No more excuses, it's time to switch to Linux

It's 2026 and friction parity now approaches 1.

All things considered, what does that mean? Well, I came up with this term a little while ago after talking about this very concept for years. Friction parity is the idea that no OS is perfect, just familiar.

Mac fans, born-and-raised Windows Native, a Microsoft Refugee, or if you're baptized in the cult of GNU-slash-Linux... it doesn't matter! Each system has their own, unique friction.

Now, friction is the arbitrary barriers that your OS erects — whether intentional or not — between you and the tasks you're trying to complete.

Of course, these can be natural barriers like app incompatibility or platform bloat, or unnatural ones like spyware, vendor lock-in, etc. Each of those constitute some level of friction. Importantly, friction exists whether or not you as a user are conscious of the issues.

To boil it down, imagine friction parity as a number between 0 and 1. If we compare Windows and mac OS, the friction parity is (an unscientific, non-objective) ~0.90. The closer to 1, the easier it will be for an existing user of one platform to switch to the other (where they've got little-to-no experience).

Starting only quite recently, the friction parity between Windows and Linux was about 0.6. There were many technical barriers for new, inexperienced users to access the Linux desktop.

Unfamiliar concepts, technical hurdles, problems, and incompatibilities.

Importantly, though, Windows 10 provided a familiar experience where the technical hurdles, problems, and concepts were quantified and expected.

Consequently the slow march of progress in the FOSS world has led to a much-improved (though still decidedly imperfect) user experience. This slow march would have accounted for a closure of the friction parity gap of (somewhere between) 0.05 to 0.11, all other things considered.

I believe we now stand at a respectable 0.88 or so. A bit of mental math (0.6 + ~0.08 = 0.68. And that does not equal 0.88). Where's the beef?

Due to Microsoft doing their damnedest to close that gap, that gap is closing! Feature creep, surveillance malware at the core of the Operating System, advertising baked right into the OS, fundamentally broken and largely untested updates, malignant behavior (do you want to open this link with Edge?), and the foisting of cloud services like OneDrive on unwilling users.

All of that has given the Linux desktop the friction parity edge. Linux is coming into its own and I'm here to explore it.

"But Linux is too hard"

If you've ever built your own PC, if you've ever had to 'nuke and pave' your Windows install, if you've been a PC gamer for any length of time, or if you're in any way/shape/form a coder, I cannot stress this enough: Linux is better than Windows.

That's not to say it's perfect or that every distro will suit your specific use-cases. I can guarantee you that the opposite is true. However, if you're any of the above or you've in any way recognized that the way things are in the Windows world is not how they ought to be... you're ready to give Linux a try.

Who won't benefit from Linux

I need to be totally upfront. The app ecosystem of Windows is the last major friction point. Indeed, the availability of apps like Affinity Photo 2 are why I still have to dual boot my desktop PC. And Microsoft has done a tremendous job capitalizing on the FOMO of proprietary apps and vendor lock-in.

Adobe, Affinity, FL Studio, Microsoft Office, and many, many other productivity and creative tools are Windows- (and Mac-) only. They don't offer Linux versions and most of these desktop tools are incredibly difficult to get running in WINE thanks to always-online DRM schemes and the like.

There are some Linux users who will say there are great FOSS alternatives to these utilities. To some degree, they're correct. Krita is terrific. Inkscape is awesome. KDenLive is fantastic...

...but if your day job requires you to be fast, adept, and knowledgeable with your creative or productivity apps then that level of financial and creative friction is insurmountable.

If you need Outlook or something like Adobe Premier... Linux is a non-starter. Unless you have the latitude to lay aside your experience and have the luxury of re-learning basic skills (or there's a comparable webapp version of your toolkit).

And if your day job requires that your work be produced using quote-unquote "industry standard" formats, you're shit out of luck with FOSS tooling.

Similarly, Linux gaming has made leaps and bounds in the last few years. But if you play a handful of very specific online multiplayer games which you can't seem to divorce yourself from... Linux won't be a great option for you.

For everyone else (and mind you, that's an enormous everyone else) Linux is not just a viable option, it's the best option.

Pick A Linux Distro

There's much how-to-do and performative hand-wringing when it comes to influencers going on the Linux journey. Why? Because it's easy drama and makes for effective storytelling.

