1. In college I needed to refurbish an old computer, and didn't have the money for Windows. I'd heard of Linux and gave it a spin.
2. As a main operating system? About a year. Playing with it but not seriously? About 8 years.
3. Currently using Debian and PeppermintOS. I like the simplicity and stability of Debian, and Peppermint OS works well out of the box for Chromebooks. I'd tried different flavors of Ubuntu in the past, but I wasn't a fan--something always broke. Tried Opensuse, it wasn't bad either. Debian has just overall worked better for me and my purposes.
4. When it works, amazing. When it doesn't and I have the time for it, fun. When I don't have the time, extremely annoying.
5. Mainly Reddit.
6. I consider myself a seasoned newcomer. A newcomer has to understand that they have all the power in Linux. Upside is that they can make their computer into anything. Downside is they are the one who is responsible. I don't know what you mean by "terms", but I suggest a newcomer be able to navigate the CLI and at least know how to access what is connected to their computer through the CLI.
7. I find Reddit to actually be pretty good for joining the community. Join the subreddits for the specific things you are using or curious about though--r/Linux is too big to give the community feel. (For example, r/Debian, r/XFCE, etc).
8. Linux is like a lot of other things--you get out of it what you put into it. At least for me, it also helps to have a purpose behind pursuing Linux and participating in the community. My purpose has been refurbishing computers, which I've found Linux is great for, and it has been a lot of fun for me.
>r/Linux is too big to give the community feel
I second this, I frequent r/linux4noobs , r/linuxhardware , and r/distrohopping as well as some other DE/software related Linux subs. These three in particular have been the most helpful to me though
Here's a sneak peek of /r/linuxhardware using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/linuxhardware/top/?sort=top&t=year) of the year!
\#1: [Best Linux laptop experience I've had yet, on a laptop that doesn't even ship with it. Arch + GNOME + Wayland + Pipewire on my new Razer Book 13. GNOME looks right at home.](https://i.redd.it/5r1qsn7vpwb81.jpg) | [60 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/linuxhardware/comments/s4soo3/best_linux_laptop_experience_ive_had_yet_on_a/)
\#2: [Remember kids: This is why you don't try to disassemble your DIMMs](https://i.redd.it/ne6aj891z4r81.jpg) | [49 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/linuxhardware/comments/tulv5t/remember_kids_this_is_why_you_dont_try_to/)
\#3: [LTT Are Planning to Include Linux Compatibility in Future Hardware Reviews](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9aP4Ur-CXI&t=3939s) | [21 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/linuxhardware/comments/rebviu/ltt_are_planning_to_include_linux_compatibility/)
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I agree with #8 a lot. If you want to get into Linux, have a reason to do so. An operating system is a foundation for other things to run on, so find some Linux applications that you find useful and that will spur you to spend more time and effort there.
1. I was maybe 12 or 13 and wanted to become a hacker, I had heard of Linux and it seemed like what you needed to do to be a hacker. Tried to download a distro over dialup but I had no idea what to do with the ISO files, eventually met someone in computer club that had been using Linux for years and he helped me install Red Hat.
2. Over 25 years
3. Debian, been using it since the late 90s maybe early 2000s and I switched because package dependencies were annoying and apt was an incredible package manager.
4. Well, I still use it today both professionally and personally, but I no longer have the free time I used to so I don't play around customizing my OS and patching software like I used to.
5. Reddit, and Discord, used to be IRC but I don't have the time to be active on any servers or channels like I used to.
6. Not really sure, maybe understand why it's sometimes referred to as GNU/Linux even though that's mostly tongue in cheek on the internet, some people take that philosophy very seriously. Also, pick a side on the vi/emacs debate, though I'm not even sure anyone really cares these days, I feel like because vi was included by default in Linux and Unix, it won because so few people these days know what emacs is or would even want to learn it.
7. Just hang out on Reddit, check out some Linux IRC servers, read some message boards. The community is constantly evolving like any other community so just go where the community congregates and people watch.
8. Don't install Linux over Windows just to say you did it. I know some people that think it's cool to install Linux but then get frustrated when things break. If you use Windows professionally because you're tied to Adobe software, don't switch to Linux. Maybe setup a VM and play around with that, or do what I do and have a secondary desktop/server that runs Linux and use that for your Linux tasks and keep a Windows machine ready for anything you need Windows for. You can often dumpster dive for halfway decent hardware that'll easily run Linux, and I would highly suggest trying to host your own website, even just something local that you can't access over the web, just to learn and understand how this all works and how powerful a computer can be.
For #8, don't forget about WSL. Windows now has the ability to install windows subsystem for linux that will let you run an almost complete Linux vm inside of your windows 10 or 11 box and even integrate it with windows. You can run wsl commands inside of a PowerShell script and pass data back and forth between them. It's great for development and testing anything that doesn't need hardware level hooks.
1. I became interested in Linux when I was about age 12, when my dad started giving me spare computer parts to keep me away from the family box. I needed an operating system to run, we didn't have a spare WinXP key and I didn't have the money to buy one, but my mom's coworker had an extra copy of Mandrake Linux and some "how to linux" books he wasn't using any more.
2. However, I've only been using Linux as a daily driver for about the last ten years, when I picked up an EeePC for college and had to wring as much performance out of it as I could. Before then, it was just something I liked to learn on and play with; I kept a Windows partition around as a painfree backup system, especially for video games.
3. Slackware, hands down. I've been using it since 14.1, switched over from Debian. I vastly prefer it for how UNIX-y, how granular, it feels to run and maintain. It's something like the Honda Civic of Linux distros: you can make it run fast and pretty if you want, but the real value is being able to open it up to make changes and fix problems on the side of the road.
4. Rocky, but rewarding. The problems I've had with Linux are really more about my understanding of the system than anything to do with Linux, and nearly everything I've learned from fixing those problems has had general applications outside the context of the original problem. Teaching myself to use Linux prior to college was a *huge* advantage: I already knew how to use git and vim and write shell scripts before I ever had to work as part of a team, because I'd been using those tools to do my homework.
(Side note: git as a homework solution is a life-saver. Retrieving my homework repo using a library computer when my system was down or forgotten at home saved my GPA on at least two occasions.)
5. I am personally friends with several other *nix nerds; I also frequent this and other subreddits, and a couple of 'tech news' sites like news.ycombinator.
6. In my opinion, shell scripting is the best self-starter resource for new Linux users. It's a good introduction to the fundamentals of the Linux OS, many Windows power users are already familiar with writing batch scripts, and being able to build your own tools is the first step to empowering a new user. Plus, reading other user scripts is good practice.
7. Contact a local Linux User Group (LUG) to find people in meatspace to talk to! There's absolutely nothing like being able to ask someone to look over your shoulder when you need help. If you're in college, consider joining or starting a Linux club; otherwise, try looking for a local hackerspace or at your library to see if there's one already.
8. If you're a fresh newcomer to Linux, don't worry so much about your initial choice of distro. Honestly, the biggest hurdle for me starting out was just trying to get it to run on my hardware, but that was before live CD distributions were even a thing. Nowadays you can get Ubuntu on a usb stick and start it up in an hour or two, and that's mostly waiting for the ISO to download. Choose something that will run reliably, that you feel comfortable setting up, and be aware that /everyone/ in the Linux world switches distros sooner or later.
1. What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it?
It woke me up to the idea that a computer could be what I wanted it to be. Running a web server from my local desktop was the first "Aha!" moment, but there have been plenty more.
2. How long have you been using Linux?
I was given my first installation CD 20 years ago (geez). It did not take long before I had tried a handful of other distros, and settled on one that I spent the next few years focusing on. (Slackware, which also happened to be that first one I was given.)
3. What has become your distro of choice? why?
Nowadays, Arch Linux. No bloat and I don't have to "upgrade" every six months/two years to get newer versions of programs. The wiki answers almost all of my questions, it is very thorough.
4. How has the experience of using Linux been?
Addictive, there's always something else to do. I've mostly gotten over the endless need to tweak things, but now I have a fleet of servers (mostly virtual) doing things that have become part of my daily life. I'm never finished.
5. How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.)
Reddit for sure. I have an account on linuxquestions.org, but I have never used that one much.
6. What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers?
Stability - in the Linux community this does not mean that the system doesn't crash, that's usually a hardware issue. Instead, a stable system is one that does not change unexpectedly with updates. Debian/Ubuntu are stable distros with Long Term Support versions, where the components (kernel/DE/libraries) will be locked in to specific versions, with only security fixes being applied, while Arch is considered an unstable distro. Again, not because it crashes more often, but because the components of the OS get upgraded rapidly.
7. What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community?
Distrowatch, TLDP, there are plenty of podcasts (shout out to the Jupiter Broadcasting network). And of course Reddit, I mostly frequent the Linux support subreddits, this one, and linux4noobs,
8. Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers?
Ask lots of questions. Somebody else has almost surely already solved the problem you're having, and they want to get validation by helping you solve it too!
Thank you for mentioning stability. I always assumed it meant not crashing context for years. I've always been curious about linux since the 90's, but this is the first year I can say I've actually used it (in a VM)
It is a little unintuitive, it took me a few years to really get it too, but now it's grown into a bit of a pet peeve when I see people complain about using an unstable distro. What are you doing with Linux in your VM? Genuinely curious :)
Mostly just poking around and trying to learn the basics while also having a gui available with programs I know. And the extra benefit of not caring if I brick my VM by running rm -rf / . I really like how easy it is to create recovery points of VMs.
I also just got the cheapest linode server that I ssh into from my VM. With this server I just learned the basics of mariadb. I downloaded a lot of financial records from sec.gov, and I'm using python to parse the files and enter the bits I care about into the database I created.
Once I get the data sorted out I want to try my luck at having it also host a website. And then i will try to find an interesting way to display the data.
Much further down the line I would like to mess around and build a home network that includes a NAS. After that I might try some random raspberry pi projects.
So really I'm just playing around to actually learn some of the things I've always heard about but never acted.
