Linux
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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If you already kinda like mint, I suggest moving out of a VM for a proper OS install.
Linux in a VM is just that: A VM. It has the same use case as VMs in general. If you want the Linux experience i think you're better off allowing linux to properly talk to your hardware.
What to try depends entirely on what you normally do with tour PC, be it steam, deluge, or libreoffice. Use your mint installation for whatever you usually do with Windows.
My advice: install it on a second hard drive. You can also install it besides Windows, but that might break after a Windows update.
Linux feels different on bare metal than in a virtual machine. In a VM, it feels sluggish and is more prone to glitches.
Things to do/ my tips:
- use it just like you would use a PC normally (surfing, file management, etc.)
- If you decide to install it on bare metal, try gaming on it. It is almost as viable as Windows for that, and pretty much all (single player) games work on it, often even better!
- Use the package management system. Linux has the best ever! You don't need to install random stuff from the internet, you just go into the software center, search for it and click "install", just like on Android. System- and app-updates are usually at the same place.
- Stay on Mint for a while. You made the right choice, it is one of the best distros out there, especially for beginners! See, what you dislike and what you like, and only then jump to another distro. Otherwise, you will reinstall your OS every week.
- Don't try to force-install everything you're used on Windows. Some stuff, like MS-Office, isn't just available here. You have to look out for alternatives, in that case, OnlyOffice or LibreOffice for example.
Software recommendations
There isn't that much Linux-exclusive software out there. Most of it is open source, so it usually gets also published on Windows. But here are some I like that are:
- KDE Connect is freaking awesome
- Everything from the "Gnome circle" is also elegant and simple. It's a collection of "do one job"-apps that are very polished.
- Lutris: a game management software, that shows you your library and also offers quick-installations for Windows-games through Proton. A must have for every gamer, it replaces your dozens of launchers.
KDE connect has a windows version
Yeah, but it absolutely sucks
I've never used it so I guess that's good to know
Sadly, it is only good from Android to Linux (preferably KDE, but Gnome is almost/ just ad great).
I was super hyped when they released the iOS and Windows versions, but both suck, really.
iOS is super restricted (who had thought...) and Windows is super buggy and only works in one direction (Android to Win), with most of the great features missing and always loosing connection
It's really about what you want to do with your computer. Try to do something you would normally do on Windows in Linux. If you're already using an open source program to do it on Windows you will very likely find the same program on Linux.
If you want to play games they will likely not work well in a virtual environment.
Firefox, kitty terminal, vs code... Etc :)
Check out OnlyOffice. It's a fork of LibreOffice that's almost an exact clone of MS Office. It's a fantastic program that should be familiar to anyone coming from Windows.
Since you're just using a VM, you should try out some other distros and then pick one to install on your machine. Linux Mint is great for new users just switching from Windows. I personally find the KDE Plasma DE to be the best replacement for the Windows 10 GUI, so I'd recommend you check out Kubuntu or KDE Neon.
I've been using Pop!_OS recently, and it's amazing. Everything works out of the box with no need to tweak anything, and I love the workflow features like autotiling and the launcher. The Pop! Shop is also something I'm appreciating more. It's an excellent place for new users to look for software, and the flatpak support really makes it perfect for me. I've been using flatpaks instead of official repositories as much as I can recently, and it's been a long time since anything I have installed has caused me issues.
Look at the guides on TLDP, it can be interesting like https://tldp.org/LDP/Bash-Beginners-Guide/html/index.html
If you look up "how to make a bookmark" for example, you might find the tutorial for the right browser you're using, or you might find one for chrome/firefox/edge, or you might find a tutorial on a real bookmark.
Narrowing your search to the specific program you're using will get you better results. "how to adjust mouse sensitivity in Linux" will not get you good results. Look up "... In Linux mint" or in your chosen desktop environment. You'll get much better results.