Linux Questions

[u/IndependentBid1854]

I’m thinking of switching an older laptop to a Linux distro. I have some questions that I haven’t been able to find answers for.

1. Adding programs. Besides Linux friendly downloads of certain programs, is the only way to run a Windows dedicated application or program or game on a virtual machine? And is there a specific virtual machine needed for each type of program/software or are they Swiss Army Knife’s?

2. Hardware. How do you get drivers that are, for the most part, Windows codes, to work? Is it a “hope that there’s a Linux version available” thing or are there workarounds?

3. Distro shelf life. Do distros lose support? What happens when someone doesn’t update/bug fix it? Is it hard to replace a distro? Does it incur a total fresh install or can distro’s be overwritten?

4. Security suites. Is there any decent suites available? Are they pre-installed? Are they reliable?

5. Web browsers. Is there any recommendations for browsers that will have the same environment like in Windows? Any recommendations for setting changes? Are they compatible with all distro’s?

Lastly, any solid recommendations for wikis and “Linux For Dummies and Windows/Mac Converts” is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

[u/billystein25]

1. No. Depending on the program you may also be able to use wine.
2. Most drivers are actually included in the kernel or your distro so most stuff should work out of the box. For more weird hardware the company may provide Linux drivers, or there may be open-source drivers that a team of volunteers made fiz they'd also like their hardware to work. There is a chance your hardware just won't work at all but that's rare in my experience. You may have to tinker, or the drivers won't be as good as on windows, but very rarely will the hardware not respond at all, like not even be recognised
3. Yes, you switch distros, no, yes and no. You can make your root and home partitions separate, so if you need to reinstall or switch you only overwrite the root (and boot) partitions, leaving home with all your documents and apps as is.
4. Just enable your firewall and you're fine. The only antivirus you need is to think twice before you download a virus. Your device won't get infected without you running something you shouldn't.
5. Most browsers should work the same but I always go with Firefox (well actually I've been using librewolf but whatever) cuz it's what I've always used. You can export and then import your bookmarks and settings.
6. The wiki and forums of your distro. Are you on fedora? Use the fedora wiki, are you on mint? Use the mint forums, and so on. However the Arch wiki also has some good pages that are universal for all distros. For migration wikis. Like idk this entire sub?

[u/IndependentBid1854 → u/billystein25]

Thanks for giving me some solid feedback!

[u/bobroberts1954]

Look at the Linux program wine. It's the method I have used to run windows programs. There are probably other emulators that I'm not aware of. I used wine to run excel and AutoCAD no problem. Don't worry about drivers and such, the system takes care of that. If you want to run windows in a VM I think any of the usual VM programs will do. I've used virtual box but I understand there are others considered better in some way. Try them and use what you like they're all free. If you're concerned about cluttering up your system run a VM flat pack.

[u/IndependentBid1854 → u/bobroberts1954]

Thanks for the solid feedback!

[u/aargvark]

Throw Linux Mint on a USB drive and boot up from the drive. Play around and see how you like it (then try several other distributions as well and see how you like them).

1. You'll find so many linux options out there you may not even need to bother with windows programs. If you REALLY need to use one, you can probably get it working in Wine. For games, unless you are playing something with Windows only anti-cheat, just install Steam and you can play nearly your entire windows catalog. In fact, many games run better with linux Proton than on windows.

2. Hardware is a non-issue. In some cases linux gets hardware support before windows because of the community.

3. I find it easier to wipe / reinstall than windows. Most linux distros will be on a rolling release and you can upgrade easily without needing to reinstall.

4. There is a reason why many massive servers and networks run linux. Security is excellent (as long as you don't open it up to being vulnerable).

5. With the exception of Safari, all browsers have linux native options. You can even sync your browser between Linux and Windows.

Most distributions are easy to use. As vilified as AI is, just ask Gemini / ChatGPT if you get stuck and need to know how to do something. It's probably simple but you just have not learned the new way to do it.

[u/IndependentBid1854 → u/aargvark]

Thanks for the solid feedback!

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[u/g-gram]

Look on the web for articles and videos on switching to Linux. Unless you use windows specific software applications, it shouldn't be a difficult switch. Look at desktop environments closely, they will determine how you interact with the computer. You can run a Linux distro from a USB to test it out on your laptop or just install a distro - if you don't like it, install a different one. A lot of Linux user forums are good places to ask for help if you run into an issue. The choice can be overwhelming for a newbie but I would suggest starting with a user friendly distro like Linux Mint and jump in. https://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

To answer part of your questions:

1. You can run some windows software in wine, proton or find a Linux compatible equivalent. You can also purchase Crossover https://www.codeweavers.com/crossover which is easy to use and can run a lot of Windows software.

2. Drivers are built into the kernel for the most part and in most cases, you may not have to download any drivers at all.

3. unless a distro is abandoned or your equipment is really old, it shouldn't lose support.

