Finally Switched to Linux Mint After Watching PewDiePie's Video – Sharing My Beginner Journey, Learning Curve & Why I’m Sticking With It
So I watched PewDiePie's video where he installed Linux Mint on his PC and Arch Linux on his laptop and ever since then, I’ve been kind of fascinated by the idea of trying Linux myself.
I’ve been a lifelong Windows user, so I was definitely hesitant at first. But the more I learned about why people switch to Linux, the more it started to make sense — the control, the community, the freedom.
After a lot of overthinking, backing up data, and double-checking everything, I finally took the plunge and installed Linux Mint on my PC.
Now, I won’t lie — it was definitely a learning curve to get everything installed and up and running. I used YouTube tutorials and I still rely on ChatGPT to help me tweak things and make sure Mint runs smoothly.
One thing I’ve come to love is the freedom to customize things exactly how I want — not based on how someone else says it “should” be. That’s powerful, even if I’m still figuring it all out through trial and error.
For example, one of the first things I missed from my HP laptop was three-finger and two-finger touchpad gestures. Out of the box, they didn’t work — but I managed to set up a three-finger swipe to switch between tabs/windows, and when it finally worked, the sense of achievement was unreal.
That said… I’m still struggling with two-finger swipe gestures — specifically, the ability to go back and forward in browsers (like when you're clicking through links and want to swipe to go back a page). I’ve tried setting it up the same way I did the three-finger gesture, but for some reason, it just won’t work. Even ChatGPT couldn’t fully help me with this one — maybe I’m just dumb with terminal stuff. So I’m hoping some kind Redditors can guide me on how to set this up properly.
Another concern I had was: Can I actually use Linux for work? I wasn’t sure, especially since Linux can’t run Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 natively. But luckily, my company uses Google Workspace instead of Teams or Microsoft apps. And let me tell you — every Google app, every tab I open just feels faster on Linux. I love that.
I just hope my next job sticks with Google Workspace too
And you know what? Linux has kind of made me feel like a kid again. I’m exploring. I’m breaking things. I’m fixing them. With my small victories, I tried to show off Linux & explaining this to some friends, and they just looked at me weirdly....
“Why leave the comfort of Windows? Why use the terminal for things that are already automated?”
But for me, as much as I love my convenience — it’s about choice.
Linux gives me the freedom to decide what to do and what not to do. And if it expects me to learn something in order to make things work the way I want — I’m okay with that. I’m ready to use YouTube tutorials, subreddits, ChatGPT — whatever it takes. Because I’m doing it for me, not just because “it’s right there” like on Windows.
If I need something, I’ll install it. If I don’t, I won’t. That’s the kind of freedom I want from my system.
I know it’s going to be a big learning curve. Linux Mint is just the beginning. But honestly? It’s a great place to start. And hopefully down the line, I’ll be exploring other distros too. ..
https://redd.it/1llx1l4
@r_linux
So I watched PewDiePie's video where he installed Linux Mint on his PC and Arch Linux on his laptop and ever since then, I’ve been kind of fascinated by the idea of trying Linux myself.
I’ve been a lifelong Windows user, so I was definitely hesitant at first. But the more I learned about why people switch to Linux, the more it started to make sense — the control, the community, the freedom.
After a lot of overthinking, backing up data, and double-checking everything, I finally took the plunge and installed Linux Mint on my PC.
Now, I won’t lie — it was definitely a learning curve to get everything installed and up and running. I used YouTube tutorials and I still rely on ChatGPT to help me tweak things and make sure Mint runs smoothly.
One thing I’ve come to love is the freedom to customize things exactly how I want — not based on how someone else says it “should” be. That’s powerful, even if I’m still figuring it all out through trial and error.
For example, one of the first things I missed from my HP laptop was three-finger and two-finger touchpad gestures. Out of the box, they didn’t work — but I managed to set up a three-finger swipe to switch between tabs/windows, and when it finally worked, the sense of achievement was unreal.