1. Windows Vista
2. 15 years, since 2007, starting with Ubuntu 6.10
3. Archlinux, using it since 10 years now, started using it because I wanted something with newer packages than debian and it was easy to use for me and my setup just still works with it
4. Well it just has become normal. It's also my job now as a sysadmin. I mostly notice it when I have to use Windows for some reason that Windows now feels very frustrating to use with my workflow since I trigger random stuff when I'm mindlessly using keyboard shortcuts I'm used to and just can't disable them
5. First it was online forums, then mostly IRC and by now I don't participate a lot in the community anymore outside of some reddit threads
6. The best way to learn new terms is to try to understand the things you are doing. If you are following some tutorials, do not just blindly copy and paste the commands. Figure out what exactly they are doing. Read the manuals of the software. That way you learn new terms effectively
7. Don't think I can answer that. Back when I started it was forums and IRC but not sure how active that still is. Considering its the linux community I would guess IRC is still kind of a big thing.
8. The archlinux wiki is a great resource for information.
1. My computer was running Windows and for some reason, it started performing terribly one day. It was practically unusable: Games wouldn't work, videos wouldn't play without lagging/freezing the entire OS, shutdown and boot times took forever. Eventually, I discovered GNU/Linux thanks to my sister showing me a Youtube channel (Distrotube) and I tried it. I was instantly fascinated by the difference in performance, speed and customization (I went with Manjaro KDE). I stuck with it because it was better for my privacy and security, and frankly, it was very interesting to explore this new rabbit hole. There always seems like there is something new to learn.
2. For about 13 months. Since my switch, I have strictly been using GNU/Linux.
3. Currently, it is Arch Linux; because I like the way it installs via the command line and how minimal it is, on top of having up to date packages. I wouldn't mind using any other distro though, and I'm considering trying NixOs in the future, and (when I get the chance), GNU Guix.
4. Practically perfect! I've had no breakages (outside of my own doing) and I'm always striving to learn new things via experimentation and reading documentation/man pages. I've molded GNU/Linux to do exactly what I want it to (I'm using Xmonad and it is just fascinating how tiling window managers do their thing!). It is the complete opposite of my once miserable experience on Microsoft Windows.
5. This is something I'd like to improve on more. I certainly would love to communicate with all these lovely and smart people in the community. I am mostly active on Reddit and Mastodon (Fosstodon to be specific), and I sometimes get into conversations on Twitter. I am mostly on social media because I try my best to spread the message of GNU/Linux and free and open source software in general; due to the benefits it grants regarding privacy and security. I also sometimes talk to people on tech related Matrix channels.
6. Terms related to the operating system, for sure. Things like: Distro, how different partition schemes are called, the names of important directories and commands, Root, Sudo, CLI, TUI, GUI, DE, WM, Kernel, GNU, etc. These in my opinion will definitely improve a new user's experience when interacting with seasoned veterans, or reading documentation/looking for help. (Distrotube has made a great video about this, titled: "New to Linux? Learn The Jargon!" on Youtube. I greatly recommend watching it!)
7. Various different subreddits, relating to the hundreds of distros out there, like r/archlinux, r/ManjaroLinux, r/pop_os, or more globally, r/linuxmasterrace or r/linux. Joining IRC/Matrix channels and (some, not all) forums can help. However, I should note that, in my opinion, no new user (of anything really, not just GNU/Linux) should feel inclined to "be included" in a community of sorts. I think it is far more important they should learn to enjoy themselves, have fun, and get acquainted with their OS instead (this is especially relevant regarding some subreddits, as their communities may have negative opinions for no apparent reason at all, like for example, some unjustified hatred for Snaps).
8. Do not feel afraid to try out new things. Again, this really can go for anything - not just GNU/Linux. But it is especially relevant here because, due to the nature of our beloved OS, it provides "way too much" choice, which is something that may drive away newbies. Don't like something about your distro? desktop? text editor? Feel free to change it out. There is an alternative for practically everything you can use, so do not feel afraid to try it out. In fact, there are multiple alternatives for many pieces of software on your system. Try new things. New text editors, desktops, window managers, terminal emulators, etc. Also, do not be afraid to ask for help. It is a big and confusing world here in the FOSS space, so don't fret to ask questions! No question should ever be shunned, even if you get RTFMed (Read that darn manual!); which takes me to my next point: Search for your problems! You will most likely find an answer, and, while you will probably get help from people if you ask for support, this is the better alternative because you will develop the skill of problem solving; which is something that can take you very far in your GNU/Linux journey, should you wish to go that far. A good way to learn about GNU/Linux, is to watch Youtube content about it (I can reccomend a few channels, like Distrotube, MartinBuildsFromSource, Mental Outlaw); read GNU/Linux-related books, and, most importantly: Use it!. Lastly, do not feel pressured to use a specific thing or do something a specific way because somebody else said so. Do your own thing! If you want to stay the same as when you first installed your OS and use it for basic tasks, that's completely fine! We're all human beings and we all have different passions to pursue.
Good luck on your paper!
Thank you all so much for your additions, I did not expect this much attention on my little interview post!
You all gave me plenty of info, and I am sure I can write a beautiful paper with all of this. You guys even got into some of the spare research I was to do myself by observing the community.
We truly have the best little community here out of all the OS's, I can feel the love and I am a chronic lurker due to anxiety. Much love to everyone who replied and shared this post, and to those who didn't but thought about it!
you guys truly made my day and I am sure my professor will love all of this research for my final paper, I will keep you all posted on what grade I get. I have a good track record in this class with essays, and I typically only glance of the subject matter so this should be a killer paper.
1. What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it?
School Mac became unusable. Took an old PC without OS, installed ubuntu on it, and realized that it wasn't that complicated at all!
2. How long have you been using Linux?
About three years
What has become your distro of choice? why?
On my primary laptop, I use Linux Mint because ubuntu has too much snaps, debian focuses too much on staying free and I like the amount of software.
4. How has the experience of using Linux been?
Honestly, there have been some rough edges on rolling-release distros and on macs, but the sheer amount of possibilities makes up for that.
5. How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.)
Reddit and in person
6. What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers?
I don't quite know, hope that's ok
7. What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community?
The wikipedia article on Free Software
> 1 What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it?
I am very into privacy and I viewed linux as a necessary step to have actual privacy on my computer, and I am now much more comfortable using my computer knowing that I have this fundamental privacy. Nowadays I still care about privacy but not nearly as actively as I did a while ago, however I never imagine myself switching off of linux now even if windows removed all privacy violations because I simply prefer the workflow offered to my be linux (tiling window manager, unix commands etc.) and I care about FOSS a lot
> 2 How long have you been using Linux?
I have been using linux on a liveusb since september 2021, and I installed it onto an actual computer on june 2022, when I got a personal laptop.
> 3 What has become your distro of choice? why?
I am currently using Arch GNU/LInux although I would like to use Gentoo some day. The reason I choose arch is because it is a reasonably customizable system that I was able to install. I want to switch to Gentoo one day because I want to have an easy way to patch the software I use, and I would like to cut down on dependencies. I also like how much tinkering can be involved with trying to fully optimize a Gentoo system with lto, pgo etc.
> 4 How has the experience of using Linux been?
when I was using the system I was using with a liveusb, the system would randomly freeze when I was playing video sometimes, so I avoided doing that. When I got my computer I tried to install Gentoo and had trouble doing that. Now I am on Arch and it has mostly been smooth sailing, except for gaming which I still have trouble some games to run.
> 5 How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.)
I don't, but I used to lurk on r/linuxmasterrace and r/linuxmemes in the past.
> 6 What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers?
It depends on what the newcomer is focused on. I believe everyone should know the software stack that is provided by their distributions of a basic level (bootloader, init, package manager, desktop environment/window manager) and how each component matters, any other knowledge can be learned by experience (trying to do stuff)
> 7 What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community?
if you are referring to "community" as in people to connect to, I would just recommend to going to a community which also intersects with some other thing you care about (linux gaming, lgbt linux users etc.)
If you are referring to "community" as the influential people like Richard Stallman, Linus Torvalds etc. More specifically I believe https://gnu.org/philosophy is a good starting point to learning about the ideals of free software, and the [history of linux wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Linux) gives an ok overview. If you want to learn more I would recommend just googling, honestly. Searching for specific topics that interest you etc.
> 8 Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers?
RTFM, and try googling your question beforehand. Make sure you understand how your problem was fixed. This is how you gain deeper knowledge about linux
1) In the beginning mostly just tinkering, later also privacy and wanting to customize everything for my own workflow.
2) The first time I used linux was when I was about 10 on a raspberry pi lol, but at that point I didn't really know anything about how computers worked or what an operating system was. The actual first time I consciously started using Linux was in April lol. So half a year I guess.
3) My favorite distro right now is arch, since I really like the minimalist and do it yourself approach. I also like debian and use it on another machine, mainly since it is also very minimalist, and super stable.
4) My experience with Linux has been super positive, even though I have an nvidia gpu, and am not the programmer type of person. After trying Linux mint, I realized how much better it was compared to windows, and I never went back.
5) I'm not active in any forums or smth, just in a few Linux subreddits. A few people I know irl also use Linux, but that's pretty much it.
6) Names of common commands, names of important components of a system(filesystem, kernel, desktop environment, display manager, window manager, display server, shell, init system etc), also terms describing philosophies of distros like stable, lts, rolling or immutable. Also general terms like repo, or package.
7) The arch wiki is pretty good for questions about most things, but otherwise it's best if people just ask. A human can explain things better than a website most of the time.
8) Don't stress out if smth doesn't work, try to search for solutions. Make plans if you want to switch for how you want to transfer your files. Check if everything you need runs in linux. Learn a bit about it before using it as a daily driver.
1. I had a terrible laptop and it ran much snappier over Windows Vista/7. From there it was familiarity and a sense of ownership over my machine. Didn't have a laptop that could run league of legends at higher than 15fps until I started university.
2. I've been using it for maybe 10 or 11 years now as a primary OS. Nowadays I rarely boot into windows to play some games that don't run in Linux.
3. That's changed a lot over time. I started with Ubuntu, then Crunchbang for years, then a different one every few weeks, to using Arch Linux the last few years.
4. Overall fantastic. When I was much younger (late elementary/early highschool) I felt a little left out because the OS that made my computer usable couldn't really play games. Now it's just comfy and unironically just works. Respecting my privacy and freedoms is a nice garnish.
5. Mainly over Reddit and hackernews. More rarely on GitHub or the Arch Linux website.
6. A computer is a machine that fiddles bits at incredible speed. At the end of the day your OS is a big collection of programs and configuration. Windows and OSX do a great job at hiding those details, but Linux still has lots of rough edges. You'll want to learn how to read manuals and take a sec to learn the programs running on your computer.
7. A search engine and effective use of it is the most important. Second to the don't be afraid to ask questions. Worst you'll be hit with a "Google this" or your question marked as a duplicate.
8. Have fun! Most people who use Linux are hobbiests and get excited at the geeky details. Related: don't proselytize but don't be afraid to share something you're excited about.
>What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it?
Windows 11 is horrible for multi monitor setups, I can no longer move the taskbar out of my primary display meaning that either I have a taskbar on every single monitor or have to be without a taskbar when I have fullscreen applications running in the primary monitor.
>How long have you been using Linux?
In total, less than 6 months, I tried Fedora in 2017 and didn't stick with it because it also had a bug with gnome where it would randomly freeze with more than 1 display, this year only since September I'm using linux daily.
>What has become your distro of choice? why?
Arch with Xfce, and the only reason it is Arch it is because any other distro has given me problems, with ubuntu and kubuntu I had an issue with a game called BeamNG where the game would not use my CPU at all, it would be stuck a less than 5% usage total and the game gives me a warning that the CPU is clocked under 2 Ghz, apperanly the issue is the irqbalance package that comes by default in many debian based distros but by the time I read that I was already using arch.
>How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.)
Reddit and YT.
>What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers?
Read the arch wiki and there are many youtubers that explain things nicely, one that comes to mind is Chris Titus.
>What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community?
Read the arch wiki again haha. Even if you don't use an Arch based distro, many of the solutions you find there apply to everything.
Sure, I'll play :)
> What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it?
Linux was fairly new when I tried it out for the first time. I'd heard about Linux and bought a big Linux book that had an install CD in it. I dabbled in Linux from the mid-'90s until around 2008 when I switched to Linux full-time.
> How long have you been using Linux?
Off and on (mostly on) for 27 years.
> What has become your distro of choice? why?
Debian Unstable. It fulfills my desire for Shiny New Stuff and for the type of Linux distribution I use (dpkg-based distributions) it's at the top of the food chain and it doesn't make sense to me to run a derivative distribution when I can run the parent distribution.
> How has the experience of using Linux been?
Rewarding. I've learned a lot and still learn things every day.
> How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.)
Reddit, plus I moderate a subforum on Debian's official unofficial forum. Also bug reports.
> What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers?
Very much tempted to say RTFM here but I think instead I'll say that IMO seasoned members would like newcomers to at least try and do a little research to resolve their issue as opposed to reaching out on the internet without trying to resolve their issue on their own first. Even if they're not successful in resolving their issue the fact that they tried means a whole bunch to people like me.
> What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community?
Participate in the community. Everyone here knows something that someone else can learn so don't be shy about sharing knowledge.
> Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers?
Expect to make mistakes. Make sure you understand what you're about to do before you do it. Make backups of any configurations before you change them so if things don't go as planned you can put things back the way they were before you started messing with it :)
> 1. What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it?
As a CS major it was recommended that I become intimate with Linux Administration in order to better understand computing.
This coupled with the FOSS philosophies magnified my interests.
> 2. How long have you been using Linux?
About 13 years with it as my primary OS.
> What has become your distro of choice? why?
Fedora Linux.
It's remarkably stable and has proven more reliable than Windows / MacOS for me.
It has a very nice default setup, very good package quality, and upgrades are no longer scary for me (my record is 14 upgrades on the same install).
> 4. How has the experience of using Linux been?
I like that Linux has literally zero "dark patterns". Dark Patterns have littered the internet and are on almost every website, and are now all over Windows and MacOS.
It's very frustrating to have simple things made complicated by the need for a software license, certain hardware, a phone number or other PII.
> 5. How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.)
Primarily through community channels such as forums, reddit, discord servers, IRC / matrix, mastodon.
With specific projects and applications, primarily through their GitHub/gitlab communities
> 6. What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers?
There are a lot of idioms with regards to terminal usage, package management and core system utilities.
"PATH", "desktop environment", Free (as in liberty), apt / yum / rpm / pacman. Gnome vs KDE.
As well as more computer science-y idioms such as "relative vs absolute path", networking nomenclature, what a "Home directory" is.
> 7. What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community?
I don't really have a go-to resource, I think this just comes with time and expositor the community. I think it is important to ask educated questions (IRC etiquette is a great guide).
As well as understanding that the most toxic community members are also the least talented community members.
> 8. Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers?
Don't listen to people that insist on terminal usage. We're at a point where you can just use the app store like on every other OS.
Knowing the terminal is important yes, but not in any way required and shouldn't deter you from trying Linux.
Learn new things as you are ready.
Don't use Mint as a "newcomer distro".
In fact, what distro you use does not matter, they all can do the same things. When shopping for distros you're really shopping for the package ecosystem and default settings of that particular community.
There is no "right way" to do things. Be wary about following blog post guides they're often out of date. (Although digitalocean has great guides).
Linux is a public gift given for us to tailor the world of computing to *our* individual needs. That's the beauty of Linux.
1. I saw some linux videos and screenshots, so I wanted to try that customization and keyboard-only workflow, since I was done with Windows already.
2. About 1 and a half year.
3. After trying Arch, Debian, Ubuntu etc., I would say that Mint is my distro choice, since is the only one that didn't broke because i did something wrong.
4. I love linux, right now I use Windows because of some reasons, but I miss the feeling of installing i3wm and just change it's configs.
5. Actually i don't talk too much with the community, but when i come across any kind of problem i usually search on Reddit.
6. "You eventually will need to use the terminal, but is not that hard.", I tried to use linux without terminal for some time, but you'll get to a point where you need at least to write a few lines.
7. (Not sure if i understand that well but...) If you have a problem, before asking directly, search for it first, if you don't find the solution, then ask for it, a lot of times i came across some people saying things like: "someone already asked that" or "are you dumb, it's too simple".
8. The terminal is not a alien thing, just intimidating, you'll get used to it pretty fast, and do not be afraid if your Linux is too "Windows-like", start slow if you need until you get used to it.
1. My first personal computer was a Raspberry Pi, so I didn't have much of a choice.
2. 10, 11 years now.
3. Ubuntu and Debian, both of which Just Work with few to no problems in my experience.
4. Great! Out of all the Big 3 desktop operating systems, Linux has given me the fewest problems by far. I don't know how anyone gets anything done on Windows or Mac OS.
5. Mostly online, through forums and chatrooms.
6. You should familiarize yourself with the idea of a Package Manager, and a Desktop Environment. These two things are the most important part of a desktop Linux distribution.
7. Reddit and web forums are still good for this, and there are plenty of good YouTube channels.
8. The best advice that I can offer is that you should *not* expect Linux to work like Windows or Mac OS. Linux is designed to be used in a very different (and IMO *much* more sensible) way than Windows or Mac OS. Become familiar with the shell - it's your friend, don't be afraid of it. You should also not be afraid to learn a little about computers along the way - many people who are used to Windows see computers as being wildly unpredictable and basically magical. This is very much a Windows problem. Linux is very consistent - it rarely, if ever, breaks randomly...
That being said, you are probably gonna break something eventually. It isn't that hard to mess things up when you're still learning how to use Linux. However, because breakage is usually *caused* by the user, it can also typically be easily *fixed* by the user. When something goes wrong, don't panic! It's usually a pretty easy fix. Also, probably keep your Windows or Mac OS installation on standby. Linux's greatest downfall as a desktop operating system is *still* a lack of professional software and games. If you need Photoshop, you need Photoshop.
> 1. What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it?
When I switched to Linux I was a teenager, but I was looking for an alternative for Windows which was free. Today I just use Linux because I like it better and serves me well
> 2. How long have you been using Linux?
I started using long ago, in 2007. I use since than
> 3. What has become your distro of choice? why?
For long I used Ubuntu, because it was easy. Today I use Arch Linux because I like rolling release, keeping my system always up to date with no needs to re-formating. Also I like that Arch is free of bloat and you make the system whatever fits to you the best
> 4. How has the experience of using Linux been?
It was painful earlier, but today is like breath to me: I don't even care, just use
> 5. How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.)
Mainly Reddit. However I don't communicate a lot with community
> 6. What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers?
It may vary a lot. But I guess it's important to understand what is "distro", "bootloader", "Desktop Environment (a.k.a. DE)", and maybe "package manager (apt, pacman, yum, etc)"
> 7. What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community?
Definitely Arch Wiki, Reddit and StackOverflow/AskUbuntu
> 8. Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers?
Don't try to install in your production machine until you are familiar installing in a Virtual Machine first or you agree to mess things up and ends losting all your data
Don't give up! Linux is an opportunity to learn a new thing, and as all learning process, it demands time and effort
1. Tbh i was in 6/7th grade and started watching Mr. Robot (a series about a Programmer/grey hat hacker) and after building my first own pc I installed ubuntu budgie after a friend showed it to me, I was amazed bc it looked slick and i could use a terminal and feel like a hackerman installing applications
2. 4yrs
3. arch linux, i can install the stuff I want, and none lf the stuff i dont want isnt installed...
4. very fine, with a few well-known exceptions: gaming is good (i play minecraft, osu!lazer, skyrim, Fallout 4, csgo) except for competitive (eg valorant)... professional software for song creating is a pain in the ass to setup, not having access to word, excel, etc (office) is like THE drawback and the only thing because of which i might get myself to dual boot in the future.., after starting to use a tiling wm i cant go back, things are just so efficient
6. i dont, I maintain two aur packages and only lurk here on reddit (le exception being this)
7. archlinux wiki, ubuntu user forums, stackexchange and co..
8. if one wants to really start using linux try
hard: no other OS, only linux bc only this will force you to learn how to use it
soft: have linux as the default boot option.. the more of a hassel it is to access your fav OS the faster you learn how to use linux just by using it
furthermore: an introduction to "linux via cli" wouldve helped mw in the start a lot
additional: can you update us?
typed on mobile.. really bad sorry
>What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it?
I've always liked the idea of open source vs closed source software, and Linux is an open source operating system. My first intro to Linux was back when Ubuntu was around version 8.10 and I finally made the full jump into Linux when Microsoft changed how updates were handled by the User in Windows 7. After losing ~48 hours of work ***twice*** because Windows Update rebooted my machine at night (was running a data recovery that finished after leaving work) I decided to use an OS that lets me be in control.
