In-between Windows and Linux

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share a brief account of my journey with Linux and Zorin OS over the past few months. The beginning wasn't easy; most of the challenges were in my head :person_facepalming:, stemming from my background as a Windows user and the common stereotypes about Linux.

My computer is quite old but still runs well. It couldn't handle Windows 11 and was struggling with Windows 10, and I was getting tired of Windows altogether. So, I started looking for alternatives, and Linux caught my attention. I had no real understanding of Linux, only the idea that it was complicated and confusing. I spent a lot of time Googling, reading, and navigating the unknown.

Luckily, my first choice, Zorin OS, turned out to be the right one. It's often recommended as a good option for people transitioning to Linux, and I can see why. There were some minor issues at the start, as there often are with anything new. Problems arose with installation (the helpful Zorin OS instructions and GParted saved the day), dual-boot confusion (which eventually sorted itself out), network connections, Bluetooth devices (especially with a Broadcom adapter), and communicating between the Windows and Linux partitions on my computer. I also ran into issues with system backups due to a problematic version of Timeshift in the Zorin OS repository and so on.

The biggest hurdle was using the terminal. Thankfully, this forum has been an incredible resource. I've found many solutions and received a lot of help from both the community and the community leaders, who are always straightforward and helpful.

A lot has changed since then. Linux is starting to feel more familiar and user-friendly. I've made a few steps along my learning curve in Linux—I'm getting better at diagnosing issues, searching for solutions, and even using the terminal. I've started to enjoy it! There are still many things I want to learn, like experimenting with Wine (I need a few specific Windows programs) and trying out different desktop environments. I appreciate the freedom that Linux offers; I can make my own choices and take responsibility for them, which is empowering.

When the time comes, I'll be ready to say goodbye to Windows without any regrets. Thanks again to everyone who has helped along the way and for friendly atmosphere in this forum. If this post seems a bit long or boring :person_shrugging:, feel free to skip over it—it's just my experience in the chat section. Though, maybe it's more of a story about discovering a new path with Linux and Zorin OS :pray:.

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Hi Black Cat, thanks for sharing your story, there are things I can relate to, although I'm not as far down the path with Zorin as you are. I did have a lot of issues when I first installed Mint on to another, older, computer - a kernel update completely broke the installation and I had no choice but a fresh install.

I'm off work, enforced summer holidays, so I'm taking the time to get to know Zorin on another, slightly better machine than the Mint one, to see if it will be suitable to run the apps I have to use when I'm teaching.

I also feel sick of MS and Windows, and really needed to make the leap... Windows 10, I have managed to "tame" but I can't foresee the same for Windows 11. What I am thankful for is that it (WX) made me into a "Tweaker" unafraid to get into CMD, Powershell and RegEdit, which made the Terminal an easier step.

I can also echo what you've said about the community here, within Zorin: friendly, helpful and to the point.

I'm going to keep following this path to see where it leads me - I really hope that one day it can be my "daily drive" without the need for another OS, but I might just be a "Distro-Hopper"!!! I like playing and learning, but I really appreciate the community here in Zorin.

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