why you switched to linux ?

[kidflash]

as a linux user now for about 5 years. i was wondering why other people made the switch to linux.

for me i grew tired of virus updates. and over time slower machines after each passing year the machines seemed to slowdown in use.

[goinglinux]

My main reason for installing Linux the first time was this: I had an old computer laptop I wanted to use but I did not want to spend any money for yet another copy of Windows 98. Searching for an alternative brought me to a book on Mandrake. This lead me to download and install openSuSE. That old computer served me well through the completion of my graduate degree. By the way, the university "required" Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. I used OpenOffice Writer, Calc and Impress without any trouble.

[catweazel]

I had a very expensive MSDN subscription courtesy of a former employer. The subscription expired three years after I left, about 2 months ago. There was no way on this planet I was going to enrich Micro$oft with my own hard-earned, and Windows 8 looked horrendous so I did the distro shuffle and found Mint 13 Cinnamon. In short, I switched to linux so I could stick it it to M$.

[caf4926]

It does everything I need more securely and makes my life a pleasure.

[catweazel]

It does everything I need ... and makes my life a pleasure.

That describes my girlfriend. You need to get out more often.

[andersau]

I agree with the open source philosopy more than closed source software companies profit motivations, which result in dubious business practices like those of microsoft and apple. There are more choices and more freedom with open source software, so that I can do things the way I want, and not have someone elses choices forced upon me. Although I need Windows at work I don't need it at home and find linux more reliable and easier to use in general.

[richardsdma]

com on guys.....lets not make an idol from linux, there are a lot of problems.
i would like to see more proprietary software on linux, like skype, vmware, chrome, (winamp on windows)
i prefer fewer quality application instead of a lot of crappy "open source" apps like audacious, pidgin, banshee, rhythmbox, totem etc, etc.
the main problem in linux is fragmentation. the effort of developers is split in too many directions.
the developers need to get over personal pride and focus on fewer rock solid projects.

[Fajah]

com on guys.....lets not make an idol from linux, there are a lot of problems.
i would like to see more proprietary software on linux, like skype, vmware, chrome, (winamp on windows)

I thought it would be a good time to switch to Linux this year mostly because support for Windows XP was coming to an end, and that I'd save some money by not having to upgrade Windows. It's been an interesting ride and certainly not seamless.

Hardware support posed some challenges. For example, I still can't use my the existing scanner (Cannon MP280) and have to boot to Windows to do so. My external USB sound card worked but only to a point. I had to buy a new one to get full functionality. I'll have to probably buy a new printer/scanner for full functionality in Linux as well.

I was using Pidgin, Skype, and Libre Office in Windows already so they were fine, although I had to play with an older version of Skype at the time to get my webcam to work. Additionally, I still have to boot to Windows to use programs like Band in a Box and Winamp (need this to sync music on my Nexus S and create playlists that the Ford Sync System recognizes).

I like Linux for it's speed and stability and use it for 95% of my computing needs. However, when I think about the economics of it, the OS is free but I will have spent close to $300 in hardware upgrades for Linux to be fully functional. Notwithstanding the time to fix some software issues. Like it of not, the current Windows 8 upgrade is $40, and not that much more for Win 7. So there goes the savings that I thought I'd get by avoiding a Windows upgrade.

My Lenovo T-61 laptop is working fine now but when the time comes for a new computer, I'd have to think a bit harder as to whether I would install Linux again.

[tdockery97]

For me it was two reasons plain and simple. No viruses. I've used Linux for 3 years now and never once had a glitch or crash caused by a virus/trojan. Most importantly is that Linux is way more fun to use and tinker with than Windows ever was.

[excollier]

Out of pure curiosity. Have been meaning to try out Linux for ages, but never got round to it.
I set a dual boot laptop with Vista/Mint 13 afew weeks back and now I hardly ever use Vista ( I'm doing an ECDL course so it's vital at the momenet).
There are a few niggles with Mint 13 but generally it's not such a leap from Windows OS, and spend 95% of my computer time using linux.
I'm not really into the terminal side of things atm, so I find Mint 13 pretty straightforward in GUI, and so much quicker to start than Vista. Niggles aside I'm pretty pleased with Mint 13, and hey, it's good to be different, isn't it?
Most computer users think MS Windows, a few think Mac OS, and then some of us know about linux...(a bit like almost all people in the UK and Ireland thinking that satellite tv means they have to get and pay for Sky. Sky are like Microsoft, dominating keep on taking your hard earned, when many alternatives are freely available)

[Flemur]

I use linux because I used to be a Unix programmer, and Windows has always seemed .... kludgy, duct-taped together and user hostile. The linux desktops are very superior to Windows. (tho there's also a lot a mickey-mouse kludges in linux, and I'm quite unimpressed by the port from Unix - Linus T. isn't one of my heroes.) I have Arch, Mint and Debian installed - Mint is by far the best for normal people, Arch is nice if you like to fix weird bugs all the time, Debian in between. I've been lucky and never had serious hardware issues with linux, howver, many linux apps are somewhere between mediocre and really poor (also true for most windows apps, esp OEM, but if you look around there are superior replacements). I haven't booted windows in a few months, but it'd be nice to ditch "wine" all together.