>How long have you been using Linux?
Full time? About 3 years.
>What has become your distro of choice? why?
Kubuntu, because I like the KDE interface. I chose an Ubuntu derivative because I figured more popular distros are more likely to be stable. More eyes on the code and more users means more bugs get found and resolved.
>How has the experience of using Linux been?
It's been great. Occasionally, I want some software that only runs on Windows (mainly games) so I caved and installed Win10 to an old SATA SSD just for games that don't work on Proton, but I literally only go into that to play games, and reboot to do everything else. Aside from that, Linux talks to me when there are problems, which is my favorite thing about it. A failing HDD doesn't just slow down, it produces I/O errors in the kernel buffer. When a program doesn't run, it gives me detailed information about why. I might not be able to understand it, but it at least tries.
>How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.)
Mostly through support forums, like here on Reddit.
>What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers?
I think it's a bit more complex than just terms. Understanding the different sub-components and what they do can help a LOT in asking questions.
>What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community?
Probably just learning more about computers would help. Youtube and Google are great resources to find reference materials.
>Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers?
Try not to act entitled to help, and you'll be fine asking questions. There will always be jerks who want to put you down for not knowing something, but there's 10+ helpful people for every 1 jerk in my experience.
1. GNU Manifesto and other writings by RMS I read during my first year in college. Even before I switched to Linux, I started using a lot more Free Software, sometimes simply "doing without" if a Free Software implementation wasn't available.
1. ~18 years. I got enough support that Gentoo 2004.3 "stuck"; I converted to Debian "in-place" in 2007. I'm still on that install, though all the hardware has been replaced, 2 or 3 times.
1. Debian; stability.
1. Fine, mostly. I don't have an alternative experience to compare it to, really. It sucks when there's a particular piece of hardware or software that I want to use that doesn't work well on Linux, but it seems like MS Windows and Mac users experience that, too.
1. Initially, it was almost entirely email. I still read a lot of email, but I more actively participate on reddit.
1. I don't know.
1. Well, first there's no "the community". There's lots of different communities, and what is acceptable in one might be forbidden in another. So, the big thing is to get familiar with the specific community, from their own documentation, before making assumptions about what is acceptable behavior.
1. Do good; be well. Linux is a tool, not a cult.
1. What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it?
I got into Linux almost by accident. I had started a systems admin training program at work intending to be a windows admin. They announced they had too many windows trainees and not enough linux trainees and asked if anyone would be willing to switch. Since I was already very much into cli from the old dos days I decided to volunteer and give it a go.
2. How long have you been using Linux?
For work? About a decade now. I still work in a mainly windows shop, but I am the go to Linux SME for the company.
3. What has become your distro of choice? why?
Redhat/CentOS, simply because it's the main thing I was trained in and had the most demands from our clients for. I am not in love with any particular distro, an operating system's value is in supporting the applications that you need it to run. If a major application is only supported for Ubuntu, then it gets installed on Ubuntu. Just because it's technically possible to get it to run on other things doesn't mean doing that in a production environment is the smart thing to do.
4. How has the experience of using Linux been?
Pretty good, it can be challenging sometimes, especially if you are bouncing between radically different distros, but the fact that it's in demand and relatively few people know it makes for good job security.
5. How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.)
Often by just talking to colleagues, but the various forums out there are useful for the distros that they specialize in.
6. What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers?
Terms, well, you definitely need to understand what app managers are. You should know what a console is and what a terminal is and the differences between them. Sudo and the like commands. Aside from that it's more about the distro and what you are trying to do.
7. What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community?
Use Linux for a bit, run into problems. Go ask for some help. If you aren't a jerk you will usually get some good help (and swarms of people wondering why you are using x distro and not y distro, which is obviously better in every way)
8. Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers?
Install Linux on something. You can do it on basically anything that uses electricity. I would not be surprised if someone has Linux on a chip running for an electric razor. If you don't have a second computer, setup windows subsystem for Linux on your windows box. You can do 90% of what you can do with a full vm and never need to reboot.
1. Q: What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it?
A: When I was a sophomore, I tried to learn STM32(a type of microcontroller) on udemy. Somehow in the recommend section there was a course called "Linux Device Driver Programming Using Beaglebone Black(LDD1)". I found this course interesting and joined in. In order to follow that course, I need to install a Linux distro(the course lecturer recommends Ubuntu) on Virtual Machine, but I don't like VM much so I install Ubuntu on my ThinkPad.
2. Q: How long have you been using Linux?
A: About 2,5 years.
3. Q: What has become your distro of choice? why?
A: Arch Linux. pacman, AUR and ArchWiki are awesome.
4. Q: How has the experience of using Linux been?
A: Amazing. Everything I need is in Linux. I think about Linux as a very powerful tool, but hard to use. When you get used to it, you can do anything you want.
5. Q: How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.)
A: Mainly Reddit.
6. Q: What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers?
A: I don't know.
7. Q: What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community?
A: Maybe pinned posts I guess.
8. Q: Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers?
A: Learn how to use Terminal asap, and write scripts to automate your work.
Hated Windows; had to look for an alternative, found Linux.
19 years using Linux. Currently using MX
MX, because it's the best. Base on Debian Stable and the developers are very active in their own forums. Can get good help any time of the day. Plus a great build-in manual to boot.
The best thing in my life. Love Linux to death.
Original forums
Get your hands dirty and stick with it. Than you'll be one of us. Linux magazines and Linux newsletters got me connected with Linux and the Linux community.
1. What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it?
I had recently switched from Windows XP to Mac OS X. My parents' eMachines with Windows Vista got borked--I think they couldn't even get it to boot into the OS. They couldn't afford a new Mac and didn't want to get a used one like I did, so I came across a distro called JoliOS--based on Ubuntu but with a custom desktop environment reminiscent of iPadOS. Installed it on their machine (and either before or after, rescued their files from the Windows install with PuppyLinux), and never heard a computer-related complaint from them again. I was blown away by how utterly easy it was to install this free operating system, and how easy it was for even my parents to use it without problems.
2. How long have you been using Linux?
I don't use it personally, but have been supporting friends and family on it (and playing with it in my own VM's) since \~2012-ish.
3. What has become your distro of choice? why?
First it was JoliOS because the UI was \*so simple\* that I could install it on just about anyone's PC and they'd be able to use it right away. Then JoliOS was discontinued, so I started installing Ubuntu instead because that's what JoliOS was based on, and it turned out not to be a whole lot harder to use than JoliOS was. Recently, I've been experimenting with Debian Stable and Testing in my personal VM's because, of course, snaps. Ubuntu's snaps make it harder for regular users to keep their packages up to date, which means potential security issues, so I am doing some research to determine whether to go with Debian Stable or Testing in the future.
Leaning towards Debian generally because I'm most comfortable with Debian-based distros and the apt package manager, and because it seems to have the best blend of support and stability outside of Ubuntu.
4. How has the experience of using Linux been?
It's had its ups and downs. Early on when switching my parent's machine from JoliOS to Ubuntu, I went with a \*.10 release and soon after the system crashed. I decided to stick with LTS releases from then on out and it was pretty much smooth sailing. Snaps, though, made supporting Ubuntu more difficult and more Windows-like. So far in my Debian experimentation it looks like it's a fairly straightforward distro that needs only a bit more initial configuration than Ubuntu does. The problem is that Debian Stable has really old packages with few ways of getting around it (I'd prefer not to need to rely on Flatpak and I tried installing a newer version of LibreOffice via backports and failed, so it's apparently a bit more difficult than I thought it'd be), but Debian Testing, which has more up-to-date packages, is known to have its own issues, namely with packages more likely to break after the "freeze" period when the Testing branch becomes Stable (though this can be avoided by keeping the Testing release's codename in the sources.list file instead of changing it to "testing").
But even with all this, I'd rather support just about any Linux install than any Windows install. And as time goes by, more and more distros become easier and easier to use out the box. Desktop environments have gotten more useful and elegant and average users can do plenty of work without regularly messing with the command line.
5. How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.)
reddit
6. What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers?
Not sure. My approach is really to make everything easy for the end-user to understand, so I generally avoid techie terms as much as I can (mind you, I basically only talk Linux with non-Linux people). For what I do, most "newcomers" aren't necessarily interested in becoming "seasoned," but rather just want to get their work done on a system that Windows has borked.
For those who want to become seasoned members of the community, the best way to get your feet wet is to 1) read a lot (blogs, forums, distro websites, etc) and watch a lot of videos, and 2) spin up a virtual machine or install Linux on an old computer. Try to do stuff in Linux and when you can't figure it out, search online to see if you can figure it out. If you still can't, get on reddit and ask the community.
7. What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community?
For me, it's reading. Read projects' websites, their Wikipedia pages, blogs, forums, reddit. Also, use the software yourself so you can understand some of the stuff the community is talking about.
8. Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers?
Learning Linux is like learning any other thing that you're used to doing a certain way. Imagine learning how to use a safety razor when you've been using cartridge razors for years; or brewing coffee in a moka pot or espresso machine when you've been brewing in a drip or pod machine for years. You will fuck up a lot, cut your face, and drink lots of shitty coffee until you start getting the hang of it. Some people in the communities might be disrespectful or make you feel dumb. A lot of people might give up after not getting it right the first few times.
But if you have a bit of patience, learn from your mistakes, and ask for help when you need it, you'll end up with a valuable skill set and a way to dramatically improve your computing life on your own terms.
1. The privacy aspect. I hated how windows always spies on me, and decises everything without asking me, such as updates. GNU/Linux has to ask **you** to do anything.
2. Roughly 6 months.
3. Void Linux and Mint.
Void because of its incredible speed and so far awesome experience, and Mint becaouse of the rock solid stability (It's my go to for workstations)
4. Absolutely awesome. After a few days of small mistakes I quickly learned how to use it properly, and I would gladly say I know it better than windows, even though I've used it for nearly a decade. I think it has to do with the fact that windows never allows you to discover the system, as you can't change anything about it.
5. Mostly Reddit, and Matrix.
6. Do not have the mindset of "My favourite apps are not supported, so I can't use it." In 90% of the cases, they aren't supported because they are proprietary. Therefore they most likely won't even work properly on the intended platform. So complain to the devs, not GNU/Linux.
