Tech
5 reasons people gave up on Linux (and why it’s time to come back)
Have you tried Linux in the past, but didn’t like the experience? Or are you planning to try Linux but feeling hesitant after hearing about other people’s poor experiences? Here are the five most common reasons why people quit Linux—and five simple ways to address those concerns!
Linux was technically more complicated when they tried it
If you tried using Linux as a regular desktop between the 2000s and 2015 and found it technically intimidating, you weren’t wrong. It genuinely was more complex and demanding than Windows or macOS. You often had to use the terminal for routine tasks, GUI tools were rough around the edges, and the learning curve was steep.
That said, I’ve been using Linux since 2016, and I’ve witnessed firsthand the massive growth in its graphical design and usability. When I started, I still had to pop open the terminal from time to time—but today, the terminal is optional for everyday use. You can rely entirely on graphical applications for installing software, managing files, and changing settings—you name it! The apps also look extremely polished and well-designed. I’d even go as far as saying they look better than what you get on Windows or macOS.
More importantly, most Linux system apps are far more intuitive. For instance, I’d much rather navigate through the Settings app in Ubuntu or Kubuntu than dig through the Windows Settings app, where options are buried so deep that it becomes genuinely confusing. I should also mention that modern Linux desktops are far more stable and reliable than they used to be. With tools like Timeshift, you can take a system snapshot and restore your machine to a previous working state if something breaks while you’re experimenting.
The Linux desktop looked alien and confusing
Ubuntu is by far the most popular Linux distro, so naturally, when people decide to try Linux, they install Ubuntu. This can create a problem because Ubuntu uses the GNOME desktop environment, which presents a unique workflow centered around virtual desktops. It’s completely different from what most people are accustomed to on Windows or macOS, making Ubuntu feel genuinely alien to newcomers.
That said, Linux users have many choices. For example, if you want a traditional desktop experience with a taskbar at the bottom and a Start-menu style app launcher, you can pick one of the many Windows-like distros such as Linux Mint or Zorin OS. Likewise, if you prefer Apple’s desktop paradigm, you can go for a macOS-like distro such as elementary OS, which gives you a dock at the bottom and a top bar with essential system controls.
You also have highly customizable distros that you can tweak to look like Windows, macOS, or something entirely unique. The point is, Linux doesn’t have to feel alien. You can choose a distribution that matches what you’re already familiar with, making the transition significantly smoother.
All the choices and options were overwhelming
I just mentioned that Linux has a lot of choices, but that can become a problem if you spend too much time analyzing and researching the best option. The issue gets even worse when you ask for advice and everyone offers strong opinions about why their choice is objectively the best. This flood of conflicting recommendations can cause analysis paralysis—you get so overwhelmed that you abandon the idea of using Linux altogether.
That said, no Linux distro is inherently better than another. Each one has its own pros and cons. I’d recommend that you just focus on these two distros—Linux Mint and Fedora. Pick Mint if you want something that looks and feels familiar to Windows. Go with Fedora if you want to do programming or learn Linux from a professional standpoint.
You’ll either feel comfortable right away or you’ll quickly discover what you like and dislike—in which case, write down everything you didn’t enjoy and switch to a distro that directly addresses those pain points. That’s how I—and most Linux users—found our “forever” distros.
Linux couldn’t run many paid, proprietary softwares
Linux does have an app gap problem. It won’t run the latest Office 365 applications, and most Adobe software simply doesn’t work. Compatibility layers like Wine and Bottles can run some older Windows apps, but most modern proprietary tools don’t run well, if at all. So if you absolutely need Microsoft Office or Adobe software for your workflow, Linux might be a deal-breaker.
But that raises an important question—do you really absolutely need those apps? We live in a browser-first world now. You can use the web versions of Microsoft Office, Outlook, or Teams, and install them as standalone apps directly from your browser. You can also consider switching to alternatives. For example, instead of Adobe Photoshop, you can use Affinity Photo—which is powerful enough for professional work and currently shows good support on Linux through Wine. Likewise, you can replace Premiere with DaVinci Resolve—a professional video editor with native Linux support.
Linux is also home to a huge library of free and open-source (FOSS) applications. If you don’t need every advanced feature those premium apps offer, FOSS alternatives may cover your needs—and they’re completely free! Also, FOSS apps tend to have their own charm, with minimal interfaces and highly focused feature sets.
You also have the option to dual-boot. This allows you to use Linux for your day-to-day work and switch back to Windows when you need Adobe or Office. You can even configure shared storage between both OSes for a seamless workflow.
Linux didn’t support popular games
Linux gaming isn’t nearly as problematic as the broader app gap—in fact, it’s far better than most people would like to believe. For that, we can thank Valve and the Steam Deck—which runs on Linux, by the way! This means every game that works on the Steam Deck will work on your Linux PC, assuming you have the hardware to run it.
- Dimensions
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298mm x 117mm x 49mm
- Weight
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640 grams
- RAM
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16 GB LPDDR5
- Storage
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512GB or 1TB NVMe SSD
- Wireless Connectivity
-
Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6E
- Headset Compatibility
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Bluetooth 5.3
There’s also the fact that when a game supports both Linux and Windows, you’re often better off playing it on Linux. Since Linux is considerably more lightweight, your games get access to more system resources, which can translate to better performance. There are even gaming-focused distros optimized specifically for smoother gameplay.
As for compatibility, almost 80 of the top 100 games on Steam are supported on Linux. The remaining ~20 percent generally fail due to anti-cheat systems that don’t yet support Linux. Unfortunately, this situation will only improve if developers decide to make their anti-cheat solutions Linux-compatible.
At the time of writing, if you exclusively play titles that rely on unsupported anti-cheat systems, Linux becomes a deal-breaker. But just like with apps, you can always use a dual-boot setup—play all your supported games on Linux and enjoy the performance benefits, and then boot into Windows when you want to play those few incompatible titles.
Modern Linux is far easier, prettier, and more capable than it used to be. With cleaner interfaces, flexible desktop choices, solid app alternatives, and surprisingly strong gaming support, it’s a different experience today. If you’ve quit Linux in the past, try it again—you might find it finally fits your workflow.
