The idea of this operating system has changed literally in five to seven years. Not so long ago, Linux seemed like an incredibly complex set of long commands, the syntax and meaning of which were known only to those initiated into its great secret. Thanks to the rapid development of the GUI, today users have begun to switch to the system, often having the most superficial understanding of how “it all works”, but at the same time coping well with managing computers with various distros installed on them. And a new myth has emerged, directly opposite to what existed before. Namely: Linux is a super system with open source, which will easily and without problems replace any user’s once familiar Windows.
Experts from various specialized online resources decided to refute this myth, which they considered to be erroneous. The main idea was to show the difference in comparing the potential capabilities of the two operating systems and to move away from presenting Linux as some kind of “super Windows” for most users of numerous distros.
Linux won’t be able to replace Windows
“Wait a second… What do you mean it can’t? Author, your channel is full of posts on the topic of “Linux is better!”, which means it can, moreover, it simply should!” – you might think. And you will be wrong. Because we are not talking about comparing the strengths and weaknesses of operating systems, but about their originality. In other words, Zorin OS is not “the same Windows, only better”, but an operating system different from “windows” with a similar desktop interface. And therefore Linux offers its own ways of solving the problems that the user has.
Here, for example,
Differences in user interface
If you have an Android smartphone and you like to customize your gadget, you probably installed one of the endless “iPhone-like” launchers on it, the popularity of which on Google Play is traditionally high. Despite the fact that the device starts to look very much like an iPhone in appearance, its functions meanwhile continue to work as on a regular “green robot”. In other words, the smartphone shell very skillfully refers us to Apple design, but at the same time, typical Android notifications or a clumsily working separately downloaded “like Control Center” rather quickly destroy this “apple” illusion. A similar story is happening with Linux. The possibilities for customization are traditionally high, but all the so-called “I want to be like Windows” distros, which are recommended for beginners who have only recently switched to a new operating system for themselves, skillfully or not very imitate “windows” in everything that concerns the desktop. At the same time, a familiar interface makes it much easier for inexperienced users to learn a new operating system. However, we would like to emphasize that other features of the functionality and design of system elements that are typical for a particular Linux distro usually do not even attempt to maintain such “disguise”.
For example, default settings applications or file manager, as well as other native software, regardless of the design of the working environment, will demonstrate differences in ideas about the GUI visuals. And only Firefox, Chrome and some other applications from third-party developers successfully support the general attempt to preserve the Windows system design familiar to users.
Other software
Yes, different, and again, this does not mean that the quality of work directly suffers from the priority supported software. The usual “scarecrow” for Linux newbies is the lack of Microsoft Office and Adobe in this operating system. But, as experts usually note, this state of affairs does not mean at all that a Linux user will not be able to cope with the task using other office software packages, which, contrary to another myth that all applications on the “penguin” look like they are from the last century, on the contrary, look very, very modern. But again, they are not a replica and therefore the user will not find the familiar Word or Photoshop interface on Linux.
This whole story works with the reverse vector as well . That is, the Amberol player, for example, or the NewsFlash RSS client, while having clear functionality, are exclusive Linux software and have their fans among users.
Well, as usual, we will tell potential readers that Linux is the champion of free software with open source. And this means that if you need simple software to solve a not too complicated task, then first you will have to spend some time to choose an application from the huge assortment available in the software store.
The role of the command line
One way or another, but a curious user who does not stop in his study of LInux at installing the applications he needs, comes to the command line as a reliable, and sometimes faster way to communicate with the system. And this factor becomes another distinctive feature of the “philosophy of development” (journalists love beautiful phrases) of Windows and Linux. If the first operating system implies that only professionals and very advanced users work with the command line, then the second, despite a significant increase in the role of GUi, is still traditionally inclined to offer the user a simpler and faster solution, executed by entering a text command. And with all the diversity of Linux distros, potential users of this operating system should understand that any significant changes at the system level can only be implemented through the terminal. Moreover, a recent Windows user may be surprised by the following fact: in most cases, distros do not allow users to move a folder with files to the system directory using GUI . To initialize this process, the user must enter a text command with sudo permissions. This is a typical story for Linux, which by default is considered a much more secure system than Windows, and in this case is simply protecting its critical directory from potentially unwanted changes.
Will I have to study?
In short, the answer is yes, you will have to. Of course, the right choice of distro will make the learning process more understandable. And therefore, the constant candidates for getting acquainted with the new operating system vary from Linux Mint and Zorin OS for noobs to Kubuntu for “savvy” Windows users. After all, it offers a desktop with the usual start menu on the left, quick settings on the right and a taskbar at the top of the screen. Then you will need to make something like a list of necessary applications and find a replacement, say, for Microsoft Office, choosing, for example, between the multifunctionality of LibreOffice and the excellent design of Free Office. After that, it will be time to study those Linux functions that are not present or are poorly represented on Windows. The same virtual desktops, for example, thanks to which this system shows excellent work in multitasking conditions. By the way, many users call KDE Activities the very feature that became decisive for them when choosing an operating system for their machine.
So, should I remove Windows and install Linux?
It is possible, but not worth it, at least because there are options that can help the user to understand in advance whether Linux suits him in principle. An excellent, but not the most budget option is an auxiliary machine on which you can experiment with Linux without fear of disrupting the operation of your main computer. The second method often recommended by experts is to install a virtual machine and test the distro on it. The advantages of such an OS study are obvious. The user can check the functionality he needs and its implementation, clarify the prospects for further work with a specific distribution as the main OS. The disadvantages of the whole story are in the conditions of use. In other words, VMs can work with large lags, the frequency and criticality of which largely depend on both the quality of the software of the virtual machine itself and the state of the hardware of the user’s computer.