I had been using Windows for years, and I was always frustrated by slow boot times, random updates, and constant antivirus pop-ups. In early 2025, after reading about how Linux now powers everything from smartphones and cars to every single supercomputer, I decided to give it a try. I liked the idea that this operating system was open‑source and community driven. Plus, I’m not going to lie, I was also fed up with paying for software licences. So one weekend I downloaded an Ubuntu ISO, created a bootable USB stick and nervously installed it on my old laptop. When the desktop popped up a few minutes later, I felt like I had entered a completely different world. At first I assumed Linux would be command-line only and impossible to use, but I soon discovered how polished desktop environments have become. Ubuntu’s installer asked me to choose a timezone and keyboard layout, then set up a user account, and that was it. The installation was so much smoother than I expected.
Those first days were kind of weird but also exciting. Instead of the familiar Start menu, there was the GNOME dock and the feeling that everything was just a bit different. I spent a lot of time googling how to do basic things, like connecting to my printer or taking a screenshot. I messed up my Wi‑Fi settings more than once and had to plug in an Ethernet cable (who still has one of those?). But with each little fix, I learned something new. Linux distributions like Ubuntu have their own app stores, so I could install applications like LibreOffice and Firefox from one place. It felt liberating to have so many free tools available. There was even a sense of community when I posted a silly question on a forum and strangers took the time to help me. I tried customizing the wallpaper and icons to make it feel familiar. There were dozens of free themes, and I probably spent two hours just picking fonts. When I realised I could change anything I wanted without paying for it, it felt like I had discovered a cheat code. I also learned about ‘sudo’ and how to use it responsibly after accidentally breaking a system file.
After that first week, things started to click. I noticed my old laptop was running faster than it had in years. Boot times were measured in seconds instead of minutes, and there were no mysterious background processes eating up all the RAM. Linux is known for stability and security, and that reputation is well deserved. I stopped worrying about viruses because the Linux architecture makes it much harder for malware to spread, and the software repositories only host vetted applications. I also realised there were so many different distributions to choose from. My friend recommended Fedora for bleeding‑edge features, while another friend swears by Linux Mint because it looks like Windows. The beauty of open source is that there is a flavour for everyone. I even noticed improved battery life because Linux isn’t constantly running heavy background tasks. My fan stayed quieter, and the laptop didn’t heat up as often. That’s partly because the kernel is efficient and partly because there aren’t sneaky apps mining for data in the background.
Of course it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. One of my biggest headaches was dealing with proprietary file formats. I had a stack of old Microsoft Office documents that didn’t always open perfectly in LibreOffice. Sometimes the formatting would be off or macros wouldn’t run. I also missed certain Windows‑only programs, like Adobe Photoshop and a couple of niche finance tools I use for budgeting. The good news is that there are usually alternatives: GIMP for image editing, KMyMoney for finance, and I even discovered that some Windows applications run surprisingly well through Wine. Still, I had to get used to exploring and experimenting with new software instead of just downloading the first thing that came up. There were also moments when I missed the polished look of commercial software. Some open‑source alternatives are incredibly powerful but have clunky interfaces. It took time to get comfortable with them. Another stumbling block was hardware drivers; my Wi‑Fi and printer didn’t work out of the box. I had to search for the right drivers and firmware, which was a bit intimidating. But again, community wikis and forums came to the rescue. It’s amazing how many tutorials there are for fixing almost any problem.
Gaming was another area I was worried about. I’m not a hardcore gamer, but I like to play a few titles on the weekends. In the past, Linux had a reputation for terrible game support, but that’s changing fast. Thanks to Valve’s Proton and the Steam Deck, more games than ever are playable on Linux. I installed Steam, enabled Proton for all titles, and found that some of my favourites like Hollow Knight and Stardew Valley worked perfectly. Others still had issues – I’m still waiting for my beloved AAA shooters to run smoothly without weird stuttering – but overall the experience exceeded my expectations. Plus, there’s a huge library of native indie games that I hadn’t heard of before. It felt like opening a door to a new gaming world. In addition to Proton, I discovered tools like Lutris and Heroic Games Launcher that make managing game libraries easier. The community around gaming on Linux is so enthusiastic; there are constantly updated compatibility lists and performance tweaks. I also learned that some AAA games perform better on Linux due to Vulkan and the lack of background processes draining resources. That said, anti‑cheat systems in certain competitive shooters still don’t play well with Linux, which is frustrating if you like esports.
As the weeks went by, I started to appreciate the philosophy behind Linux. It’s not just free in terms of cost; it’s free as in freedom. If I wanted to, I could look at the source code of almost any application and see how it works. I could customise everything, from the desktop environment to the icons and fonts. At first I made my system look a bit like Windows because I was homesick, but eventually I embraced the minimalism and efficiency of tiling window managers. I also dipped my toes into the terminal. At first it felt intimidating – all those commands and arguments – but soon I found that typing a few commands was often faster than clicking through menus. Using apt update && apt upgrade to keep everything updated felt strangely empowering. I started reading about the philosophy of free software, the GNU movement and how Linus Torvalds created the kernel. It made me appreciate the ethical side of using an open operating system. I even contributed by reporting a bug and translating some documentation for a small project. It felt good to give back to something I use every day. Plus, I no longer worry about forced updates restarting my machine; I choose when to update, and there are no pop-up reminders trying to sell me cloud storage or antivirus subscriptions.
The change even influenced my daily habits. Without the constant lure of flashy Windows games and notifications, I found myself spending more time actually working or learning. I explored programming languages like Python and Rust because the development tools are so easy to install on Linux. I also used the built‑in package manager to install OBS Studio and started streaming some of my coding sessions just for fun. Instead of being frustrated by my computer, I felt like it was empowering me to create. My friends noticed I was more relaxed and maybe even a bit nerdier; I proudly told them I could finally say I'm a Linux user without feeling like a poser. Thanks to the stability, I set up my own home server using an old desktop and turned it into a media server with Plex and a file backup system. It was shockingly easy, and now my family streams movies from it all the time. I also started using bash scripts to automate repetitive tasks, like organizing photos into folders. These little automation projects have saved me countless minutes every week.
Would I recommend switching to Linux to everyone? Honestly, yes and no. If you absolutely depend on specific Windows software or if you love the latest AAA games and don’t have the patience to tinker, then sticking with Windows or macOS might make more sense. But if you’re curious, frustrated with your current setup, or just want to learn more about how computers work, Linux is an amazing adventure. It’s free, it’s robust, and it’s everywhere – from the phone in your pocket to the servers powering this website. I’ve made some small mistakes along the way (like deleting a directory I shouldn’t have), but those mishaps taught me more than any polished tutorial ever could. My honest advice: give it a try on an old machine. You might be surprised by how much you grow along with your OS. If you do decide to switch, take it slow. Dual boot at first or run Linux in a virtual machine. Keep a backup of all your data. Expect to stumble and maybe even revert to Windows for a few tasks. But also be open to the idea that you might not go back. I never thought I would be excited about an operating system, but here I am writing this long rambling article. If a regular non-techy person like me can make the jump, you probably can too.
