I certainly didn't expect much attention on this video... lovely to hear from the Linux community! I'll definitely be making more Linux-related videos. (Not immediately though -- my next few videos are about games, music and demons.) Thanks all for your comments! (I haven't read them all but I will)

Lessons learned in my change over: 1. Dual boot on separate drives to avoid something going wrong and loosing both OS. Make sure to disconnect the Windows one before installing on the other drive or you may over write the Windows one. 2. Replace all apps with ones that can run of both OS, before considering changing over. Many trip up here. And why so many give up. Trying to learn and find all new apps and a new OS at the same time is not recommended. 3. Expect and accept things will be very different. This isn't Windows. 4. Be patient with things. Learning takes time. 5. Know there will be hiccups and accept that it may take time to sort. But if like me, in general the issues I had to over come was far less than the issues Windows was giving me in the end. No OS is perfect. 6. Repeat after me - Time shift is your best friend.

Wait for Linux Mint 22 with Pipewire as a default, maybe will solve some sound problems.

I switched a year ago still not regretting it.

After so many years of windows dominance, every single one desktop user is somehow "locked" to windows eco system either because of specific software or specific hardware. Power users do need to value more their privacy and security + the ability to own and control the OS (away from mega corporations) in order to make the switch and learn new apps. I made that switch years ago and I am a happy 95% Linux mint user. I still got a windows partition around because some of my work related stuff are based on windows only apps (this is not my fault, as the organization I am working for is very narrow minded). Once you make the switch you GOT TO HAVE the mentality to buy hardware that works also on Linux and NOT buy windows-only hardware. This is the only way for hardware manufacturers to get the message.

ok timeshift is an absolute gamechanger - thanks for putting me on

Welcome to linux community bro, i thought you are making dedicated videos on linux but glad to see how people are moving towards linux and embracing it's features

If you're switching back to windows make sure to gather up your "dotfiles" These are the configuration files for some programs on linux usually found in .config or your home directory. Their names often start with a . Thus , dotfiles. Although gathering your dotfiles is usually done on a minimal system like an arch system that only uses a window manager. After you gather your dotfiles, store them somewhere, preferably github, and when you go back to Linux, you can mostly pick up where you left off.

Whenever I buy new hardware or peripherals now, I specifically only buy things that are also Linux compatible, even if it means paying a little more. It's great knowing that your stuff wont just become an expensive paperweight when you switch into Linux.

I switched to Mint after not wanting to upgrade to Win 11. I never even upgraded from Win 7 to 10. I just ran an unsupported Windows 7 for ten years. Linux Mint runs my ten year-old Dell like a dream. I had upgraded the graphics card (AMD....not Nvidia) and RAM a few years ago and I was worried about not being able to run my Steam games on Linux, but after watching a few videos I gained the courage to dual boot. Then when I found out how easy that was, I found FOSS programs to do what little else I did and made the switch completely. Now I'm having fun just seeing what else I can play around with (themes, icons, applets, etc.) to make it my own. I'm no expert by any means so I heartily encourage anyone to make the switch now. I'm glad I did.

You certainly don't need to go back to Windows. You have the dual boot for both. Switch to Windows only when you need it. Over time , you will need Windows less and less. The only thing I now use window for is Adobe.

Why are you using OpenOffice? Libre Office is its spiritual successor as a direct fork of the project that took all the developers with it.

Welcome to the Linux Mint club :D. I use Mint myself even though I have been using Linux since the days of Slackware in the 90s. TBH, Mint is stable, it comes boxed with about everything I need and it's mostly hassle free. I've tried stock Debian, Arch, etc... and I just like Mint because I don't have to fuss with a lot of stuff.

Good Advice all around especially with the "Just get it running and working and leave it alone" is nice. I recently put my laptop on Garuda Dr460nized And messing with KDE Plasma 6 Has been a blast but I need to remember it's not the only thing

Very well done! And I'm surprised how similar your experience has been to our own. Biggest difference - we're now retired and have a lot of time to devote to the Linux journey. Meantime Linux Mint and the Grub menu are our good friends. Be well!

Going on 12 years of Linux use, 7 years exclusive having gotten rid of Windows. The vast majority of my games work fine, and I stopped distro hopping for Mint; it does what I want and need without any siren songs of customization. I no longer think a lot about my computers, and it's envigorating. I just do things, and the system says "Yes!".

Thank you so much for your video. Various tips in it helped me in my journey to Linux. As to going back to windows: Have you considered virtualization? Using virtual machine manager (using qemu) and PCI pass through you can remain on Linux and only use windows when you really need it. It is possible to dynamically pass through the GPU when needed but it's not easy to configure.

