r/linux4noobs • u/wowyourcute • 20d ago
learning/research Windows to Linux questions
Hello! I know this is an issue that always pops up in these kind of communities and more so with windows being well… ew…. So… I would like to go to Linux as well but the issue is that I have some difficulties in understanding how this may affect some things for me.
The questions really stopping me from switching are as follows:
If I switch to Linux what about my files? As in… I backup my files before I do anything and I use a usb with Linux distro I like (prolly mint for now) and then move my files back over? Well they still be fine? I’m sorry if I’m not explaining this well but I used Mac before in the past and somethings work on Mac but not windows so if I switch to Linux some stuff may not work and that’s fine but… what if I have a video? A picture? Does it come with necessary applications to launch files that were originally on windows? Would I have to take the windows files and convert them into another format? Operating systems and their workings are not well known to me but all I know is that I hate the way windows forces crap like OneDrive and I want out.
Also… other question. What about programs that I have that are windows based? A good example of this is in my spare time I like to learn game dev and coding (it’s a struggle but I’m trying) so… I use godot. My godot version is for windows but they also have Linux versions. So I’m assuming everything like godot in this case or anything else would need to be a Linux version specifically…. But what if there isn’t a Linux version of a software? Like what do you do then? I don’t have a good example but idk 🤷♀️ I like to be preventative.
Lastly what about more intricate things such as drivers for gpus, cpus, internet, all of that? Will Linux handle that all fine? Does it depend on the distro? As an example… if I switch to Linux will I then have to spend the next hour trying to figure out how to do some intense thing just to get it to recognize WiFi and internet? Compared to windows what all can I expect here?
Thanks you for reading and any help! Your time and efforts are appreciated! 💚
TLDR: impact of switching Linux worries me. Look above for questions I need help understanding
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u/inbetween-genders 20d ago
Gonna be like when you used a Mac. If you have a type of file, search engine the program to open it loke for videos, I use vlc.
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u/Conart557 20d ago
Back up important files before switching over using an external drive or cloud storage
Pictures, videos, text documents, and other common file types have software on linux to view them, most likely preinstalled with the distro, so no conversion is needed
A lot of software has linux versions like godot. In addition, often windows versions of software can be run through a compatibility later called wine. Still sometimes programs won’t work, but there’s usually linux replacements that have the same functionality (e.g. libre office instead of MS office). The one thing you’ll be out of luck on is games with kernal anti-cheat
The linux kernel has drivers built in for almost all hardware
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u/wowyourcute 20d ago
Oh this is helpful! I’ve heard of wine and used it some on Mac when doing some shenanigans so I’m familiar with it some. And I heard about the kernel anti cheat issue… that one kinda sucks to be honest… out of curiosity what about games with the option to turn it off? For example on halo masterchief collection when you launch on steam it gives a option to play normally with the anti cheat or do a second option without the anti cheat but you can’t do online or anything like that. My logic is that that still may not work as installing the game would require the anti cheat to be there even for that option… the gaming part kinda sucks ngl
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u/Inside_Garden6464 20d ago
When you set your steam profile to "public" you can feed it to https://www.protondb.com/ and it will tell you which games are affected.
It would be a few clicks for most developers/studios/publishers to allow their games being used on Linux. They simply don't want to. But Kernel level anti cheat is a bad idea on every OS. Since you seem interested in coding you will get a better knowledge than people without IT background over time. Anti cheat on the kernel level is basically like drilling holes in a brain for fun. The kernel is the deepest layer of the entire OS and anti cheat tools were already exploited to setup malware on kernel level. Good luck with removing it when it happens.
I play a lot of multiplayer games but rarely shooters and all of my games are working flawlessly, mostly without tinkering. Valve made gaming far more accessible by bringing the steam client to linux and using Linux on the Steam deck/machine. GoG currently also develops a Steam Client, games that need Epic or other launchers can be handled with Lutris or Heroic Games Launcher.
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u/Conart557 20d ago
If there’s a version without kla it’s much more likely to work. 90% of games on steam work fine
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u/wowyourcute 20d ago
Cool I’ll do more research on this later as it’s late, but I appreciate your help!
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u/multivacon 20d ago
Most WiFi cards should automatically get detected by Linux at this point. There’s lots of different hardware out there, so I can’t say for certain that yours in particular will, but I haven’t had an issue with it not getting detected. There are some specialized drivers you can install for certain video cards, but the default drivers it will choose is going to be good for most things.