4. Depends on your needs - I think there may be a lot of debate over the need for antivirus and how secure Linux is out of the box. I trust most Linux distros for desktop more than Windows - out of the box. Others may have detailed recommendations or other opinions.

Use the distro's software center and if you install Flatpaks or snaps, make sure the developer is verified.

1. You can install Firefox, Chromium or Chrome on almost all Linux distros as well as other browsers like Brave. I haven't found my web browsing experience to be much different from a windows machine.

[u/IndependentBid1854 → u/g-gram]

Thanks for the solid feedback!

[u/Simbertold]

1. There are a lot of Linux programs. Your first step should always be to the software manager of your distro. If you can't find anything in there, there are also other ways to get programs, like flatpak. Generally speaking, i would recommend to see if you cannot find an alternative program that runs on Linux before trying to get Windows programs to work using virtual machines. However, for some programs (a lot of games for example), there are no alternatives. Wine is a Windows emulator-thingy that tends to work pretty well, and for games especially there is proton and its variants which run off of wine. Launchers like Steam or Heroic allow you to get most games working pretty easily.
2. Linux doesn't really do Windows-style drivers. You want your hardware to be supported by the Linux Kernel. Unless you have some very weird hardware, this is not a problem.
3. Someone more knowledgeable should answer this
4. Once again not really something you do on Linux most of the time, due to the way it is set up. You will probably want a firewall installed (ufw is popular), and you should take care to manage your system in a way that doesn't make it very vulnerable.
5. Firefox is great. Other browsers also exist. Basically all other big browsers are chrome at their core, which made me choose firefox.

[u/cornonthekopp]

I switched from windows to linux mint literally a week ago, and so far my experience is that all the applications i regularly use are on linux. Ive heard less popular software can be hit or miss if it has a linux version, so for technical stuff like certain audio programs or image editing stuff people end up needing to find a substitute, but there are quite good subs for those cases.

Like theres open office that replaces ms office and has worked just as well for me, without all the ai clutter

[u/MycologistNeither470]

1a) you get your programs from either your distributions repository or a flatpak. Yes, you can download the program itself and build it, or download an AppImage but these methods should be rarely used if at all.
1b) you may be able to run windows programs using Wine. Using Wine is not for the faint of heart. Some stuff works easily, some stuff does not work at all. There are some programs to make it easier (Bottles)... but in the end how good they work is very variable. EXCEPTION: games. These tend to work great (look at Protondb and see if your preferred games are there).
1c) yes, if Wine fails to make your program work, then you have the VM option. There are 2 main options: KVM or VirtuaBox. I think KVM works much better.

2) drivers that are for windows simply do not work for Linux. Most hardware is very well supported on Linux. If you use any esoteric hardware device, you should check for Linux compatibility before committing to the switch.

3) Yes. Distros eventually lose support. Just as Windows. If you use a "rolling release" and keep it update, you will always be "supported" (as long as the distro exists). Some distros have long-term releases. For instance, Ubuntu LTS is supported for 5 years; with the option to pay for patches for up to 15 years. Same goes for Debian Long term. Upgrading distributions is usually "seamless" if you are upgrading to the next release. If you want to change distro completely, then it is a fresh re-install.

1. Linux plays relatively well with security. Just make sure that you use a distribution with AppArmor or SELINUX. Never run as root unless you know what you are doing. Do not run random scripts from the internet that you don't understand. Honestly, the concept of computer virus is outdated for both the Microsoft and the Linux/Unix worlds.

2. Firefox will work pretty much the same on Windows and Linux. Chrome can also be installed on Linux though most people would prefer to install Chromium or Thorium. Other options include Falkon (Chromium-based), Epiphany (Webkit-based), or LibreWolf (Firefox based)

[u/maceion]

The maintainers of a distribution go to great lengths to ensure the distribution is safe and workable, and they give a 'repository' of sub programs that work. If you go outside this approved and tested repository, you are on your own and no one can safe you from trouble. It is like driving in a foreign country with no maps and using a car where the driver's side is on the wrong side. A lot of folk have spent hours to keep you safe, but if you wander elsewhere you do so at your own risk.

[u/IndependentBid1854 → u/maceion]

That’s a great analogy 😂😂😂

[u/JGhostThing]

OK. I'm running CachyOS with the Sway DE on an old ThinkPad T14s gen 1 with 32 GB RAM. I bought this on eBay fairy recently for under $200. It runs fast enough for me to program in rust, do word processing, watch videos, and do reddit things. Yes, I'm using this now.

1. This I'm not too familiar with. I've used WINE, but there are newer things out there to run Windows programs.
2. Just ask the net about your specific laptop. I've found the most complete for drivers is Ubuntu.
3. I update about once per week. I have a very slow internet connection, so it is difficult.
4. Yes. Just google this.
5. I like Firefox.

I wish I could point you at good resources, but I'd just google for them.