#linux advice

[lakefoundtheirexit]

Hey, I'm finally gonna try Linux properly soon, and I'm wondering which distro I should start off with first. I know Ubuntu is the popular one but there's plenty of distros out there so I wanna hear the community's suggestions as well. Also is there anything I should know before diving in? I normally use Windows if that helps

[leondra]

linux tutorial

switching to linux does have a bit of a learning curve but if you're willing to have a sit down and sort it out the benefits are awesome, and you get to learn new computer skills.

i recommend switching to an os that is similar to windows, such as mint linux. this isn't the first os i've used but its very casual and meets all my needs. there are tutorials on youtube on how to install it on your computer, but its a simple set up. be sure to backup your files. if you're very computer illiterate watch a few before attempting to install so you'll have a stronger grasp on what you're doing.

the taskbar doesnt come like that i just like it on the side lol. you can simply open the software manager to download programs that have a linux version

if theres a program that only has a windows version, you can download wine to run them

depending on what you use your computer for, you may come across programs that do not have a linux version, are not compatible with wine, and do not have a linux equivalent. when this happens you can use a virtual machine running windows to run the program, but to be honest this has only happened to me once for a very specific hobby, and i use my computer for proper computer science college work and my own hobbies. but the option is there.

anyways, if a program you want to use isnt available or isnt easy to install, simply google what apps are similar for linux

i recently downloaded krita but i havent used it much bc i mostly draw on my ipad, but from little ive used it its pretty good. gimp is also a good substitute for photoshop. here's a quick sketch i did in krita

steam games that only have a windows version can be played by using proton in the compatibility settings.

in this short tutorial i did not open the terminal once, and in my opinion a somewhat computer illiterate person may not have to use it since the os comes with apps to help navigate software installation and more, but learning how to use the terminal is a good skill to have!

if you have a technical issue that you absolutely cannot solve, there are forums that are active where people will help you. no bean dads. im also willing to answer questions for small troubleshooting problems.

switching to linux will improve your computer skills and give you access to many open source programs that are the equivalent to paid or subscription programs on windows. there's a strong community of people that are willing to help you and teach you, for free!

[edgelordhoard]

hey im planning to switch over to linux and need advice from the smart people of tumblr, please and thank you. my messages are open so if you need any info to help me out hmu.

General Questions:

im seeing everyone saying ubuntu, mint, and ziron are "the #1 go to versions for beginners" but like... which is it?

i also hear about security being the best with linux but nothing about it coming with antiviruses. does it come with one like how windows comes with defender or do you install that yourself, or is it something different entirely?

all the sources i look at talk about downloading and installing linux but i want to know what to expect when first getting a prebuilt pc with the OS, like the system 76 pcs. do you have to set it up like when you install it or is it as easy as getting any new computer?

i know nothing about coding and im planning to get a computer from system 76 since it seems like the best, and its by far the only source that only comes with linux, and since my current one was pretty much ruined by someone i thought could fix it after a faulty outlet fried its insides, he didnt and made it worse.

so yeah, which linux version do you suggest for a computer moron, any suggestions for computers would be nice (max price is $1,300), i'll put the specs and my uses under the read more.

Preferences:

It ONLY comes with Linux. I despise what Windows has become and don't want to even bother dual booting cause I feel with the switchovers happening they're gonna get salty and make something that'll turn your computer into a bomb if you use Linux with it.

Kinda beefy but not a supercomputer. I don't use AI stuff, I'm not a programmer, but I do frequently play modded Minecraft with my friends and run smps for my Discord servers. I recently switched to Modrinth cause ATLauncher had been giving me trouble. Curseforge is out of the question.

At the most, I'll be playing VRChat with friends while having Spotify or Youtube in the background for music and Discord open in case someone needs my help in one of my servers, similar goes for running one of my SMPs just minus the VR.

Gaming Questions:

I also play VR games often, especially BeatSaber (modded ofc im not insane), and I have Half Life Alyx that I haven't been able to finish cause my already dead and gutted PC struggles to run it anymore even with the lowest settings. My current headset is a two feet in the grave, barely hanging in there, held by tape Oculus Rift S thats as old as my current PC whos also dead. I plan to get a new headset soon and had the Quest 2 recommended to me by friends. If theres better alternatives that isn't Meta please let me know.

I'm a DBD addict. Does it really run DBD or was that just the one guy from the one video I saw.

