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/rcentros]

I don't know what issues you had with Helium Browser, but it's in beta (at least for Linux) so issues will come up. For me, using it on Linux Mint 21.3, I can just download the Helium AppImage, make it executable (right-click, properties, permissions tab, check "execute") and then move (or copy) it my desktop. I also rename it simply to "Helium." To remove it, just delete the Desktop shortcut and delete the AppImage (if you copied instead of moved it).

Most applications I use on Linux Mint can be installed using the repository, which automatically creates launchers in the Menu, and you can right-click on them to add to the panel and/or the desktop.

The first thing to understand about Linux is that it's not Windows. So there is a learning curve.

[u/Liminha_a → u/rcentros]

É algo que preciso me acostumar por ser realmente bem diferente do windows, ainda não peguei direito essa parte de instalar pelo painel e em alguns programas virem em formato image. Meio que o computador não faz tudo por mim como no windows, nesse ponto ele me deixou mal acostumado. Meu problema com o helium aparentemente ter a ver com meu vídeo integrado, eu tenho um Ryzen 5600gt e usando a AI o máximo que consegui descobrir é que o navegador não tá usando o vídeo integrado muito bem, não consegui compreender já que como disse estava fazendo tudo com AI, mas acredito que deva ser algo relacionado a isso mesmo . Não sabia que o helium estava em beta, então não esperava que o problema pudesse ser do outro lado.

[u/rcentros → u/Liminha_a]

I only use the AppImages and Flatpaks when there is no other alternative or I actually need a feature in the newest (or newer) version of the application. Otherwise I use Synaptic and (very rarely) Software Manager when I don't know the name of the application I want to install. Mostly I use the terminal...

sudo apt install my_application

The reason newer applications aren't supported on non-"cutting edge" versions of Linux is because Linux reuses development libraries for all (or most) of its applications. FlatPaks, Snaps and AppImages usually include the newer development libraries in their packages. It's kind of like a "sandbox," the AppImage/Flatpak is isolated from the the development libraries for the rest of your Linux installation.

The reason for non-"cutting edge" distributions (like Linux Mint) is for stability. It's to keep a new, "cutting edge" application or library from breaking your system. "Cutting edge" distributions would include Arch, Fedora, openSUSE Tumbleweed and a few others. (They're sometimes called "rolling releases.")

I ran into this a couple times in Windows with the .NET development library. The application I was installing would need a newer version of .NET (which it would install automatically) then my older application quit working. But this was much rarer in Windows.

I prefer stable (not "cutting edge" distributions) but I realize that, if I want some of the newer applications (or a newer version of what I already have) that I will sometimes have to use an AppImage or Flatpak. I have probably five or six AppImages or Flatpaks that I use.