{"id":358591,"date":"2021-10-27T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-27T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-are-the-drawbacks-of-switching-to-linux\/"},"modified":"2021-10-27T14:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-10-27T11:00:00","slug":"what-are-the-drawbacks-of-switching-to-linux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-are-the-drawbacks-of-switching-to-linux\/","title":{"rendered":"#What Are the Drawbacks of Switching to Linux?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4857015720c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4857015720c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-are-the-drawbacks-of-switching-to-linux\/#Initial_Installation_and_Setup\" >Initial Installation and Setup<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-are-the-drawbacks-of-switching-to-linux\/#Lack_of_Native_Linux_Apps_and_Games\" >Lack of Native Linux Apps and Games<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-are-the-drawbacks-of-switching-to-linux\/#Limited_Support_for_Native_Linux_Apps\" >Limited Support for Native Linux Apps<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-are-the-drawbacks-of-switching-to-linux\/#No_Official_Tech_Support\" >No Official Tech Support<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-are-the-drawbacks-of-switching-to-linux\/#Is_Switching_to_Linux_a_Bad_Idea\" >Is Switching to Linux a Bad Idea?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#What Are the Drawbacks of Switching to Linux?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-full wp-image-754416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/linux_tux_hero_1.jpg?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/linux_tux_hero_1.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/linux_tux_hero_1.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Tux the Linux mascot on a grey background\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20191001080512\/https:\/\/isc.tamu.edu\/~lewing\/linux\/\">Larry Ewing and The GIMP<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Linux evangelists (like myself) are quick to point out the many benefits of switching over from Windows and macOS. But no operating system is perfect, and many have gone Linux and gone back. So what\u2019s the catch?<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve spent over two years with Linux as my daily driver. Though I do my share of proselytizing, I\u2019d be lying if I said conversion to Linux is always totally smooth, or even that it\u2019s always a good idea. There are certainly some issues that make Linux a dead end for some people, and that still vex even the most loyal Linux users.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Initial_Installation_and_Setup\"><\/span>Initial Installation and Setup<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-754776\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/debian-11-bullseye-install-partitions.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Choosing partitioning options in Linux Debian 11 installation\" width=\"650\" height=\"271\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Unless you buy <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/748445\/best-linux-laptops\/\">a computer with Linux pre-installed, making the switch to Linux requires you to\u00a0install it alongside\u00a0or in place of your PC\u2019s current operating system. If you\u2019re not used to tasks like managing partitions and setting up user accounts, this isn\u2019t the simplest task. Certain hardware may also give you grief during setup and require a few extra steps.<\/p>\n<p>That said, it\u2019s still not rocket <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>. Developers want as many adopters as possible, so they try to make installation as automated and painless as possible. With a good\u00a0guide to installing Linux, you can get your new, open-source desktop up and running in under an hour with minimal fuss.<\/p>\n<p>If you still don\u2019t feel confident enough, or if you run into trouble, that\u2019s where having a geeky friend pays off. Someone with just a bit more knowledge of computers should be able to walk you through installation and setup, and a generous geek might even do it for you.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lack_of_Native_Linux_Apps_and_Games\"><\/span>Lack of Native Linux Apps and Games<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Once you do successfully install and set up Linux, the selection of\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/366699\/what-can-you-actually-run-on-linux\/\">applications you can install directly onto Linux\u00a0may disappoint you. Of course, your common, essential apps will all be there: web browser, file browser, notepad, calculator, video player, photo viewer, etc. Certain more specialized apps, however, Microsoft Office and Adobe suites, offer few or no Linux editions of their popular apps (although Office alternatives and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/93092\/the-8-best-adobe-photoshop-alternatives\/\">Photoshop substitutes<\/a>\u00a0abound). Gamers tend to be disappointed by the native support for their favorite games as well.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-741558\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/find-windows-game-steam.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Game on Steam for Linux with Install button disabled\" width=\"588\" height=\"309\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Why? It\u2019s not that Linux doesn\u2019t have the chops to run these <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>s. In fact, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.phoronix.com\/vr.php?view=30514\">some benchmarks<\/a> show Linux outperforming Windows. More to blame is the tiny market share of Linux desktop users, resulting in little incentive for app developers to produce a Linux port.<\/p>\n<p>Now, that\u2019s not to say you can\u2019t <em>run<\/em> those apps on Linux; you have a few workarounds at your disposal. You could use the web app version (if available) in your browser, or you could run the Windows version of an app with a compatibility layer, like Wine or Proton. These utilities let you run apps on systems the apps weren\u2019t meant for. Perfect functionality is far from guaranteed, though, and new releases can take time to get support from these tools.