The unfortunate reality of software support
8/12/2024Over the last month or so, I've attempted to replace Windows with Linux, a free and open source operating system with a focus on privacy, stability, speed, customizability, and freedom, (and of course going against big capitalistic monopolies like Microsoft and Apple). Although eventually I ended up unfortunately going back to Windows, it was the better choice for me personally, because sadly Linux doesn't yet support the apps that I use on a daily basis in order to allow me to express myself creatively.
Despite that, I still wanted to talk about my experience with Linux, it's pros and cons, and why I encourage trying it out. Warning: this one gets a little bit nerdy, but its my website so haha >:3
I love Linux. A free, open source operating system, where you are truly in control. Infinite customizability, no bloat, no spyware, no ads, no trackers, just peace and freedom.
A lot of common things that you can do in Linux, can be done through the command line. There is this preconcieved notion about Linux that it has a steep learning curve, or is too centered around the command line, but using the terminal is great! It is simply a quick way of doing simple tasks using a text based interface, and I think that more people should be familiar with it! Installing software, using CLI (command line interface) programs, and performing system tasks is all really simple to do with the terminal! However, if you don't want to use the terminal, there is usually a graphical based way to do most things as well.
With Linux, you truly have a choice in how your computer functions. Don't like the way your desktop works? Just switch to a different desktop environment! Don't like one distrobution, just change to another! My favorite and reccomended distro + desktop environment has to be Fedora KDE. Fedora is an amazing distrobution that has a nice balance of stability and cutting edge features. KDE Plasma is my favorite desktop environment. It's pretty, it's responive, and extremely customizable!
On Linux, there is a dedicated focus on free and open source software. This means software that is not only free to download, but also free to look at and change the code of! I love the FOSS community, and can't wait to see what the future holds for it.
Unlike Windows, there is no bloat on Linux. There is no unnecessary lag, and the whole system feels responsive and snappy. The file app launches virtually instantly, where as on windows it takes a few seconds to load. Browsing through busy directories is not a problem at all for Linux, where Windows would chug. Both on my desktop and laptop (both moderately powerful systems), even the simplest actions like right-clicking on the desktop takes an entire second. On Linux, it's not a problem. I know these are such mild inconvenionces, but it's nice to know that my system isn't being bogged down by a slow operating system.
One big issue I had with Linux is hardware support. For my desktop, that's not a huge issue, other than the fact that there aren't good alternatives to drivers for my MIDI keyboard and my drawing tablet, but not huge issues. I can still use them both fine, and I can even customize my drawing tablet buttons straight from the built in settings, which is very nice. It just doesn't come with all of the features as the drivers on Windows, such as adjusting the pen pressure curve on a per-app basis. But overall, my Linux experience on the hardware side of things on my desktop went smoothly, but I use an AMD GPU, so if you have an Nvidia GPU, your mileage may vary.
On my laptop however, it was a hassle to get working. I installed Linux on my laptop 4 times, and I finally got it working on the 4th. First off, I had to disable secure boot and BitLocker, so if my laptop got stolen, I'm screwed. Luckily for my laptop (ASUS G14), there was an entire guide for getting Linux up and running.
But even with the guide, things went completely wrong for seemingly no reason. One install, my laptop starts overheating like a bomb. Another install, I think its working fine until I wake up the next morning and my WiFi card isn't recognized anymore. And then some issues that always persisted included major graphical artifacts/glitches, as well as the colors getting all screwed up, but only if you were on power saving mode. Both of those issued required me to manually change kernel parameters, which I learned from the Asus-Linux Discord server. With their help, I finally got it working.
All of those issues were a lot of work to fix, and I am really not trying to scare away people from using Linux, I am simply sharing my experience. If you (like me) manage to get everything working (or lucky enough to have everything working in the first place), then what you are left with, (assuming it can run the apps you need), is the best operating system out there.
However, the biggest issue is not one that has a quick solution. The biggest problem for me, is the lack of software support. While there are amazing Linux-native apps that exist for most creative mediums, they simply are not yet as powerful, intuitive, and elegant, as industry standard Windows and Mac only apps. And that's a shame. But as it stands, Linux-native software doesn't allow me to express myself creatively as easily as the industry standard apps do.
However, as a game developer with a very specific workflow, the apps I need aren't available.
I love Affinity Designer. It is a hybrid design app, meaning it supports both vector and raster based editing as first class citizens. It does cost, but it is a reasonably priced one time purchase, and goes on sale often. I use it to develop all of the assets and marketing materials for my current game. On linux the alternatives are actually quite good: Krita and Inkscape. Krita is a digital art software with basic support for vector shapes, and I already use for drawing. Inkscape is a purely vector based app, but its UI and ease of use is not as good as Affinity Designer. Affinity designer also has a really helpful export tool, that I could not live without. I would be missing out on a lot if I were to use Linux and not be able to install Affinity Designer, but again, that might not be the case for you.
I also use Ableton Live for my music making endeavors. I love it. I can make my music quick and easily, the UI is very intuitive, and all of the VSTs that I want to use work right out of the box. On Linux, again, the alternatives are good, just limiting. Reaper is a paid software with a generous free trial, but the UI is bad and the MIDI editor is lacking. Ardour is free and open source, and it's great as an audio editor or for recording live intstruments, but has bad MIDI support. Another thing is that when it comes to VST plugins on Linux, you are severely limited in your options, or you might have to configure WINE to get Windows exclusive VSTs, but that's such a pain. Linux also has different audio servers like PulseAudio, PipeWire, and JACK, which in my experience I found to be confusing and overwhelming.
Another thing, I use TickTick as my task manager. On windows, it has a feature called "in app reminders" which use a custom reminder notification instead of a defualt system notification. This feature alone keeps me from forgetting things, and yet, it's not available on Linux. Technically TickTick itself is available, but only for Debian based distros or as a Flatpak (which doesn't have that feature, on top of crashing everytime I get a notification, which literally defeats the entire purpose).
For video editing, I love Davinci Resolve. It is great, powerful, and free. The Linux alternative is also great: Kdenlive. Sure it doensn't have GPU acceleration for editing, or as many powerful features as Davinci Resolve, but I would be okay with switching to it because I'm not making incredibly complex edits. But I don't need to switch to it, as I am back on Windows. Learning new software is a time investment, and altough I would learn Kdenlive if I had to, I don't have to. Also technically yes, Davinci Resolve supports Linux but with some complications that make it hard to reccomend.
If you are simply using your computer as a web browser, and a platform to do some light creative work or gaming, Linux is great! And it comes with the extra benefits of privacy, speed, and customizability.
I firmly believe that Linux can be a great option for most people. If you don't rely on specific software, or you are willing to switch to slightly less capable and less elegant alternatives in the name of advancing FOSS apps, I would highly encourage giving Linux a try!
We live in a proprietary world run by capitalism and big corporations, and I cant wait until FOSS becomes the industry standard. We have already seen this happen with Blender (3D modeling software), and Godot (my game engine of choice) is coming closer to overtaking Unity (the current "industry standard" game engine, but has been involved in many recent controversies). All it takes is time, and more users. So if you can, I urge you to at least give Linux and FOSS applications a fair shot!