My friends also often drag me onto Roblox so I need to know if that'll be an option for Linux too.

I know I could probably look up all this myself but every source is outdated from years ago or they all say different things and it just confuses me.

Art Questions:

My current tablet is a Wacom, I got it before knowing how greedy the company actually is, and I plan to switch to a Huion after this tablet dies on me. If compatibility is an issue with it please let me know what to do about that.

I usually use Medibang but I don't think it runs on Linux from what I've seen, if I'm wrong lemme know. Am I going to have to switch all the files over to something else before getting a Linux or are there programs I can use that'll load them?

I also write and need to know if I need to switch all my files to something else before porting it all over to the Linux PC. I just used the default notepad and document programs on Windows.

But yeah, that's all my questions for now. If I think of any more I'll just edit this post. Sorry if I sound super dumb for all this, I tried finding information sources myself but like I said all of them weren't too moron friendly or had relevant information. Most sources I found were articles or reddit forums from years ago so I thought "Hey, why don't I just go ask the computer nerds directly?" so here I am.

[cheerfulmelancholies]

Does anyone have any advice on Linux? I'm not getting one yet and hopefully not soon, but whenever I do need a new laptop I want to maybe ditch Windows. I hear Mint is a pretty good start for Linux (I think that's what it's called) and I'm confident enough in working with software. I'm just curious what my options are with Linux for someone who wants to take time to get things set up and then just have it work. I don't plan on gaming, or doing any crazy intensive tasks, just basic use.

[largehyphencollider]

Actually, how hard is it to install Linux? Do I need to transfer my files + firefox bookmarks from windows, or does it happen automatically?

[hylandude]

Hey saw your (awesome) post about WinDirStat, and was wondering if you have any other random/general tech advice for ppl who are just total computer noobs?

-sincerely, a noob.

I'm going to assume that you are using windows cause you are saying you are a noob but don't worry I'll go on my legally required Linux rant in a moment!

Learning a few keyboard shortcuts can help make your life easier. A few of my favorites are:

Windows Key (Win, from now on) + Arrow keys = Move windows arround easily, snap them to the sides and minimize

Win + E = open the file explorer

Win + L = Lock your screen

Win + [any number 1-9] = Open the program that's on the taskbar corresponding to the number you pressed, like this:

Check out that link and look up what might help you use your PC more efficiently!

Another useful tool I really like is Greenshot makes it so that you can take screenshots of specific areas and edit them easily, I used it for the screenshot above!

Now its time for the Linux rant! As a trans woman, programmer and linux user I am legally required to tell you to ditch windows and install any flavor of linux (personally I prefer Fedora) I know switching operating systems can be scary and moving things you've never even heard of when there's a (very low) possibility of bricking your PC. Linux mint is amazing for begginers, I just installed it on my bf's PC and he has been having no issues using it.I will eventually install it as well on my wife's machine because Windows 10 end of life is on october this year. That sounds scary but just means that it will no longer be updated and thus will likely have security issues as the time passes.

Linux is not virus proof (neither is mac! no one's safe) but in general malware is designed to run in windows cause that's what most people use and thus provides the most profit. Just practice common sense when using the internet and don't be clicking on random links provided by strangers. Always question and be curious, you can only learn by asking!

~~ Your friendly neighborhood trans girl

[hinotorihime]

thinking about starting to slowly collect the parts to just fucking build a pc myself

[chase-omega]

There's a lot of problems with the Steam Deck I've had that nobody else had. I later found out that the resolution and audio glitches were caused by the dock being plugged into an HDMI Switch instead of being plugged directly into the TV itself. So Steam Deck owners, don't do what I did. Just don't do this one thing, and everything will work perfectly as intended.

[hygieiapides-the-vulgar]

A word of advice for people learning linux: know how the command line works.

You dont need to be an expert, but the command line is waaaaaaaay easier to use than GUI tools for “behind the scenes” work.

For example, one time some backup software on my laptop took up too much disk space, and I spent 10 minutes hunting through GUI menus to delete the uneeded backups. I couldnt find it.

The I looked online, and found a command to delete things. After double-checking that the command was correct, I used it and deleted the backups. In less than 2 minutes via the command line.

It’s a powerul tool.

Again, you dont need to be an expert, and you dont need to use it all the time, but know how it works.

