I have been using Linux/open source software from about 2005/2006 (from memory).

I was introduced to it by a network admin who uses FreeBSD himself. I had came from using Windows for probably around (give or take) 10 years, and had never even heard of Linux/open source beforehand. It was a big culture shock, particularly with the file system hierarchy (FHS Standard) and I could not even find files outside of my 'home' folder using bash.

But with all of the trails and tribulations, it HAS been worth the hassle!

What I like most about Linux is the stably of the system, as I have pushed it to it's max and Linux still keeps going!

And speed is a close second as well!

I'm interested to hear other LQ members thoughts on the subject.

I thank any members, for taking the time to share your story.

Originally? Because I hated computers then and I am a cheap bastid that won't spend a dime of beer money on Windows software if I can get away with it,

I learned later about speed, anti-virus , file systems, all the techy stuff later on when I started learning how to drive, roll up the windows, parallel park, and enjoy the perks of this mode of computing. Like that it will install and run on most anything. For free.

I had about as much interest in computers as a 10 year old then. Ebay, Facebook, youtube, etc.....

Gnu/Linux won me over to like using computers. I still feel like cooties when I boot up a Windows operating system. Because I still tune motorcycles with that operating system.

Kinda like having to correspond with, then setting up to go out on a date and having to have sleep and have sex with my ex-wife as part of a divorce judgement. Once in while.

I like Free Software. Every time I make a decision that's not towards free or share-alike software/content, it always seems to have a worse outcome.

A long time ago my parents got me a computer. It had Windows 95 on it. At some point I got tired of my games and took to hunting the file system for some sort of programming environment. My cousin had showed me some Basic on a TI-82, so my computer should have something similar, right? It either didn't, or I didn't find it, and it sort of curbed my interest in programming for a long time. When we moved closer to the city we got an actual Internet connection, and it turns out there's this GNU/Linux thing, and you can pretty much just download whatever programs you want, even the source code and documentation. It's a good feeling to be a first class user of your own OS.

I've contributed to proprietary projects and I always feel like that time was spent poorly. I can't distribute my own version of whatever I worked on, or even send my fixes and changes upstream, or even just debug problems very well. One of my new years resolutions was to stop making decisions like this, because I never win.

I'd like to win more. It's taken me a long time to figure out that I want to make positive, constructive decisions in my life. If I'm going to actually do that I can't go it with Free Software.

I use Linux primarily because I have become rather lazy. I am tired of having to fiddle with drivers in Windows, and worry about updates let alone run extra software such as anti-virus and anti-malware in the background taking up resources. I can get a Linux machine up and working within minutes, as opposed to Windows which can take all day - because of the many system updates.

How did you find out about (and start using) Linux?

Why did I choose Linux? Because it was free, initially.

However, I learned very quickly that it wasn't as unstable as MS Windows, & I could do whatever I liked with it, including adding more free software, no longer was I held back because I couldn't afford to buy MS compatible software.

I repay those people who gave so freely of their time & expertise, by helping others on forums like this one, this is my way of giving something back to the community.

Late 1999 - when I got my second computer an AMD K6-II 450Mhz - had that for 10 years. Initially though it was setup by a friend, and it was a triple boot system. Windows98SE, WindowsNT 4.0 Workstation and Slackware Linux. He introduced me to Linux. Unfortunately at the time, I couldn't get Slackware Linux to work properly, either it would not properly scale the screen - nor could I ever get online - at the time I had dialup.

Needless to say after a bit, I just stuck with Windows, until I gave Linux another look a few years later - at that time I was on broadband, and I was able to get things to actually work correctly.

Plus I think what happened was at the time, it was setup with GNOME as the default DE and at that time GNOME under Slackware started to break down, and I was not aware of the ability to choose a different DE at the time either.

How did you learn of Linux and which distro was your first?

I use Linux, and specifically Slackware Linux, because it does what I tell it to do, no more, no less. Nothing is done behind my back that I didn't OK. Other OpSyses remind of underfoot butlers, more in my way than helpful.

The cost has nothing to do with it as long as I get what I want. I happily paid IBM for over 10 years for OS/2 and spend money to support Slackware and a few 3rd Party items.

I use FOSS because it works, and IMO, is more stable and easier to use than anything else out there.

When I upgraded from a Sinclair QL to a Q60, it came dual booting QDOS and a port of Red Hat Linux to the Motorola architecture. When I eventually switched to the Intel architecture, I just carried on with Linux, so it wasn't really a choice. Similarly, when I originally bought a QL, it was what I could afford: it was only when I started using it that I discovered that QDOS was better than the MSDOS I was used to at work. So if PCs had been cheaper in the 80s, my sequence of home computer systems might have been MSDOS followed by Windows. A narrow escape!

Thank you to everyone that has made a reply to my thread here! I have found your story's very interesting and keep em' coming!