Why Linux?

So, Why Linux?

Linux in itself is just a kernel. But when people tend to talk about it they refer to a distro. Either it be Debian, Arch, RedHat, OpensSuse. A distro is an operating system bundled with the Linux kernel, software, tools, and files.

So why Linux? well for one if you care about privacy, you like owning the pc/laptop that you actually purchased with your money and you like a variety of options when it comes to software and tools then a Linux distro just might be for you.

Linux has also gained huge strides when it comes too gaming. Compatibility layers like Wine not only work for games but also some windows only software. You also have Lutris and of course Steam. (apps like Steam and Lutris are downloaded and installed via package manager, flatpak or snap. Ill give some info about these in another section.)

Distro Desktop Enviroments "de"

Some if not many distros may haves their own de to choose from when going threw the installation. For instance Linux Mint uses Cinnamon by default. I picked Mint as an example because in my experience Mint is by far the most user friendly distro out there for new users.

Now there are more de's out there however I am only going to list the ones I use on a daily bases (these fit my workflow). Kde is by far my favorite. Its fast, looks and feels good and is all around stable. It also has plenty of customization options to choose from if you are into tinkering around. Id also like to note that in my experience kde is and should be your de of choice if all you want to do is play games.

Next up is Gnome. If you want a de that works great with multitasking then this is the de for you. It's also a de that isnt very customizable ootb. You have to install an extension to do so. However if you already like the way it looks and dont want to mess around with settings this should be a good choice.

When it comes to gaming with Gnome I always run into weird glitches. Like games switching to window mode when in full screen, games would crash randomly. Id also like to say though eveyones pc/laptop is different so it may or may not have any issues.

Package Manager

Every distro either comes with its own Package Manager or uses the same one that it is based on. For example Linux Mint uses apt which is based upon Debian and Ubuntu. The link above is a good reference.

Flatpak and Snap

Unlike Windows Linux Distros for the most part have all their software, tools, apps all located within a package manager. Every de has their own version of a software store that lists all the software you need from repositories. So that means you never have to search the net, download, and install.

This is where Flatpak comes in. It is streamlined easy to use and overall better for the community. Then we have Snap. I don't use it myself since I am not to fond of what it represents. But hey you should check it out anyway.