My Journey to Becoming a Linux End User on Linux Mint
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For me, 2015 was the year of the Mac OSX laptop. I spent most of the year working on an OS with which I was not very familiar. It was an interesting experience. Since then I have been on Windows 10 which, for the most part, I have enjoyed but I don't find myself quite happy enough with the experience. I'm not trying to be down on Mac OSX or Windows 10, but I am looking for the right desktop experience for me. I've been a Linux power user for years but it has been a very, very long time since I have used Linux as my primary desktop operating platform.
I have decided to make the transition. So this is my chronicling my journey from Windows 10 to Linux Mint - a chance to look at how I do it, what happens, if it works, what I experience, etc.
I have the advantage of having worked with Linux since the 1990s and Solaris even more that. I've run large Linux environments and am very well versed in Linux administration which, of course, makes the process much easier. But this should still be an interesting experience.
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My first challenging is porting myself from Windows 10 to Linux Mint. Figuring out all of the applications that one uses can be difficult. Some things are only used once in a while which makes it that much harder. My main tools are web browsers, terminal sessions, Office 365 and ScreenConnect so making sure that all of that works first is most important.
I begin my journey with Linux Mint 17.2 installed into a VM on VirtualBox running on top of the Windows 10 laptop that I plan to convert to Linux Mint. This gives me time to test everything while having Windows 10 at hand to fall back to at any moment.
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Web browsers are easy. Firefox works quite well on Mint. No issues there. And for communications, the team uses Skype, not Skype for Business, so I have a couple choices - I can use the actual Skype client or I can install the Skype extensions for Pidgin.
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@scottalanmiller said:
Figuring out all of the applications that one uses can be difficult. Some things are only used once in a while which makes it that much harder.
(Not bringing this up because of desktop imaging!)
That's one of the things i mentioned about imaging. I forget 3/4 of the stuff I use. But I guess if I need it, I can find it again.
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So after a full first day on Linux all day.... everything I need is available and working. The big apps are not an issue, it is the little ones that I only use now and then that will be toughest.
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@scottalanmiller said:
So after a full first day on Linux all day.... everything I need is available and working. The big apps are not an issue, it is the little ones that I only use now and then that will be toughest.
What little apps are you missing?
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I don't know yet
Still trying to figure that out. At the moment, nothing. -
@scottalanmiller said:
I don't know yet
Still trying to figure that out. At the moment, nothing.What are you doing for the Terminal Server stuff... Remmina, et al?
I had problems using that one when the connection required a RD Gateway.
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@dafyre said:
@scottalanmiller said:
I don't know yet
Still trying to figure that out. At the moment, nothing.What are you doing for the Terminal Server stuff... Remmina, et al?
I had problems using that one when the connection required a RD Gateway.
X2Go and ScreenConnect. I never have a need for direct RDP connections. Although I've never had an issue with it from Mint either.
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One thing that I am testing now is switching from using Skype proper to using Skype integration with Pidgin. Want to see how or if that improves the experience.
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@scottalanmiller said:
Figuring out all of the applications that one uses can be difficult. Some things are only used once in a while which makes it that much harder.
Ha another thing Linux does better :-P. Just dump your apt-get list and use it when you restore.
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I'm installing Mint now just to see what it's like. I haven't used it since 12 I think. I'm so happy and used to gnome 3 that I don't know if I can go back.
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I have considered the move from Windows to Linux as well. I have used Linux Mint LIVE, Ubuntu, Puppy, DamnSmall, and maybe one other.
I can not say that there is a real reason as to why I remain on Windows. I don't have the application limitation I once had, with the exception of my Apple iOS devices. There are a number of applications I use that are cross platform : Firefox, CHIRP, Libre Office, GIMP, KeyPass and a few others. If I decide to return to building my website back, that will be CMS based- either Joomla! or Wordpress, so all that is needed is a browser.
I have managed to learn a bit since joining ML and am very grateful for that. Several MLers have pushed me to want to do and learn more in Linux and with using the CLI with the projects they have worked on. Which has helped provide a need to do more in Linux.
There is much I still need to work on and learn.. some very basic functions of moving from a dominate Windows OS platform to the Linux platform. But I'm getting there.
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@scottalanmiller said:
One thing that I am testing now is switching from using Skype proper to using Skype integration with Pidgin. Want to see how or if that improves the experience.
It can only make it better because it removes that damned full screen adds.
/me does not like the skype gui
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No ads in the Skype GUI on Linux. It doesn't appear to actually make it better because it has some lag, doesn't notify as well as the original Skype app and it requires Skype be running all of the time for it to work - so Skype is doing notifications while you talk on Pidgin. I quickly disabled it and went back to straight Skype. Not horrible, I was just hoping for something even better. Still better than the Windows Skype client, though, for some reason.
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Day Two on Nothing but Linux. So far so good. Have two browsers (Firefox and Chromium) both working great. Just using Skype not Pidgin. Testing LXDE on my VM rather than XFCE. LXDE is definitely way better to use. Just as fast, more natural, wastes quite a bit less screen real estate.
Continuing to have no issues.
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@scottalanmiller said:
Day Two on Nothing but Linux. So far so good. Have two browsers (Firefox and Chromium) both working great. Just using Skype not Pidgin. Testing LXDE on my VM rather than XFCE. LXDE is definitely way better to use. Just as fast, more natural, wastes quite a bit less screen real estate.
Continuing to have no issues.
Switching to Linux in an Office setting for me, has been good for years. I keep switching back and forth between Windows and Linux on my home laptop because... games, lol.
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I've thought of trying this many times but never thought Linux was good enough as an alternative. But as you said, if things like Office365 work fine on web browser and you have ownclud/onedrive/dropbox etc things look a lot better.
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It's hard to describe "good enough." For what works, I find it consistently better. The issues are around a Windows limitation normally - like needing to use specific Windows software already in place. If that limitation does not exist, I've not found any Linux desktop downsides yet.
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@scottalanmiller said:
It's hard to describe "good enough." For what works, I find it consistently better. The issues are around a Windows limitation normally - like needing to use specific Windows software already in place. If that limitation does not exist, I've not found any Linux desktop downsides yet.
This is my problem is working out what I use and if there is an Linux alternative/version. Problem is some devices here are "broken" so things like the web interface doesn't work so I have to use the management software that is windows only, but once they are "fixed/replaced" the move could be done I guess.
