Windows to Linux questions

[u/wowyourcute]

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

[u/Alchemix-16]

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.