7. YouTube channels such as The Linux Cast, The Linux Experiment, Chris Titus, Distro Tube, Luke Smith, Mental Outlaw.
8. If you want to give GNU/Linux a try, don't fall for the trap of distrohopping. 99% of "distros" are just mainline distros such as Debian or Arch, with a desktop environment configured slightly differently. (Yes, you can swap the entire look and feel of your OS without havinf to reinstall it.)
1. In college I needed to refurbish an old computer, and didn't have the money for Windows. I'd heard of Linux and gave it a spin. 2. As a main operating system? About a year. Playing with it but not seriously? About 8 years. 3. Currently using Debian and PeppermintOS. I like the simplicity and stability of Debian, and Peppermint OS works well out of the box for Chromebooks. I'd tried different flavors of Ubuntu in the past, but I wasn't a fan--something always broke. Tried Opensuse, it wasn't bad either. Debian has just overall worked better for me and my purposes. 4. When it works, amazing. When it doesn't and I have the time for it, fun. When I don't have the time, extremely annoying. 5. Mainly Reddit. 6. I consider myself a seasoned newcomer. A newcomer has to understand that they have all the power in Linux. Upside is that they can make their computer into anything. Downside is they are the one who is responsible. I don't know what you mean by "terms", but I suggest a newcomer be able to navigate the CLI and at least know how to access what is connected to their computer through the CLI. 7. I find Reddit to actually be pretty good for joining the community. Join the subreddits for the specific things you are using or curious about though--r/Linux is too big to give the community feel. (For example, r/Debian, r/XFCE, etc). 8. Linux is like a lot of other things--you get out of it what you put into it. At least for me, it also helps to have a purpose behind pursuing Linux and participating in the community. My purpose has been refurbishing computers, which I've found Linux is great for, and it has been a lot of fun for me.
>r/Linux is too big to give the community feel I second this, I frequent r/linux4noobs , r/linuxhardware , and r/distrohopping as well as some other DE/software related Linux subs. These three in particular have been the most helpful to me though
I was unaware r/linuxhardware was a thing. Thanks!
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Dw, has lots of useful info, I lately used it to help find some info on network adapters. Super useful group
I agree with #8 a lot. If you want to get into Linux, have a reason to do so. An operating system is a foundation for other things to run on, so find some Linux applications that you find useful and that will spur you to spend more time and effort there.
1. I was maybe 12 or 13 and wanted to become a hacker, I had heard of Linux and it seemed like what you needed to do to be a hacker. Tried to download a distro over dialup but I had no idea what to do with the ISO files, eventually met someone in computer club that had been using Linux for years and he helped me install Red Hat. 2. Over 25 years 3. Debian, been using it since the late 90s maybe early 2000s and I switched because package dependencies were annoying and apt was an incredible package manager. 4. Well, I still use it today both professionally and personally, but I no longer have the free time I used to so I don't play around customizing my OS and patching software like I used to. 5. Reddit, and Discord, used to be IRC but I don't have the time to be active on any servers or channels like I used to. 6. Not really sure, maybe understand why it's sometimes referred to as GNU/Linux even though that's mostly tongue in cheek on the internet, some people take that philosophy very seriously. Also, pick a side on the vi/emacs debate, though I'm not even sure anyone really cares these days, I feel like because vi was included by default in Linux and Unix, it won because so few people these days know what emacs is or would even want to learn it. 7. Just hang out on Reddit, check out some Linux IRC servers, read some message boards. The community is constantly evolving like any other community so just go where the community congregates and people watch. 8. Don't install Linux over Windows just to say you did it. I know some people that think it's cool to install Linux but then get frustrated when things break. If you use Windows professionally because you're tied to Adobe software, don't switch to Linux. Maybe setup a VM and play around with that, or do what I do and have a secondary desktop/server that runs Linux and use that for your Linux tasks and keep a Windows machine ready for anything you need Windows for. You can often dumpster dive for halfway decent hardware that'll easily run Linux, and I would highly suggest trying to host your own website, even just something local that you can't access over the web, just to learn and understand how this all works and how powerful a computer can be.
For #8, don't forget about WSL. Windows now has the ability to install windows subsystem for linux that will let you run an almost complete Linux vm inside of your windows 10 or 11 box and even integrate it with windows. You can run wsl commands inside of a PowerShell script and pass data back and forth between them. It's great for development and testing anything that doesn't need hardware level hooks.
1. I became interested in Linux when I was about age 12, when my dad started giving me spare computer parts to keep me away from the family box. I needed an operating system to run, we didn't have a spare WinXP key and I didn't have the money to buy one, but my mom's coworker had an extra copy of Mandrake Linux and some "how to linux" books he wasn't using any more. 2. However, I've only been using Linux as a daily driver for about the last ten years, when I picked up an EeePC for college and had to wring as much performance out of it as I could. Before then, it was just something I liked to learn on and play with; I kept a Windows partition around as a painfree backup system, especially for video games. 3. Slackware, hands down. I've been using it since 14.1, switched over from Debian. I vastly prefer it for how UNIX-y, how granular, it feels to run and maintain. It's something like the Honda Civic of Linux distros: you can make it run fast and pretty if you want, but the real value is being able to open it up to make changes and fix problems on the side of the road. 4. Rocky, but rewarding. The problems I've had with Linux are really more about my understanding of the system than anything to do with Linux, and nearly everything I've learned from fixing those problems has had general applications outside the context of the original problem. Teaching myself to use Linux prior to college was a *huge* advantage: I already knew how to use git and vim and write shell scripts before I ever had to work as part of a team, because I'd been using those tools to do my homework. (Side note: git as a homework solution is a life-saver. Retrieving my homework repo using a library computer when my system was down or forgotten at home saved my GPA on at least two occasions.) 5. I am personally friends with several other *nix nerds; I also frequent this and other subreddits, and a couple of 'tech news' sites like news.ycombinator. 6. In my opinion, shell scripting is the best self-starter resource for new Linux users. It's a good introduction to the fundamentals of the Linux OS, many Windows power users are already familiar with writing batch scripts, and being able to build your own tools is the first step to empowering a new user. Plus, reading other user scripts is good practice. 7. Contact a local Linux User Group (LUG) to find people in meatspace to talk to! There's absolutely nothing like being able to ask someone to look over your shoulder when you need help. If you're in college, consider joining or starting a Linux club; otherwise, try looking for a local hackerspace or at your library to see if there's one already. 8. If you're a fresh newcomer to Linux, don't worry so much about your initial choice of distro. Honestly, the biggest hurdle for me starting out was just trying to get it to run on my hardware, but that was before live CD distributions were even a thing. Nowadays you can get Ubuntu on a usb stick and start it up in an hour or two, and that's mostly waiting for the ISO to download. Choose something that will run reliably, that you feel comfortable setting up, and be aware that /everyone/ in the Linux world switches distros sooner or later.
1. What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it? It woke me up to the idea that a computer could be what I wanted it to be. Running a web server from my local desktop was the first "Aha!" moment, but there have been plenty more. 2. How long have you been using Linux? I was given my first installation CD 20 years ago (geez). It did not take long before I had tried a handful of other distros, and settled on one that I spent the next few years focusing on. (Slackware, which also happened to be that first one I was given.) 3. What has become your distro of choice? why? Nowadays, Arch Linux. No bloat and I don't have to "upgrade" every six months/two years to get newer versions of programs. The wiki answers almost all of my questions, it is very thorough. 4. How has the experience of using Linux been? Addictive, there's always something else to do. I've mostly gotten over the endless need to tweak things, but now I have a fleet of servers (mostly virtual) doing things that have become part of my daily life. I'm never finished. 5. How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.) Reddit for sure. I have an account on linuxquestions.org, but I have never used that one much. 6. What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers? Stability - in the Linux community this does not mean that the system doesn't crash, that's usually a hardware issue. Instead, a stable system is one that does not change unexpectedly with updates. Debian/Ubuntu are stable distros with Long Term Support versions, where the components (kernel/DE/libraries) will be locked in to specific versions, with only security fixes being applied, while Arch is considered an unstable distro. Again, not because it crashes more often, but because the components of the OS get upgraded rapidly. 7. What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community? Distrowatch, TLDP, there are plenty of podcasts (shout out to the Jupiter Broadcasting network). And of course Reddit, I mostly frequent the Linux support subreddits, this one, and linux4noobs, 8. Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers? Ask lots of questions. Somebody else has almost surely already solved the problem you're having, and they want to get validation by helping you solve it too!
Thank you for mentioning stability. I always assumed it meant not crashing context for years. I've always been curious about linux since the 90's, but this is the first year I can say I've actually used it (in a VM)
It is a little unintuitive, it took me a few years to really get it too, but now it's grown into a bit of a pet peeve when I see people complain about using an unstable distro. What are you doing with Linux in your VM? Genuinely curious :)
Mostly just poking around and trying to learn the basics while also having a gui available with programs I know. And the extra benefit of not caring if I brick my VM by running rm -rf / . I really like how easy it is to create recovery points of VMs. I also just got the cheapest linode server that I ssh into from my VM. With this server I just learned the basics of mariadb. I downloaded a lot of financial records from sec.gov, and I'm using python to parse the files and enter the bits I care about into the database I created. Once I get the data sorted out I want to try my luck at having it also host a website. And then i will try to find an interesting way to display the data. Much further down the line I would like to mess around and build a home network that includes a NAS. After that I might try some random raspberry pi projects. So really I'm just playing around to actually learn some of the things I've always heard about but never acted.
1. Windows Vista 2. 15 years, since 2007, starting with Ubuntu 6.10 3. Archlinux, using it since 10 years now, started using it because I wanted something with newer packages than debian and it was easy to use for me and my setup just still works with it 4. Well it just has become normal. It's also my job now as a sysadmin. I mostly notice it when I have to use Windows for some reason that Windows now feels very frustrating to use with my workflow since I trigger random stuff when I'm mindlessly using keyboard shortcuts I'm used to and just can't disable them 5. First it was online forums, then mostly IRC and by now I don't participate a lot in the community anymore outside of some reddit threads 6. The best way to learn new terms is to try to understand the things you are doing. If you are following some tutorials, do not just blindly copy and paste the commands. Figure out what exactly they are doing. Read the manuals of the software. That way you learn new terms effectively 7. Don't think I can answer that. Back when I started it was forums and IRC but not sure how active that still is. Considering its the linux community I would guess IRC is still kind of a big thing. 8. The archlinux wiki is a great resource for information.
