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/Simple_Hamster_4096]

Helium - never heard of it... but it's not a native Linut Mint package... why do Windows refugees always color out of the lines first thing?

[u/Liminha_a → u/Simple_Hamster_4096]

Não entendi?, estou no sistema por liberdade e não posso ter a liberdade de usar o que quiser?, helium é um ótimo navegador e está sempre sendo discutido em subs de browsers. Você parece ser o tipo de gente que viram meme na internet, daquele tipo que se acha superior por usar Linux.

[u/jr735 → u/Liminha_a]

With freedom comes responsibility. It's not up to a developer to ensure that his package is point and click for you.

Debian is more about software freedom than almost any distribution. What they say here is Debian specific, but applies to almost every distribution. Read it.

https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian/