From Windows to Linux - A New Beginning

The operating system is one of the most important things on a computer. It can quickly make decisions for you because of the given limitations of the system. Since my desktop computer left me a few months ago after 8 years, I decided to think again about my operating system. Since I didn't want to buy a Mac, I had to choose between Windows or Linux again. After all the changes in Windows over the last few years, I decided to go with Linux this time. But in the Linux Ecosystem are many distributions present. Which one should I choose for my use case? Debian because I already use it on my servers? Or Ubuntu because it's probably the most used of all? My decision fell on Manjaro Linux because it is an Arch-based Linux with rolling releases. That has some drawbacks but also some great advantages for me. Now I have been running on this new system for over three months and here are some of my conclusions after this change. This article will only reflect my personal experience with Windows and Linux.

First days after the change

Since I already used Debian on my servers before, Linux was not new to me. But since I chose a completely different distribution this time, I had to learn a few new things. Especially since an Arch-based system is very different from Debian. And, of course, because this time I had a Desktop environment to set up. But I have to say all the basics work pretty much perfectly outside of the box. To my surprise, I even had zero problems with my docking station for Ethernet and extra monitors. Even though it is from a completely different brand there is no problem. Framework 16 Laptop and Dell Docking Station.

Setup

In comparison to my known setup with Windows, it was much simpler and more straightforward. Not as many things that I had to disable because I didn't want any tracking of myself. I appreciate that Linux itself is way more privacy-focused than Windows is. After the setup, I already started using my new system for all the basic tasks, since FireFox, for example, came pre-installed. Beside the basic system apps, nothing else is installed automatically. No commercial bloatware in the system that I have to remove before the system is usable. So the setup was wonderfully easy and done in just a few minutes.

Package and Software Installation

Since Manjaro is an Arch-based system, it came with the opportunity and drawbacks of the Arch User Repository (AUR). Packages can be found there for nearly everything. All users can build an Arch package and upload it there. That also means that updates on problems can be there very fast. But because of this, you also have to be careful not to install malware on your system.

I already knew about the Arch Repository and the AUR, but I also found the Snap and Flatpak as installation options available. So installation is very different in comparison to Windows. No .exe or .msi files that I have to execute. But for me, it feels much better to execute a command to install software. For myself, I made up an order to search for specific packages. First, I search in the official repository. If it can't be found there, I will try out the AUR and if even that is not helpful, I will check out Snap and Flatpak as the last solution for a fitting package. For the official repository and the AUR, I found Octopi a very helpful visual tool. Especially if it comes to package searching and managing. I prefer it over the pacman cli, but for Snap and Flatpak, I only use the cli to install and update packages.

So far, I have rarely had any issues with packages. In the beginning, I had a problem with the Plex packages when I tried out the AUR, Snap and Flatpak versions. Only the Flatpak version worked well outside the box. The AUR version didn't let me log in, and the Snap didn't use the GPU and had a lot of load on my CPU. The second issue I currently have is the Solaar app, which makes my Logitech MX Keys and Master 3S controllable. Since most of the software is open source, I can submit issues myself or, in this case, there is already an open issue for that problem, but the fix is not out yet. But I could fix it myself and submit a PR for that if it was a critical issue for me.

Resource usage

Since I now have Linux and a company Windows system on my desk, I wanted to make a small comparison resource wise. For your understanding, my Windows laptop is a Dell Precision 5570 with an Intel i7-12800H, 32GB RAM and an NVIDIA RTX A3000. My Linux laptop is a Framework 16 with an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, 64GB RAM and no dedicated GPU. Of course, on heavy workstation GPU tasks, the Windows laptop will have an advantage over my Linux device. But I don't want to compare the performance down to specific tasks. My comparison here is more of a "how it feels" comparison and, since the CPUs have about the same performance, that would be a fair comparison.

The first thing I noticed was that Linux felt way faster than Windows. I thought it could be because of the doubled RAM and I started checking the task managers of both systems. I noticed a very big difference here. My Windows System always had a lot of background tasks. These grab about 10% of the CPU. The Linux device has a 5% workload on the CPU while I write this article and many apps like FireFox, VSCode, Spotify, Rambox and others are open. I also noticed big differences in RAM usage. The Windows device used about 15GB in complete idle and did nothing and used a lot more by just opening some standard apps I also use on my Linux device. Again, while writing this article, I currently use about 13GB of RAM. If I open all the apps I have opened on Linux on Windows as well, with about the same projects and tabs, the RAM usage grows from 15GB to nearly 19GB. The biggest difference here is probably the desktop environment. Since the Windows environment seems to be very resource-hungry. My KDE Plasma desktop environment is also one of the more resource-hungry Linux desktop environments. But it seems to use way less in comparison to Windows.

Daily work and tasks

One of my worries about the switch to Linux was that something I need was not available. And of course it was like that, but in the Linux ecosystem there are many other options for the same task available. For example, instead of MS Office, I use LibreOffice on Linux. But I have used that already as well on my Windows device. Or instead of the Logi Options+ for my MX Keys and Master 3S, I have to use Solaar to connect them through their USB dongle. And the customization is very different from the original software. But I had way fewer problems than I thought I would have. Even Steam for some casual gaming works great on Linux. Of course, not every game is supported yet on Linux, but the casual games I currently play are available. To my surprise, in some cases I even had less trouble with software than I had on Windows. So, in general, it's a great experience and has no real drawbacks to Windows. Sometimes I have to adjust and use other software. But this is not a big problem for me to check out new and maybe better software.

Final Conclusion

For me, the switch to Linux was the correct decision. I feel a lot more productive on Linux in comparison to Windows. And most things I need to work out of the box or with small adjustments. This might not be the case for all you out there, but I recommend trying it at least out for a month or so. Maybe set up a dual boot on your device and try it out yourself. I have had a great experience so far and will stay on Linux for my personal device. On my work device, I have no real choice, so I will stay with Windows there, but that is fine. If you have any questions about my setup or anything else, do not hesitate to contact me via any linked method.