That said… I’m still struggling with two-finger swipe gestures — specifically, the ability to go back and forward in browsers (like when you're clicking through links and want to swipe to go back a page). I’ve tried setting it up the same way I did the three-finger gesture, but for some reason, it just won’t work. Even ChatGPT couldn’t fully help me with this one — maybe I’m just dumb with terminal stuff. So I’m hoping some kind Redditors can guide me on how to set this up properly.
Another concern I had was: Can I actually use Linux for work? I wasn’t sure, especially since Linux can’t run Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 natively. But luckily, my company uses Google Workspace instead of Teams or Microsoft apps. And let me tell you — every Google app, every tab I open just feels faster on Linux. I love that.
I just hope my next job sticks with Google Workspace too
And you know what? Linux has kind of made me feel like a kid again. I’m exploring. I’m breaking things. I’m fixing them. With my small victories, I tried to show off Linux & explaining this to some friends, and they just looked at me weirdly....
“Why leave the comfort of Windows? Why use the terminal for things that are already automated?”
But for me, as much as I love my convenience — it’s about choice.
Linux gives me the freedom to decide what to do and what not to do. And if it expects me to learn something in order to make things work the way I want — I’m okay with that. I’m ready to use YouTube tutorials, subreddits, ChatGPT — whatever it takes. Because I’m doing it for me, not just because “it’s right there” like on Windows.
If I need something, I’ll install it. If I don’t, I won’t. That’s the kind of freedom I want from my system.
I know it’s going to be a big learning curve. Linux Mint is just the beginning. But honestly? It’s a great place to start. And hopefully down the line, I’ll be exploring other distros too. ..
https://redd.it/1llx1l4
@r_linux
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Vulnerability Alert! Easy Root on Most Linux Distros (SUSE, Alma, RHEL…) via CVE-2025-6018 + CVE-2025-6019
Heads-up to all my fellow Linux folks. A new 2-part exploit chain just dropped, combining CVE-2025-6018 and CVE-2025-6019 to achieve **full root** on default-configured systems.
Here’s the short version:
* **CVE-2025-6018** (PAM flaw in SUSE): Lets an unprivileged SSH user gain *“allow\_active”* Polkit context — i.e., trick the system into thinking they’re physically present.
* **CVE-2025-6019** (udisks2 via libblockdev): Mounts an XFS image and bypasses nosuid,nodev flags to get a root shell — but only works *if* the user has *allow\_active* (see above).
Together? **Any SSH user can get root.**
Affected: SUSE, AlmaLinux, RHEL, Fedora, Debian, Amazon Linux, more.
**Mitigation:**
* Patch both CVEs ASAP.
* Adjust Polkit rule: change org.freedesktop.udisks2.modify-device from allow\_active to auth\_admin.
* Disable or reorder PAM modules as per vendor guidance.
Sources:
* Help Net Security: [https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2025/06/18/chaining-two-lpes-to-get-root-most-linux-distros-vulnerable-cve-2025-6018-cve-2025-6019/](https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2025/06/18/chaining-two-lpes-to-get-root-most-linux-distros-vulnerable-cve-2025-6018-cve-2025-6019/)
* CVE details on NVD & Qualys blog.
If you’re running Alma, CentOS, or SUSE-based servers in prod — it’s time to patch your...stuff!
https://redd.it/1lm3e9r
@r_linux
Heads-up to all my fellow Linux folks. A new 2-part exploit chain just dropped, combining CVE-2025-6018 and CVE-2025-6019 to achieve **full root** on default-configured systems.
Here’s the short version:
* **CVE-2025-6018** (PAM flaw in SUSE): Lets an unprivileged SSH user gain *“allow\_active”* Polkit context — i.e., trick the system into thinking they’re physically present.
* **CVE-2025-6019** (udisks2 via libblockdev): Mounts an XFS image and bypasses nosuid,nodev flags to get a root shell — but only works *if* the user has *allow\_active* (see above).
Together? **Any SSH user can get root.**
Affected: SUSE, AlmaLinux, RHEL, Fedora, Debian, Amazon Linux, more.
