10 reasons to use Linux

Southern humorist, newspaper editor and columnist, comedian, and author, Lewis Grizzard once said that there are two kinds of naked in the south. There’s naked where you don’t have any clothes on, and there’s Nekkid, where you don’t have any clothes on and you’re up to something.

Well, I’m here to tell you the nekkid truth about Linux and it’s most definitely up to something. It’s up to helping people move away from Windows.

A new computer, whether desktop or laptop, costs a lot of money. Microsoft (M$) is using the end of Windows 10 to try to force hundreds of millions of users to upgrade by purchasing new computers. Their response to people whose current computers won’t support the arbitrary hardware requirements of WIn11 is to throw away your old computer and purchase a new one with Win11 on it.

While that may be an excellent solution for both M$ and the hardware manufacturers, it’s a horrible option for you and the planet. It’s based on the premise that old computers slow down, which is false. The computers run as fast as ever, but they’re bogged down by the malware that collects on Windows computers. And the other marketing popups and junkware that just comes standard with all new Windows computers is even more frustrating because they put it there intentionally. The companies that write the software being sold in those advertisements, pay MS for the priviledge of assaulting you while you’re trying to work.

There’s definitely a better option. Linux. Here are 10 excellent reasons to use Linux.

1. No New Hardware and No Licensing Costs

The good news is that Linux can replace Windows on your old computers and it costs nothing to download and install. Nada. Zero. Updates — that is patches, fixes, and enhancements for the software that makes up the distribution — cost nothing. Upgrades from on release level to the next — such as from Fedora 42 to Fedora 43 — cost nothing.

I know that’s hard to believe and it seems counter-intuitive. And it’s not just Linux itself — it’s all the software. In fact,I’ve only paid for one piece of software, $49US, in the 29 years I’ve been using Linux and that was for a unique bit of software I wanted for testing.

Everything else I’ve used over the years has been free as in beer. That includes all of the following and more.

LibreOffice which I use for spreadsheets, presentations, and writing all 9 of my books.
Firefox for web browsing.
Thunderbird for email although I use Alpine, a retro, text-mode, email client more. Yeah, that’s the geek coming out.
Audacious to play my music CDs and the music files I’ve copied from them.
Audacity for recording and editing audio files.
GNUCash for my personal and business accounting.
Okular for viewing and marking up PDF and other document types.

And all of the software necessary to run this web site, including these and more.

Apache web server to deliver the web pages.
WordPress for content management.
MariaDB (MySQL) for data storage and management.

2. Linux easily runs on really old computers

My 20-year old Dell Optiplex GX620. Click on the image to enlarge. Image by David Both, CC-by-SA 4

Did you know that Linux can revitalize old computers and keep them running for decades?

Those older computers, like my 20-year old Dell Optiplex GX620 can run the most modern versions of Linux. Mine’s been running Linux since it was given to me a few years ago, and is now on Fedora 42 which was released just this April. Yes — its slower than my newer computers, which are between 2 and 12 years old — but that’s only because it’s 2-core Pentium 4 processor and 4GB of memory is by it’s very nature slower than newer computers with more and faster CPUs and memory like my home-built system with 20 cores, 28 CPUs. and 32GB of RAM. But they’re both running at their designed speeds.

So long as you can replace the internal parts when they break, you can keep old computers running indefinitely.

Yes, it’s in my garage.

3. Enhanced Privacy

Windows comes with lots of ads and spyware. This slows down your computer, lets companies spy on you, and increases your energy bills. It’s also annoying when those ads pop up to interrupt you in the middle of your work, or worse, a presentation.

Windows also requires you to create M$ account just to install it, and that requires some personal information. Information that I certainly don’t want to reveal to any more organizations than necessary — unless it’s by my own choice.

Linux doesn’t upload images of my desktop or any of my files and documents to the M$ cloud “for security.” Linux allows you to keep your data private.

4. It’s Good For The Planet

Production of a computer accounts for 75+% of carbon emissions over its lifecycle. Keeping a functioning device longer is a hugely effective way to reduce emissions. With a Linux operating system you can use your device longer.

5. Community & Professional Support

There are local repair cafes and independent, professional services and computer shops available that can provide you help. You can find support in online forums, too.

Linux Mint has excellent on-line documentation that includes an installation guide and a User Guide. You can read them online or download them in PDF or ePub formats. Free of charge, of course.

Fedora also has excellent online documentation that includes an overview, and links to documentation about the different Fedora options like Fedora Server and Fedora Workstation. There are also links to the many spin and lab releases like KDE Plasma, Xfce, Python Classroom, Astronomy, Games and more.

6. Better User Control

Linux grants you the four freedoms of software. You are free to use, study, share, and improve the program, for as long as you wish. You are in control of your device, your software, and your data.

7. Familiar Interface

It might surprise you to know that Linux can look and work much like Windows. Cinnamon is the default desktop for Linux Mint because it’s been proven to be an excellent choice for users who are migrating from Windows. Cinnamon is a modern, innovative and full-featured desktop while also offering a secure, familiar feeling to Windows users.

8. Choices

One of the reasons I like Linux is that it offers so many choices for everything. From the desktop and the distribution, to the open source software you install and use, there are always multiple choices from which to choose. The color scheme, desktop background, icon scheme, and more are all choices you can make to personalize your desktop working environment.

Some people, like me, like having all those choices. Others not so much. But one of the choices you have is to make no choices and leave it just as it is.

9. Best Desktops For New Users

With all those choices, the most important one you can make is that of the desktop. The distribution is also important, but the desktop will define how you view and interact with your computer as well as the amount of flexibility you have to personalize your experience.

Linux has a large number of desktop interfaces, but there are only three that I think are best for users new to Linux

Cinnamon — The best option for new Linux users. It’s modern, innovative, and has some features found in more complex desktops, while not overwhelming new users with customization options. I find it’s great for most systems, but it crashes on systems with only 4GB of RAM like my old Dell.
Xfce — A lightweight desktop with plenty of configuration options but not so many as to be overwhelming. It has a clean look and is very responsive even on that old Dell.
KDE Plasma 6 — A powerful, complex desktop with more personalization options than I’ve seen in any other desktop. But it is perfect for newcomers without making any changes while offering those options for when you’re ready for them.

I personally think Cinnamon is best for most new users. However, you can install multiple desktops and switch between them as you want to. I change desktops frequently as a way to keep my experiences fresh, and to see what new releases bring.

Pick your desktop first, then the distribution.

10. Best Distributions for New Users

Some distributions and desktops are better for users new to Linux. I prefer Fedora and it’s highly recommended by many for use by new Linux users. Others prefer Linux Mint and I think that it’s a great choice as well. You can’t go wrong with either of these distributions and they both offer all three of those desktops.

Try Linux; it’s easier than you think.

Additional Resources

My articles

I have published some articles on this site about using Linux and reclaimed parts to restore older computers. Rather than reproduce all of that here, you can use the following links.

External articles

Mearian, Lucas, More than half of PCs can’t upgrade to Windows 11 — report, Computer World, 04/13/2022
Tung, Liam, A surprising number of PCs can’t upgrade to Windows 11. Here’s why, ZDNet, 10/12/2022
Vaughan-Nichols, Steven, 5 ways to save your Windows 10 PC in 2025 – and most are free, ZDNet, 06/04/2024