Edit: richardsdma: "i prefer fewer quality application instead of a lot of crappy "open source" apps like audacious, pidgin, banshee, rhythmbox, totem etc, etc."

Those programs really are pretty lousy.

[eanfrid]

I use Linux since 1998 when I first tried the newcomer Mandrake Linux... Moments later, I tried and played with Red Hat, Caldera, Slackware and a few others. At last the Debian concept got me: Debian Woody was the distrib I was looking for.

I definitively switched all of my regular home and professional computers to Linux (Debian Sarge) and BSD on fall 2005. It seemed quite obvious to me to use a Unix-based OS instead of any other in order to study, experiment and work with efficient networking and security. There is still some Windows running sometimes in a "zoo" of a few virtual machines when I have to, but only for testing and support purpose in order to keep up with MS technologies.

Edit: crappy apps on Linux ? there are much more crappy closed-source apps running on Windows... If you don't like one, use another or contribute to make it better. BTW Audacious does exactly what I want, so it is not a crappy app from my PoV. As far as an app does a convenient job the way you want it for your own use, it is a good app. Indeed, among crappy apps are skype, chrome and winamp from my own PoV.

[viking777]

Why I switched?

Because Microsoft forced me to.

I first tried Mandrake linux in 1999, but I found it too difficult to use and went back to Win98. I later updated to XP, but when Microsoft released SP1 it completely stuffed my pc and made it unusable. I spent days, weeks and months on various forums talking to various MSVP's and others all of whom failed to give me any solution except to uninstall the service pack (which did work). I was therefore presented with a choice between an unprotected computer or a broken one. I spotted a third choice and for a while used a pirated copy of XP complete with SP1 on it. This worked like a dream until 'Windows Genuine Advantage' program started up and refused to let me apply any more updates.

This was the time I started to think seriously about Linux again and started up with Suse linux. It hasn't all been plain sailing since then, but I have never gone back to Microsoft and never will as long as I live.

If Microsoft hadn't broken my PC would I be here now?

Well probably, but perhaps not with the amount of experience I have amassed since all that happened.

[Emegra]

My initial reason was purely curiosity, I installed Ubuntu just to see what it was all about and because I was bored, and no it wasn't an easy ride but I stuck with it and eventually curiosity led to a better understanding of not only how a computer works but more importantly for me a better understanding of the philosophy behind Linux and open source in general, I simply don't see the point of using a PC under a restrictive license from Microsoft when I can have my own operating system and make my PC truly my own and unique in a way that's simply not possible with Windows.

Linux may not without it's problems and I would be less than honest if I said it's been trouble free but Windows isn't without it's problems either, but even in the short time I've been using Linux I've seen great improvements in spite of it's fragmented development and I believe it will get better still as hopefully more users get on board.

Probably an equally important question as " why you switched to linux?" might be "why you stuck with Linux ?", for me in spite of the initial learning curve (and I'm still learning) Linux gives me a much more enjoyable computing experience and I can rest in the knowledge that I no longer contribute to the disgusting profits made by the Microsoft Corporation

There may well be many things about Linux to critisise but personally I think the whole Linux community from the kernal & distro developers, contributors and those who help other users on the forums do an amazing job in spite of the obstacles put in there way by hardware & software vendors not to mention Microsoft, to bring us a free operating system that works as good as if not better that anything Microsoft or Apple charge good money to borrow

Graeme

[hairybiker]

I played with various distros (mostly Mandrake and Ubuntu) then I made the terminal mistake of instlling Vista 64bit preview.

Well no drivers for my scanner or printer - manuf. web sites said xp drivers only no 64bit - (NB these were new ish (<1 year)) then it wouldn't see the network when I switched it on, reboot and a long wait later before it would ack the network was there. Finial straw was a virus on the cr*p system they forced for user elevation, it could get admin priv. but I couldn't.

Switched to Ubuntu 7.x then a couple of years later to Mint (issues with DVD drive ejecting/re-inserting autmatically), been here ever since.
Not used a M$ machine apart from cleaning them of virri for people for years (apart from one pc I keep off the network to do f/w installs on my phone etc, only gets switched on very occasionally)

[killer de bug]

I first tried Mint 5 Elyssa for my own curiosity. The system had been release the same day. It was working but not that well on my old laptop. I experienced a lot of sudden freezes, which obliged me to perform hard reboot. But I was in love with this distro anyways. Sometime no freezes for 2 days and then 2 in the same day...
So I tried Debian and OpenSuse. Kept OpenSuse for 1 year. But at my school, Suse was unable to connect to the Internet to install software and update. Firefox was working nice on the contrary. Strange. Never solved this issue.