**Mitigation:**
* Patch both CVEs ASAP.
* Adjust Polkit rule: change org.freedesktop.udisks2.modify-device from allow\_active to auth\_admin.
* Disable or reorder PAM modules as per vendor guidance.
Sources:
* Help Net Security: [https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2025/06/18/chaining-two-lpes-to-get-root-most-linux-distros-vulnerable-cve-2025-6018-cve-2025-6019/](https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2025/06/18/chaining-two-lpes-to-get-root-most-linux-distros-vulnerable-cve-2025-6018-cve-2025-6019/)
* CVE details on NVD & Qualys blog.
If you’re running Alma, CentOS, or SUSE-based servers in prod — it’s time to patch your...stuff!
https://redd.it/1lm3e9r
@r_linux
Help Net Security
Chaining two LPEs to get “root”: Most Linux distros vulnerable (CVE-2025-6018, CVE-2025-6019)
Two local privilege escalation flaws (CVE-2025-6018, CVE-2025-6019) can be exploited in tandem to achieve root access on most Linux distros.
I made a CPU stability testing tool - Threadstepper
Hello all.
I enjoy overclocking, and moved onto using Linux for my desktop about a year ago.
I made this tool, Threadstepper, to basically test each core/thread under different/variable loads. This is particularly helpful for testing Ryzen CO and undervolting.
It has been helpful in my own testing, as OCCT core cycling doesn't actually seem to work at all on Linux (doesn't isolate load to individual cores). Corecycler, which I used on windows, doesn't appear to exist on Linux.
It is just a personal project I thought might help others, so feel free to do what you like with it!
Hopefully it helps others.
https://github.com/gazpitchy92/threadstepper
https://redd.it/1lm5ylt
@r_linux
Hello all.
I enjoy overclocking, and moved onto using Linux for my desktop about a year ago.
I made this tool, Threadstepper, to basically test each core/thread under different/variable loads. This is particularly helpful for testing Ryzen CO and undervolting.
It has been helpful in my own testing, as OCCT core cycling doesn't actually seem to work at all on Linux (doesn't isolate load to individual cores). Corecycler, which I used on windows, doesn't appear to exist on Linux.
It is just a personal project I thought might help others, so feel free to do what you like with it!
Hopefully it helps others.
https://github.com/gazpitchy92/threadstepper
https://redd.it/1lm5ylt
@r_linux
GitHub
GitHub - gazpitchy92/threadstepper: Linux CPU stability tester - For undervolting and overclocking
Linux CPU stability tester - For undervolting and overclocking - gazpitchy92/threadstepper
Donate Less – The Everyone Environment
https://blogs.gnome.org/steven/2025/06/26/donate-less/
https://redd.it/1lmd1f6
@r_linux
https://blogs.gnome.org/steven/2025/06/26/donate-less/
https://redd.it/1lmd1f6
@r_linux
The Everyone Environment
Donate Less
We have a new donation page. But before you go there, I would like to impress upon you this idea: We would vastly prefer you donate $10/mo for one year ($120 total) than $200 in one lump sum....
Linus on bcachefs: "I think we'll be parting ways in the 6.17 merge window"
lore.kernel.org message from Linus
>I have pulled this, but also as per that discussion, I think we'll be parting ways in the 6.17 merge window.
>You made it very clear that I can't even question any bug-fixes and I should just pull anything and everything.
>Honestly, at that point, I don't really feel comfortable being involved at all, and the only thing we both seemed to really fundamentally agree on in that discussion was "we're done".
lore.kernel.org message from Kent
>Linus, I'm not trying to say you can't have any say in bcachefs. Not at all.
>I positively enjoy working with you - when you're not being a dick, but you can be genuinely impossible sometimes. A lot of times...
>When bcachefs was getting merged, I got comments from another filesystem maintainer that were pretty much "great! we finally have a filesystem maintainer who can stand up to Linus!".