Thomas! I used to comment on your Chromebook videos. I'm delighted to see you joining the free world! I'm using a Chromebook these days but I started using Ubuntu in 2008 and these days my favourite distro would probably be Fedora with KDE.

Man, I reeeaaally felt that gut punch right at the end when you mentioned proprietary drivers and high-end audio/video production equipment. I'm in a similar situation, I just left behind Windows 10 LTSC hopefully forever - I'm running Debian and I haven't got Davinci Resolve working yet ;)

Love this... I've been meaning to switch to linux completely for sometime... lacked the confidence like this

Excellent video! I'm about to make the jump because I refuse to go out and buy a new computer just to upgrade to Windows 11. I've been playing with Pi's for years and years, my laptop is Fedora, but I've decided that Mint is where I'll land. My wife is not at all technical, and as I'm a retired application developer I'm her help desk! Mint seems to make that easy while I have to fuss with Fedora. I just found out that some software needed to play MKV files isn't in Fedora 39, seems to have been dropped along the way. Tried the same video on Mint and it just works. Cheers!

In regards to Davinci Resolve, the supported Linux OS is Rocky. Having said that, I have successfully ran it on Ubuntu with Nvida without any issues.

even if you ended up returning to windows, im glad you at least tried it, most people don't even consider to try using it. Linux has been rapidly becoming more user friendly these past few years, and one day, maybe you'll have the chance to try it out again. Anyways, great video, keep it up

Great points. I'm sending this to a young friend who's stuck on win. I've used Linux for years, and still use win regrettably now and then. The better Stream function might help my friend, because he has games that run best there.

about the dual boot: yes at the beginning it's reassuring to have this backup possible. and after a while you realize that you didn't boot on windows since months..... so you begin to think why keeping it? anyway there are now multiple ways to run windows SW on linux

I ended up getting a SATA power switch module to replace the unused optical drive. I just press the button to power the drive I want to boot from (plus one that is always on for a shared data drive). My daily driver is Fedora Workstation with Plasma. I also have CachyOS, Qubes, and Windows 10 installed

Usually what it boils down to proprietary software and proprietary gear. Fortunately only have one piece of proprietary software that keeps me dual booting and Wine is getting better at running it.

I switched last year. Hopped around a bit between Mint, Debian, and Fedora (and Cinnamon, Gnome, and KDE). Fedora with Gnome is what stuck due to stability and gaming performance. While trying out different setups, I never had to boot Windows once, so I got rid of that partition when I settled down with Fedora + Gnome.

I'd love to see you delve a little deeper and install arch and really shape your personal OS to be exactly how you want. Would be interested to hear your thoughts on different Desktop Environments or Tiling WMs if you fancy something a little more challenging.

for running davinci resolve, ive found that using 18.1.4 inside a fedora distrobox works as any newer version causes the timeline ui to dissapear

I’m getting pretty fed up with Windows. I may transition altogether. My main hold ups have been familiarity and games, but the latter has gotten a lot better compared to 20 years ago.

I personally think Fedora is the best distro as it is by default. GNOME being different won’t make people want to do things the same way as on Windows or Mac, because it doesn’t feel similar.

Great advice on just configuring it and using it. My laptop has been linuxmint for a few years. I configured it back then and have just used it since then. Besides occasionally installing a new app and updates, I haven't touched the OS in years.

I don’t know who you are or what your channel is about but this was a pretty good video for new Linux people. Well done.

You'd make a great Linux/FOSS/alternative tech channel.

This was a really good video and I am glad I found it. Thanks. I tried linux on and off for several years but could never stick to it for one reason or another. Until about 4 years ago when I tried Pop OS. It has been great and I am so happy to not use Windows/Mac OS. I am excited for Cosmic desktop to come out. Any way, hope you stick with linux. It is pretty awesome.

Yes, getting the audio side understood is no small task. Switching over hopfully soon. I am dual booting on seperate drives between WIn10 and LMDE 6, which is more responsive than Linux Mint standard. I've been in and out of Linux waiting for the audio side to get fixed, hoping for the new system Pipewire to get it done.

I switched to Mint 5 years ago and have never looked back. My internet is via Starlink, which runs Linux, my monitor is a 4K 50" Samsung TV that runs Linux, my desktop is MInt, and my laptop is Mint. I have one app that will only work with Windows, and for that I use a VM - that doesn't allow it to access the internet (if you do allow it, you can see a backdoor in action).