Less than 1 year after that (August 2009) I went to Canada with a new laptop. VIsta was installed on it. As a student in a new country, I had no time for installing Linux Mint on this computer. But Vista was terrible. Its security alerts were so annoying, Updates made my laptop to reboot when I wasn't at my home. And one day, I couldn't save a file in the "My Documents" folder. In my computer ? In my HD ? I was an admin in this computer ? What's wrong with this OS ?

So the next day, I installed as a dual boot Linux Mint 8. It was December 2009. Took me 20 minutes... That was amazing. Absolutely amazing. Was still in need of windows for my studies but most of the time I was using Linux. So great.


I have seen Mint 9 & 10. Stayed with 10 for more than 1 year, and then installed LMDE. The best for me right now
Thanks to the team ! Thanks you

[DrHu]

Linux simply gives me more choices than either Windows, Android OS or Apple OSX
--and since the main OS's are tending towards mobility style systems, and have to fit small (smart phones) and larger screens (tablets or notebooks/netbooks or desktops); such an approach tends to seriously limit choices..

For example despite the advertising you see for windows 8x, the split screen function does not allow an any user choice (one window side has to be bigger than the other (I assume that is how the OS knows the active window), and the switch from the block start menu to the desktop view is not seamless (for applications)
--Apple might be similar, but I haven't checked it yet

[abnvolk]

3 years ago I first tried Linux, because I found out about it on the Internet. My first Linux OS was Ubuntu 9.04, and I quite liked it, because it had almost everything by default - a nice collection of games and office applications. It also felt very fast, and had a nice theme. I decided to install it on my PC. Then came the problem - I was unable to install a keyboard input method from source, because it was not available in Synaptic. So - back to Windows, and I also managed to destroy GRUB, screwing up my HDD
After some time I tried Linux again - this time Ubuntu 11.04. It was nice to use, and looked wonderful with Compiz (those legendary Wobbly Windows!). Then I upgraded to 11.10 with Unity. Because I couldn't get used to the global menu bar, I switched to Gnome Shell. Then, while trying to make it more traditional (with taskbar on bottom and such), I found out about MGSE, but because of MGSE my theme was broken.
That was the time I switched to Mint. After a long time using MATE, Cinnamon (I even made some themes - with zero knowledge of CSS at start ); now I'm using Xubuntu Quantal, but with KDE Plasma Netbook I still love this forums very much, because everybody is friendly
The diversity of Linux is mind-blowing, and the Linux world develops so fast! With Linux, I can have more choices - I can freely customize my system That's why I love it so much!

[lexon]

Ok, I am bored also.
I started to switch over, Dec. 2001. W98SE was very good but support was going to run out. I was realizing, failure is not an option, it comes bundled with Windows if I continued using Windows.
Running Mint 13, Mate, Gnome, now. Just replaced girlfriends XP PC with the same. I was so happy because I do not hear her complain about her PC now that I sent Clem a donation. Call that an investment.

I recently bought a new laptop with W7 because the price was excellent. Same bloat ware. Pop ups. Somethings never change. Pulled the dive. Kept the drive, just in case. Replaced with new drive. Cheap enough. I put Mint 13 in it. Mint 13 does run a little slower that Mint 6 when I first started using Mint.

L

[roselan]

I'm quite new to linux, like 6 months old.

What pushed me to linux is windows 8, plain and simple. I was "beta testing" it since december 2011 and first I liked it, but then it grew sour on me and 6 months later, when I tried to push the charms bar back in it's pit while I just wanted to use the scroll bar one time too often, i got angry. I mean more than usual, and I browsed for a linux distribution. I saw ubuntu (which I did try some years ago without much success), and I didn't like either printscreen or the fuss about unity. I stumbled on a mint printscreens, and I was sold.

1 hour later I was using mint 13 Cinnamon, and I was blown away. This thing looks nice, and unlike past experiences, it installed without much fuss. But what struck me most is that, after a couple hours of normal use, I felt calm, zen. It was like I was in japanese bamboo garden on the foot of a mountain, birds singing around, a nice cup of hot strange tea in my hands. Or at least in my head. I didn't shout once at my computer, and didn't sigh in frustration 10 time per hour anymore. I realized then I was not stressed out by fear of going in the metro menu, or activating that dreaded charms bar. Mint is not going against me, pestering me, I can concentrate on what I do best (watching youtube videos )

The only thing I miss from windows is total commander, cause I used it since 1997. I don't miss games, since my last windows games were supreme commander 1 and modern warfare 1. And things like node, eclipse, sublimetext integrates more smoothly on linux.

Until wiindows 8, I was kept at bay by missing drivers, or more like the fear of them. But now I took the plunge, I definitely like the waters I dwelling in, and there is no way I'm going back.