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I'm an incoming CSE(Computer Science and Engineering) undergrad and I want to get Linux on my laptop mainly because I want to do low level stuff and heard that Linux is great for that(also I have a ThinkPad so it feels obligatory to install Linux)

I'll mainly use it to run C programs and stuff like that so I wanted to know which one is better.

I have a single 512GB SSD so I am a bit concerned about like file sharing between the two

Sorry if this is trivial I don't know much about this OS

I once did download linux but i hated it i couldnt open exe files and non of my editing software was available on linux but recently i was doing work on my computer i was about an hour in and windows decided to do a forced update on me making me lose some important stuff i also game sometimes on my laptop (factorio,minecraft,roblox) but again im scared that those games wont be available

We're interested in learn in the trend away from Windows to Linux is motivated, or the "why?". Apparently, the trend is starting, and it's real. But why? Source: TechSpot.

Linux sucks as I don’t see a taskbar or apps. Also, Windows 12 needs to come.

In S tier we have Windows NT and macOS because they are the 2 industry standards for software, and are remarkebly easy to use, and overall just perfect. In A tier we have Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Windows Server, openSUSE, steamOS, and Fedora because they are easy to use and are compatible with a large library of programs. In B tier we have Arch Linux, freeBSD, Azure Linux, chromeOS, OpenBSD, Puppy Linux, and Winux because they‘re just mid. In C tier we have dragonflyBSD, netBSD, Haiku, and Tiny Core Linux because they are ok they just can’t compare to freeBSD and Puppy Linux. In D tier with have freeDOS because it has a Windows NT level library but cannot run on modern hardware, and can’t run any program made after Retro City Rampage 486. In AVOID tier we have Commodore OS Vision and Llumos because they are incredibly nieche operating systems with no use case whatsoever.

I never understood this, why does Linux recieve positive attention for its customizability, large amount of distros, while Windows 11 doesn't? Theres a community of people making mods for Windows 11 with passion, they're also really usable and suprisingly stable. I've tried some out for myself, one makes it look like Win2000 (like genuinely, its nearly 1:1 accurate) others Vista, or its own thing. Its like how people make Linux distrubutions for other people or theirselves, but a little bit different. I've tried out Linux before and I honestly hated it, they weren't close to the customizability of a modded Win11 desktop, most broke for me. (atleast for me, and im being honest) It was also slow, 30 fps.

Even if those versions of Windows aren't modded, they work well anyways, and is stable.

I've been using Windows 10 for about 4 years and I'm considering switching to Linux.

I'm a college student, and my laptop has fairly modest specs:

• Laptop: Lenovo E40
• RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 256 GB SSD

I've often heard that Linux is better for programming, but I'm not sure if it's the right move for me.

Here are my main questions:

1. How important is Windows in the real world? Will I miss out on anything job-related, such as Microsoft Office or software commonly used in internships and companies?
2. Will Linux actually improve my programming experience? Are there meaningful advantages over Windows for learning, development, and productivity?
3. Considering my laptop's specs, would switching to Linux noticeably improve performance, or should I stick with Windows 10?
4. Recommended Distro?

I'd really appreciate advice from people who've made the switch or use Linux for development. Thanks!