[oh-yes-i-did-not]

Linux advice needed! I’m in search of a distro!

I’ve been an on and off Linux user for decades. Not advanced, so the ones I’m used to are Ubuntu and Kubuntu, mostly (gnome and kde versions of the same OS.) Those both have even been my main OS for a number of years where I did not use windows OS’s at all.

Yet I always came back to that sweet compatibility and games and arts and graphics software working more reliably on Windows than trying to use Wine etc to make stuff function.

But with Windows11 I think I’m done. I always used to just “make it work” somehow, even if it meant I had to apply some crack or personal registry edit to Windows itself (like I did with Glass themes and Windows whatever, I can even remember)

But that doesn’t work anymore. Trust me, I tried to edit the registry. It changed things visually, but did nothing to functions. It was just useless. You can’t do it on Win11.

So, which one is most compatible with art and games, but also allows you full control on how you arrange your workplace?

[strangecloud]

Things I wish I knew before I installed Linux

Flatpak. Flatpak is a software packaging and distribution solution, the main feature of which is containerization. What that means is if you install a Flatpak app, it is isolated from most of your filesystem and processes at runtime. The main advantage is enhanced privacy and security. The main disadvantage is that, if you would like your application to communicate with external apps (like Discord's rich presence) or if you want it to access an external filesystem, like a secondary drive, that's going to be a bit harder and require some workarounds.

Display/Audio servers. Depending on your distro, your server processes and daemons are going to be different. A normal user doesn't have to worry too much about stuff like PulseAudio unless they are already comfortable tinkering anyway, but Display is another matter. If you notice issues with tearing, stutter, or reduced performance, check whether your Desktop Environment uses X11 or Wayland. If one gives you trouble, switch over and try again. There's more advanced tinkering you can do to improve the display experience but I'm not comfortable telling people to root into their xorg.confs or whatever, so just search on the internet if you feel something's not working right.

Ext4. Ext4 is the preferred filesystem format for Linux OSes. There are exceptions but most distros are going to require this format. Importantly, Windows does not read ext4 out of the box. That means if you decide to back up some data onto a default Linux-formatted ext4 drive, you won't be able to access your files from a Windows PC. In this case, you'll need either some data recovery tool or a live Linux boot media to move your files back.

Mesa. Mesa is the open-source graphics library for AMD and Intel graphics adapters. If you use an AMD or Intel GPU (dedicated or not), you'll most likely want to use Mesa and not bother with proprietary drivers unless you are on a workstation use-case. While Linux has a reputation of being friendly to old tech, support for my Legacy GPUs have been mixed. On Debian, my AMD R7 260X does not play nice with RADV and requires a workaround to force AMDVLK. Your mileage may vary.

[lakefoundtheirexit]

Linux users of Tumblr, I'm very curious as someone who's just venturing into this realm: what sort of stuff have you put Linux on? From the mundane to the absurd, I've heard of how flexible of an OS it can be but I'm curious to how far it truly can go, especially since I'm currently on the hunt for hardware to put it on myself and would love advice on that end

[endlessnebula]

I don't know that it's right for everyone, but I love Notesnook. Replaced docs, drive, and keep (Google's version of apple notes) for me.

Or, if your up for managing files and not having mobile access, LibreOffice is free to use and objectively better than Word.

Note - We’ve updated this post with more tools and clarifications!

Every day, there seem to be more reasons to break up with Google.

So we’ve rounded up a bunch of privacy-centric alternatives for all your deGoogling needs.

Check out the full list over on the blog!

- The Ellipsus Team xo

[ranger-danger]

I love looking at nexus mods even though I know Jack shit about modding.

[lichen-soup-scribe]

So, my spouse has been exploring his gender lately; he also just built himself a new laptop. Today he told me that he in an attempt to process some genderfeels through metaphor, he made a post on a trans forum along the lines of: "I'm a lifelong Windows user and I think I'm pretty good at it. I want to find out what Linux has to offer but I'm afraid I wouldn't be any good at it. And how do you choose the right Linux distro, anyway? Do you have to try them all?"

The responses, he said, were a mix of useful advice about feeling out your gender and useful advice about choosing a Linux distro.

I love trans people so much

Edit 4/8, in case you don't see the reblogged additions -- my wife is now going by Eve!

[gamer-sludge]

Once I resurrect my artistic motivation from the grave, it's over for you fuckers