Everyone tries to recommend desktop environments that are familiar to what users used before but I will say if you're switching to linux, dont choose something that looks like the os you previously used. If it looks familiar you will expect it to work a certain way but linux isn't windows or mac so it wont work like them. If you choose something unfamiliar you have no expectation on how its used so you're more willing to learn a new way of doing things anyway.

So many Linux exclusive users make very professional quality videos.

Running Davinci Resolve just fine on cachy os, and regata os. Installed from the app store, and it just works

Pretty please could you list the apps you mentioned? I tried the closed captioning to get their names correctly, but that failed. Thank you dearly. I haven't seen your vids since your Chromebook days and it's lovely to see you again.

Linux Mint is my favorite OS so far, I usually use terminal for updates even though the GUI allows for updates without the terminal.

DaVinci Resolve is one of the programs that you generally might want to run with an NVIDIA card in Linux. As a rule of thumb, AMD works better for the general Linux desktop, AMD and NVIDIA are close to even at gaming (though AMD is always improving here), and NVIDIA is the choice for proprietary software like DaVinci Resolve. Proprietary software on Linux that involves graphics will usually be easier to set up with an NVIDIA card. In some cases much easier.

Moved 5 years ago. Playing all my games without problems in Steam with Proton

KVM is your friend. I suggest you maybe could try installing Virt-Manager and creating a Windows VM in Mint . Then you could passthrough to the VM all the peripherals you need at any given moment, so the VM would have baremetal access to that hardware. You would not need to "go back" or reboot to a different OS every time. One sore point might be about the GPU, if you only have one, and is used by the host (Mint) might be a bit complicated to configure it to passthrough to the VM (Is doable most of the time). If you have 2x GPUs (including the Integrated GPU of a proc) would make things easier.

That's a fair conclusion. An important thing to remember no matter which side of the fence you fall on is that you should be using the system that you need in order to get the hardware running that you use. It is also possible to choose the hardware first for the system that you use. But at the end of the day all that really matters is that you're getting what you need done.

Interesting thing: Trying out linux made me a better windows user. Knowing what Linux can do and what a clean OS can look like helps to look for these things in Windows too and to be able control Windows. I started to use winget (package manager), powershell in general (even though the Linux' terminal is so much easier/ more readable), questioning pre-installed apps and services, shut up spying etc pp. Windows became so much faster 'out of nowhere' 😂 I'm planning on switching to Linux step by step. In the next two years I want to build a new rig, so, will buy 'Linux friendly' hardware etc pp BTW, the steam deck was the breakthrough to actually try out linux - i saw that this OS isn't that big scary monster I thought it is. Things are just a bit different - it's not harder than Windows, just new and so many things are even much easier when you tried them to do 'the linux way'.

Another tactic to switching is to play the long game. Think carefully about the gear you buy before you buy it to make sure it is supported in Linux as a part of your overall purchase criteria, if that's a goal dow the road. That does mean some planning ahead of time, perhaps years in the future, but it's well worth it, especially knowing that Microsoft's own stance on hardware support is changing. So, the next time you need a printer, do a quick search to see if there is support. When you buy a camera, make sure that it's compatible. Stick with hardware which supports well-known and solid open standards. Again, not for everyone and not always easy, but as a Linux user for a quarter of a century, I can absolutely confirm that hardware is *way* easier to get running today than just a decade ago, and many times, it's easier. For example, most network equipment "just works". Most random video capture devices do function, and I haven't had a problem with a keyboard and mouse in decades. Please note that I use fairly standard hardware and don't need lots of the "configure extra mouse buttons" or "automate all the lights and RGB", so there are segments where the software maturity is lower and inherently more difficult.

Did the switch to PopOS earlier this year. Had issues with it. But I tried again this month. I installed Voyager, KDE Neon and settled on Kubuntu. I thought the gnome dock look was cool .But the KDE start menu makes it windows like. So far so good.

You could also just get another mini-PC to run Windows and another for Linux. Most of them are cheap but can also be fairly powerful depending on how much you are willing to spend. For my set up, I have Linux installed on one mini-PC which is my daily driver and main OS and another mini-PC with Windows for work/school stuff that requires it. I also have a powerful gaming PC with a dedicated GPU running Windows that is strictly just for gaming. These are all connected to the same monitor that has a built-in KVM switch for easy switching and I also use a USB KVM switch so I can use the same mouse, keyboard, cam, and other peripherals by just a push of a button---basically I can rotate between 3 PCs without switching mouse, keyboard, etc. Another thing that made it much easier for me switching to Linux as my main OS is first finding alternatives on the apps I often use in Windows on Linux and learning how to use them. I was surprised to find quite a few that are even better than the ones I used to use in Windows. Also, all my Windows PCs are debloated with no telemetries and are heavily restricted by my hardware firewall on where they can connect to. I also don't store any sensitive data on them and if I do, they are encrypted. 😎

