My mindset totally changed few years ago when I started being honest with myself and with others.
It’s true, I’m in that meme… I don’t know much about Windows anymore. Initially I admit I was ashamed about it because I imagined that I’d be judged for it.
What I did though, instead of trying to be better… was to be honest about it :
yes, it’s true, I don’t know Windows or MacOS as well I know Linux… but there is a reason WHY. Explain why, namely the consequence for my freedom, and theirs, totally changed the discussion.
One day I even told my friendly neighbors : “Look I could fix your Windows computer but… I’m a professional, and I don’t know Windows so much. So I would have to look solutions up and that will take time while going against my principle, so I would have to charge you for it, and it’s not cheap. Instead, if you switch to Linux I’ll help you, and for free.” Guess what, they not only tried but they didn’t even need my help! They even, back then so few years ago, install WiFi driver via the command line on their own.
So… yes, be in that picture, sure, just don’t be ashamed about it if you believe it’s for good reason. Do not be afraid of explaining others too and who knows, they might not only understand but even want to tag alone on this constant adventure for collective empowerment!
Honestly I’d say it doesn’t matter much. What matters is that your data are safe and you can afford a bit of time at first when things are a bit different than what you are used to.
If you have a LOT of time or are very eager to learn, take something strange or not very popular. If you are in rush then start with a distribution that is popular, ideally that a friend, colleague or acquaintance also uses. Think of it as a team exercise.
I personally use Debian but others might prefer Ubuntu or Mint to start with.
But… yes, can be anything, just BACKUP your (and by that I mean data you have produced, e.g. documents, photos, saved games, etc) data then you should feel free to try!
My Windows skills are slowly leaving me… and I work in a Windows environment. Thanks for the words of confidence, given how long I’ve been the computer guy I guess it’s a bit of a shot to the ego to be real about it at times!
Attaching less weight to the ego is the best thing that can happen to boost learning :D
It hurts confidence initially, especially as you land on your ass, but only until you learn something new and empowering, then get excited again! It’s one of the most enjoyable rollercoaster IMHO.
My mindset totally changed few years ago when I started being honest with myself and with others.
It’s true, I’m in that meme… I don’t know much about Windows anymore. Initially I admit I was ashamed about it because I imagined that I’d be judged for it.
What I did though, instead of trying to be better… was to be honest about it :
One day I even told my friendly neighbors : “Look I could fix your Windows computer but… I’m a professional, and I don’t know Windows so much. So I would have to look solutions up and that will take time while going against my principle, so I would have to charge you for it, and it’s not cheap. Instead, if you switch to Linux I’ll help you, and for free.” Guess what, they not only tried but they didn’t even need my help! They even, back then so few years ago, install WiFi driver via the command line on their own.
So… yes, be in that picture, sure, just don’t be ashamed about it if you believe it’s for good reason. Do not be afraid of explaining others too and who knows, they might not only understand but even want to tag alone on this constant adventure for collective empowerment!
What distro do you recommend? I know Linux tangentially from my Steam Deck, and am looking to finally swap my PC.
I usually recommend Pop_OS! (Though I havent tried that one myself) or the good old classic Linux Mint.
Honestly I’d say it doesn’t matter much. What matters is that your data are safe and you can afford a bit of time at first when things are a bit different than what you are used to.
If you have a LOT of time or are very eager to learn, take something strange or not very popular. If you are in rush then start with a distribution that is popular, ideally that a friend, colleague or acquaintance also uses. Think of it as a team exercise.
I personally use Debian but others might prefer Ubuntu or Mint to start with.
But… yes, can be anything, just BACKUP your (and by that I mean data you have produced, e.g. documents, photos, saved games, etc) data then you should feel free to try!
Debian with KDE. It’s just simple without any weird (anf hard to understand) extras like Ubuntu anf Mint.
Any distro with KDE will pretty much feel the same and debian is just a work horse.
My Windows skills are slowly leaving me… and I work in a Windows environment. Thanks for the words of confidence, given how long I’ve been the computer guy I guess it’s a bit of a shot to the ego to be real about it at times!
Attaching less weight to the ego is the best thing that can happen to boost learning :D
It hurts confidence initially, especially as you land on your ass, but only until you learn something new and empowering, then get excited again! It’s one of the most enjoyable rollercoaster IMHO.
The funny thing is, that windows used to be a piece of piss. Once they started trying to make it fool proof, is when it became a fucking nightmare.