how linux changed my life

It's not far from the truth, I had a decade old laptop that I got to do my college work, and that thing only had about 4GB of RAM ( I later upgraded it to 8GB), and with that running windows 10, it was a nightmare. I could probably run microsoft edge with like 3 tabs before it became excruciatingly slow.

At the same time, I saw Pewdiepie switching to Linux, and until then I always saw it as some dystopian piece of software that only the most accomplished knowledgeable people in computers used. But him out of all people using it gave me confidence. I didn't want Ubuntu because on first sight it really did just look like Windows but for Linux users, who are too afraid to let go of the past, and considering it was a pretty heavy distro, I looked for other options, and landed on Zorin OS, the Lite version, to be specific. And thats where I really started to like Linux.

Now, mind you, I didnt use my laptop for gaming, far from it in fact, because it was way too old, and even when it was released, it was a mid-spec laptop. But, my laptop was super-fast, especially because I had a massive SSD too. And if I am being honest, it got me super interested in computers that I never had before. I learnt more and more, customised how much ever I could, checked my limitations of my laptop. I eventually turned my laptop into a home server, I used tailscale and nextcloud to better utilise my huge ssd.

At that time, I kept hearing from the Linux community on how using arch was the true peak in Linux. Now, I did still use my laptop for my college work, and I was pretty scared to install arch, and then I discovered Omarchy, an "opinionated" arch linux with hyprland distro, and I realised this was my way in. I got it, and thats where I learnt how far the depths of "customising" your OS really went. Now, currently, I use arch linux with hyprland, gnome, and kde plasma, and hyprland customisation really gave me confidence in customising other DEs, and I have made each of the DE's my own.

I use hyprland when I want to sit and program, GNOME when I am studying or researching, and KDE-Plasma for other stuff, because it has a pretty huge application store that I really appreciated.


Of course, I had my share of problems, I was an idiot at first, asking chatgpt for all steps when I needed something done, and I ended up deleting my bootloader from the system, of whose severity I didnt realise at first until I rebooted it. Two hours later, after a lot of swearing and slurs at Chatgpt, we managed to get it back, albeit I had to reinstall the entire OS back, with all my files gone. So, that was a lesson well-learnt.


All I want to say is, I wouldn't have had half the knowledge I have in computers today if it wasn't for Linux, and to be honest, my out-dated laptop. If my laptop was pretty decent-speced, I dont think I would have wanted to switch from Windows. But now that I was able to experience it without fear, I just know whatever laptop I do decide to get in the future, it will be running Linux for sure.
So, thanks to Linus Torvald and all the people who spend day and night making Linux better everyday.

edit: apparently my lack of paragraph breaks was jarring, so added them for readability, sorry in advance!

https://redd.it/1p6fppk
@r_linux

A new Raspberry Pi Imager
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/a-new-raspberry-pi-imager/

https://redd.it/1p6e1eu
@r_linux

wayscriber - live annotation & whiteboard app for Linux (stylus also)
https://redd.it/1p6jew9
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Gamers Nexus have started benchmarking games on Linux.
https://youtu.be/ovOx4_8ajZ8

https://redd.it/1p6m7py
@r_linux

NTFSPLUS Driver Updated As It Works Toward The Mainline Kernel
https://www.phoronix.com/news/NTFSPLUS-v2

https://redd.it/1p6m6h2
@r_linux

Welcome to our team
https://redd.it/1p6u0j8
@r_linux

Porn Giant Calls For Device-Based Digital ID

Source: reclaimthenet.org

Open ecosystems would feel the pressure. Independent browsers, community
distributions of Linux, and other user-driven projects could be pushed toward
government-linked identity requirements simply to maintain compatibility.

https://redd.it/1p6zask
@r_linux

Typesetter - Editor for Typst (alternative to LaTeX)
https://codeberg.org/haydn/typesetter

https://redd.it/1p73col
@r_linux

Switched to gaming on Linux and can confirm its going great!
https://redd.it/1p74ovx
@r_linux

Does anyone use After Effects in a virtual machine?

