Three Months on Linux: Why I No Longer Miss Windows

In January, I finally took the plunge and installed Linux on my desktop. My goal was to see how far I could go using a Linux PC as my primary machine without diving deep into research or troubleshooting. Since then, I’ve only booted into Windows twice: once to scan a document that Linux couldn’t handle and again to print a photo for my kids’ school at the last minute. The reason it’s taken me three months to update my Linux journey is simple: everything has gone surprisingly smoothly.

Before long, my Linux setup stopped feeling like a novelty and became just my computer. It’s not a perfect substitute for Windows, but it’s definitely less frustrating. The transition has been easier than I anticipated. While there are times when finding and installing apps requires a few extra steps—sometimes easier than on Windows, sometimes not—most of the experience has been calm and stable. Even troubleshooting has been oddly satisfying.

Getting into the nitty-gritty, I’ve encountered a few minor hiccups, like a gaming mouse that only works in games. Most of these issues stem from specific hardware choices I made, like sticking with my nemesis, the HP OfficeJet 8720 printer, and opting for a newer rolling distribution based on Arch Linux instead of a more mainstream option with a predictable release cycle.

One of my favorite fixes involved CachyOS, which comes with Snapper, a built-in imaging service that saves snapshots of the OS before installing or updating programs. This allows you to roll back if something goes awry. Initially, it saved 50 snapshots in a 2GB boot partition, which filled up quickly. After a few weeks, Snapper warned me it was out of space. CachyOS has since updated its installer to default to a 4GB partition, but I had to manually resize my partitions to make room for the boot partition. It was a bit silly, but the process was straightforward and oddly satisfying.

In January, I also faced a frustrating issue where my ethernet connection wouldn’t get an IP address from my router after waking from sleep unless I first connected to Wi-Fi. Thankfully, I could troubleshoot while using the computer since I had both Wi-Fi and ethernet, but I prefer the latter. After some digging, I discovered that the default driver for my ethernet card wasn’t playing nice. I tried a new driver, toggled ipv6, and set static IPs, but the real culprit turned out to be an old port-scanning protocol I had enabled on my networking switch years ago. Disabling it resolved the issue, and I even fixed a problem I had created while trying to solve another one. It’s all about learning through experience!

Currently, I’m dealing with a quirk where the mic on my Logitech Brio webcam doesn’t always transmit sound. Sometimes it works fine, but other times it cuts out mid-sentence. This might be due to my installation of EasyEffects, but I’m still investigating. I have other microphones and computers available, so it’s not a huge deal—though I might be more motivated to fix it if I didn’t.

Sometimes, problems resolve themselves with a little patience. I wanted to add text extraction to the screenshot utility in KDE Plasma, a feature I missed from other systems. Luckily, after a week, Cachy updated to Plasma 6.6, which included that feature. Score one for waiting!

When I last shared my experience with CachyOS, I lamented the lack of the Arc browser. Thanks to some reader suggestions, I found Zen, an open-source alternative built on Firefox, and it’s been a solid replacement. I also grabbed a Spotify client from the Arch User Repository, set up git, and successfully recompiled the ZMK firmware for my number pad. For photo editing, I’ve been using the Photopea web app, which has worked well enough for my needs so far.

I decided against installing howdy for webcam facial recognition because it doesn’t seem as secure as Windows Hello. While I’m not worried about my kids using photos of me to run commands on my computer, I prefer typing my password for now. Microsoft and Apple have invested heavily in biometric security, and the Linux approach of relying on community contributions puts it at a disadvantage. Fingerprint authentication works fine, but my desktop lacks a fingerprint reader.

On the gaming front, Cachy is performing well, though I’m still avoiding competitive multiplayer games or anything that requires anti-cheat measures. I managed to get Minecraft: Bedrock Edition running with MCPE Launcher by enabling remote login and disabling vibrant visuals. My kids have moved on from Minecraft, but we had some fun weeks with it. I’ve also played Hardspace: Shipbreaker, Esoteric Ebb, Caves of Qud, and a bit of Baldur’s Gate 3, all running smoothly through Steam or the Heroic Games Launcher.

Last time, I mentioned a quirky bug with my old gaming mouse that only worked in games. I’ve since replaced it with a Keychron M5 vertical mouse, which has been fantastic both in and out of games, surprisingly replacing my trackball.

You might wonder why I’m sticking with a system that required some coaxing to get the wired ethernet working, has occasional mic issues, and sometimes refuses to sleep. The answer is simple: those are the exceptions. Most of the time, everything just works, and figuring out how to fix the hiccups is part of the fun.

I was content with Windows until I wasn’t. I’ve been using it since childhood and building my own desktops for nearly 20 years. I didn’t choose to have the Start menu ruined or the app that opens Office documents renamed so many times that my computer forgot how to do it. Those changes weren’t my doing. Fixing Windows when it breaks is frustrating because it feels like Microsoft is prioritizing its internal issues over user experience.

In contrast, if my Linux browser can’t find my webcam mic because I installed EasyEffects without reading the documentation, that’s on me. If half my operating system suddenly switches to French, it’s because I added that feature. I opted into this situation; it wasn’t forced upon me. It’s the difference between running for enjoyment and running because you’re late.

Linux embodies the Unix philosophy: it consists of many small, modular pieces of software that excel at specific tasks, rather than one massive program trying to do everything. It’s like a box of Lego instead of a single action figure. The skills I’m developing by figuring out how to install a spellchecker, change drivers, or configure git are transferable across the OS and its software, which I find really cool.

I haven’t completely abandoned Windows; my laptop still runs it for now, and I have to admit that the Surface Pro is a solid tablet. It would be even better if Windows were less annoying, but Microsoft is aware of that. I need to stay current with Windows for work, but I’ve realized I don’t need it on my desktop anymore. I’m having a blast with Linux, so I’m sticking with it.