<\/p>\n<p>One more option is to install Windows or macOS as a virtual machine\u00a0on Linux and run your app inside of it. This isn\u2019t a perfect solution, though; virtualization can be very taxing on your PC, and you\u2019ll likely get poor performance from the app.<\/p>\n<p>For these reasons, many professional users who rely on certain OS-exclusive apps stick to Windows or macOS where their apps will work more reliably.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>What Apps Can You Actually Run on Linux?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Limited_Support_for_Native_Linux_Apps\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_2\">Limited Support for Native Linux Apps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Even when developers do create Linux ports of their apps, it\u2019s not uncommon for them to yet still prioritize Windows and Mac support for the same reasons stated above. This means the Linux version of an app may not immediately receive the latest and greatest features, and Linux-only bugs might take longer to get attention.<\/p>\n<p>Spotify is a great example of this problem. When you visit <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/redirect.viglink.com\/?key=204a528a336ede4177fff0d84a044482&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.spotify.com%2Fus%2Fdownload%2Flinux%2F\">the Spotify for Linux download page<\/a>, you\u2019re greeted with this message:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Spotify for Linux is a labor of love from our engineers that wanted to listen to Spotify on their Linux development machines. They work on it in their spare time and it is currently not a platform that we actively support.\u00a0The experience may differ from our other Spotify Desktop clients, such as Windows and Mac.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Of course, the features that lag on Linux tend to be specialized or experimental features only useful (or even known) to power users. If a vendor advertises a native Linux app, Spotify included, you can bet the core functions will work to your satisfaction.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"No_Official_Tech_Support\"><\/span>No Official Tech Support<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>All operating systems have technical issues, but who do you call when your Linux PC isn\u2019t working? The few Linux distributions that come with official technical support are limited to paid, enterprise users only. All popular distributions will have a forum or chat group you can join and get help from more knowledgeable members of the community (and sometimes the developers themselves). This means you can get direct support without having to call and wait on hold for a technical support line. Not all community members are both friendly and helpful to new users, though.<\/p>\n<p>Another solution is to put that search engine to good use. Linux users have been discussing their issues online for years, and with the right search terms, chances are you\u2019ll find someone else who encountered and fixed the same issue. Some Linux users love the \u201cthrill of the hunt\u201d involved in solving problems this way, but you may not find it so stimulating.<\/p>\n<p>You could also bring your PC to a local technician, but they may not be warm to the idea of working on a Linux device. This lack of professional support leads some to abandon Linux in frustration.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Switching_to_Linux_a_Bad_Idea\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_4\">Is Switching to Linux a Bad Idea?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Some people will read the headings of this article and immediately write off Linux as a bad decision. For you, switching depends entirely on your use case. Do you rely heavily on the high performance of apps like Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Word, or Avid Pro Tools that don\u2019t have official Linux ports? Do you often need tech support lines or stores to solve problems with your PC? Answering yes is a solid indication Linux won\u2019t work for you as a daily driver.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, that doesn\u2019t mean you should never touch Linux. Its versatility means you can put it to work for you without risking the problems that can arise in a full, daily-use desktop setup. For one, you can <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/214571\/how-to-dual-boot-linux-on-your-pc\/\">install Linux alongside Windows. If you have an old laptop in storage, Linux will manage its hardware more efficiently than Windows. It can serve as a backup PC for emergencies, as a kid\u2019s first computer, or as a multi-purpose\u00a0headless server. You can also play with Linux tools in WSL, another great tool for taking advantage of Linux without committing to a complete change in desktops.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/754406\/what-are-the-drawbacks-of-switching-to-linux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#What Are the Drawbacks of Switching to Linux?&#8221; Larry Ewing and The GIMP Linux evangelists (like myself) are quick to point out the many benefits of switching over from Windows and macOS. But no operating system is perfect, and many have gone Linux and gone back. So what\u2019s the catch? I\u2019ve spent over two years&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":358592,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/linux_tux_hero_1.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-358591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=358591"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/358591\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/358592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=358591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=358591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=358591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}