Hello! So, the title of this blog is a pinch metaphoric. I say Swapping Trains as a metaphor for chaning my home computer's OS from Windows to Linux. It's something I've dabbled in a bit in the past, I flashed Kubuntu (Ubuntu & KDE Plasma) onto a thumbdrive and installed it onto a crappy office laptop I had. Went from Windows 11 to Linux and the preformance increse was sad. That laptop has never run better. Anyway.
I spent some time getting to know my New Laptop, and then more debating on when/if I'd port linux to my desktop PC. Well, a few days ago I bent the knee and did it. Let me say, it's been intresting.
As I said above, I went with Archlinux for my OS, and the install was a breeze. Online sources recomends doing it by hand, but I used the installarch command and let that take me away. There are a few speed bumps here and there that come from using a new system, and one that some companies are fairly hostile or neglecant towards. For example: I can play the Java version of minecraft on my desktop, but Minecraft For Windows (the cross compatible version of Minecraft) is neigh untouchable for me at present.
There are ways around it, but they kinda suck. A few that didn't suck don't work. As there's no native "Bedrock for a Non Windows Computer" version, It's up to the Linux comunity to find workarounds to get it working properly. I'm not tech savy enough to build Linux compatibility into Minecraft For Windows, and at current the most promising solution is spinning up a VM, installing the offical launcher & getting MFW on the VM. It's either that or play on a different computer (I don't have a windows machine anymore). Here's to hoping Linux nerds figure out new/fix old methods to run it (With Multiplayer) on Linux.
Though, all that being said, with the promise of the Steam Machine (using SteamOS, a Linux Fork) to hit markets at somepoint, I wonder if Microsoft will go out of their way to make a Linux compatable build of Minecraft bedrock. That would be sick- Not to be super pro wasting money but I'd pay for minecraft again if It meant not needing to go out of my way to play with my console-locked friends.
Anyway. Let's move on to something super neat that I've Loved about swapping
Kdenlive is a free OpenSource video editing software made by the folks at KDE, the same people who made Krita (If you've heard of that) and the KDE Plasma Desktop Envirement?!?!
I'm not one to be hyper brand loyal, but KDE might be the company that breaks the cammels back on that one. I do youtube stuff as a hobby (seperate from my Dime moniker) and I've been using Movavi Studio Suite for my editing. I've had to start using Kdenlive and- maybe it's my experence or maybe it's a testament to how usable and good it feels to edit with Kdenlive- but I've had little to No troulbe with the switch to the new editing program. Obvously I've had the issues with learing a new software, but asside from that using Kdenlive has been smooth. I've made two videos in it already, with plans to make more- I don't know if it's the learning that has me making videos again or if it's the program. I have fun editing in Kdenlive, where I would normally be scrating my head at another advertisement for the new release of the Movavi editor that cost's the same as a run to the grocery store.
I've been very pro off-brand products for years (Shasta Soda, non standard technology, opensource software, etc...), and I've been using OBS & Krita for my video stuff for a while now. The switch of editor to another Opensource program, and having it fit in with the rest of my video production pipeline is awesome. I was talking to a friend (Also the dude who helped me get everything working properly) about it, and I had done the one thing he recomends everyone wanting to swap to Linux from windows (or MacOS I suppose) do and that's use Opensource software. OBS, Krita, VLC Media player, etc...
Heck! If you want to give Kdenlive a try, here! I can't recomend it enough. There is a learning curve, as there is with every new program. As far as free and opensource software goes, I've been using (and love) LibreOffice! It's your free and opensource Microsoft Office Suite alturnitve. It can modify, edit, and even export documents in Word's document file type! LibreOffice is something I've used for while too, and I find it kinda funny how many of my personal use programs are free & opensource by random chance.
I've wanted to blab about this a lot, and I keep forgetting I have a little slice of the internet where I can.
TLDR! Linux is epic, and you should 1 consider swapping if your use case would align with it and 2 make the swap if the programs you use would work on Linux. There are plenty of guides out there to help with the switch, and ultimately I feel it's worth it. Do some research, and check some things out. Flash a distro onto a usb and run the OS solely on that flashdrive. The more people that get onto the Linx train the better!