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I once went to do a service at a client's house and when opening my notebook the client asks me: “what a different Windows yours, what version is this?”. I promptly replied: “It's not Windows and yes Linux. I wear Debian”. I couldn't help but notice the questioning face I put on him. For a few moments, his brain went into a tailspin at the simple idea of being able to use a computer without using Windows and still have a beautiful, fully functional system.
I am an activist Free software about 10 years ago, but don't be alarmed, I'm not one of those people who carries a CD of Linux under my arm trying to forcefully convert everyone who crosses my path. I do more the line of the guy who asks questions and is willing to help anyone who is really willing to discover something new in the computer world.
Before continuing, let's make a brief explanation: most of the time the system is just called "Linux” for being more practical, as we will do here in this article, but it is very important that it is said that the correct name is “GNU / Linux”. It seems silly, but the most used name refers only to the kernel, that is, the part of the software that makes the communication between all the applications and the hardware of the machine. The first name, which is usually not é ed, it is the package of functions and applications that allows the entire system to become functional to the s. One is useless without the other. Below, the GNU project mascot and Tux, Linux mascot. That said, let's continue the analysis.
Why migrate? 2k6u3u
This is a very important question and does not have a correct answer. Of course, the financial issue is always very important, but needs vary with each person, so migration must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. For those who really need to use some application that does not work on Linux, there is no reason to migrate. The point is that for almost every solution there is a similar alternative in Linux.
I particularly avoid comparisons like “this is better than that”. In practice any alternative application for Linux will have weaknesses and strengths, it is up to you to analyze which are the most important. I'm not knowledgeable about image editing, but this is often a strong point in migration debates. Photoshop vs. GIMP is a long discussion that deserves to be looked at very carefully. Both serve the common , but s with more specific needs may have facilities and problems with each of the software.
Adobe software does not Linux and is expensive to purchase. Já the latest official version of GIMP, which still has a lot to improve, isá just starting to RAW image editing, a very important feature used to photographers, which ends up making the migration process difficult.
That doesn't mean it's harder to work at a professional level in GIMP. One of the greatest examples of this use in professional works comes from the illustrator Elias de Carvalho Silveira, that among his main works are art of articles and covers for several magazines of the Abril group.
Linux is hard to use
When I go to talk about Linux usually someone argues that this is a difficult system to use, that it is difficult to configure and that nothing works correctly on it. When I ask these people how long they haven't used the platform, the answer is always the same: “several years!”. Well, it's been a few years since the system became very friendly and compatible with the most common equipment.
An image that the common has is that any activity performed in linux necessarily involves the use of a terminal, which is the famous black screen with only small letters. 10 years ago this was true. Even trivial tasks like playing a music CD required a few text commands to mount the drive, run the files, and manually unmount the drives with each use.
Currently it is possible to use the system without ever opening a terminal screen. For all the daily routines of a , there are -friendly screens and graphical interfaces.aphic to interact with the system. Of course, some tasks become much more practical and faster in the terminal, especially when you know the right commands for it. Don't be afraid of the terminal. If you don't want it, don't use it. If you are willing to learn, keep in mind that it is a path of no return, as you will discover the power to control everything that happens on your computer. Here's a quote from Peter Parker's uncle: “With big powers come big responsabilities”. Make system changes carefully, use ROOT only when absolutely necessary, and that a 777 never saved anyone!
Will it work on my PC?
It depends! As I said above, current versions most common hardware, but some parts manufacturers are reluctant to release drivers for their equipment for Linux. Some only release proprietary drivers, that is, they are not Free Software. For those who follow the knowledge-sharing philosophy, using such a driver is against their policies, but if you don't mind, the hardware will work. Major issues still occur with some WiFi cards and some specific video card models. This behavior has already made the creator of linux lose his composure and send an obscene gesture to the manufacturer Nvidia:
If you work with heavy video editing or want to run all the big releases in the gaming world, you might have problems. But for the average , everything will work normally. I've been through a situation where I could prove the simplicity and reliability of a linux system.
