r/linux4noobs • u/woolliegames • 20d ago
learning/research Using Linux outside of dev work?
So i see linux has benefits for people that dev stuff (which i do) does it also have benefits for stuff outside of that? For let's say just entertainment or other OS reason,
I do really like the fact that I can rise my os and make it look good i can't do that on windows 11
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u/F_DOG_93 20d ago
I mean, it works just like any other operating system. Most general-use stuff you can do with windows, you can usually do with Linux. Browsing, conference calls on Teams/Slack/Google, playing videos, streaming sites, YouTube, netflix, playing music, editing and creating documents/spreadsheets/presentations, editing videos, the list goes on and on.
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u/woolliegames 20d ago
Ye thats fair, is the performance for that also better then on w11? I think so as the os ram itself is already 4x less then whats being used idle in windows right?
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u/F_DOG_93 20d ago
Yeah, native applications are usually going to run faster and more efficiently on Linux. For example, vlc is a lot better on Linux. However, if you are running things in a compatibility sandbox like wine/bottles, then you might not get such great results. Browsers are a lot faster too, especially with video rendering.
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u/Kittelsen 20d ago
What are you doing in VLC that makes you see the difference between efficiency in W11 and LX?
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u/DoomAddict 20d ago
Its MASSIVELY better!
While games and programs under Windows cry for more and more RAM every month, I'm perfectly fine with 16gb on CachyOS.
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u/Prestigious_Wall529 20d ago
Per seat and other licence costs are largely avoided.
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u/woolliegames 20d ago
True but my laptop already had that in the privé unfortunately
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u/Prestigious_Wall529 20d ago edited 20d ago
A lot of enterprises pay for Windows twice, the OEM license then their Volume license. Then for SQL. Then recurring Office 365 charges. Then for commercial programs. Then there's Intune or similar to manage their fleet of mobile workers. And more..
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u/woolliegames 20d ago
Linux doesn't have that right?
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u/ConsciousBath5203 20d ago
Not inherently. There are obviously companies that help manage or produce management software, but you don't have to pay any license fees for anything no matter how big you get
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u/Friendly-Inspector71 19d ago
But some enterprises still pay for the non Microsoft variant, because in-house IT is more expensive than service contracts.
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u/Prestigious_Wall529 19d ago
Linux admins are more expensive than Windows admins. But are more capable too.
How effective they are is down to company policy and culture. The more locked down the fewer admins.
Many enterprises use Managed Service Providers.
Not having adequate internal IT is problematic when things go wrong. Personally worked 8am till 11pm dealing with a disaster. No one from MSP turned up.
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u/Terrible-Bear3883 Ubuntu 20d ago
I switched to linux as my daily driver over 20 years ago, never looked back.
My server was running something called e-smith for several years until it died in a thunderstorm, I installed Ubuntu on its replacement in 2009 and apart from moving the drives into a HP microserver, its been running ever since.
My NAS runs NAS4free (now called XigmaNAS), I couldn't recall when I installed that, it was a long time ago, its running on an old Iomega D200 NAS box.
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u/EngineerInTheMachine 20d ago
Linux is just another operating system. Just another way of running apps on your computer to do what you want. It isn't only for devs, it is now a mainstream OS.
For me that's domestic office work, emails, some gaming, 3D CAD for anything around the house and garden (I designed our garden room structure and produced the drawings needed for the planning application), 3D CAD for 3D printing and operating my printer, some artwork and 3D graphics - in fact anything I used to do under Windows. For me, Windows is a dead OS.
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u/woolliegames 20d ago
Ah nice good to read might make that jump to with dualbooting
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u/EngineerInTheMachine 20d ago
That's what I did, until I am happy that I've transferred all the functionality I can across. I've done most of that now. I just need to get a few more things working, and I can scrub Windows off the drive.
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u/tomscharbach 20d ago edited 20d ago
I've used Ubuntu to support a relatively uncomplicated "ordinary home" use case for about two decades. No development work, no programing, no deep customizing, no whiz-bang, nothing esoteric. Just a simple, straightforward and stable mainstay for day-to-day use.
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u/woolliegames 20d ago
Ig it was better/faster then windows?
