It's funny, because I really don't have any major issues with my Windows personal laptop right now. It boots fine, and I have all the tools I need. Still, getting back to Linux has been on my mind for a long time.

Looking back, the first time I used Linux was probably around 2004. In Brazil, Linux became popular with the distro Kurumin, which was based on Knoppix. I got a book from the author on how to understand Linux, and that’s when I learned the basics. Between 2010 and 2013 I was playing around with Ubuntu. I had a dual-boot desktop with Windows and Ubuntu for years, but I never fully jumped ship because of video games and AutoCAD. Back then, running games on Linux was either too complicated (using Virtual Machines would crash a lot), or simply impossible. AutoCAD is a 2D and 3D architecture/engineering drafting and design software I used a lot, and it still doesn’t have a native Linux version.

Today, that might be a different story, and that’s exciting. Gaming on Linux has become much more viable, and I don’t use AutoCAD anymore.

This is mostly a fun project for now. I know it will be hard and time-consuming at times, but I will be learning something, and I used to love that. Or, it might be a breeze, I don’t know! For some reason, learning operating systems has always been fun for me. I don’t fully know why, but it scratches a certain itch. So I am going to embrace this experiment and see where it takes me.

I still feel a bit conflicted because I am not particularly irritated with Windows in my day to day personal use yet. I was able to disable or ignore most of the annoying things on Windows. And to be honest, it's very convenient for me to have Windows and Microsoft 365, which integrates well with my work email/calendar/files.

At the same time, this feels like an ideological question, when I look at the grand scheme of things. Do I want to keep using Microsoft as they fill everything with AI, make Windows more restricted, and increasingly push ads into the experience? There are simple things I have wanted from Windows for years, like a proper calendar widget on the desktop or better integration between Outlook and To Do (which never happened!). On Linux, I could have a completely different experience with different solutions, one I can shape and customize the way I want.

So, in the end, this Linux experiment is a great way to build for the future. It is a chance to continue exploring open source solutions and to stay in a constant state of learning. I think it is going to be an interesting journey. That is really what this is, a journey. I will learn new things, try new setups, and be part of a community that values freedom and privacy.

#linux

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.