Georg KrammerAug 15, 2024
Ok, it's finally time to leave Microsoft and switch to #Linux
Windows 3.1 are childhood memories, but I can't stomach it anymore.
Was thinking if something appearently easy and straightforward like #spirallinux with #cinnamon desktop for the switch.
Any #advice out there?
Show threadGeorg KrammerAug 16, 2024

Thank you @bencardoen @sean_from_oz @iamkexo @Corb_The_Lesser @readbeanicecream for the fast and helpful advice, most appreciated! 🙏

Is there any hidden price you pay for just sticking with the distro with the easiest experience of microsoft-to-linux-transistion?
I just want to get further away from the #data and #privacy nightmare that has unfolded.

Show threadGeorg KrammerAug 19, 2024

@bencardoen @iamkexo @Corb_The_Lesser @readbeanicecream @sean_from_oz

Oh wow there are many #distros out there. I had no idea 😆 I've now tried out #Linuxmint and #Spirallinux
I already see that I will be unable to decide on one distro of #Linux :D

Show threadFábio Costa 🐇🕐🎩☕Aug 19, 2024

@GeorgKrammer @bencardoen @iamkexo @Corb_The_Lesser @readbeanicecream @sean_from_oz if boths are Debian/Ubuntu based, you are at home...

If not, still, you can go easy on migrations if you do a good partitioning on your system.

As a rule of thumb, split you disks on /, /home, /boot/efi (or /efi, or /boot, according your system) and swap (if you use)

Show threadBen CardoenAug 19, 2024
@fabiocosta0305 @GeorgKrammer @iamkexo @Corb_The_Lesser @readbeanicecream @sean_from_oz
This is great advice, makes switching distros _very_ easy (though you should try to refrain from switching, it's somewhat addictive).
Re /swap, some distros don't create a swap partition anymore and use zram etc, but for .e.g. programming/heavy compute having a dedicated swap is a lifesaver, otherwise the oom-daemon tends to freeze / kill things, whereas swap gives you a few minutes to intervene
Show threadGeorg KrammerAug 20, 2024
@bencardoen
Yeah, I already feel what you mean by it being somewhat addictive :D
Show threadBen CardoenAug 20, 2024
@GeorgKrammer There are advantages to distro hopping as well, as you'd need a solid backup / migration strategy, which in life in general is important (but overlooked) as well. To a large extent knowledge gained using say Debian is applicable using Fedora, or Arch (minus the package manager and minor differences in filesystem layout). The CLI will be largely the same, and desktop envs can be modified to use the same keyboard combos.
Show threadGeorg KrammerAug 20, 2024
@bencardoen
The irony of things is that by now I have all of my data packed up on local hard drives again. If I think back 10 years or so, everything was migrating to clouds. And now with everything happening, I find myself going back to old habits.
...like streaming vs torrents...
Show threadBen Cardoen
@GeorgKrammer Same here, though I try to combine them, for long term storage bitrot becomes a thing. On Linux you can look into BTRFS/ZFS as next gen filesystems as well, though a bit of reading up to understand pro/cons is recommended. For cloud backup I use IDrive, for passwords/keys a combination of Yubikey (superb linux support) and KeyPass derivatives.
Aug 20, 2024 at 5:27pmWeb
Show threadGeorg KrammerAug 21, 2024
@bencardoen
So as things turn out, I think I will end up going with #antix for my smaller laptop and I am considering #Nobara for my bigger laptop. So far things look smooth :)
Thank you again for the help!
Show threadBen CardoenAug 21, 2024
@GeorgKrammer Sounds good, I don't have experience with either of those so it'd be interesting if you can share your experience. Also keep an eye out for the recent issue with dual boot microsoft/linux & secure boot if you are dual booting