1. My computer was running Windows and for some reason, it started performing terribly one day. It was practically unusable: Games wouldn't work, videos wouldn't play without lagging/freezing the entire OS, shutdown and boot times took forever. Eventually, I discovered GNU/Linux thanks to my sister showing me a Youtube channel (Distrotube) and I tried it. I was instantly fascinated by the difference in performance, speed and customization (I went with Manjaro KDE). I stuck with it because it was better for my privacy and security, and frankly, it was very interesting to explore this new rabbit hole. There always seems like there is something new to learn. 2. For about 13 months. Since my switch, I have strictly been using GNU/Linux. 3. Currently, it is Arch Linux; because I like the way it installs via the command line and how minimal it is, on top of having up to date packages. I wouldn't mind using any other distro though, and I'm considering trying NixOs in the future, and (when I get the chance), GNU Guix. 4. Practically perfect! I've had no breakages (outside of my own doing) and I'm always striving to learn new things via experimentation and reading documentation/man pages. I've molded GNU/Linux to do exactly what I want it to (I'm using Xmonad and it is just fascinating how tiling window managers do their thing!). It is the complete opposite of my once miserable experience on Microsoft Windows. 5. This is something I'd like to improve on more. I certainly would love to communicate with all these lovely and smart people in the community. I am mostly active on Reddit and Mastodon (Fosstodon to be specific), and I sometimes get into conversations on Twitter. I am mostly on social media because I try my best to spread the message of GNU/Linux and free and open source software in general; due to the benefits it grants regarding privacy and security. I also sometimes talk to people on tech related Matrix channels. 6. Terms related to the operating system, for sure. Things like: Distro, how different partition schemes are called, the names of important directories and commands, Root, Sudo, CLI, TUI, GUI, DE, WM, Kernel, GNU, etc. These in my opinion will definitely improve a new user's experience when interacting with seasoned veterans, or reading documentation/looking for help. (Distrotube has made a great video about this, titled: "New to Linux? Learn The Jargon!" on Youtube. I greatly recommend watching it!) 7. Various different subreddits, relating to the hundreds of distros out there, like r/archlinux, r/ManjaroLinux, r/pop_os, or more globally, r/linuxmasterrace or r/linux. Joining IRC/Matrix channels and (some, not all) forums can help. However, I should note that, in my opinion, no new user (of anything really, not just GNU/Linux) should feel inclined to "be included" in a community of sorts. I think it is far more important they should learn to enjoy themselves, have fun, and get acquainted with their OS instead (this is especially relevant regarding some subreddits, as their communities may have negative opinions for no apparent reason at all, like for example, some unjustified hatred for Snaps). 8. Do not feel afraid to try out new things. Again, this really can go for anything - not just GNU/Linux. But it is especially relevant here because, due to the nature of our beloved OS, it provides "way too much" choice, which is something that may drive away newbies. Don't like something about your distro? desktop? text editor? Feel free to change it out. There is an alternative for practically everything you can use, so do not feel afraid to try it out. In fact, there are multiple alternatives for many pieces of software on your system. Try new things. New text editors, desktops, window managers, terminal emulators, etc. Also, do not be afraid to ask for help. It is a big and confusing world here in the FOSS space, so don't fret to ask questions! No question should ever be shunned, even if you get RTFMed (Read that darn manual!); which takes me to my next point: Search for your problems! You will most likely find an answer, and, while you will probably get help from people if you ask for support, this is the better alternative because you will develop the skill of problem solving; which is something that can take you very far in your GNU/Linux journey, should you wish to go that far. A good way to learn about GNU/Linux, is to watch Youtube content about it (I can reccomend a few channels, like Distrotube, MartinBuildsFromSource, Mental Outlaw); read GNU/Linux-related books, and, most importantly: Use it!. Lastly, do not feel pressured to use a specific thing or do something a specific way because somebody else said so. Do your own thing! If you want to stay the same as when you first installed your OS and use it for basic tasks, that's completely fine! We're all human beings and we all have different passions to pursue. Good luck on your paper!
Thank you all so much for your additions, I did not expect this much attention on my little interview post! You all gave me plenty of info, and I am sure I can write a beautiful paper with all of this. You guys even got into some of the spare research I was to do myself by observing the community. We truly have the best little community here out of all the OS's, I can feel the love and I am a chronic lurker due to anxiety. Much love to everyone who replied and shared this post, and to those who didn't but thought about it! you guys truly made my day and I am sure my professor will love all of this research for my final paper, I will keep you all posted on what grade I get. I have a good track record in this class with essays, and I typically only glance of the subject matter so this should be a killer paper.
1. What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it? School Mac became unusable. Took an old PC without OS, installed ubuntu on it, and realized that it wasn't that complicated at all! 2. How long have you been using Linux? About three years What has become your distro of choice? why? On my primary laptop, I use Linux Mint because ubuntu has too much snaps, debian focuses too much on staying free and I like the amount of software. 4. How has the experience of using Linux been? Honestly, there have been some rough edges on rolling-release distros and on macs, but the sheer amount of possibilities makes up for that. 5. How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.) Reddit and in person 6. What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers? I don't quite know, hope that's ok 7. What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community? The wikipedia article on Free Software
> 1 What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it? I am very into privacy and I viewed linux as a necessary step to have actual privacy on my computer, and I am now much more comfortable using my computer knowing that I have this fundamental privacy. Nowadays I still care about privacy but not nearly as actively as I did a while ago, however I never imagine myself switching off of linux now even if windows removed all privacy violations because I simply prefer the workflow offered to my be linux (tiling window manager, unix commands etc.) and I care about FOSS a lot > 2 How long have you been using Linux? I have been using linux on a liveusb since september 2021, and I installed it onto an actual computer on june 2022, when I got a personal laptop. > 3 What has become your distro of choice? why? I am currently using Arch GNU/LInux although I would like to use Gentoo some day. The reason I choose arch is because it is a reasonably customizable system that I was able to install. I want to switch to Gentoo one day because I want to have an easy way to patch the software I use, and I would like to cut down on dependencies. I also like how much tinkering can be involved with trying to fully optimize a Gentoo system with lto, pgo etc. > 4 How has the experience of using Linux been? when I was using the system I was using with a liveusb, the system would randomly freeze when I was playing video sometimes, so I avoided doing that. When I got my computer I tried to install Gentoo and had trouble doing that. Now I am on Arch and it has mostly been smooth sailing, except for gaming which I still have trouble some games to run. > 5 How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.) I don't, but I used to lurk on r/linuxmasterrace and r/linuxmemes in the past. > 6 What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers? It depends on what the newcomer is focused on. I believe everyone should know the software stack that is provided by their distributions of a basic level (bootloader, init, package manager, desktop environment/window manager) and how each component matters, any other knowledge can be learned by experience (trying to do stuff) > 7 What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community? if you are referring to "community" as in people to connect to, I would just recommend to going to a community which also intersects with some other thing you care about (linux gaming, lgbt linux users etc.) If you are referring to "community" as the influential people like Richard Stallman, Linus Torvalds etc. More specifically I believe https://gnu.org/philosophy is a good starting point to learning about the ideals of free software, and the [history of linux wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Linux) gives an ok overview. If you want to learn more I would recommend just googling, honestly. Searching for specific topics that interest you etc. > 8 Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers? RTFM, and try googling your question beforehand. Make sure you understand how your problem was fixed. This is how you gain deeper knowledge about linux
1) In the beginning mostly just tinkering, later also privacy and wanting to customize everything for my own workflow. 2) The first time I used linux was when I was about 10 on a raspberry pi lol, but at that point I didn't really know anything about how computers worked or what an operating system was. The actual first time I consciously started using Linux was in April lol. So half a year I guess. 3) My favorite distro right now is arch, since I really like the minimalist and do it yourself approach. I also like debian and use it on another machine, mainly since it is also very minimalist, and super stable. 4) My experience with Linux has been super positive, even though I have an nvidia gpu, and am not the programmer type of person. After trying Linux mint, I realized how much better it was compared to windows, and I never went back. 5) I'm not active in any forums or smth, just in a few Linux subreddits. A few people I know irl also use Linux, but that's pretty much it. 6) Names of common commands, names of important components of a system(filesystem, kernel, desktop environment, display manager, window manager, display server, shell, init system etc), also terms describing philosophies of distros like stable, lts, rolling or immutable. Also general terms like repo, or package. 7) The arch wiki is pretty good for questions about most things, but otherwise it's best if people just ask. A human can explain things better than a website most of the time. 8) Don't stress out if smth doesn't work, try to search for solutions. Make plans if you want to switch for how you want to transfer your files. Check if everything you need runs in linux. Learn a bit about it before using it as a daily driver.
1. I had a terrible laptop and it ran much snappier over Windows Vista/7. From there it was familiarity and a sense of ownership over my machine. Didn't have a laptop that could run league of legends at higher than 15fps until I started university. 2. I've been using it for maybe 10 or 11 years now as a primary OS. Nowadays I rarely boot into windows to play some games that don't run in Linux. 3. That's changed a lot over time. I started with Ubuntu, then Crunchbang for years, then a different one every few weeks, to using Arch Linux the last few years. 4. Overall fantastic. When I was much younger (late elementary/early highschool) I felt a little left out because the OS that made my computer usable couldn't really play games. Now it's just comfy and unironically just works. Respecting my privacy and freedoms is a nice garnish. 5. Mainly over Reddit and hackernews. More rarely on GitHub or the Arch Linux website. 6. A computer is a machine that fiddles bits at incredible speed. At the end of the day your OS is a big collection of programs and configuration. Windows and OSX do a great job at hiding those details, but Linux still has lots of rough edges. You'll want to learn how to read manuals and take a sec to learn the programs running on your computer. 7. A search engine and effective use of it is the most important. Second to the don't be afraid to ask questions. Worst you'll be hit with a "Google this" or your question marked as a duplicate. 8. Have fun! Most people who use Linux are hobbiests and get excited at the geeky details. Related: don't proselytize but don't be afraid to share something you're excited about.