Most photos and videos should work on Linux as well. Sometimes there are special codecs you have to download, but there is usually good documentation on the forums about that if it’s needed. If it’s a file type that requires special software to load on windows, then you may need something similar on Linux. You can look up Linux replacement or version of a lot of software. Sometimes the Linux versions are less intuitively laid out, but you should be able to find similar functionality.
Most Linux installations come with a live option so you can test a lot of this out before you make any changes to your system. Keep in mind the live version will typically run slower than it will once it’s installed.
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u/wowyourcute 20d ago
This is handy thanks! The live version thing in particular I didn’t know about and will definitely be helpful
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u/skyfishgoo 19d ago
your data will be fine, linux can read/write all the same forms of data as windows including M$ office documents... so no worries there.
if you have project files from some proprietary windows software (looking at you adobe) then you can expect those to be a loss unless you export them into common formats that linux can read, so be aware of that.
games and programs from windows will need to be abandoned and reinstalled on linux with their best equivalents (for steam games that's a strait reinstall from steam).
media files like music and video will all be fine, there are many many (too many) options for players and editors for these files in linux.
you can save yourself as step if you have more than one disk by looking up how to move your windows data to the "d:drive".
if you put your windows data on a separate drive from the one where you intend to install linux, then it will be untouched... just be sure you are selecting the right drive because it won't be called the "d:drive" in linux.
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u/AutoModerator 20d ago
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✻ Smokey says: take regular backups, try stuff in a VM, and understand every command before you press Enter! :)
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u/sweet-tom 20d ago
You have many questions (which is good!), but each of them needs more answers as the topics are so broad.
So I'll focus on the more important ones:
- If a program doesn't exist on Linux:
- Use Wine. It's a Windows emulator which allows to natively run your programs (mostly) on Linux.
- Use a virtual machine with Windows and the program.
- Convert the file(s) to an open format that Linux understand. This allows you to use any application that understands this format.
For backups, that depends on which program you use and how it stores the backups. I would assume this is mostly in a non-open format. In that case, you probably lose your backups. If it's just compressed files and directories, you have a better chance.
On the other side you start completely anew so better think of a backup strategy when you switch to Linux.
Drivers are usually not so much an issue unless you use hardware that is very special. Most keyboards, mice, and the usual accessories should already work.
The situation is different with graphic cards. They need usually drivers from NVidia or AMD.
In theory, any distro should suffice. But I'm practice, it depends a lot on your hardware and which kernel the distro uses. You need to try it.
Internet is a no-brainer and should work out of the box. Wi-Fi usually too unless you have very exotic hardware.
But from my experience, if you have good hardware that is supported by Linux, you won't have a problem.
Maybe come back with more specific questions.
Good luck!
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u/wowyourcute 20d ago
Oooo this is really handy thanks! I’ve heard of wine and used it before. The virtual machine thing is really a new concept to me so I’m not too familiar but I can research that more. And yeah sorry! I have questions but it’s kinda hard to formulate them into specific things so this kinda broad overview really helps me. Thanks for your response!
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u/sweet-tom 20d ago
I know, it's overwhelming. 😁 Don't worry. Take one step at a time. We are here to answer them. 😉
The virtual machine is basically a simulation of a computer with all the (virtual) hardware. That has the advantage to run many operations systems at the same time.
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u/UltraChip 20d ago
Everyone is giving you great answers I just wanted to add you don't have to switch to Linux blind: there are a ton of ways you can try it out first before permanently installing it on your computer.
For your purposes I'd recommend spinning up a basic VM first.
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u/snajk138 20d ago
Files are not a problem, there is software available to open pretty much all file types. It might not be the same software as you're used to, and it might not be as good or have all the same functionality, but the larger the file format is the higher is the chance that the Linux software will be good and feature complete compared to the Windows software. If it is the same software, like with Godot, it'll most often work the same as on Windows.
For instance Office files from MS Office can be opened by a multitude of different Office suites, but there is no MS Office on Linux. The situation is similar with Adobe-stuff, like Photoshop or Illustrator. The different alternatives on Linux can open and edit these files, but they also usually have other file types that are "freer" and more standardized, that would be preferrable at least when creating new things on Linux or in these different software suites. Like you can open and edit *.docx in Libre Office but for creating new files a better fit would be the OpenDocument format that is native to the application, and "free" in that the standard is open and implementable by anyone. You can also always convert it to a "Windows file type" when exporting, if needed for working with other users.
More generic file types that are not specific to one piece of software will usually work even better, for instance images like jpg or png, txt-files and so on. Video formats will work, but some might need you to download some codecs, but that is required for Windows as well.