>And having been on the receiving end of a lot of venting from them about what was going on... And more that I won't get into...
>I don't want to be in that position.
>I'm just not going to have any sense of humour where user data integrity is concerned or making sure users have the bugfixes they need.
>Like I said - all I've been wanting is for you to tone it down and stop holding pull requests over my head as THE place to have that discussion.
>You have genuinely good ideas, and you're bloody sharp. It is FUN getting shit done with you when we're not battling.
>But you have to understand the constraints people are under. Not just myself.
https://redd.it/1lmhcle
@r_linux
lore.kernel.org message from Linus
>I have pulled this, but also as per that discussion, I think we'll be parting ways in the 6.17 merge window.
>You made it very clear that I can't even question any bug-fixes and I should just pull anything and everything.
>Honestly, at that point, I don't really feel comfortable being involved at all, and the only thing we both seemed to really fundamentally agree on in that discussion was "we're done".
lore.kernel.org message from Kent
>Linus, I'm not trying to say you can't have any say in bcachefs. Not at all.
>I positively enjoy working with you - when you're not being a dick, but you can be genuinely impossible sometimes. A lot of times...
>When bcachefs was getting merged, I got comments from another filesystem maintainer that were pretty much "great! we finally have a filesystem maintainer who can stand up to Linus!".
>And having been on the receiving end of a lot of venting from them about what was going on... And more that I won't get into...
>I don't want to be in that position.
>I'm just not going to have any sense of humour where user data integrity is concerned or making sure users have the bugfixes they need.
>Like I said - all I've been wanting is for you to tone it down and stop holding pull requests over my head as THE place to have that discussion.
>You have genuinely good ideas, and you're bloody sharp. It is FUN getting shit done with you when we're not battling.
>But you have to understand the constraints people are under. Not just myself.
https://redd.it/1lmhcle
@r_linux
Reddit
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I don't understand people who distrohop when their distro makes a slightly bad decision
There is someone else i know who dropped Linux Mint in 2017-2018 for Kubuntu because they dropped KDE(Perfectly fine decision).
Then in 2021, he went on this Ubuntu bashing trend(He said canonical is outdated, typical excuse to distrohop), and went to Fedora and started annoyingly pedaling it online even when the discussion wasn't about Ubuntu or related to it.
Now, in 2025, he's complaining that every KDE and Linux update is bloated and that he's now switching to BSD. He accused Linux of trying to be like Microsoft.
He will probably hop to BSD, complain that his drivers don't work and move to something else(You guessed, something like Temple OS).
Honestly, if you're the type of person that doesn't even think of the OS when doing your work, don't distrohop like mad. Don't switch because of trends. Because you will be setting yourself up for disappointment.
https://redd.it/1lmj8xy
@r_linux
There is someone else i know who dropped Linux Mint in 2017-2018 for Kubuntu because they dropped KDE(Perfectly fine decision).
Then in 2021, he went on this Ubuntu bashing trend(He said canonical is outdated, typical excuse to distrohop), and went to Fedora and started annoyingly pedaling it online even when the discussion wasn't about Ubuntu or related to it.
Now, in 2025, he's complaining that every KDE and Linux update is bloated and that he's now switching to BSD. He accused Linux of trying to be like Microsoft.
He will probably hop to BSD, complain that his drivers don't work and move to something else(You guessed, something like Temple OS).
Honestly, if you're the type of person that doesn't even think of the OS when doing your work, don't distrohop like mad. Don't switch because of trends. Because you will be setting yourself up for disappointment.
https://redd.it/1lmj8xy
@r_linux
Reddit
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This Week in Plasma: inertial scrolling, RDP clipboard syncing, and more session restore
https://blogs.kde.org/2025/06/28/this-week-in-plasma-inertial-scrolling-rdp-clipboard-syncing-and-more-session-restore/
https://redd.it/1lmj54z
@r_linux
https://blogs.kde.org/2025/06/28/this-week-in-plasma-inertial-scrolling-rdp-clipboard-syncing-and-more-session-restore/
https://redd.it/1lmj54z
@r_linux
KDE Blogs
This Week in Plasma: inertial scrolling, RDP clipboard syncing, and more session restore
Welcome to a new issue of This Week in Plasma!
