4 Months of Linux - my experience
I was thinking … after a few months using Linux almost exclusively, would be a good time to give you an update where I am and how my experience was. Spoiler … almost flawless.
A while back I mentioned that I acquired a Linux laptop from the company Tuxedo Computers. It was the best decision I could have taken!
The machine is a beast , and with Linux onboard, a very fast beast :D. In the months having the laptop, I have tried almost everything that could be tested on it, from programming to photo and video editing, browsing the web and watching movies and so on.
Without a few minimal exceptions, everything I threw at it runed without a hitch. Let’s start with the parts that could improve in a future iteration.
Webcam Already mentioned it in my previous post but wanted to reiterate that it is one of the worst cameras I’ve seen in the last years. Hardware that definitely needs update
Specialized software While we have seen improvements in the last years and there are software like Davinci Resolve that you can tweak and make it somehow to work, there are still a few which are not ported and I must say it’s a shame. There are alternatives on Linux that you can use, that are totally usable but it is still that itch, that something is missing. Pretty sure it will be scratched in years to come, as Linux is getting more and more interesting for more people, but until then remains an open topic
Printer wasn’t sure if I should include it in the list but after working great for several months, it stopped doing what it was commanded to do. I mean it prints still what I give it, but decides randomly to print an additional 100 empty pages
And that pretty much was it for me. Using TuxedoOS was a breeze, the learning curve almost almost not existent. When updates are being made available you get a nice notification in your UI, just double click and install them (after entering the admin password).
Software was available via the default store. I have installed Snap additionally because I personally like it, but not required for the majority of users.
Alternatives for Linux are easy to find and install. In some cases the recommended way is using the “maleficent“ Terminal. For someone who is curious how things work and takes a few minutes to read the documentation, it does not constitute an impediment installing something or updating it via Terminal. Au contraire, it gives you somewhat of a feeling that you have superpowers :D
Regarding the browsing/watching movies part, well Linux integration was simply no brainer. Everything worked out of the box. The screen of my laptop is good enough (drooling for an OLED but maybe in a few years).
Programming and integration with tools like git , docker, mini-kube etc is simpler as in Windows because it somewhat native. It flows simply in ones daily activity and most of the documentation is available for Linux. In Windows you need to work with WSL, containers and integration steps which in Linux are simply not required. By the way, Visual Studio for Linux is there so you are not missing anything from Microsoft.
Device Integration again a big plus, my headphones, printer, external Bluetooth keyboard and mouse etc did not have any problems being seen and connecting. Printer I mentioned has a glitch but I still was amazed by how easy the network devices were seen and made visible. Even my NAS (Network Attached Storage) was there and waiting for login information.
Conclusion: I have switched to Linux and did not looked back. My PC was replaced 90% of the time by my laptop and sits in the corner gathering dust. I highly recommend to take the leap and try Linux. Choose a known distribution like Ubuntu or Mint and make the switch; you won’t regret doing it.
Until next time, TFG