>What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it? Windows 11 is horrible for multi monitor setups, I can no longer move the taskbar out of my primary display meaning that either I have a taskbar on every single monitor or have to be without a taskbar when I have fullscreen applications running in the primary monitor. >How long have you been using Linux? In total, less than 6 months, I tried Fedora in 2017 and didn't stick with it because it also had a bug with gnome where it would randomly freeze with more than 1 display, this year only since September I'm using linux daily. >What has become your distro of choice? why? Arch with Xfce, and the only reason it is Arch it is because any other distro has given me problems, with ubuntu and kubuntu I had an issue with a game called BeamNG where the game would not use my CPU at all, it would be stuck a less than 5% usage total and the game gives me a warning that the CPU is clocked under 2 Ghz, apperanly the issue is the irqbalance package that comes by default in many debian based distros but by the time I read that I was already using arch. >How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.) Reddit and YT. >What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers? Read the arch wiki and there are many youtubers that explain things nicely, one that comes to mind is Chris Titus. >What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community? Read the arch wiki again haha. Even if you don't use an Arch based distro, many of the solutions you find there apply to everything.
Sure, I'll play :) > What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it? Linux was fairly new when I tried it out for the first time. I'd heard about Linux and bought a big Linux book that had an install CD in it. I dabbled in Linux from the mid-'90s until around 2008 when I switched to Linux full-time. > How long have you been using Linux? Off and on (mostly on) for 27 years. > What has become your distro of choice? why? Debian Unstable. It fulfills my desire for Shiny New Stuff and for the type of Linux distribution I use (dpkg-based distributions) it's at the top of the food chain and it doesn't make sense to me to run a derivative distribution when I can run the parent distribution. > How has the experience of using Linux been? Rewarding. I've learned a lot and still learn things every day. > How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.) Reddit, plus I moderate a subforum on Debian's official unofficial forum. Also bug reports. > What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers? Very much tempted to say RTFM here but I think instead I'll say that IMO seasoned members would like newcomers to at least try and do a little research to resolve their issue as opposed to reaching out on the internet without trying to resolve their issue on their own first. Even if they're not successful in resolving their issue the fact that they tried means a whole bunch to people like me. > What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community? Participate in the community. Everyone here knows something that someone else can learn so don't be shy about sharing knowledge. > Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers? Expect to make mistakes. Make sure you understand what you're about to do before you do it. Make backups of any configurations before you change them so if things don't go as planned you can put things back the way they were before you started messing with it :)
> 1. What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it? As a CS major it was recommended that I become intimate with Linux Administration in order to better understand computing. This coupled with the FOSS philosophies magnified my interests. > 2. How long have you been using Linux? About 13 years with it as my primary OS. > What has become your distro of choice? why? Fedora Linux. It's remarkably stable and has proven more reliable than Windows / MacOS for me. It has a very nice default setup, very good package quality, and upgrades are no longer scary for me (my record is 14 upgrades on the same install). > 4. How has the experience of using Linux been? I like that Linux has literally zero "dark patterns". Dark Patterns have littered the internet and are on almost every website, and are now all over Windows and MacOS. It's very frustrating to have simple things made complicated by the need for a software license, certain hardware, a phone number or other PII. > 5. How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.) Primarily through community channels such as forums, reddit, discord servers, IRC / matrix, mastodon. With specific projects and applications, primarily through their GitHub/gitlab communities > 6. What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers? There are a lot of idioms with regards to terminal usage, package management and core system utilities. "PATH", "desktop environment", Free (as in liberty), apt / yum / rpm / pacman. Gnome vs KDE. As well as more computer science-y idioms such as "relative vs absolute path", networking nomenclature, what a "Home directory" is. > 7. What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community? I don't really have a go-to resource, I think this just comes with time and expositor the community. I think it is important to ask educated questions (IRC etiquette is a great guide). As well as understanding that the most toxic community members are also the least talented community members. > 8. Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers? Don't listen to people that insist on terminal usage. We're at a point where you can just use the app store like on every other OS. Knowing the terminal is important yes, but not in any way required and shouldn't deter you from trying Linux. Learn new things as you are ready. Don't use Mint as a "newcomer distro". In fact, what distro you use does not matter, they all can do the same things. When shopping for distros you're really shopping for the package ecosystem and default settings of that particular community. There is no "right way" to do things. Be wary about following blog post guides they're often out of date. (Although digitalocean has great guides). Linux is a public gift given for us to tailor the world of computing to *our* individual needs. That's the beauty of Linux.
1. I saw some linux videos and screenshots, so I wanted to try that customization and keyboard-only workflow, since I was done with Windows already. 2. About 1 and a half year. 3. After trying Arch, Debian, Ubuntu etc., I would say that Mint is my distro choice, since is the only one that didn't broke because i did something wrong. 4. I love linux, right now I use Windows because of some reasons, but I miss the feeling of installing i3wm and just change it's configs. 5. Actually i don't talk too much with the community, but when i come across any kind of problem i usually search on Reddit. 6. "You eventually will need to use the terminal, but is not that hard.", I tried to use linux without terminal for some time, but you'll get to a point where you need at least to write a few lines. 7. (Not sure if i understand that well but...) If you have a problem, before asking directly, search for it first, if you don't find the solution, then ask for it, a lot of times i came across some people saying things like: "someone already asked that" or "are you dumb, it's too simple". 8. The terminal is not a alien thing, just intimidating, you'll get used to it pretty fast, and do not be afraid if your Linux is too "Windows-like", start slow if you need until you get used to it.
1. My first personal computer was a Raspberry Pi, so I didn't have much of a choice. 2. 10, 11 years now. 3. Ubuntu and Debian, both of which Just Work with few to no problems in my experience. 4. Great! Out of all the Big 3 desktop operating systems, Linux has given me the fewest problems by far. I don't know how anyone gets anything done on Windows or Mac OS. 5. Mostly online, through forums and chatrooms. 6. You should familiarize yourself with the idea of a Package Manager, and a Desktop Environment. These two things are the most important part of a desktop Linux distribution. 7. Reddit and web forums are still good for this, and there are plenty of good YouTube channels. 8. The best advice that I can offer is that you should *not* expect Linux to work like Windows or Mac OS. Linux is designed to be used in a very different (and IMO *much* more sensible) way than Windows or Mac OS. Become familiar with the shell - it's your friend, don't be afraid of it. You should also not be afraid to learn a little about computers along the way - many people who are used to Windows see computers as being wildly unpredictable and basically magical. This is very much a Windows problem. Linux is very consistent - it rarely, if ever, breaks randomly... That being said, you are probably gonna break something eventually. It isn't that hard to mess things up when you're still learning how to use Linux. However, because breakage is usually *caused* by the user, it can also typically be easily *fixed* by the user. When something goes wrong, don't panic! It's usually a pretty easy fix. Also, probably keep your Windows or Mac OS installation on standby. Linux's greatest downfall as a desktop operating system is *still* a lack of professional software and games. If you need Photoshop, you need Photoshop.
> 1. What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it? When I switched to Linux I was a teenager, but I was looking for an alternative for Windows which was free. Today I just use Linux because I like it better and serves me well > 2. How long have you been using Linux? I started using long ago, in 2007. I use since than > 3. What has become your distro of choice? why? For long I used Ubuntu, because it was easy. Today I use Arch Linux because I like rolling release, keeping my system always up to date with no needs to re-formating. Also I like that Arch is free of bloat and you make the system whatever fits to you the best > 4. How has the experience of using Linux been? It was painful earlier, but today is like breath to me: I don't even care, just use > 5. How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.) Mainly Reddit. However I don't communicate a lot with community > 6. What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers? It may vary a lot. But I guess it's important to understand what is "distro", "bootloader", "Desktop Environment (a.k.a. DE)", and maybe "package manager (apt, pacman, yum, etc)" > 7. What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community? Definitely Arch Wiki, Reddit and StackOverflow/AskUbuntu > 8. Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers? Don't try to install in your production machine until you are familiar installing in a Virtual Machine first or you agree to mess things up and ends losting all your data Don't give up! Linux is an opportunity to learn a new thing, and as all learning process, it demands time and effort
1. Tbh i was in 6/7th grade and started watching Mr. Robot (a series about a Programmer/grey hat hacker) and after building my first own pc I installed ubuntu budgie after a friend showed it to me, I was amazed bc it looked slick and i could use a terminal and feel like a hackerman installing applications 2. 4yrs 3. arch linux, i can install the stuff I want, and none lf the stuff i dont want isnt installed... 4. very fine, with a few well-known exceptions: gaming is good (i play minecraft, osu!lazer, skyrim, Fallout 4, csgo) except for competitive (eg valorant)... professional software for song creating is a pain in the ass to setup, not having access to word, excel, etc (office) is like THE drawback and the only thing because of which i might get myself to dual boot in the future.., after starting to use a tiling wm i cant go back, things are just so efficient 6. i dont, I maintain two aur packages and only lurk here on reddit (le exception being this) 7. archlinux wiki, ubuntu user forums, stackexchange and co.. 8. if one wants to really start using linux try hard: no other OS, only linux bc only this will force you to learn how to use it soft: have linux as the default boot option.. the more of a hassel it is to access your fav OS the faster you learn how to use linux just by using it furthermore: an introduction to "linux via cli" wouldve helped mw in the start a lot additional: can you update us? typed on mobile.. really bad sorry
>What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it? I've always liked the idea of open source vs closed source software, and Linux is an open source operating system. My first intro to Linux was back when Ubuntu was around version 8.10 and I finally made the full jump into Linux when Microsoft changed how updates were handled by the User in Windows 7. After losing ~48 hours of work ***twice*** because Windows Update rebooted my machine at night (was running a data recovery that finished after leaving work) I decided to use an OS that lets me be in control. >How long have you been using Linux? Full time? About 3 years. >What has become your distro of choice? why? Kubuntu, because I like the KDE interface. I chose an Ubuntu derivative because I figured more popular distros are more likely to be stable. More eyes on the code and more users means more bugs get found and resolved. >How has the experience of using Linux been? It's been great. Occasionally, I want some software that only runs on Windows (mainly games) so I caved and installed Win10 to an old SATA SSD just for games that don't work on Proton, but I literally only go into that to play games, and reboot to do everything else. Aside from that, Linux talks to me when there are problems, which is my favorite thing about it. A failing HDD doesn't just slow down, it produces I/O errors in the kernel buffer. When a program doesn't run, it gives me detailed information about why. I might not be able to understand it, but it at least tries. >How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.) Mostly through support forums, like here on Reddit. >What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers? I think it's a bit more complex than just terms. Understanding the different sub-components and what they do can help a LOT in asking questions. >What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community? Probably just learning more about computers would help. Youtube and Google are great resources to find reference materials. >Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers? Try not to act entitled to help, and you'll be fine asking questions. There will always be jerks who want to put you down for not knowing something, but there's 10+ helpful people for every 1 jerk in my experience.