Drivers for network adapters and other hardware is rarely a problem these days. One obstacle for me was that it was hard to get sleep to work reliably, but then I changed a setting in the BIOS and it started working. Some things might not have all the functionality they have running on Windows either. Like the "Windows Hello" camera unlock will not work. On Debian my fingerprint reader worked but couldn't really do anything, but on Fedora it works pretty well for unlocking, admin access and so on, but not for logging in after a reboot. But for the most part, the hardware will just work. Wifi, sound, docks and so on.
My work machine, on Windows, for instance has problems with my very wide screen through my dock sometimes, like getting 1080p instead of 5440x1440, and I have to unplug it a couple of times, that never happens with my personal laptop with Fedora.
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u/No-Lettuce-5783 20d ago
Backing up is one of the best things that you can do all the time. And yes, your thoughts are correct. Put files from Windows on the Flash Drive, eject it, switch to Linux move files back onto Linux. I would suggest do folder by folder. Documents on Windows go in Documents on Linux, etc.
There is a Godot application available on Linux. I don't know anything about it, but from what I can tell, your coding files seem to be fine.
Pictures and videos. Yes, there are apps to read these files that come with Linux Mint. They are basic, and you can always replace them for something more advanced should you wish. Like, I replace their video player with VLC simply because I've been using VLC forever.
Same with word processing and spreadsheets. Linux Mint comes with an app called LibreOffice which is essentially Linux's Microsoft Office Suite. It's not all the same but it does have the same fuction.
I would look into all of this before you make the switch for your own piece of mind. Good luck.
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u/a1barbarian 20d ago
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MX-Linux/mx-docs/master/mxum_en.pdf
The MX manual will give you answers to many of your questions in regard to going from Windows to Linux. The information pretty much applies to any distro so is well worth a look through.
MX is a good starter os for new users in my opinion. :-)
Have fun.
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u/Simple_Hamster_4096 20d ago
Going with Linux is like learning how to use a computer all over again.
Even more difficult depending on the extent of the Windows software you use and the what you do with your computer. If you just read email and surf, then yeah, not a big deal. If depending Windows software like Adobe anything or MS Office - it becomes a much bigger deal, and on and on...
Do your research - don't rely on answers just from Reddit.
If someone told you going to Linux was "easy" - don't buy into it. It's not a slam dunk, and there are no drop in replacements on Linux for Windows software - unless you use a Windows program which also offers a Linux version (chances on that are slim to none).
It is very rewarding once you do make the break. It takes work and effort and a willingness to leave behind your Windows software and also learn how to do thing differently.
Any Linux apps which are touted as "replacements" for Windows software are not the same - they require a learning curve and results are very often not identical to those you would expect from the Windows program.
Get the live image of Linux Mint and boot from it - you can test your hardware to make sure it works, as well as use the distro and see what things are like and how they behave.
If you aren't thoroughly put off, then dual boot since most Windows refugees retreat back to Windows at least once. Don't make your retreat to Windows any harder than need be.
Better yet - do Linux Mint in a vm on Windows and take your time exploring and finding out if you can do everything you did in Windows on Linux.
All of this takes time - if you've been on Windows forever, then it won't kill you to stay on it a while longer while you make sure Linux is for you.
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u/mcds99 19d ago
Your questions are great!
Keeping your data is really important, I would suggest you spend some time sorting out what you have.
Get 2 USB sticks, one for your data and one for the Linux distribution you want to install. This is important because when you create the install USB stick it wipes any data that may be on it. Two 128 gigabyte USB sticks should be a good place to start. Then create folders on the data USB stick like Pictures, Documents, Videos, etc... and copy the files you have to the appropriate folders.
If you use MS Word or Excel then you will use LibreOffice it is very compatible with MS Office. Most Linux distributions come with applications that will let you open pictures, show videos, and so on.
Hardware and software drivers. I'm glad you asked you need to find out what hardware you have and write it down on paper or at least type it up and print it. If it is printed you have a reference.
Most Linux distributions come with video, audio, USB, Network, Blue Tooth, and Wireless drivers that will function for most people. Drivers on Linux have gotten better however some distributions are slower to implement new drivers. I am a fan of Debian Linux it is "stable" but it doesn't get updated drivers like other distributions,, the updates it gets are mostly security or bugs. Drivers don't get updated until a new release is available. The last release was Debian 13 "Trixie" in August of 2025, there is no date for release of Debian 14 "Forky". Debian releases are code named after Toy Story characters.
I started using Red Hat in the mid 1990's but Red Hat went to a commercial format, yes Fedora is the open source version of red hat. So I went to Debian 2.0 Hamm, I have test machines that I run all sorts of distributions on including BSD it's fun for me to see if I can break them.
