I am shifting from Windows to Linux. What are some explanations for Linux, as I am new to it? What programs work on Linux? What doesn’t? I have read more about it here but haven't got a satisfactory answer.

Probably the first thing to tell us is what you want to accomplish. What does your computing 'work-flow' involve? What do you use your machine for?

The sort of thing you will need is a Linux distro that is very easy to set-up and use, and which looks as close to Windows as possible. However, do remember that Linux isn't Windows. It does things in its own, inimitable way, and Windows apps/programs will not run on it unless you set up a special environment.....examples of which include using WINE (which is a sandboxed, 'real-time' Windows environment running inside Linux), or (if your hardware is sufficiently powerful/has the right instruction sets in the CPU) running a virtual machine.....and running Windows inside that.

There are literally thousands of Linux apps/programs out there which will accomplish everything you can do on Windows. Just bear in mind that the names will be different from what you're used to, they will look different, and will do things differently. But the outcome will be the same.

All the major, established web browsers are available in Linux, just as they are in Windows; Chrome, Firefox, Opera, etc. (Don't even think about trying to use Internet Exploder.....though most folks wouldn't be that crazy!)

Much depends on the amount of enthusiasm you bring to the table; will you be determined to see it through, or will you be quickly discouraged and give up at the first hurdle?

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For a beginner-friendly 'distro' (short for distribution), I would recommend Linux Mint. I haven't used it for years myself, but a lot of people swear by it, and will be more than willing to help with it.

Really, it's up to you whether you're successful with it or not, but the days of Linux being for 'geeks' only are long gone. Many of the major distros have gone out of their way to make the transition from Windows to Linux as simple & pain-free as possible.

Dive in!....but before you do, have a read of THIS.


Mike.

Hi, it may also be worth letting us know your proficiency level with computers in general. Do you use computers all day every day (in a professional capacity?). Why have you decided to use linux?

Your questions are a little vague, but I'm going to try to answer them.

Do you mean - what is Linux's raison d'être? Why would anyone use it instead of Window/Mac? Who is it for?

The main idea behind Linux is that you are in control of your computer, no-one else. It's for anyone who wants it. Linux is Free and Open-Source Software [FOSS]. The word 'free' has a dual meaning here, it means a] gratis/it doesn't cost the user any money [people often say "free as in free beer" which I think is a meaningless and ridiculous phrase, what they mean is it doesn't cost anything for the user] and b] its source code is viewable and adaptable by anyone. Open source code is more secure because everyone can see/report/fix bugs quicker or, as Eric Raymond said, "given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow". This means that there are very few viruses in Linux. So few that it's generally thought unnecessary to install anti-virus software.

Linux is about giving choice to the user. The user can change anything from the way the desktop looks to small tweaks in a program. There is a huge amount of customisation available. If you don't like the file manager, you can change it, if you want your desktop to lightweight/heavyweight, look like Windows or Mac or something entirely different, you can do so. Linux will not nag you to update your computer, you do that when you want and at your own convenience. Updates take a hell of a lot less time than in Windows and you don't need to reboot after an update unless the update is to the kernel. It's quicker than Windows/Mac and won't slow down over time. It doesn't need defragmenting. It is very stable.

Linux operating systems are known as 'distributions'. There are hundreds. Why are there so many? This is because a distribution [or distro] works behind a certain ethic.

e.g. Linux Mint is for ease of use and people learning Linux for the first time;

Elementary is for people who are starting out and coming from the Mac world;

Debian is for people who only want totally free software and stability [good for servers];

Kali/Parrot is for penetration testing professionals;

Gentoo is for advanced users who want to build their system from the ground up;

Slackware is for people who value traditional Unix methods and rock-solid stability.

etc, etc. The list goes on and on. You'll find that there are distros whose names keep coming up time and time again [e.g. some of the above], those are the most popular ones.

EDIT: These days I do not recommend Ubuntu to any users because Ubuntu now forces updates.

Linux is heavily community-orientated. Hanging out on forums/chat rooms will introduce you to a lot of interesting topics and characters. You will note generally that the quality/thrust of conversation is often related to a distro's userbase. The easier distros can generally have more fun/casual topics/posts in their forums than the more advanced distros. This makes them good, friendly entry-points for people starting out, but there can also be a slightly bigger risk of incorrect advice. Websites like Stack Exchange/Reddit attempt to fix this through upvote/downvote systems. Linux Questions runs a 'reputation' system, but rep points are not only rewarded for correct or thorough advice, they are also a show of how much others agree with or like a poster's comments.