I had a very similar experience but with fedora! It's be soo great. My only issue so far is getting my corsair equipment working. Otherwise it's perfect

I used to dule boot and I just found myself using windows almost all of the time. I decided to just get rid of windows completely and just run Linux. It has been a joy (after the huge headache of a learning curve). I think the best thing people can do is just daily drive Linux for 2 months and learn. There are some awesome noob guides on KZfaq (I still use them). And if they go back to windows after 2 months they might be surprised at the restrictions of windows or might choose to have 2 dedicated systems dependent on work load.

I hope device support can get better so more people can move on with no regrets.

I dumped Windows 7 cold turkey when Win 10 came out. I bought a hard drive switcher, which let me add up to 4 hard drives and I could switch from one to another. So that made leaving Windows a bit easier. I could use Windows as I had to, then just boot to Linux Mint for everything else. When I was comfortable using Linux and getting all my software switched over, I was free. I dumped Windows and never looked back. Having a hard drive switcher allows you to try different Linux flavors as well without messing up your main drive that you use, because everything has it's own hard drive and is completely independent from the other. Make is very safe.

I recommend using a VM with Windows 10 for your windows specific needs. that way you are also able to know when hardware might work which previously didnt. the only problem i heard about is usb soundinterfaces not running correctly on linux. but i never dove into the Wifi-Lights stuff. Especially if you already set everything up it seems like a waste.

Thanks for sharing your experience. The only thing that's keeping me from fully switch to Linux is Adobe. We use Adobe products at my job and while there are good alternatives, they need me to work with Adobe so I still have a copy of Windows running on my system. Mind if I ask why did you choose Linux Mint specifically? I actually have PopOS and I find it quite nice

I’m committed to make the switch, once Anticheat software for online gaming begins to accept Linux. That’s the only thing holding me back at this point.

As a new user, you must understand what distro and desktop environment is. Save you a lot hurdle.

I decided on Linux Mint about a year ago. I did the dual boot but after a couple of weeks I nuked Windows. I love it! Admit though, Davinci is still a challenge, but I’m working through it. Spot on episode , thanks!

You should try time shift on BTRFS, the backup and restore is instant, think apples APFS, but good

I currently moved to Linux after using windows for 20 years. My channel is dedicated to Gaming on Linux now. It was really a very easy move for me.

Which theme are you using? The most bothering thing in my Mint install is the look, but I dont want to distrohop, to set up my workflow from scratch.

I recently changed last week, and I've been quite productive since then. I haven't noticed any significant difference, but I've definitely been more productive.

"...people, trusting people...(pause)...pros and cons." lmao loved that line.

I switched to Zorin Core two yrs ago when I saw that it wasn't ugly (looking at you Mint and Pop). Runs great on my old dual and quad core biz desktops. Staying with Chrome made switching easy. I use Pinta for photos/graphics and Google Docs.

great vid .....thanks

Best move I ever made, Linux is far superior.

honestly, davinci is my only hangup. i just upgraded to a more modern amd gfx card, so.... nothing to it but to do it at this point. (just gotta organize and backup thousands of files first.)

I need Adobe Lightroom, iTunes. And some occasional gaming. No escape for me. Dual-boot is annoying and disruptive. I am trying to configure a proper passthrough so I can have a KVM with win11 inside of Hyprland if I need it. Once that's actually usable, I don't need windows as the main OS.

I run windows 11 in VMware, set it up perfectly then make a template out of it and I make a copy of it every day, deleting the prior instance. I would consider doing the same for Linux. I would keep the host windows as I am more familiar with it.

One thing that would be nice is cloud storage. That way, when you distro hop, you still have access to your files. Can you do this and have it automatically sync your files on Linux?

even on windows, you need to use the terminal to make corrections. advanced use of android demands adb (CLI), etc. terminal is shell like everything else and part of any operating system. _o/

You can always use virtual machines if you really need a windows drivers for your setup while you’re running linux

I had a harddrive crash three years ago. After replacing the drive, I reinstalled Windows 7 because I'd seen what an abomination Ten was, but couldn't find the driver I'd been using to acknowledge the size of my monitor. This drove me to do some reading about Linux distros., and I picked Cinnamon Mint. The feel is much like Windows 7, and the differences are all things that I see as an improvement on the elements of Windows that I hate. Over the three years I've been using Linux, I've never wanted to go back to anything to do with Microsoft.

