My 12yo learnt about Recall from some Youtube video and has now said they want to move to Linux. I’m not fully convinced it’s possible though, I know they have some modding tools etc for indie games that seem to be Windows only. Let’s see.
This guy gets it! But in any case, I’d let him brick it. I would not be where I am if I had not bricked (for real) a couple of expensive devices during my youth.
Dual boot! Lets you keep one foot in the Windows door in case you need anything in Windows. I also run a Windows VM (Winapps) for small programs that don’t run well on Linux and also don’t require much processing power
Saw something on programming.dev about some extra telemetry Windows 11 was adding or something like that? I forget. It was definitely something I think is bad, that people on programming.dev also think is bad. Then, despite having done registry edits and everything else I could think of to turn off auto Windows updates to make sure I would not get the bad new feature added in an update, my Windows 11 computer auto updated anyways. Got mad, wanted to switch to Linux, asked !linux@programming.dev for help, and finally did it four months later, a few days before the new year started.
I had a similiar tale. I just started programming course in uni and took the OS class where we interacted with servers a ton through bash. Then I realized I spend so much time mucking around in the myriad of control panels and regedit of windows to get basic things functioning and to diagnose constant BSODs that I might as well go to linux. Turned out linux is the experience windows markets itself as: easy and streamlined. It is just a lot less work than on the windows side once you get used to how linux does things differently. Overall experience has been smoother, workflow has been nicer and all my BT stuff and audio equipment works with less errors and bugs, while not requiring ANY installs.
Once I got past the errors that windows would also get if you set up your BIOS and filesystems for linux, it has been smooth sailing on my nvidia gpu even. Only issue is jittery VR that I haven’t bothered to look into as I simrace on my monitor now.
As a farewell gift, windows 11 bricked my fedora boot thumbdrive. Twice.
Oh wow, how did it do the latter!? (I’m technical than the average person, but half the time I feel too dumb for programming.dev, but I’ll never smarten up if I don’t stick around and learn, so…)
Also shifted off Windows 11 to Fedora. Well, at least, a modified version anyways—Nobara—on the suggestion of a user in the thread.
Two I know have all but commited to switching after seeing me be able to join them in basically everything we might want to play together.
They’re just using their w10 installs until they inevitably need an OS reinstall, at which point they’ve said they’ll have me over to set them up with whatever I’ve figured out works best at that point.
I’m one. As a Mac user, I haven’t used windows in years, and avoid it like the plague. But, the limited games support meant I had to rely on consoles to get my gaming fix. With Steam’s strong support for Linux, I decided to build a gaming PC for Linux only. It’s been great. I just wish more publishers would support it — the ones adding kernel-level anti-cheat are ruining things, but I’m hoping if enough people switch to Linux, they won’t be able to ignore us.
I’m really lucky that I avoid anything that has anticheat. Not because I’m a cheater but because all the slur-screaming 12 year olds and my own fear of getting addicted to MMOs if I ever gave them a try have mostly dissuaded me from anything with online multiplayer.
Which means most of my games are Linux-compatible and I have no gaming group I’m giving up by making the jump :D
I’ve long had a mix of Windows and Linux machines, and currently have a gaming desktop with Win10, my old gaming desktop/media center PC on Win10, and my laptop/homelab machines all running Proxmox or Debian. At first I hadn’t migrated to Win11 because Microsoft hadn’t convinced me it’s an upgrade, but Copilot has now convinced me it won’t be an upgrade.
I haven’t decided exactly when, but the Windows 10 EOL is going to drive me to remove Windows from my remaining computers, and just use Linux.
Anecdotally, more of my techy friends are at least entertaining the thought of switching to Linux when they never did before. Great job, Microsoft!
My 12yo learnt about Recall from some Youtube video and has now said they want to move to Linux. I’m not fully convinced it’s possible though, I know they have some modding tools etc for indie games that seem to be Windows only. Let’s see.
Encourage your little one to explore their interests!
This!! If little guy wants to brick his computer 3x times before getting it right , let him .