Linux programs! All software written for Linux is generally kept in a software repository, not on the program's website. You connect to that repository through a package manager [this can be GUI or command line] through which you can search for, download and install the program you want.

A lot of proprietary [closed source] programs do not work on Linux since they won't make money. However, some common programs do work e.g. Spotify, Skype, Steam, Firefox. Some proprietary programs will not be in main software repos but they may be in non-free repos.

A lot of stuff. Adobe Lightroom, Final Cut, Photoshop, basically a lot of programs that are out there to make cash. However, some programs have perfectly good Linux equivalents that do the job just as well.

If the moderators don't count this as advertising, you can follow the links in my signature and buy a copy of my book The Charm of Linux, which explains some of this stuff for Windows users who want to know more.

davidwilliams,

Welcome to LQ.

First, give Linux Mint (or another distribution) a try on your Windows machine without actually installing it:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to...ur-windows-pc/

There are many Windows-equivalent software programs that are available in Linux, but several are Windows only.
It all depends on what software you need to use.

Most people don't need to use any particular software. They need to do particular things in the real world. There are exceptions of course, such as students being obliged to use a named package for a project, but for most home users it makes no sense to ask "Can I run Program X on Linux?". The correct question is, "What Linux program do I need to run to do so and so?"

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That last post hits the nail on the head! To get some idea of the sort of software you'll have available, visit this site:
https://linuxappfinder.com/
Note that you can search there for a Windows program and see what Linux programs do something similar. Unlike the situation with Windows, you don't (if you're wise) wander round the web looking for software. It's best (especially for the beginner) to get all your software from your distribution. You'll get a starter kit when you install it and more will be available from its repository (like an app store). The distro will also take care to keep all you've installed up-to-date with security patches etc.

As a beginner, you need a distro that's easy to install, is reliable, comes with lots of software, and has readable documentation. Luckily they can be run from the installation medium (DVD or USB) so that you can try before you install.

A major difference is that you get to choose your gui. They come in many varieties: plain, fancy, big, small, weird… For ease of use and maximum reliability, there are 4 worth considering:
Gnome: phone-like; suited to people who don't have a lot of software or run several programs at once, but who just want the internet and a few other things. Get it from Ubuntu (pick the Long-Term-Support version).
KDE: highly configurable and flashy enough to make Mac users say wow. Get it from PCLinuxOS.
Xfce: plain and traditional, concentrating on speed and efficiency rather than looks. Get it from Xubuntu (LTS).
Mate: middle of the road. Get it from Mint.

Depending on the specs of your computer, one thing to consider is VirtualBox.
Using VirtualBox you could try some Linux distributions in Windows and if you really want to make the shift you can use VirtualBox to run Windows in Linux and avoid any "cold turkey" situations.

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davidwilliams,

Here is a list of Linux applications and tools, grouped by category, which you may find helpful:
https://www.fossmint.com/awesome-linux-software/

probably you find it interesting: linux is not windows
More or less everything works on linux, would be better to say what do you need? (Office, games, browser, ...)

You may get some hints of Linux software options and the Alternative To site.

What software do you absolutely need and can't live without? I'd look at what alternatives Linux has, if you can live with them, and so on. For instance, I do music. In Windows land, I used Finale, and it's the industry standard. Now, I use lilypond for analog music, and it's far superior (in-my-not-so-humble-opinion) to Finale. Lilypond + Frescobaldi is a near-perfect combination for what I do, although I wish Frescobaldi still had vi key bindings. But Lilypond is also not what people expect (especially if they want me to provide a Finale file, although most times a PDF is fine.) It's also arcane to learn, if you don't know any TeX or LaTeX.

Browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Vivaldi, Opera, Chromium, Palemoon. Probably a few others I'm forgetting. I had an issue with Hulu, but to be fair, I haven't tried it since Hulu went paid-only.

Word processing: Libre Office is nearly-identical to Word in that if you're familiar with Word, you'll be familiar with Libre Office, although libre Office works. I used LyX, too, and it's kind of nifty.

Gaming: Have a gander at what GoG and Steam offer for Linux. There are a great many natively-supported games. If there isn't a port, it may also work via WINE or Steam's Proton. (Be sure to check winehq and protondb before you switch.)

Are you OK with supporting yourself with computers? People here are generally friendly/benign and helpful. You likely won't get much support for ISP's and other software companies. If something goes wrong with your computer, it means chasing down what's wrong on your own.