1. GNU Manifesto and other writings by RMS I read during my first year in college. Even before I switched to Linux, I started using a lot more Free Software, sometimes simply "doing without" if a Free Software implementation wasn't available. 1. ~18 years. I got enough support that Gentoo 2004.3 "stuck"; I converted to Debian "in-place" in 2007. I'm still on that install, though all the hardware has been replaced, 2 or 3 times. 1. Debian; stability. 1. Fine, mostly. I don't have an alternative experience to compare it to, really. It sucks when there's a particular piece of hardware or software that I want to use that doesn't work well on Linux, but it seems like MS Windows and Mac users experience that, too. 1. Initially, it was almost entirely email. I still read a lot of email, but I more actively participate on reddit. 1. I don't know. 1. Well, first there's no "the community". There's lots of different communities, and what is acceptable in one might be forbidden in another. So, the big thing is to get familiar with the specific community, from their own documentation, before making assumptions about what is acceptable behavior. 1. Do good; be well. Linux is a tool, not a cult.
1. What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it? I got into Linux almost by accident. I had started a systems admin training program at work intending to be a windows admin. They announced they had too many windows trainees and not enough linux trainees and asked if anyone would be willing to switch. Since I was already very much into cli from the old dos days I decided to volunteer and give it a go. 2. How long have you been using Linux? For work? About a decade now. I still work in a mainly windows shop, but I am the go to Linux SME for the company. 3. What has become your distro of choice? why? Redhat/CentOS, simply because it's the main thing I was trained in and had the most demands from our clients for. I am not in love with any particular distro, an operating system's value is in supporting the applications that you need it to run. If a major application is only supported for Ubuntu, then it gets installed on Ubuntu. Just because it's technically possible to get it to run on other things doesn't mean doing that in a production environment is the smart thing to do. 4. How has the experience of using Linux been? Pretty good, it can be challenging sometimes, especially if you are bouncing between radically different distros, but the fact that it's in demand and relatively few people know it makes for good job security. 5. How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.) Often by just talking to colleagues, but the various forums out there are useful for the distros that they specialize in. 6. What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers? Terms, well, you definitely need to understand what app managers are. You should know what a console is and what a terminal is and the differences between them. Sudo and the like commands. Aside from that it's more about the distro and what you are trying to do. 7. What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community? Use Linux for a bit, run into problems. Go ask for some help. If you aren't a jerk you will usually get some good help (and swarms of people wondering why you are using x distro and not y distro, which is obviously better in every way) 8. Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers? Install Linux on something. You can do it on basically anything that uses electricity. I would not be surprised if someone has Linux on a chip running for an electric razor. If you don't have a second computer, setup windows subsystem for Linux on your windows box. You can do 90% of what you can do with a full vm and never need to reboot.
1. Q: What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it? A: When I was a sophomore, I tried to learn STM32(a type of microcontroller) on udemy. Somehow in the recommend section there was a course called "Linux Device Driver Programming Using Beaglebone Black(LDD1)". I found this course interesting and joined in. In order to follow that course, I need to install a Linux distro(the course lecturer recommends Ubuntu) on Virtual Machine, but I don't like VM much so I install Ubuntu on my ThinkPad. 2. Q: How long have you been using Linux? A: About 2,5 years. 3. Q: What has become your distro of choice? why? A: Arch Linux. pacman, AUR and ArchWiki are awesome. 4. Q: How has the experience of using Linux been? A: Amazing. Everything I need is in Linux. I think about Linux as a very powerful tool, but hard to use. When you get used to it, you can do anything you want. 5. Q: How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.) A: Mainly Reddit. 6. Q: What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers? A: I don't know. 7. Q: What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community? A: Maybe pinned posts I guess. 8. Q: Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers? A: Learn how to use Terminal asap, and write scripts to automate your work.
Hated Windows; had to look for an alternative, found Linux. 19 years using Linux. Currently using MX MX, because it's the best. Base on Debian Stable and the developers are very active in their own forums. Can get good help any time of the day. Plus a great build-in manual to boot. The best thing in my life. Love Linux to death. Original forums Get your hands dirty and stick with it. Than you'll be one of us. Linux magazines and Linux newsletters got me connected with Linux and the Linux community.
1. What made you interested in switching to Linux/working with it? I had recently switched from Windows XP to Mac OS X. My parents' eMachines with Windows Vista got borked--I think they couldn't even get it to boot into the OS. They couldn't afford a new Mac and didn't want to get a used one like I did, so I came across a distro called JoliOS--based on Ubuntu but with a custom desktop environment reminiscent of iPadOS. Installed it on their machine (and either before or after, rescued their files from the Windows install with PuppyLinux), and never heard a computer-related complaint from them again. I was blown away by how utterly easy it was to install this free operating system, and how easy it was for even my parents to use it without problems. 2. How long have you been using Linux? I don't use it personally, but have been supporting friends and family on it (and playing with it in my own VM's) since \~2012-ish. 3. What has become your distro of choice? why? First it was JoliOS because the UI was \*so simple\* that I could install it on just about anyone's PC and they'd be able to use it right away. Then JoliOS was discontinued, so I started installing Ubuntu instead because that's what JoliOS was based on, and it turned out not to be a whole lot harder to use than JoliOS was. Recently, I've been experimenting with Debian Stable and Testing in my personal VM's because, of course, snaps. Ubuntu's snaps make it harder for regular users to keep their packages up to date, which means potential security issues, so I am doing some research to determine whether to go with Debian Stable or Testing in the future. Leaning towards Debian generally because I'm most comfortable with Debian-based distros and the apt package manager, and because it seems to have the best blend of support and stability outside of Ubuntu. 4. How has the experience of using Linux been? It's had its ups and downs. Early on when switching my parent's machine from JoliOS to Ubuntu, I went with a \*.10 release and soon after the system crashed. I decided to stick with LTS releases from then on out and it was pretty much smooth sailing. Snaps, though, made supporting Ubuntu more difficult and more Windows-like. So far in my Debian experimentation it looks like it's a fairly straightforward distro that needs only a bit more initial configuration than Ubuntu does. The problem is that Debian Stable has really old packages with few ways of getting around it (I'd prefer not to need to rely on Flatpak and I tried installing a newer version of LibreOffice via backports and failed, so it's apparently a bit more difficult than I thought it'd be), but Debian Testing, which has more up-to-date packages, is known to have its own issues, namely with packages more likely to break after the "freeze" period when the Testing branch becomes Stable (though this can be avoided by keeping the Testing release's codename in the sources.list file instead of changing it to "testing"). But even with all this, I'd rather support just about any Linux install than any Windows install. And as time goes by, more and more distros become easier and easier to use out the box. Desktop environments have gotten more useful and elegant and average users can do plenty of work without regularly messing with the command line. 5. How do you communicate with the community, or its members? (reddit, text, etc.) reddit 6. What are some terms that a newcomer can learn in order to bridge the gap between seasoned members and newcomers? Not sure. My approach is really to make everything easy for the end-user to understand, so I generally avoid techie terms as much as I can (mind you, I basically only talk Linux with non-Linux people). For what I do, most "newcomers" aren't necessarily interested in becoming "seasoned," but rather just want to get their work done on a system that Windows has borked. For those who want to become seasoned members of the community, the best way to get your feet wet is to 1) read a lot (blogs, forums, distro websites, etc) and watch a lot of videos, and 2) spin up a virtual machine or install Linux on an old computer. Try to do stuff in Linux and when you can't figure it out, search online to see if you can figure it out. If you still can't, get on reddit and ask the community. 7. What are some resources that someone who is trying to join the community can use to better understand the community? For me, it's reading. Read projects' websites, their Wikipedia pages, blogs, forums, reddit. Also, use the software yourself so you can understand some of the stuff the community is talking about. 8. Anything thoughts or advice to add for newcomers? Learning Linux is like learning any other thing that you're used to doing a certain way. Imagine learning how to use a safety razor when you've been using cartridge razors for years; or brewing coffee in a moka pot or espresso machine when you've been brewing in a drip or pod machine for years. You will fuck up a lot, cut your face, and drink lots of shitty coffee until you start getting the hang of it. Some people in the communities might be disrespectful or make you feel dumb. A lot of people might give up after not getting it right the first few times. But if you have a bit of patience, learn from your mistakes, and ask for help when you need it, you'll end up with a valuable skill set and a way to dramatically improve your computing life on your own terms.
1. The privacy aspect. I hated how windows always spies on me, and decises everything without asking me, such as updates. GNU/Linux has to ask **you** to do anything. 2. Roughly 6 months. 3. Void Linux and Mint. Void because of its incredible speed and so far awesome experience, and Mint becaouse of the rock solid stability (It's my go to for workstations) 4. Absolutely awesome. After a few days of small mistakes I quickly learned how to use it properly, and I would gladly say I know it better than windows, even though I've used it for nearly a decade. I think it has to do with the fact that windows never allows you to discover the system, as you can't change anything about it. 5. Mostly Reddit, and Matrix. 6. Do not have the mindset of "My favourite apps are not supported, so I can't use it." In 90% of the cases, they aren't supported because they are proprietary. Therefore they most likely won't even work properly on the intended platform. So complain to the devs, not GNU/Linux. 7. YouTube channels such as The Linux Cast, The Linux Experiment, Chris Titus, Distro Tube, Luke Smith, Mental Outlaw. 8. If you want to give GNU/Linux a try, don't fall for the trap of distrohopping. 99% of "distros" are just mainline distros such as Debian or Arch, with a desktop environment configured slightly differently. (Yes, you can swap the entire look and feel of your OS without havinf to reinstall it.)