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Linux/Windows advice (long post warning)

Let me start by explaining where I'm coming from. I'm pretty much a standard Windows user. I liked XP, I was ok with 7 and ok with 10. But overall I don't like a lot of things about Windows I think we can all agree on; business practices, spying, lack of customization, cost, etc.

In the past, I have tried to move to Linux more than once including a failed dual boot situation. There are things I really, really like about Linux that I can't believe aren't part of Windows. Despite that I really hate Linux. I'll explain that opinion so you can trash me with facts. Just understand that this is the way I see it.

First, being primarily a Windows user means I am uncomfortable with using all of the little squiggles around the outside of the keyboard to get things done. At one point I was using the most Windows-like version where I could click and download a package which was fine, but eventually I found one that had to be done manually, so this feels like inconsistency. In the dual boot situation I found myself using Windows constantly because I could not get online with Linux for some reason, which meant I had to boot in Windows to research the problem only in the end to have people tell me that the components of the computer I built were too new and I would have to wait for someone to write drivers. There are a lot of equivalent programs in Linux to Windows and I use some of them now, like Open Office, Audacity(which I love), Firefox( which I hate) and probably more I can't think of at the moment. I currently have a computer attached to my TV that I made really cheap from parts I had laying around and I'm running Mint on it. The only thing it is used for is watching YouTube videos on the big screen, usually exercise videos. It IS a problem. It loads up ridiculously slow.

So my experience has been bad overall every time I try and yes I realize I'm not doing it right. I'm not a typical Linux user.

But here's the thing, I WANT to be a Linux user mostly because I hate Microsoft so much. And now especially because according to Lemmy Windows 11 is a shit show of advertising and other crap and apparently my roughly 2 year old and still fairly powerful desktop does not meet their requirements due to that stupid chip it needs to have. I do not wish to buy a new computer and I do not wish to be a Windows slave again.

So the question is, is there hope for me giving this another try? I'm not a power user but I do use my computer for a lot of things. I will get specific here.

  1. Surfing the net. It needs to NOT lag or fail to connect.

  2. I play games with my friend online every Monday. Most of the games are on Steam. So far we have played: Borderlands Borderlands 2 Borderlands 3 Borderlands the pre sequel Tiny Tina's Wonderland Diablo 4 Grimm Dawn Aliens fire team elite

  3. I edit videos. I use Sony Vegas pro 13. It was expensive and I'm used to it. It is important to me.

  4. I do some word processing and spreadsheet stuff. Currently I use Open Office as I mentioned.

  5. Audio conversion and manipulation with Audacity.

  6. Drawing and photo manipulation. I use a variety of programs. The most important ones in order are CorelCad. It is basically AutoCad and was expensive to buy and I'm used to it. Fusion 360, also important for 3D printing. Prusa slicer for 3D printing and one called Photofiltre. It's a simple free program I believe does have a Linux version. These are important to me.

  7. Programming microcontrollers for projects using the Arduino IDE.

  8. I use a program called Vetric which programs the tool path for my CNC router.

  9. A number of smaller more rarely used programs like one to convert a font into hexadecimal, one that normalizes mp3 files, one that captures what I do on the screen, etc.

If I had it my way, I would just continue using Windows 10. I more or less know how it works and it really doesn't give me any problems. However with this end of life thing approaching I will eventually need to migrate somehow for security's sake, right? I mean I don't even know if half of these programs will be compatible with Windows 11.

I should also mention that I'm a goal oriented person. I just want to use it, I don't want to tinker with it. That goes for pretty much any tool. I consider the OS a tool.

So given that encyclopedia of information, do you think I could/should give Linux another try? If so, which distro should I go with that will be the most compatible with my hardware and usage?

Regarding hardware, I'm not home now so just genetically I have an AMD Rhyzen 7 processor, a Radeon video card, sort of upper mid tier, 32 GB of RAM, decent motherboard and a boatload of storage.

Feel free to ask questions and I will now don my flameproof jacket for the absolute shit storm of criticism in guessing that's heading my way. Thank you in advance.

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  • It's a tough call man. I've been using Linux for nearly 20+ years. It's great, it always has been great. There are a lot of cliches where people just assume because they are a tech enthusiast with Windows they should be competent under Linux as well. It's just the wrong mindset. I don't know shit about Windows and the times I have to use it, I just look like a moron. All that to say, your approach needs to be, how does one do this under Linux. What is the Linux way of doing things. The same goes hand in hand for Mac or Windows or and of the other Unix-like operating systems.

    If you are stuck on Windows for now, that's okay, but you should just keep moving little by little toward Linux. Kind of like using OpenOffice, using Audacity, your Arduino software does have a Linux version. Arduino IDE is based on Electron which is basically Chrome. So, if you can run Chrome you can run your Arduino software.

    I'm not sure why you were told your hardware was too new to be supported. They could have just switched you to a mainline kernel, even mainline mesa drivers for gaming. There are so many open standards these days, most hardware is supported by default. I can see too old or, for example, you have a cheap Chinese network card that never had Linux drivers written. I'm guessing that's not your actual problem though. If it were, you could easily buy a cheap network card that is, Linux compatible. You don't need to replace the entire system just for one peripheral.

    Your CNC router software is supported through Parallels for Mac (basically you'll use a Windows virtual machine), so you can do the same under Linux.

    I don't know about that Cad software, obviously you can run them in a VM no problem. Same with the Sony Vegas Pro software.

    I don't think you are stuck on Windows. You might need to run some of your specialized software in a VM, for the times you need it. Probably wont be bad, you could easily have the Window VM run on a second Virtual Workspace (Similar to Task View which Windows added in Windows 10 I believe) and you just switch to the Virtual Workspace when you need it. Just make sure you pass the GPU through to the VM. Same thing with your CNC machine, you want to pass that through to your VM (just a couple mouse clicks, usually), that's what they would be doing with Parallels on Mac.

    You can try WINE for things. I don't use WINE to run Windows software. I do use the Proton variant for gaming though. I have used Wine to run the PS5 controller update software for updating my PS5 controller firmware a couple times. I don't own a PS5 so I have to use the software. That would never have happened ten years ago. But I do all that through Bottles which handles all the WINE and Proton nonsense for me.

    It might be better if you go to a LUG (Linux User Group) nearby and get help with all this. None of it's hard, but the first couple times, things will probably seem overwhelming. Windows isn't easier, it's just that everybody is used to all the noise you have to deal with in Windows and so they don't notice all the crap they deal with. I'm sure the same for me on Linux.

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