A customer, who is the typical “ordinary ”, would bring her Windows PC to me every 3 or 4 months, complaining that it was full of problems. Sometimes it was possible to repair and sometimes it was necessary to format, but the problem was always the same: many useless applications installed and along with them some malwares. She told me that her daughter-in-law ed a lot of music and movies and that she installed “various things” for that. Knowing her real needs, I suggested installing the most current Ubuntu. It's been almost two years since I visit her just as a friend, because her linux is always fast and stable.
choose your flavor
Linux systems are Free Software and as such allow modification and distribution of the modified system. Therefore, several companies and groups around the world create their system customizations and make them available for . This behavior creates a rich universe, but a little confusing for beginners. These different versions are known as flavors, distros or distributions.
There are 3 major branch trees that originate in Debian, Slackware and RedHat, but there are still some versions that were created from scratch. Below is a graph that illustrates all known distributions in 2012 and their derivations. Click on the image to enlarge:
For those who have never had with a GNU/Linux system, we usually recommend using the most current version of Ubuntu (which is derived from Debian), as it is one of the distros with the most driver repositories and the one that requires little configuration to be used. . For those who already have some and who are looking for new experiences, the most I can say is: try different flavors until you find the one you like the most. As we can see in the image above, the list is large. A tip is that using a distro from the same branch tree as the one you use today can be less of a challenge, that is, the new version depends on how many new features you are willing to face.
Performance
I've been asked if the computer can run faster or slower with a system other than Windows. Generalizing the answer, there is a tendency to be faster, but in some specific cases, related to some unusual hardware or a poorly installed driver, Linux can indeed be slower than Windows. There are flavors that have performance as their main focus. The most famous is undoubtedly Gentoo, which always tries to optimize each installed application for the local hardware. The installation of this distro is a little more complicated than the others precisely because the installation itself is already done by adjusting the system to the local hardware. All thinking about getting the maximum performance out of the equipment.
How to install
Almost all versions have a version Live which is nothing more than the system itself already installed on a CD, DVD or pendrive. Just turn on the equipment, loading the system from the media where the Live version is and try it without installing anything. The use in this mode is slower because everything is running directly in the RAM memory, without recording anything on the HD. Through this mode it is possible to test if your hardware is compatible and install it on your PC just by making small adjustments such as language, keyboard layout and time zone. In a few minutes the computer restarts and everything is up and running.
During installation, you can choose whether you want to erase the current system or make a dualboot, keeping the current one and allowing the use of both, such as Windows and GNU/Linux, alternately. A less traumatic option for beginners is to install on Virtual Machines like Virtual Box. The caveat is that this option will always slow everything down as your machine will be running two full operating systems simultaneously. But as a test, this option is highly recommended.
Apps
Many don't know, but the concept of the app store as we have it today on our smartphones was born in Linux in the 90's. Today it's something so trivial that no one re that until a few months ago it was necessary to search the internet for the installer for that app. and when I thought it was an old version and it didn't do automatic update. Each distro has its store and it is possible to add new sources for that store to consult. These sources we call repositories. Some companies like Mozilla and Oracle have their own repositories for the main linux versions.
Some people still use offline document and spreadsheet editing, for which there are alternatives like LibreOffice. For those who use Corel, the alternative is InkScape, to edit videos OpenShot and KDE InLive can do the job. Whatever your need, it's almost impossible not to find an alternative that works on Linux.
Games
Há few years ago the reality of games on Linux was very limited, the alternatives were restricted to occasional hobby games with cards and the like. It was then that some timid initiatives began to appear, such as TuxKart and some FPS with very simple graphics and dubious gameplay. But these were very important to show the market that there was a demand for games on the platform. The big turning point came in 2013, with the release of Valve's Steam Client for Linux. Currently some of the main games on the PC market are already available natively for Linux. Play Counter Strike, Team Fortress and even Left 4 Dead:
Updates
The update policy is not the same for all distros. Some keep the system always up to date and others create major versions and guarantee updates to them for a certain period of time. The interesting part is that upgrading to a newer major version is free of charge, just request the upgrade and that's it. At no cost you can keep all the applications installed on your system up to date in a single command.
give it a chance
Now that you know the platform and have a sense of how it all works, give Tux a chance and explore the preferred (but not exclusive) platform of nerds.
The Ubuntu maintainer provides a website where you can have a somewhat limited experience of what it's like to use the most used distro in the world on desktops, just access https://tour.ubuntu.com/en/ to check.
Now tell us in the comments what you think about Linux and if this time you're going to give it a try and test it!
