a terminal. You're almost sure to find the cause that way.
- Yes, LibreOffice can open your .docx files or whatever. That doesn't mean it won't have a little bit of trouble. I had to resort to using a Windows machine to view a couple homework assignments involving diagrams that the open-source office suite had trouble interpreting. Thankfully I could export to PDF and then simply view them from my Linux machine.
- There are tons of desktop environments available. If you don't like the way your desktop user interface works, just try a different one! There's pretty much something for everyone. Of course, the choice can be a bit overwhelming.
- Don't judge your experience solely by how a Linux distro/DE runs in a VM. Yes, VMs are a _great_ way to try Linux without having to install it on a production system, but keep in mind that the experience might be a bit flakey on actual hardware (or _less_ flakey, depending on your system specs). Conversely, VMs have a bit of trouble with the newest desktop environments.
- Linux is evolving incredibly fast. Certain problems that plagued Linux a few years ago are now a thing of the past. Back in 2007, in order to get a composited (3D) desktop you had to manually install AIGLX, Compiz, etc., tinker around with the login manager's session list to actually be able to launch the 3D desktop, and then dig around Compiz's advanced settings dialog to try and get the thing set up such that it would actually be usable for day-to-day computing. A couple years later we saw KDE enable a 3D desktop experience right out of the box without any advanced configuration (as long as you had the right graphics drivers). Now we even are getting to the point where a lot of desktop environments are relegating or even removing support for non-3D desktops (thankfully). Whatever grievances you have with Linux today will probably get resolved in a couple years.
- Avoid OpenSUSE like the plague. Please. Just don't even touch it. Not even with a twenty-foot pole. It's horrible.
- LOVE works great!
- New users often try to install software like they do on Windows by navigating to the website and then downloading and installing from there. On Linux you generally don't want to do this - it's actually more headache than it's worth (Google Chrome is probably one of the few exceptions to this). Instead, you should be using your package manager if possible. It allows you to install software from a wide library of titles directly from the Internet through a terminal or a GUI. Third-party software is a bit trickier however, since they aren't often packaged the same way as you install your other software. On Ubuntu, however, you have things called "PPAs" (Personal Package Archives) which allow you to install new "sources" that expand your available software library (LOVE uses this method for Ubuntu, many other programs do too).
- In terms of graphics drivers, you're going to get mixed results depending on what you're using. There are actually TWO different drivers to choose from each for nVidia and AMD chipsets: the open-source drivers (by the community) and the proprietary ones (the official drivers from the vendors). Generally speaking, you want the proprietary drivers since they are often much, much better at handling 3D graphics - nVidia's proprietary drivers handle OpenGL on Linux just about as well as they do on Windows (which is to say, very well. First time I played around with nVidia on Linux, I forgot I was actually on Linux).
- For that matter, gaming on Linux is a lot better than you might think, but it obviously isn't perfect. Here's an interesting article about the current state of Linux gaming and the Humble Indie Bundle: http://cheesetalks.twolofbees.com/humbleStats3.php
- A lot of program errors have a tendency to not display any sort of dialog and instead just print errors to standard output. This might cause a bit of confusion for new users, especially when an application doesn't seem to launch. When in doubt, run the application from a terminal. You're almost sure to find the cause that way.
- Yes, LibreOffice can open your .docx files or whatever. That doesn't mean it won't have a little bit of trouble. I had to resort to using a Windows machine to view a couple homework assignments involving diagrams that the open-source office suite had trouble interpreting. Thankfully I could export to PDF and then simply view them from my Linux machine.
- There are tons of desktop environments available. If you don't like the way your desktop user interface works, just try a different one! There's pretty much something for everyone. Of course, the choice can be a bit overwhelming.
- Don't judge your experience solely by how a Linux distro/DE runs in a VM. Yes, VMs are a _great_ way to try Linux without having to install it on a production system, but keep in mind that the experience might be a bit flakey on actual hardware (or _less_ flakey, depending on your system specs). Conversely, VMs have a bit of trouble with the newest desktop environments.
- Linux is evolving incredibly fast. Certain problems that plagued Linux a few years ago are now a thing of the past. Back in 2007, in order to get a composited (3D) desktop you had to manually install AIGLX, Compiz, etc., tinker around with the login manager's session list to actually be able to launch the 3D desktop, and then dig around Compiz's advanced settings dialog to try and get the thing set up such that it would actually be usable for day-to-day computing. A couple years later we saw KDE enable a 3D desktop experience right out of the box without any advanced configuration (as long as you had the right graphics drivers). Now we even are getting to the point where a lot of desktop environments are relegating or even removing support for non-3D desktops (thankfully). Whatever grievances you have with Linux today will probably get resolved in a couple years.
- Avoid OpenSUSE like the plague. Please. Just don't even touch it. Not even with a twenty-foot pole. It's horrible.