Explained: What to Expect if you Ditch Windows and Go Linux

Infopackets Reader 'Kathy aka VJ' writes:

" Dear Dennis,

In regard to John Lister's article 'Windows 10 install surprising users' - how about an article about switching to Linux instead of Windows 10, including a how to, cost, warnings, software compatibility, etc. I've just about had it with Microsoft and it's aggressive tactics, trying to get me to install Windows 10 with its 'gotcha' updates. As such, I am thinking it's time to get myself out from under the Microsoft umbrella. I am expert with MS Office and would hate to switch, but if it won't run under Linux, I may have to stick with Windows. "

My response:

There are plenty of free eBooks on switching from Microsoft Windows to Linux already, so there is no need for me to reinvent the wheel by writing a huge how-to article. With that said, I can give you a brief summary on what you might expect if you do switch from Windows to Linux.

What to Expect if you Ditch Windows and Go to Linux

First of all, Windows and Linux are like apples and oranges. Yes, they may look similar on the outside as far as "shape" goes, but the inner-workings are completely different - especially when it comes to troubleshooting errors with programs and setting file permissions. I say this because much of the troubleshooting is done on the command line, which means most of the information available on the web will be in reference to Unix commands on the command line.

So, if you ever encounter an error, or you can't figure out how to do something - even if it's with the Graphical User Interface ("GUI", or "desktop") - you'll often hit pages on the web where people are likely to be discussing things strictly about the command line, as the command line is often preferred over a desktop interface. As an example - just yesterday I had to make changes to a log file on my Linux server which required sorting techniques; as such you can expect to see discussions similar to this. Of course, not everyone will need to sort log files - but you can bet that "how to" discussions are going to be on a similar level.

With regard to software selection - I can tell you that the software selection for Linux is only a very small fraction of the programs available for Windows, so please keep that in mind. As for MS Office, it won't run under Linux unless you install a Windows emulator, first. But if you do install an emulator, then you should (in theory) be able to run a good portion of Windows programs on Linux. Also note that you will need a decent CPU and have a good amount of RAM to do that, otherwise the emulation will run slow because it is in fact being emulated, which means there is more overhead to make everything work.

Linux is Still an Excellent Alternative to Windows

With all of that said: if you are looking for a very well-rounded AND - most importantly - up-to-date operating system out of the box, complete with a browser, email client, word processor, etc, then you can certainly find that in various Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu Linux. They are called "distributions" because the inner workings (kernel, etc) which make up Linux are open source, and various organizations will 'roll their own' packages together to make what they think is a desirable or complete operation system. Thus, there are many different "flavors" of Linux available for free, or simply put, "Linux distributions."

One such place to review up to date Linux distributions on the web is distrowatch.com. I personally prefer CentOS because it is free and 100% compatible with commercial-based Redhat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), which is often used in high-level organizations. The difference is that CentOS is free, whereas RHEL is not.

Free Linux eBooks: for Windows Users Migrating to Linux

If you'd like to get your feet wet with Linux and learn more, by all means please download these fabulous ebooks (below) which are already readily available through Tradepub. These books are specifically about Ubuntu, which many users think is one of the best and most complete Linux Distributions available, especially if you are coming from a Windows environment:

• Migrating From Windows 7 To Ubuntu: The Ultimate Guide
  
  Description: despite what all the Linux haters say, choosing Ubuntu is logical and migrating from Windows 7 to Ubuntu is a breeze. This article summarizes the process and provides solutions to some of the most common beginner hiccups.
  
  http://infopackets.tradepub.com/free/w_make165/?p=w_make165
   
• Ubuntu: An Absolute Beginners Guide
  
  Description: Ubuntu is a free, open-source computer operating system with 20 million users worldwide. This 30 page guide was written for beginners and will tell you everything you need to know about the Ubuntu experience. You will learn how to install and setup Ubuntu on your computer, find technical support in your community, understand the Ubuntu philosophy, navigate the Unity desktop interface and use Ubuntu compatible software programs.
  
  http://infopackets.tradepub.com/free/w_make72/?p=w_make72
   
• 22 Useful Tweaks To Make Ubuntu Feel Like Home
  
  Description: Ubuntu is a good Linux distribution to start out with, but there are some tweaks you might want to perform to get it to work and behave the way you want it to. This is especially true if you're new to Ubuntu or Linux. In this guide, we'll show you some great tweaks that can go a long way to achieving desktop zen.
  
  http://infopackets.tradepub.com/free/w_make160/?p=w_make160
   
• Old Computer, New Life: Restoring Old Hardware With Ubuntu
  
  Description: Marketing departments want us to believe that PCs, laptops and netbooks become obsolete after a couple of years, but it's not true. The computer industry has evolved over the years more rapidly than any industry in contemporary history. Year after year engineers have worked valiantly to bring us, the end users, faster and more capable hardware without sacrificing reliability. Programmers and application developers have been equally quick to develop new software that puts to use the new hardware specifications. However, while striving to sell more and more products, marketing departments want us to believe that PCs, laptops and netbooks become obsolete after a couple of years, and not replacing them makes us luddites. It's not true. Except for high-end gaming, a mid-level system bought in 2006 will provide enough functionality to get work done and have fun in 2011. Word processing, Internet surfing, watching movies shouldn't make your old system think twice, granted it is configured correctly, up-to-date and has an operating system that's efficient and performance oriented.
  
  http://infopackets.tradepub.com/free/w_make41/?p=w_make41
   
• Many More Ubuntu and Linux eBooks
  
  There are many more eBooks on Ubuntu from Tradepub via their search engine. You can also search for topics on Linux as well.

A note regarding the eBooks: Registration

Please note that these guides are free, but registration is required; after that, you can download more eBooks, videos and guides using the link below without registering again. Important: if you have problems or questions regarding the registration form, please read this article.

Additional Support: From Dennis - If you Need Help with Linux

If you need help getting started with Linux - whether it's choosing a Linux distribution, configuring Linux, or even troubleshooting error messages with Linux, I can help. I can connect to your computer via remote desktop support and answer any questions you may have. Simply shoot me an email via the contact page and we'll set up a time to meet and discuss your issues 1-on-1.

I hope that helps.