Summary
- Linux excels as an operating system with free availability and versatile hardware compatibility.
- Despite not using Linux as a primary desktop OS, it’s my preferred operating system for my servers and networking setups.
- Lack of first-party app support is what keeps me from personally using it, and Linux could win me over if big companies got more involved.
Linux is a great operating system, but I just can’t use it as my main desktop. I’ve tried in the past, and there are a few things that hold me back from switching over. I would if I could, but I just simply can’t.
Linux Is a Fantastic Operating System
Let me start out by saying that Linux is a fantastic operating system. I know there are many flavors of Linux, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. But, as a whole, Linux is great at what it does.
It’s completely free, for one, and that’s enough right there for many to use it. It’s also very capable on both old and new hardware, and excels especially when you need an operating system for programming.
However, a drawback of Linux is that it doesn’t have a ton of first-party app support. That might not matter to your specific use case, but it does mine, and it’s one of the reasons that I don’t run Linux as my desktop operating system.
Linux Runs All of My Servers
While I might not run Linux as my desktop OS, I still do run Linux on a lot of the machines at my house. My Proxmox hypervisor is Linux, and I run several Linux virtual machines within it. Both of my Unraid servers are Linux-based. My Raspberry Pi runs a flavor of Linux, too.
None of my servers or networking stacks would be possible without Linux, and I think Linux makes for a fantastic server. I’ve tried macOS server as well as Windows Server in the past, and there are reasons I don’t use either of them anymore. macOS server has been discontinued, and Windows Server requires license keys that are hard to obtain and isn’t nearly as open (or easy to use) as Linux is.
As a server OS, Linux is king. The best, I’d even go as far as to say.
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All of my Docker containers are also Linux-based, too. The crazy thing is, Linux even runs my Wi-Fi router, my network switch, and I use Windows Subsystem for Linux on a weekly (if not daily) basis.
Windows and macOS Are Where My Heart Lies
While I do love Linux, and it runs all of my servers, I just simply can’t use it as my main desktop operating system.
This is due to the fact that there’s just not enough first-party application support on Linux. Both macOS and Windows offer support for Fusion 360, the Adobe suite, and other software that I rely on daily.
I used to use macOS exclusively for 99% of my workflow, only resorting to Windows for gaming. However, a few years ago, when I started getting more into CNC machining, I had to switch to Windows to run that software. Even my CNC software doesn’t support macOS, as it’s Windows only.
As much as I’d love to run Linux as a daily OS, I just can’t. I’m too ingrained in the first-party applications that are available exclusively on either macOS or Windows.
Plus, I’m a huge gamer. I love Minecraft, which actually does work well on Linux. But, I also enjoy games like Black Ops 6, No Man’s Sky, Cities: Skylines 2, and several others. Some of these games work through Steam’s Proton engine, with No Man’s Sky and Cities: Skylines 2 being gold rated on Proton, and Satisfactory being platinum rated. Proton would give me the ability to play some of my favorite games on Linux, but given that I also rely on the Xbox app on Windows for Game Pass, that’s one more hurdle I’d have to jump through.
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I know that WINE exists, and it’s gotten better over the years. It’s just not a viable option for me, though. Adobe products work okay through WINE, but there are still some hiccups there. The biggest thing for me is that Lightroom Classic is essentially unusable through WINE. Although some have had modeate success with some workarounds, they don’t always work reliably. It would be nice if Lightroom Classic worked better, because I’m so much more comfortable with the Linux command line thanks to all of my experience with Linux servers. I just can’t do it, sadly.
Linux Could Steal My Heart if Big Companies Got on Board
What would it take for Linux to steal me away from Microsoft and Apple? Big companies getting on board, mainly.
I know this isn’t a fault of the Linux community or developers, it lies solely on the shoulders of the companies making the software. Apple, Adobe, and even game developers act as if Linux isn’t a big enough market for them to target. In reality, I think those companies are losing big by not supporting Linux.
If I could run the full Adobe suite reliably (not just Photoshop CC 2015), my favorite games, iCloud sync, and other software like that on Linux, it would tempt me for sure. I honestly don’t know what I’d choose if I could freely pick between Windows and Linux without losing support for the apps I need for my day-to-day workflow.
I’d love to live in a world where that type of choice was available. Right now, I’d be on macOS if more games supported it and I could use my CNC software on my Mac. So, given the opportunity to use Linux under the same circumstances, it would be a really hard choice.
I grew up running Ubuntu on my desktops years ago when they were too slow for newer Windows updates, and I enjoyed it a lot. I think I was on Ubuntu 10.04 back then, so I can’t even imagine what changes have come to the distro these days. While I haven’t personally run a Linux desktop as a primary machine in quite a while, .
Sadly, even with the modern updates to Linux, I just don’t see it replacing Windows or macOS anytime soon for me. I’m thinking of giving it a try, just to see what Linux is like over a decade later. I just know that I couldn’t stay on it long term, because I need apps like Lightroom, Vcarve Pro, and others that I simply can’t get on Linux right now.
Are considering trying Linux out? It could be the perfect OS for you! Here are seven Linux features that Windows 11 simply can’t compete with.
