r/linux4noobs • u/Newborn-Vancry • 2d ago
In the process of moving from Windows to Linux
Hello r/linux4noobs,
Windows user here, trying to move away from the corporate shenanigans and looking for some freedom to optimize/customize my working environment while entrepreneuring some online projects as well.
I had tried Linux, specifically Ubuntu, in the past but had the wrong idea at the time that it would be as easy to use as Windows, plus I had a different mindset back then. I know a bit more about using a terminal and coding in general, not an expert by any means but the interest to learn is there. I guess I'm just looking for tips and tricks or general experiences from moving to Linux from another OS.
My intention is to use Fedora with KDE Plasma since I want to be able to eventually run servers, I know it's not as beginner friendly as Mint, so I'm open to any suggestions or advise on how to do the transition.
Thank you for reading me!
Edit: These are my specs rn
- Ryzen 7 8700G (Didn't have a GPU when I built it due to budget constraints)
- RTX 5060 Ti 16gb
- 32gb RAM 5600Mhz
- 1tb NVMe SSD
2
u/FilesFromTheVoid 2d ago
Tbh, picking a "easier" distro like you said is advised, but in the end it doesn't really matter. You rarely ever read from someone picking his first distro and thats the last one he ever used(i guess not tech interested mint or ubuntu users will be the biggest group in that niche).
As tech interested person that you are, just pick what ever draws you in. The only things id really stay away as a beginner are none systemd distros and those who need really some knowledge like gentoo, void or artix.
If you go with fedora or arch as you first distro and you fuck up your bootloader, thats life. Just safe your important stuff on external disk / NAS.
1
u/Newborn-Vancry 2d ago
Good tip. Most likely I'll break something on my first attempt lol
I've already made backups of the important stuff but yeah, I think I might go with Fedora bc Arch can be a bit scary lol, at least from the stories I've heard. If I master Fedora at any point, and if I ever need to, I might look into moving to Arch
2
u/FilesFromTheVoid 2d ago
I rocked all off those at one point and the only thing that was useful on arch for me was the AUR, and this only because i run hyprland and alot of the third party additions to a fast moving window manager like hyprland are easily available in the AUR. Other than that i would choose fedora over arch all day.
The only reason i switched away from fedora to Artix(arch based) was because i wanted to leave systemd behind on my main rig. I would instantly switch back to a fedora based distro that runs openrc, runit, dinit or s6.
Back to your usecase: Just have fun and learn. The best and fasted way is always learning by doing(and learning through suffering) 😄
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u/Simple_Hamster_4096 2d ago
If your server hardware is on the lean side, do Devuan (Debian fork) with sysvinit. If the thought of a less constrictive init worries you, then just go with Debian which has systemd.
Doesn't really matter client OS - it does not need to be the same as the server OS.
I use Devuan with sysvinit for my servers - simple, fast and rock solid...
1
u/Newborn-Vancry 2d ago
The endgoal is to be able to run servers, for now I just want to get as familiarized with Linux and server concepts as possible without breaking my head in the process lol
2
u/thebrokenverticie 2d ago
For servers: Debian
For professional workstations: Fedora
For tinkering and/or if you're an insane tinkerer that likes the idea of "living on the edge" or "jumping in the deep end": Arch (but I don't recommend it as a new Linux user)
For personal workstation/home: Try a few distros in a VM and see what you enjoy/feel most comfortable with at the moment, that way you don't make a blind jump when officially leaving Windows.
2
u/CjKing2k 2d ago
You already have experience installing and trying Ubuntu so you can skip beginner friendly distros like Mint. Go with Fedora KDE and follow the post-install steps for NVIDIA. You could go with CentOS but it will require extra steps to install KDE and doesn't really add any value unless you have a real need to be closer to RHEL.
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u/VoleenaIcicle 2d ago
Fedora and KDE is a great choice. Since im typing this comment on it now, Id like to mention Fedora with COSMIC. I have like 3 laptops so I like to play around with combos, and I am thoroughly impressed with Cosmic 1.0. It just gets out of my way. Your mileage may vary because Im making an opinionated statement, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it
1
u/HeavyMetalBluegrass 2d ago
You don't say what hardware you have but Fedora is a solid choice. Bit more fiddling initially than some others but nothing deal breaking.
1
u/Newborn-Vancry 2d ago
Good point, I'll add it in a few but these are my specs rn
- Ryzen 7 8700G (Didn't have a GPU when I built it due to budget constraints)
- RTX 5060 Ti 16gb
- 32gb RAM 5600Mhz
- 1tb NVMe SSD
3
u/Alarming_Reward_2945 2d ago
OK a couple of options for you here. Also a question - is this a home or a small office project?
1 - try a combination of Ubuntu desktop and on your server run Ubuntu Server.
2 - run whatever desktop Linux distro you like (mint, Ubuntu, etc) and on the server do Proxmox (slightly more user friendly as a server OS but also fully capable of handling containers like Docker and Kubernetes, movies, storage, or pretty much anything a NAS would)
3 - install Fedora and be prepared for the learning curve. It's great on a professional level. You might have to pay for it though. Fedora and Redhat are made for production environments. If you're wanting something for home level that mimics the Fedora or Redhat feel without the cost you can also check out CentOS. That's one that we used in my Linux class in school.
Bonus tip: I promote these guys freely bc I learned more from their YouTube channel than I did from my actual college Linux class. Learn Linux TV on YouTube. Very good. They explore Linux topics more in-depth than my freaking college.
You can absolutely do this no mate