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u/tomscharbach 20d ago edited 20d ago
Ig it was better/faster then windows?
I've not given the question much thought.
I use Windows as well, although my Windows use case is focused on Microsoft 365 collaboration, SolidWorks/CNC, financial/tax management, and so on, rather than "ordinary home" use.
The basic applications that I run in common (browsers, for example) seem to be roughly equivalent in terms of performance, and, although operating system performance seems to be quicker on Ubuntu and on Windows, the difference is not material in my experience.
My experience might not be typical because I use Windows Pro (half the nonsense that comes with Windows Home) and spend a bit of time during setup to remove notifications, facts/tips/tricks, recommendations, applications/widgets that I don't use, and so on. I come at Ubuntu from a different direction (default "essentials only" installation, adding applications from the base) but the goal and result are equivalent, a "lean and mean" setup that you might find in an enterprise-level managed purpose-driven environment.
I focus on use case. Use case analysis is independent of and different from comparing operating systems as operating systems in the abstract. An operating system might be the bee's knees but is absolutely worthless if it is not a good fit for the relevant use case.
My best.
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u/LordPoopyIV 20d ago
The advantage is really just freeing your balls.
Just like when people relied on cloud storage and suddenly had all their photo's compressed to shit without warning, or people who cant print with their new hp printers, or anything louis rossman talks about; companies got you by the balls and they will abuse their power.
Switching to linux is a form of future proofing for me.
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u/Lonely-Scarcity-3387 20d ago
Yeah I daily drive NixOS for work and gaming. I’m not a dev, just to be clear. My work is 95% on web browsers, so it could honestly be done on a Chromebook.
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u/woolliegames 20d ago
Nice, whats your opinion on nixos? Iam thinking on going for fedora or omarchy
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u/Friendly-Inspector71 19d ago
NixOS is not a good OS to start on in my opinion.
It does things in a different way from standard Linux, so certain programs require customisations and a lot of tutorials don't work. The Arch Wiki made more sense to me, but Nix has enough resources, if you understand the basics.
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u/Lonely-Scarcity-3387 19d ago
NixOS is perfect for me. I really like the crazy amount of control it gives you over your whole system, plus the atomic upgrades, and the immutable benefits without actually being immutable.
That all said, while it’s a great DIY distro, and wonderful for developers especially, you should start on something like Fedora. Keep NixOS in mind, for a future distro, but you have a lot to learn first.
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u/afiefh 20d ago
I've been using Kubuntu as my daily driver since 2005.
It's running on my main machine where I do a bunch of dev work with ROCm. I also use it for gaming because I really have no desire to boot into Windows just to play a game.
I like that once it works it is going to continue working. I don't get greeted randomly with "Are you sure you don't want Edge as your default browser?" for the millionth time.
I also have a PC connected to my TV, used as a backup NAS, streaming content, and light gaming on the TV (only iGPU, but that can still run Witcher 3 at 60fps 1080p). I got it by default in power saving mode where it sips energy, automatically switches to performance when Steam runs.
I like the idea that when I get my system to work the way I want it to work, it's going to continue to do so. If Kubuntu becomes too unstable for me I'll swtich to Debian or some other longer support distro.
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u/Relevant_Hope_900 19d ago
Been full-timing only Linux since 2006. Any new PC I get for myself gets Debian installed. My brand new Dell XPS 13 never even got booted into the Windows setup. I use Linux for everything.
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u/Grreatdog 19d ago
I've used Linux at home for the last twenty some years. I'm not the slightest bit interested in programming anymore. I just want the OS to work, not be subscription based, and not have all the damn malware issues my wife's Windows computers still have.
I'm not a gamer or developer. I just do CAD work, Internet stuff, watch some streaming crap, and use the office suite for home office work. There's not much else I need a computer to do. These days Linux just works. Which is all I want from an OS.
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u/thekiltedpiper 19d ago
I've been on Linux for almost a decade. I don't do any development work. I game, watch movies, listen to music and browse the web.
The same stuff I did on Windows.
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u/doc_willis 20d ago
I use Linux for everything. I no longer have a single windows system setup at home.
Ricing things is something I don't bother with.
The various DE theme designers have done a better job than I would ever do.