The Recent Resurgence of Linux

smiles@bobbysmiles.xyz (Bobby Smiles) — Sat, 03 May 2025 17:33:45 +0530

The OS Disillusionment

A major sentiment among general audiences and tech enthusiasts alike is that popular operating systems like Windows are becoming more and more inaccessible as the days go by. Higher hardware requirements, lack of support for older OS versions and an overall decrease in quality are opening the masses to open source alternatives.

With the end of support for Windows 10 fast approaching, many older devices will be rendered seemingly useless, and upgradation to a more modern piece of hardware might not be an option. In such cases, open-source comes to the rescue.

Linux and its Benefits

Linux needs no introduction. Almost all low level hardware runs some form of linux. Servers, wifi routers, smartphones, all are powered by a Linux distribution.

Nintendo switch running Ubuntu

Linux comes with many more benefits as well, like being less prone to cyberattacks, being fast and performant, high customizability, and a HUGE and passionate community behind it.

So where am I going with all this?

The Recent Resurgence of Linux

Recently I have observed that many big Content Creators are making the switch to Linux AND encouraging their community to give it a shot. For example, PewDiePie (in this video) recently switched to Linux, detailing his reasons for doing so (please watch the video it’s excellent).

Even before this video came out, my YouTube feed was already dotted with tech content titled something like “I switched to Linux and I could never look at Windows the same again”, all of them detailing similar reasons for switching to Linux.

Customizability
Performance
Stability (ok this one’s a little debatable)
Control

A fully customized GNOME desktop

A Linux nerd myself, seeing regular people start to give Linux a shot sort of surprised me, considering that many times (coming from personal experience) I was told that Linux is too hard because it’s quite terminal centric and that’s intimidating for a guy who is not a “basement-dwelling” nerd. Little did they know about Linux Mint, Ubuntu or Fedora.

Personal Anecdote

Due to the video made by PewDiePie, one of my friends (completely not into tech, has an age-old computer used only for watching movies and TV shows) asked me about switching over to Linux and was surprisingly open even to try Arch Linux. Now, to preserve both their sanity and mine, I told them to switch to something like Linux Mint first, to get a feel for the OS and it’s workflow, and to ease into the new ecosystem, and they were surprisingly receptive.

As it stands, I am yet to hear back from them regarding how the switch went, but considering they seemed pretty satisfied with the computer last we spoke, I suspect it went quite well.

Don’t Fully Believe the Hype

Now, it might seem VERY appealing to immediately switch to Linux after all the newfound buzz regarding the topic, but I would still ask that one consider this decision carefully. Despite its caveats, almost all software in the world is supported by Windows and Microsoft still provides some of the best tools in the market.

The Ms Office suite, boasting some of the best software for tasks like spreadsheets, text editing and presentations, for example, is not natively supported on Linux. It has to be run through a compatibility layer like wine, which does provide support for SOME Windows applications, not to mention that wine in and of itself can be a little hard to setup.

GNOME Desktop environment configured in Garuda Linux

There is also the issue with stability of certain distributions of Linux like Arch Linux, which follows a rolling-release model. While you can always stay up-to-date with the latest updates and security patches, this can also cause instability in a system, affecting your workflow and productivity. In such cases, I would still recommend that you stick to Windows, or at least try a Linux distro on a VM or live boot before switching completely.

Closing Thoughts

Linux has always been, and continues to be, a viable operating system to switch to—provided you know what you’re getting into. It is not like Windows, nor is it meant to be. Both operating systems serve their purpose, and both do it well.

With Linux, you get speed, control, stability, and customizability. With Windows, you benefit from familiarity, broader software support, and ease of use.

Whether or not you choose to switch to Linux is entirely up to you—but make sure to do your homework before making a decision.

Have a nice day! :)

Linux on Bobby's Headspace

The Recent Resurgence of Linux

The OS Disillusionment

Linux and its Benefits

The Recent Resurgence of Linux

Personal Anecdote

Don’t Fully Believe the Hype

Closing Thoughts