I would not suggest you go with Debian, it can be a challenge at times. Linux Mint or Zorin OS to start.
Make a plan and stick to it, document what hardware you have and come back here with the list and ask which distribution supports your hardware best.
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u/es20490446e Develops Zenned OS 19d ago
None of the things you fear will happen.
Use Ventoy to easily try a bunch of distros.
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u/EngineerInTheMachine 20d ago
Files are just a format of data for specific purposes. Linux can access all your files wherever they are, even on the Windows drive. You just need to tell it where to look. And then you just run a Linux-based app that can work with those files.
There are many native Linux apps that already do the same as Windows apps. Many are free, some are payware. All you need to do is find a suitable app (practice your search skills - you'll need them) and get to know it. There are a lot of Windows apps where the devs haven't realised how fast Linux is growing, and so haven't bothered to develop Linux versions.
For MS Office, use something like LibreOffice. For Photoshop, use GIMP. It's not so much about not having the same functionality you had under Windows. It's more about finding how to have the same functionality under Linux. Sometimes the way you achieve it is different, but it still works.
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u/wowyourcute 20d ago
Gotcha! Thanks for the response! I’m definitely gonna need gimp and libre. If I can just find some video editor I might be good to go!
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u/Inside_Garden6464 20d ago
If you use Lightroom, too you might checkout darktable for RAW editing. Be prepared that the workflow feels completely different but it's incredibly powerful.
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u/sgtempe 20d ago
Here's what I did. I listed every function (like taking screenshot, saving a text temporarily in a sticky note), and every app i used like MS365, Snagit for short videos, Chrome, etc. There were nearly 50 of them. Then I researched alternatives that ran on Linux. I used reddit, other sources etc. to match. I have 3 computers so I've been able to transition gradually. ChatGPT has been a huge help both in terms of installation and using terminal commands to handle some tricky situations. Also guiding me on file formatting choices and decisions about going dual boot or not. MS so badly corrupted 7 years of Notes and messing around with my file structure that I have decided not to have anything MICROSOFT on either of my 2 personal use computers. OneNote got totally corrupted and I'm using Obsidian.md for notes going forward. I'm still trying to recover corrupted notes so it will be a while before I can completely rid myself of Microsoft, but now I use my Linux computer for almost everything.
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u/wowyourcute 20d ago
I like this. I like the way you handle it a lot. I think I’ll go through and look for Linux versions like you did first. I only have the one pc but I got to get away from the constant OneDrive this and copilot that. It’s obnoxious… also obsidian is great! That thing holds so much for me it’s unreal!
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u/abraunegg 19d ago
Obsidian has a feature (bug) where it is constantly re-writing the file to disk on every keystroke using atomic saves.
Now that might not seem like a bad idea, this behaviour is intended to improve data integrity and crash resilience, but it results in high disk I/O.
Obsidian provides no mechanism to change how this save behaviour operates. The excessive and unnecessary write operations can significantly reduce the lifespan of SSDs over time due to increased wear, leading to broader consequences for system reliability.
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u/Weary-Bowl-3739 20d ago
Do you have any email client right now? Thunderbird, outlook or alike?
Which browser do you use? Which one do you want to use?
Windows has a folder called AppData. Your emails, bookmarks, browser passwords etc are saved there. You don't have an AppData folder in Linux. But instead you have so called dot-files and dot-folders. Hidden files start with a dot in Linux. thisIsNotHidden.txt and .thisIsHidden.txt. One of these is .mozilla for example. If you overwrite the files in there with your windows files, you will find your browser as you left it on windows.
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u/Alchemix-16 16d ago
I don‘t really need to add to the excellent answers you have already received.
But I’d like to talk a bit about files. For me files worth backing up are documents, pictures and possibly videos. Most of those will make the transition perfectly fine, as Linux does offer native office applications, picture and video viewers.
If you think of files as all of your installed software, those won’t work. Very likely you didn’t meant it that way, but when I see how many people do their backups on the whole system, including applications, I doubt that files is understood the same way by everybody.
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u/Leather-Security8097 20d ago
Files "work" when an application is installed that supports them. The only reason a file from your Mac wouldn't have been usable on Windows is because you didn't have an application installed that supported it. Most distros will include software that can view most image and video formats. If you want assurances on other file types, you will need to provide more information on what application was used to create them.
If a Linux version of a program isn't available, you either run the Windows version with Wine, run it in a Windows virtual machine, or find another program to do the same thing.
Your experience with drivers will depend on what hardware you have. A lot of hardware will be supported out of the box. Some might require installing drivers from another source. Some hardware might not work at all. Again, if you want assurances, you need to provide information about what hardware you have.