So, I finally decided, after years of putting it off, to try out Linux, specifically Pop_OS. I was waiting for another SSD so it would live on its own hard drive on my computer. Today it arrives.
I first heard about it from Emily (I hope this doesn’t offend anyone, just adding for clarity in case some aren’t aware, but formerly Anthony before her transition) on Linus Tech Tips a long time ago. It seemed like an interesting OS, but being the hater of change I am (ironic that I just made a huge change dropping Reddit and love it so far), I kept telling myself, “Yeah yeah yeah, I will try Linux at some point.”
So, does anyone else using Pop_OS have any advice for setting it up that isn’t in the online docs?
My biggest piece of advice would be to research flatpaks and/or snaps if you use proprietary things like Steam, Spotify, Discord, etc. You don’t have to use flatpaks/snaps, but they’ll fix any issues like the famous LTT Linux challenge where dependency issues with steam nuked his desktop. They’ll also get you the latest and greatest if you need the bleeding edge of any particular piece of software.
Secondly, Pop is based on Ubuntu, so if you can’t info you need then searching about the info for Ubuntu might answer your question.
Also, just like Power shell or Cmd Prompt on Windows with admin settings, when you’re in the terminal as root (including w/ Sudo or Doas) there’s no safeties. Distructive commands will run if you tell them to.
Last, if you got the time, try to figure out all the functionality you want out of your device before you need it. Simple things you want such as a screenshot tool are nice to have when you need it, as apposed to going on a mini adventure to find one when you need it.
Good luck!
Flatpak is life.
Just enjoy, Pop os and the Gnome desktop environnement are very intuitive, simple and fun to use, just like a smartphone.
I switched right before Windows 11 released after using it on and off in either VMs or on my laptop (that I rarely used). What really helped was all the Proton stuff that Valve was doing, which meant that one of my only excuses for not just getting a second drive to put linux on as primary boot was gone. Been great since then! Enjoy the new experience and once you get past the “how do I do [windows thing] in linux” phase make sure you explore all the cool new stuff you can do in linux that isn’t easy in Windows (like package management for installs and upgrades)!
That is one of the reasons I am making the jump. With them closing out support for 21H2, even though I am on 22H2, it’s only a matter of time before they pull the sneaky, “Oh, we updated this for you! You are so very welcome! Enjoy Windows 11 against your will!” like they have in the past. So, best to see if I prefer linux long term.
Congrats on your jump! May your move be a positive one!
I’m on the Arch side of things and don’t touch Gnome a whole lot, so I probably won’t be a lot of help, but one thing I might suggest is to be prepared for the sheer modularity of it all. It’s no longer a Windows issue, likewise, it’s not generally a Pop_OS issue, it’s a specific app’s issue. If your desktop misbehaves, it’s likely Gnome (or Gnome extensions), if games aren’t loading in general, it’s probably Proton/Wine. I say this because it helps immensely to narrow down where an issue or incompatibility lies.
The modularity also has some really cool benefits to it though! If you find that you don’t like your file explorer, install a different one. If you find that you prefer Plasma’s customization but not ready to make a leap off of Gnome, install it alongside Gnome so you can try it out and see what you like or don’t like about it.
The other thing I’d suggest is to be ready to rewire your brain on what apps you default to, just like you’re doing with Lemmy & Reddit, but on a mass scale. It can be subtle differences like gNotes vs. Notepad, or as extreme as Krita vs. Photoshop. Getting familiar with the FOSS replacements for many of the common apps that you use will take you much further than trying to get familiar Windows apps to work on Linux.
Gaming: There’s a lot to learn, but if you take it bites at a time, it’ll make sense. Start with games on Steam, play some Windows games on Linux, note how freaking cool that is. Start to make use of ProtonDB.com to make some games work that might not out of the box, or optimize games you currently have working based on people’s suggestions.
Small jump, ProtonUp, here you can install various runners, compatibility tools, and get your hands messy with the runner side of things. While I don’t need ProtonUp very often, understanding runners can be invaluable, since you might benefit from using a GE version, or take for instance, when Overwatch 2 came out, it wouldn’t run on Wine, but you could copy the runner from Bottles into Lutris and play off of that.
Then the big leap: Lutris and Bottles. These two are fairly similar, Lutris is predominantly for games that aren’t in Steam, and Bottles is generally for applications. I use Bottles very little, because using Linux stuff on Linux will always treat you better than trying to get a Windows thing to work on Linux. Lutris has scripts to help install games for you, but its interface allows for more exploring what those properties on ProtonDB actually are and what they do for you. At this point, you can customize some of the compatibility tools to fit your liking or contribute back to others so they can also play things that may not already have a premade script.
Last and certainly not least: 3 expectations \- Be ready to be a self starter: if things go wrong, be ready to read some (fabulously written) documentation, pulling up some (well organized) logs, and doing some good old fashioned research. \
- Do not be afraid to reach out for help: The Linux community is a passionate one that wants to see others thrive in it. If you have issues with Lutris, why not hop on their discord and get help directly from them for free? Most paid services (Windows) don’t even offer that kind of support! \
- People are people. I know this sounds obvious, but while Linux is fantastic and its community is wonderful, try not to take it personally if someone’s difficult. Most people that support the Linux ecosphere are volunteers, they’re not paid, some of them are really not good with people, and there’s always a lot to do. Be patient with folks, temper expectations, and be ready to get your hands dirty with your computer, because while someone might be able to help guide you, it’s going to be you pushing the buttons.
Congrats again, my friend, and welcome to a big new world <3
Hope you enjoy it! The biggest thing to keep in mind is that you’ve been using windows a long time, and have a lot of experience with it. It’ll take awhile using linux before you’re as competent with it as you are with windows. I see a lot of new users go through some version of “I’ve been using this for a week, why is it so much more confusing than the software I’ve been using for over the past two decades?”
I’d recommend using flatpak instead of snaps. Snaps (the Ubuntu proprietary application manager) does a lot of weird things and the apps take up a ton of space. Also updating them had been pretty tedious.
Flatpaks however have been painless for me and seem to just work.
Nice! My first distro was Kubuntu back in 2016. Pop OS is pretty solid and a good distro to try out, too- just stay curious and you’ll probably find yourself hopping around from thing to thing for a while. Enjoy
When you run into problems and google for answers and they’re all on locked reddits ask here so we can start to rebuild that knowledge base.