I haven’t bricked my computer once running Linux and yet with Windows I have gotten the blue screen of death 3 times and lots of freezes.
I’ve nuked my bootloader entries a handful of times. I wouldn’t trust a 12yo to know how to fix that. But maybe I’m not giving 12yos enough credit 🤷
Why the downvote tho? If lil guy wants to brick it, let him.
You’re using biased phrasing against Linux and no they will not brick their system.
Wow, right over your head dude. It’s just the sentiment he is sharing.
lmfao but what if he wants to brick it ? Let him!!
If they’re going to brick it, it won’t be with Linux, but with a funky UEFI firmware. It’s incredibly hard to brick a computer by installing an OS.
Presumably your using the word “brick” wrong. Or are you suggesting this poor person buys 4 computers until they learn how to do something?
This guy gets it! But in any case, I’d let him brick it. I would not be where I am if I had not bricked (for real) a couple of expensive devices during my youth.
Dual boot! Lets you keep one foot in the Windows door in case you need anything in Windows. I also run a Windows VM (Winapps) for small programs that don’t run well on Linux and also don’t require much processing power
Why do you include the “dont require much processing power” part?
Depends on the games, but I play several games modded on linux, and some have even gotten linux-native mod managers.
Before them, proton usually lets you run stuff intended to mod windows games.
I had a similiar tale. I just started programming course in uni and took the OS class where we interacted with servers a ton through bash. Then I realized I spend so much time mucking around in the myriad of control panels and regedit of windows to get basic things functioning and to diagnose constant BSODs that I might as well go to linux. Turned out linux is the experience windows markets itself as: easy and streamlined. It is just a lot less work than on the windows side once you get used to how linux does things differently. Overall experience has been smoother, workflow has been nicer and all my BT stuff and audio equipment works with less errors and bugs, while not requiring ANY installs. Once I got past the errors that windows would also get if you set up your BIOS and filesystems for linux, it has been smooth sailing on my nvidia gpu even. Only issue is jittery VR that I haven’t bothered to look into as I simrace on my monitor now.
As a farewell gift, windows 11 bricked my fedora boot thumbdrive. Twice.
Oh wow, how did it do the latter!? (I’m technical than the average person, but half the time I feel too dumb for programming.dev, but I’ll never smarten up if I don’t stick around and learn, so…)
Also shifted off Windows 11 to Fedora. Well, at least, a modified version anyways—Nobara—on the suggestion of a user in the thread.
Gotta be our best selves in 2025!
Two I know have all but commited to switching after seeing me be able to join them in basically everything we might want to play together.
They’re just using their w10 installs until they inevitably need an OS reinstall, at which point they’ve said they’ll have me over to set them up with whatever I’ve figured out works best at that point.
This is how it’s done man. Keep it up.
I’m one. As a Mac user, I haven’t used windows in years, and avoid it like the plague. But, the limited games support meant I had to rely on consoles to get my gaming fix. With Steam’s strong support for Linux, I decided to build a gaming PC for Linux only. It’s been great. I just wish more publishers would support it — the ones adding kernel-level anti-cheat are ruining things, but I’m hoping if enough people switch to Linux, they won’t be able to ignore us.
I’m really lucky that I avoid anything that has anticheat. Not because I’m a cheater but because all the slur-screaming 12 year olds and my own fear of getting addicted to MMOs if I ever gave them a try have mostly dissuaded me from anything with online multiplayer.
Which means most of my games are Linux-compatible and I have no gaming group I’m giving up by making the jump :D
I’ve long had a mix of Windows and Linux machines, and currently have a gaming desktop with Win10, my old gaming desktop/media center PC on Win10, and my laptop/homelab machines all running Proxmox or Debian. At first I hadn’t migrated to Win11 because Microsoft hadn’t convinced me it’s an upgrade, but Copilot has now convinced me it won’t be an upgrade.
I haven’t decided exactly when, but the Windows 10 EOL is going to drive me to remove Windows from my remaining computers, and just use Linux.
Yes, good. Give in to your hatred (of Copilot). It makes you powerful!