Introduction
I’m often asked how I got into using Linux and the command line. I’ve known about Linux for a very long time, but only started using it actively for about four years. As I reflect on my experiences, it has been one of the most interesting, frustrating, and rewarding experiences I’ve had.
First Start
I first discovered Linux in 2020 after becoming frustrated with the direction Microsoft was going with Windows. With the telemetry in Windows becoming worse and worse, I was starting to question Microsoft’s plans with the OS and ultimately came to the conclusion that the old days of Windows were over, and it was time to move on. I would sometimes try Linux on my main PC, but would ultimately go back to Windows due to issues with Linux. For example, I would have issues with the Nvidia drivers (they are much better now). Looking back, those issues may have been my fault, but I didn’t know at the time.
As a result of my failures using Linux, I began to dislike it. I thought it was a terrible OS and it would never become mainstream. However, the more I thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. If Linux was so bad, how could it still be around today, and how could there be so many zealots claiming it was the greatest thing to have ever been conceived by mankind?
Learning Linux (The Right Way)
In 2022, my high school’s IT department were getting rid of old laptops, and I was able to get one for free. It was a ThinkPad R61 from 2008. Not knowing what to do with the computer, I remembered that I could install Linux on this thing. Windows 10 would have been slow and I could learn Linux while keeping my current PC intact.
From there, I tried all of the easy to use distributions such as Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Fedora. Eventually, I started to use more advanced distros such as Arch, Artix, and Void. Since I was using a much older computer, I started experimenting with tiling window managers to get a lighter graphical environment. After testing all of these distros, I realized that I liked Arch based distros the best, due to the release cycle, customizability, and wide software selection. These days, I just use Arch. Here is a picture of the laptop running Artix Linux with YouTuber DistroTube’s rice of DWM.
Using Linux as a daily driver
In 2023, when I started my first year of college, I built a new gaming PC to replace my old build from 2017. This was a high-end build, and it has an i5-13600KF, 32GB DDR5 6000 MT/s, and an RX 7900 XT. When I built this PC, I wanted to try Linux on it. Since I had an AMD graphics card, I was going to have a much better experience due to the better drivers. I was already good with Linux, so I installed Arch Linux on a second drive. I kept this setup for a while until I eventually ditched Windows all together and went full Linux. I continue to run this setup to this day and I am able to do any task on Linux, even gaming.
Conclusion
Overall, I learned a lot from my experience switching to Linux. While there were definitely times it was frustrating, I gained a lot of valuable skills, such as using the command line and troubleshooting skills. This has been my story of how I got into Linux. I hope you enjoyed reading through my journey with Linux.