You should try Solus, you only have to install it once, then keep installing updates and restart to be in the latest new major version of Solus itself and the Linux kernel. There's the new Solus XFCE Beta, works great right now after installing all updates and restarting. (Posted on Thu 9 May 2024 at 17:07 UTC)

on Linux for about 2 nd year and only once I really had to use command line aka terminal. I just googled what I wanna do and that was it. I would probably do same in Windows. The main question is what special program you use. Maybe you cannot leave win, apple bc of one program you are working on. Other than that there is nothing holding you to switch or at least try.

Excellent video. Subscribed. Linux Mint is an excellent choice. Windows 11 is enough to make anybody switch. 😜

Have to say... That's a pretty slick, clean desktop!

I guess I'm lucky. I haven't had any driver issues at all. Everything works as intended.. mice, keyboards, midi interface, printer, game controllers, etc.

I only really use the command line for speed if anything

I think currently my concern with switching is Clip Studio Paint isn’t fully compatible. I’m not the most dedicated drawer, but I love its tools too much. Also, Steam game support isn’t fully there for some games I have. Can’t think of anything else.

I run a video production and graphic design company on an all Linux pipeline! It is possible. You just have to build your setup around it, like you would with Mac

can you make a tutorial on how you customized your Linux Mint?

My mom doesn't know how to use a search engine, but she can use Linux Mint.

I'm really happy linux mint work great for you, but for me no desktop linux distro works well, even now. i'm an nvidia user (perhaps I will get an AMD card some time) and it still has a plethora of issues, each one with its own rabbithole. I tried switching to linux many times over the years and while I can definitely say it's getting better, it's still incredibly unstable even for simple daily tasks, let alone gaming

The terminal isn't about "having" to use it. It's about making life way easier and making complex tasks posible.

I already made the switch to Linux in 2017 and never used Windows again. You can use Windows in a VM if you should need it.

What about viruses & updates,also do you have to download Linux & how would your printer work as i dont have a clue.

The way I switch is I got a old pc and put linux on that and had a play for about a year now I just use linux all the time.

I'm glad you said about not being really ready to leap wholeheartedly into AI. I'm not a Luddite. I began my fun computer life in around 1982 with a Timex-Sinclair 1000, and quickly moved to a Commodore 64 bought with summer job funds. Then a Commodore 128. My first IBM clone came in 1993 with Windows 3.1 and so on. So, yeah, I love computing. I'm interested in AI, and I've been toying a little bit with Claude, but please don't force it into every tiny crevice of my life. I'll get there on my terms, not Microsoft's or anyone else's. My next big project will be putting Linux and Steam on my last Windows laptop, my gaming unit. I say big because my internet isn't the fastest, and downloading all my games...whew.

My two cents here, if you are planning to use Linux beware of third party hardware support like printers and/or gadgets read well the specs before buying

I need 2 things because of which I am stuck with Windows: 1. Games. Especially old games I have bought on CD. 2. Audio drivers like TDR Molotok and others for OBS streaming

i dual boot with arch & windows in separated disk, one thing i cant escape windows is using C# visual studio enterprise and playing valorant

can you play final fantasy 14 or new world or any big MMORPG on your linux?

Run dual boot for some time, in the end i realized i could do more in Windows than in Linux, especially work related, which usually the reason i open my laptop at all. So, most of the time I boot to windows, got the job done, shutdown. On linux, I boot, wondering what should i do, tinker with the os some, got bored, shutdown. Everything else can be done on my phone. Yeah, you definitely could live with LibreOffice, but then came the real question, "does it run Adobe Photoshop?"

Brother, what I can recommend is running Linux on your laptop, you probably have one, and you probably don't need Windows on it. I am writing this from my Windows PC, with my Linux laptop sitting next to me. I get the pain of being 99% there, personally it's games and the Adobe suite for me. Proton and Lutris and Steam work great, but not all games are supported well enough, especially considering I play very few games, I kinda need them all to work flawlessly whenever I'm in the mood to play something. Dual booting doesn't work for me either, I just stay on whatever OS I decided to boot up that morning, and if I wanna play a game while being in Linux, I just end up not doing it cause I don't wanna wait 2 minutes for a reboot. Linux constantly improves, yet it never reaches the 100% mark. It's like lim (x -> 100) => y = ∞, where time = y, and x = percentage of being "there". In both our cases it's extremely tragic because it's third party software that keeps us from being happy.

Are you edititing on windows? because the emojis are windows 11 emojis

Hello friend thanks for your vidéo m'y pc broke with Windows two days for christmas because I had a drivers problème

anyone know of an app that will turn off my tv when I turn off windows? Regrettably I still use it alongside linux.