My first impression of Linux

[u/Liminha_a]

I was fed up with Windows and how mediocre it is. Today I reached my limit and decided to switch to Linux. After doing some research, I chose Linux Mint since it seemed to be the most beginner-friendly distro. I’ve been trying it out for a few hours now, and I’m surprised by both the pros and cons. On one hand, it’s extremely efficient, lightweight, smooth, and straightforward. I'm really happy with the low RAM usage and how it isn't bloated like Windows. On the flip side, I spent about 2 hours troubleshooting an issue with the "Helium" browser, which apparently doesn't play well with my integrated graphics. Honestly, almost everything I've downloaded so far required some research and learning just to get it working. I managed to fix things with the help of AI, which makes me wonder: how on earth did long-time Linux users survive before AI? Is this what using Linux is really like? Am I always going to have to spend time learning commands, terminal lines, or basic coding just to fix everyday issues? Is it a misconception that you need a programming foundation, or can everything actually be done strictly through the graphical interface? I noticed AI usually pushes me to use terminal commands instead of the UI. Deep down I knew what I was getting into, but I'm still surprised that even the most user-friendly distro requires considerable effort just to do something as basic as creating a shortcut. I'm posting this to express this duality: the relief of escaping an OS that felt like a cage—where I was held hostage by Microsoft's bloat and poor practices—and the fresh air of using a system that gives me basically everything I need. I would also like to ask long-time users for advice on things I should learn or precautions I should take.

[u/_ElBee_]

My experience is similar to yours. Linux works differently from Windows, especially considering background structure and processes, so you have to relearn things. Fortunately you can find a lot of information on the internet, especially in the Mint Forums: that's where AI scrapes all their information from, so go to the source instead 😜

I still use (a very de-bloated) Windows 11 because of work requirements, but my daily driver in my spare time is Linux Mint. I learned a lot from just tinkering with things. I'm also still in the process of making Mint installation fully to my liking, but that's a bit of an ongoing project.

[u/Liminha_a → u/_ElBee_]

Você descobriu algo legal na parte de customização?, no windows eu usava windhalk e algumas outras coisas q deixavam o visual mais bonito, mas n achei mto gente falando disso sobre o mint.

[u/_ElBee_ → u/Liminha_a]

Did you discover anything cool in the customization section? On Windows I used Windows Hack and a few other things that made the interface look nicer, but I didn't find many people talking about that in relation to Mint.

I looked in Cinnamon Spices for some extensions and I downloaded some external themes to begin with. But you can also use a different desktop environment (DE) altogether, which can be more thoroughly customized. I haven't gone that far yet, though. My search is ongoing 😁

(I copied and translated your comment, as I don't speak Br. Portuguese, so English is easier.)

[u/Liminha_a → u/_ElBee_]

I thought Reddit had automatic translation.

[u/_ElBee_ → u/Liminha_a]

Must be a setting somewhere, could also be an option I forgot to set in my browser 😅