I have Windows on another SSD just for After Effects. And restarting your PC to do specific things is terrible for your workflow. (I use Blender and Davinci Resolve for practically everything, but some projects require AE, due to the client's workflow).

Does anyone use After Effects in a virtual machine? Does it lose a lot of performance? How do they do it?

https://redd.it/1p75kqt
@r_linux

Released: Torrra v2 - a fast, modern terminal torrent search & download tool
https://redd.it/1p77ncb
@r_linux

KDE Going all-in on a Wayland future
https://blogs.kde.org/2025/11/26/going-all-in-on-a-wayland-future/

https://redd.it/1p7a1lx
@r_linux

Urgent ACPI Revert For Linux 6.18 To Deal With Some Hardware Crashing
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Urgent-ACPI-Revert-Linux-6.18

https://redd.it/1p78nqg
@r_linux

Affinity for Linux? Canva's next big move could reshape the desktop software market
https://techcentral.co.za/affinity-for-linux-canvas-next-big-move-could-reshape-the-desktop-software-market/274861/

https://redd.it/1p7c4el
@r_linux

Google's ChromeOS replacement will be Aluminium OS. Can we assume it a "Linux" distro?
https://redd.it/1p7cho0
@r_linux

What innovative Linux projects are you most excited about right now?

As the Linux ecosystem continues to evolve, there are always exciting projects and developments on the horizon. From new desktop environments to groundbreaking distributions and tools, the creativity within the community is truly inspiring. I'm curious to know which innovative Linux projects you're currently following or contributing to. Are there any new applications, frameworks, or distros that have caught your attention lately? Perhaps there’s a unique approach to system management or a fresh take on user experience that you find particularly compelling. Let’s share our thoughts and insights on the projects that are pushing the boundaries of what Linux can achieve.

https://redd.it/1p7jldo
@r_linux

Collabora Brings Office Suite to Linux Desktop
https://www.collaboraonline.com/blog/press-release-bringing-collabora-online-to-the-desktop/

https://redd.it/1p7rrlb
@r_linux

The Zig language repository is migrating from Github to Codeberg
https://ziglang.org/news/migrating-from-github-to-codeberg/

https://redd.it/1p7un0d
@r_linux

I've been defending you Ubuntu!!!, you can't do this to me :(
https://redd.it/1p800d6
@r_linux

Ubuntu: The Distro I Love to Hate (But Can’t Quit)

Hey guys.

Warning: This is a whining post!

I’ve been using Linux for about a decade now, and my journey started out of sheer frustration with Windows 8.1. The tile interface and general UX drove me nuts, so I made the switch to the distro I knew the best at the time: Ubuntu.

Fast forward to today, I use Windows on my work machine (because corporate) and Ubuntu on my personal ThinkPad + Lenovo dock setup with two external displays. Here’s the thing: Ubuntu just works. Synaptics DisplayLink drivers? Only officially supported for Ubuntu. Plug&play with my dock and monitors? Ubuntu. Minimal fuss? Ubuntu.

I’ve tried to break free: Pop!OS, Mint, Fedora but nothing matches Ubuntu’s out-of-the-box smoothness for my hardware. I know Ubuntu isn’t the "cool kid" in the Linux world anymore, and I’d love to switch to something more community-driven like Debian or Fedora. But every time I try, I hit a wall with driver support, dock compatibility, or just general polish.

Am I alone in this? Who else is stuck in the "Ubuntu works, but I wish I didn’t need it" limbo? What distros have you tried, and what finally made you switch (or stick)?

My next step to cheer me up: Try Omakub

Thanks for listening

https://redd.it/1p7z2hz
@r_linux

A new version of CDE was released.
https://www.phoronix.com/news/CDE-2.5.3-Desktop

https://redd.it/1p87dzf
@r_linux