Reflections on personal Linux Desktop usage and general Linux adaptation

I have been acquainted with the Windows OS since my early computer days. Since then, I used Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, 7, 10 and 11. Early on, Windows always felt like it was without alternative. Mostly because I might have been not knowledgeable enough to engage with the existing Linux distributions of that time. On the other hand, I had no good reason to abandon Windows or question Windows as my main OS because I was mostly focused on playing certain games.

My requirements towards an operating system changed over time. So did the Linux world itself. Although Linux distributions ran the internet since its early days, desktop usage never gained much traction. And how could it in a world where efforts are rarely focused and development was mainly catered towards professionals. Fragmentation is a huge problem for FOSS.

I made my first steps with a Linux distribution in 2011 when I first installed Debian on my laptop. My main motivator has been the underlying philosophy, my experience has been subpar. It took me a week to get my Wi-Fi working and after that, a lot of things felt fragile. As a normal user I had no means of winning against everything I constantly had to manage on the shell. This was knowledge I would only gain later on in life.

In the years to follow I went on adventures with Ubuntu, Linux Mint and OpenSUSE. I could observe first-handedly how the quality and stability as well as the availability of beginner-friendly Linux distributions did evolve over time. Apart from a lot of work people from the FOSS community have invested over the years to improve the regarding ecosystems, a lot of money-making companys are actually closely related to the FOSS community, too. Some of them indirectly or directly sponsor FOSS development like RedHat or SUSE for mutual benefit. Others bring new visions to life, like Valve with SteamOS and Proton. Imho the latter is a game changer for gaming on Linux and might allow a lot of users to dare to move to Linux. Another notable development has been the development of Flatpaks by the FOSS community. Similarly, Canonical developed Snaps mostly for the Ubuntu distribution. Both are utilities for software deployment that hugely increase portability and ease-of-use for applications across distributions.

The aforementioned improvements represent huge positive leaps for the user-friendliness of Linux as a whole. Currently, it is also the Windows 11 upgrade that has an additional positive effect on Linux adaptation. Technological improvements and detrimental politics of the market leader do their part, still Microsoft is deeply entangled with the hardware industry in the sense that most computers already ship with their OS. Users still actively need to make a switch. And many will not, simply because they do not know how. It will be up to us all to help and support others who dare to make the move and discover a life beyond a perceivingly degrading Windows ecosystem. Luckily, some vendors do ship Laptops with Linux, like Tuxedo, but their reach is still meaningless in comparison to the rest of the market. On this regard it seems worth mentioning that I am not against Windows per se. I am actually using Windows quite often, similarly I am using Macbooks. These things are not inherently bad. Some would even say they can be good. But they certainly are too dominant to a point where they might reduce freedom of the masses.

It can never be easy for a fragmented Linux landscape to compete against Apple and Microsoft. But it is not hopeless either, as we have seen over the past decades. Those who favour security, stability and control are already “here”, technological advancements and effective measures are currently lowering the bars for normal users, gamers and your grandparents.

And while I have to admit to not necessarily being the most qualified person to recommend a user-friendly Linux distribution, I think this article deserves a little personal recommendation of such kind. I have not tried all the different distributions that exist, but one of the most user-friendly ones I have used is certainly Linux Mint, although I am currently using OpenSUSE due to its good speed, rolling release cycles and Btrfs support.

So why am I making this recommendation anyway? Linux Mint really is an “all-batteries-included” OS. It has proprietary drivers, Wi-Fi works flawlessly, no printer problems, and it is stable, too. The latter points are not all true for OpenSUSE. It might not be super difficult to set things up, but it is not what anyone’s grandparents want to do (but they could do it with a little help).

Regardless of which distribution one chooses, we currently live in an era where “Linux Desktops” have become mature, stable and easy-to-use. It is a viable option now for many more, thanks to the efforts of many FOSS developers as well as some companies. Linux is probably the way forward for a privacy-enhanced, free and open digital experience. Try it.