Thoughts after stepping into Linux

I made the jump into Linux after building my first PC 1.5 months ago. It certainly made for a weird conversation at the PC shop when they asked if I want to buy Windows and I kept insisting a bloody watermark is fine.

The first thing I did after arranging my desk was install Linux Mint. And then the journey, quite a painful but joyous one (in the end), begins.

Wired peripherals

A no-brainer for many PC veterans, but a total misjudgment from someone coming from a decade and a half of laptop use.

Bluetooth doesn’t work during the BIOS setup, which means I can’t select any option to boot into Linux. So the stupid me totally forgot that I need a wired keyboard.

Thankfully, I had a wireless Logitech Anywhere mouse that still had the USB receiver, so that worked. But not enough for me to get far enough.

I slept without completing the task. It wasn’t a good sleep. I ran down to the nearest office supplies shop the next day to get the cheapest wired keyboard that served only one purpose — installing Linux Mint. It now sits inside the cupboard since I’ve gotten myself a better keyboard.

Motherboard issues

So there was a bit of drama at the PC shop I didn’t mention.

While I was selecting my PC parts, I referenced Hardware for Linux extensively to run through the parts that are compatible with Linux.

However, I was kinda conned at the PC shop. Although I’ve outlined my specs, they ended up bringing me a motherboard that wasn’t the one I picked.

It was a drama because I wasn’t told until they’ve finished helping me assemble the parts. Stupid me for not being observant, too.

The motherboard had some issues connecting to Wi-Fi and the Ethernet. I solved it now, but every time I update my kernel, I had to re-install my Ethernet driver. I’m still not sure about my Wi-Fi, cause I’m totally embedded in the Ethernet now.

ChatGPT can be a lifesaver, or ender

Of course I have to talk about ChatGPT.

For coding, I have a love-hate relationship with ChatGPT and Claude.

In languages that I have almost no or beginner experience like Javascript, it has certainly helped me a lot in enabling me to do stuff I wasn’t able to before.

However, on stuffs that I am quite experienced in, it sometimes breaks things more than it fixes. That makes me believe the JS code it gives me is pretty shit, but it works. Kinda like Skyrim.

And unfortunately, my first Linux Mint installation was a failure after blindly following its advice.

I found that instead of asking ChatGPT, I can just be a bit more patient, searching with several search terms, reading each line of comments in the forum or elsewhere, and understanding everything before entering anything into the console.

Perhaps someone knows how to fix my need to reinstall Ethernet driver issue, but at least I don’t have to re-install Linux again.

A breath of fresh air

We should end it with a positive note, and there are many. Not enough to fit in here.

The customisation option is the best I’ve seen versus Mac and Windows. Unfair to Windows since mine is unlicensed.

Most of all, the lack of bloat feels superb. It’s the same feeling after letting go of a heavy backpack I’ve been carrying from the airport to the train and then to the hotel.

I had to use Windows for a bit cause it has to be installed. After needing to use it a while (cause of the keyboard issue), moving to Linux really felt much better.

There’s no constant pop-up that I need to log in to OneDrive, no random Windows update that could break things without notice and no constant notification that I’m too poor to afford their license.

It’s much faster to load. I have the feeling that I can fix everything through the terminal if anything goes wrong, and the availability of free and open source alternatives. I’ve gotten used now to using Libreoffice, GIMP and have faced no issue with installing and playing games.

I haven’t booted up my Windows at all, and only on my Macbook when I’m away from the PC.

It can feel a bit frustrating that some random software is not available on Linux, but maybe it’s a reminder that I don’t need that stuff, anyway.