Every week we cover the highlights of what’s happening in the world of KDE Plasma and its associated apps like Discover, System Monitor, and more.
Every week we cover the highlights of what’s happening in the world of KDE Plasma and its associated apps like Discover, System Monitor, and more.
To all EU citizens plz sign the consumer Initiative 'Stop Killing Games' + ping your friends
https://redd.it/1lmoh9e
@r_linux
https://redd.it/1lmoh9e
@r_linux
ESXi to KVM
A friend of mine manages a small set of VM hosts running ESXi for a vendors application. The vendor has hinted that they are going to migrate to RHEL/KVM because of the inflated license costs with Broadcom. Knowing that I have used all flavors of KVM - I was asked to assist getting KVM running in a lab so that he can become more familiar with it.
My issue is that I can’t decide whether to have him use Virt-manager (knowing it is being deprecated), Cockpit, or Proxmox. We don’t know yet how the vendor will implement the management so I’m stuck on recommending where to start for him.
Which way would you lean to get him started?
https://redd.it/1lmqe2n
@r_linux
A friend of mine manages a small set of VM hosts running ESXi for a vendors application. The vendor has hinted that they are going to migrate to RHEL/KVM because of the inflated license costs with Broadcom. Knowing that I have used all flavors of KVM - I was asked to assist getting KVM running in a lab so that he can become more familiar with it.
My issue is that I can’t decide whether to have him use Virt-manager (knowing it is being deprecated), Cockpit, or Proxmox. We don’t know yet how the vendor will implement the management so I’m stuck on recommending where to start for him.
Which way would you lean to get him started?
https://redd.it/1lmqe2n
@r_linux
Reddit
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Trouble installing Ubuntu
I feel I need to share my recent installation experience in case anyone else runs into it.
Before I do though, the following need to be known:
- I’m new to Linux and know just enough about terminal to get around, but I still depend mostly on the UI.
- I was installing Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS as my primary PC OS.
- My PC is a gaming build mixing Corsair and Asus hardware.
Okay, now for the story…
I downloaded Ubuntu’s ISO (version above) and flashed it to a drive using my Mac and balenaEtcher. Both download and flash did not have any errors.
However, when I went to boot my PC it pulled up the installer just to get my hopes up that this would be smooth.
That’s when the installer started to crap out on me. You see, I would flip through the install pages, but every darn time it would either quit the installer and mount some hardware or it would quit the installer and unmount some hardware.
The hardware it kept mounting as drives were called “loop” and they could not be opened.
So my resolution? Download Ubuntu 24.04.0 non-LTS and try that. That DID WORK and I’m happy to say that after much troubleshooting and swearing I’m now a happy Linux user.
Any idea why this happened? Any ideas what was actually going on for me?
https://redd.it/1ln15r8
@r_linux
I feel I need to share my recent installation experience in case anyone else runs into it.
Before I do though, the following need to be known:
- I’m new to Linux and know just enough about terminal to get around, but I still depend mostly on the UI.
- I was installing Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS as my primary PC OS.
- My PC is a gaming build mixing Corsair and Asus hardware.
Okay, now for the story…
I downloaded Ubuntu’s ISO (version above) and flashed it to a drive using my Mac and balenaEtcher. Both download and flash did not have any errors.
However, when I went to boot my PC it pulled up the installer just to get my hopes up that this would be smooth.
That’s when the installer started to crap out on me. You see, I would flip through the install pages, but every darn time it would either quit the installer and mount some hardware or it would quit the installer and unmount some hardware.
The hardware it kept mounting as drives were called “loop” and they could not be opened.
So my resolution? Download Ubuntu 24.04.0 non-LTS and try that. That DID WORK and I’m happy to say that after much troubleshooting and swearing I’m now a happy Linux user.
