How many of you completely switched to Linux?

[dark-helmet-chris]

I *think* you could say that I have completely switched to Linux. I originally started off with Knoppix Live back in about 2004. It didn't take me long to install Fedora (not sure what version). Shortly after that I started using CentOS for my file server and that experience was "O..M..G.. I can DO all this? No extra money spent? I can have FTPd, SMBd, etc. Okay, this is just awesome." Then I started using Fedora for a desktop. I wasn't so happy being on the bleeding edge, at least not for my primary desktop. So, after a while I switched to Ubuntu LTS and found that I really liked the stability and the package manager - you see I have never really been all that good at compiling my own stuff. Once Unity came around, well, I prefered something else, so I took to Xubuntu, and then I tried Linux Lite. Fast-forward to today where I'm really very happy with the current Linux Mint (a derivation of Ubuntu).

Throughout all that, I still ran Windows as a dual-boot on my primary workstation up until about 4 years ago. This was about 10% or less of time in Windows and the other 90% of the time in my Linux-based desktop. I found VMware and started running my Windows in a VM. Then I found Oracle Virtualbox. Then I started really getting into KVM/QEMU for my primary virtualization solution for both server and desktop. This gave me everything I needed for my Windows needs. Again, fast forward to today and I have NO Windows on my desktop. If I absolutely need Windows for some troubleshooting or to solve a problem for a customer, it's always in a VM on my Linux server under KVM, and not on my desktop at all.

I never cared much for gaming, unless you count Quake, which has several wonderful Linux-based clients and servers. So.. that was never a concern for me.

So, unless you count a Windows VM that is rarely used, I'm all Linux now:
- Linux MInt on my desktops / laptops
- Linux MInt on my wife's desktop / laptop
- OpenWRT on my router
- RasPBX on my Rasperberry Pi - Asterisk-based PBX
- Ubuntu Server on my Servers, and on my customer servers too - Windows VMs which are ONLY when absolutely necessary.

I have switched most of my customers to Ubuntu Server using Samba for networking their Windows clients.

It's an exciting time.

Smiles from Chris

[ChuangTzu]

I have switched since 08 to Lionux for all internet and music but use windows regularly for programs that only work on windows. Windows XP actually ran better on my first 600mhz PC. A full Ubuntu 8.10 install would slow it to a crawl. So I did one of those minimal Ubuntu installs on it and it worked much better but never as fast as XP. For some reason back then Ubuntu was a CPU hog. I haven't booted that machine now in many years. I'm booted into a copy of Xenialpup multiboot USB right now and so far I like Xenialpup. I always did like the way Puppy mounts all the hard drives and needs no root permissions to do almost anything. Its very easy to copy and paste or create new folders. I haven't liked in the past how its command line system differed from Ubuntu.

LOL, thats because with Puppy everything runs as root unless you mark it as spot....

[teheefb]

I got rid of my windows partition and installed elementary os (ubuntu based) a few months back, and I'm really happy with it, I'm not a hardcore gamer so games like Left 4 Dead 2 and Insurgency do the job to keep me entertained. I have not found anything that I can't do on windows, so I don't really miss it, of course for some things you may need to find alternatives, like for a video editor like After Effects you'll have to use another alternatives like Blender or Kdenlive.

[amiga500]

Personally the one thing that stops me from having Ubuntu my main OS in all my devices A) Games, B) be able to use game making tools like game maker studio, engine001, etc C) drivers for devices like printers, scanners, etc. So I have a specific laptop that is exclusive to Ubuntu I can use it to take it around with me and the laptop is small and light. So it works great for me. I may consider using virtual play or something to install windows inside ubuntu through virtual PC to run apps/games that will not work through wine. But that in itself is a put off to make a complete switch for life.

[jpberes]

I did definitely switched towards Linux in 2010, before I was using it in dual boot, now Only Linux, being currently Ubuntu Mate 17.10

[toregon]

I have been running windows since DOS was replaced by windows 3.1 xx
1 month ago I was fed up with the start menu and search problems in windows on my Surface 4 pro
Digged up a old Lenovo x series and ran a clean installer of Ubuntu 17.xx
Everything worked ! docking station 3 screens etc etc
I am baffled . It works as a charm and I feel that I am in control om my own computer again

Im soon 54 years old, and wondering why I haven't done this before

The only thing I need now is a good SIP phone client and my Surface 4 gets Ubuntu too

[vitaliy.h]

First time I touched Linux in 2005. It was Knoppix live-cd and it didn't impress me, therefore next 12 years, I was windows-user. At the last year, in April 2017, I installed Fedora 25 and Mint 17.03, because Windows 7 with all its patches and solutions became "heavy" for my old laptop. Do you know what happened? I had to recognize, that something important was lost by me while I use Windows last 7-10 years. Immediately Windows was removed. Now I use Ubuntu 16.04 and Fedora 27. To my high regret Windows still lives in VirtualBox on my laptop because of a few apps, which I need to use sometimes. I believe that this problem will be solved by Linux-community shortly.

[frnkln]

Never ever going back to windows again ! Just hoping that game industry supports linux more in the future..

[jbig1959]

I did but left windows 7 on dual-boot as a back-up....

[mobius+]

Its more than 10 years when i first installed Linux on my computer. It was suse Linux in that time. I had Windows as a dual boot. Since then I have changed to Ubuntu, later Kubuntu, Linux Mint, Mate and back to Ubuntu again. Now I have Win8 as dual boot but its not for me, just for my girlfriend when she uses my laptop (yes I know...I am doing bad things to my laptop ). But I am working on just on Linux and would newer change again to Windows.