Any idea why this happened? Any ideas what was actually going on for me?
https://redd.it/1ln15r8
@r_linux
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Joint Force - Solve puzzles to reunite Belcho and Nim
https://rocketnine.itch.io/jointforce
https://redd.it/1ln0yn4
@r_linux
https://rocketnine.itch.io/jointforce
https://redd.it/1ln0yn4
@r_linux
itch.io
Joint Force by rocketnine
Solve puzzles to reunite Belcho and Nim. Play in your browser
Android 16 can warn you that you might be connected to a fake cell tower -- "Android 16's new "network notification" feature can potentially expose when your device is connected to a fake cell tower"
https://www.androidauthority.com/android-16-mobile-network-security-3571497/
https://redd.it/1ln2rxo
@r_linux
https://www.androidauthority.com/android-16-mobile-network-security-3571497/
https://redd.it/1ln2rxo
@r_linux
Android Authority
Android 16 can warn you that you might be connected to a fake cell tower
Android 16 has a new "network notifications" feature that can warn you when your device might be connected to a fake cell tower.
How trustworthy are FlatHub packages?
Take Chrome, for example. FlatHub says it's "by Google", but also "Unverified" and "Not supported by Google". Then who is uploading / packaging it? Who am I trusting, if I use it?
I like the additional layer of security and control that bubblewrap / flatpak provide, but I don't like having to trust some (unknown, to me, as of this writing) third parties not to screw up or trojan the binaries...
https://redd.it/1ln4knk
@r_linux
Take Chrome, for example. FlatHub says it's "by Google", but also "Unverified" and "Not supported by Google". Then who is uploading / packaging it? Who am I trusting, if I use it?
I like the additional layer of security and control that bubblewrap / flatpak provide, but I don't like having to trust some (unknown, to me, as of this writing) third parties not to screw up or trojan the binaries...
https://redd.it/1ln4knk
@r_linux
Reddit
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Do you NEED to use Linux? Or you just want to?
What is your use case that forces you to use Linux?
For example you are a dev, or work in labs, or you're a pentester, you run servers?
I want to try and estimate based on feedback how many of you need to use Linux, Vs how many of you are just choosing to use desktop Linux or Linux on your phone via userland or turmux etc,
By needing to use Linux it doesn't have to be a career, you can be a student who's too young to even work, but you need to use a certain Linux tool that windows doesnt offer. That still counts as a need.
https://redd.it/1ln8jg7
@r_linux
What is your use case that forces you to use Linux?
For example you are a dev, or work in labs, or you're a pentester, you run servers?
I want to try and estimate based on feedback how many of you need to use Linux, Vs how many of you are just choosing to use desktop Linux or Linux on your phone via userland or turmux etc,
By needing to use Linux it doesn't have to be a career, you can be a student who's too young to even work, but you need to use a certain Linux tool that windows doesnt offer. That still counts as a need.
https://redd.it/1ln8jg7
@r_linux
Reddit
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Why OnlyOffice not popular than LibreOffice
I have been using LibreOffice for more than 9 years because many websites on the internet said that "LibreOffice is the best open-source office suite." So, I started using it.
Sometimes I downloaded Apache OpenOffice, but it looked too outdated, so I deleted it and continued with LibreOffice.
However, nowadays some weekly FOSS YouTube channels are making videos about OnlyOffice 9. It looks similar to Microsoft Office. Has anyone tried it? Is the 9th version any good? Should I try it?
https://redd.it/1ln9eyx
@r_linux
I have been using LibreOffice for more than 9 years because many websites on the internet said that "LibreOffice is the best open-source office suite." So, I started using it.
Sometimes I downloaded Apache OpenOffice, but it looked too outdated, so I deleted it and continued with LibreOffice.
However, nowadays some weekly FOSS YouTube channels are making videos about OnlyOffice 9. It looks similar to Microsoft Office. Has anyone tried it? Is the 9th version any good? Should I try it?
https://redd.it/1ln9eyx
@r_linux
Reddit
From the linux community on Reddit
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