"The sheer variety of options in the Linux world is so huge! I need to explore every option! Should I go with Fedora or Linux Mint? Maybe Hannah Montana Linux?!?"

Some algorithm-brained YouTuber, probably.

But I'm here to tell you, as a seasoned Linux user, that there are two – and only two – meaningful differences between Linux distros that matter to new Linux users.

1. Software selection
2. Desktop environment

Desktop Environment

This is the GUI (or Graphical User Interface). It's how you interact with your computer, how you launch applications, how you manage the various windows that are open, how you delete or edit files, etc.

There is no right answer here... only what's going to work best for you and your experience. For new users I recommend sticking with something that's popular (Steam Game Mode, KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, or GNOME). These desktop environments provide experiences similar to what you're familiar with (the Windows or MacOS desktop). And given their popularity, they'll also having a bunch of resources online that can help you, as a newbie, find your way around.

Again, I recommend one of the four choices above for beginners. I won't go too deep into them here since my distro recommendations will go into them a bit later in this article.

Software Selection

In my experience acting as a missionary for the Church of Linux, I've learned a thing or two. What I've found is that the software selection is the most important consideration if you're looking for a successful Linux transition. In the modern Linux world, there are a few different avenues for acquiring software:

Package Manager

Your Linux OS will have something called a Package Manager that downloads and installs software for you from a developer-maintained software library that we call a "repository" (or "repo" for short).

App Containers

In the Linux world, the FlatPak is the lingua franca of app distribution.

If you want Minecraft Java Edition, Discord, Spotify, Obsidian, or any number of other popular apps, FlatPak is most likely going to be the easiest and best way to install it on your system. Except for Steam. Trust me. Don't install Steam as a FlatPak.

In most distros, you'll get the option of how you want to install the app. For example, on my desktop I can open up the App Center, search for an app, and it will give me the choice of the FlatPak version or the system version. Usually, FlatPaks are going to be more up-to-date than the system version.

However, there are other app container formats (because of course there are). Common ones you'll see in the wild are AppImage and Snap. Snap is really only compatible with Ubuntu and, given that Ubuntu's not one of my recommended distros, I'd recommend you don't give Snap a second thought.

But AppImage will be the last critical thing you should know about apps on Linux. If you go to virtually any GitHub release page with the intent to download your Linux software, chances are high it's being distributed as a .AppImage file. This will get downloaded to your disk and you can usually just double-click the AppImage file to start it.

Steam, etc.

The last major way Linux users get apps on their machine is through Steam, GOG, Zoom Platform, et al. These app stores provide paid software – usually games – to their customers.

Steam has a native Linux client. Installing it is pretty simple. Just open your App Center, choose the system version of Steam, and click Install.

GOG, Epic, and other platforms don't have native Linux builds. But there are great resources out there if you're looking to manage your library in a nice, native Linux interface.

Heroic Games Launcher is one of the best. It lets you manage, install, and play your GOG, Amazon, and Epic libraries.

Last, but not least, Lutris is also terrific. It gives you access to the above, but also a few more. Plus, community scripts give the odd physical media nut (me) the opportunity to install their games from DVD and/or Compact Disc.

Where to start

Switching to Linux can be intimidating. Especially if you don't know where to start. That's why I'm offering some level of guidance here. I've written another article about picking a Linux distro... but if you're looking for a hand-curated selection of distros to peruse, I've got you covered:

Gamers

If you're a gamer, Bazzite is a terrific option. In fact, Bazzite is a great option even if you're not a gamer.

I've written a guide about setting up a living room computer as a home theater PC using Bazzite. This article's had a ton of positive feedback, too.

I run Bazzite on my living room PC. It comes in multiple flavors:

• A SteamOS-like that starts up into Big Picture Mode like the Steam Deck
• A Desktop version that is meant to run on a laptop/desktop
• Multiple hardware-specific spins

Take your pick and give it a try!

Either way (no matter which flavor you choose), Bazzite offers you a terrific way to play your games and get your computing done on your terms! For beginners, I recommend going with the Game Mode or KDE Plasma.

Make sure you select the correct graphics card for your build!

Windows-like

If you're aiming for a little bit more of a Windows experience, you can check out Linux Mint. Again, I've written a guide on getting started with Linux Mint here.

Linux Mint is terrific and, like I said, offers a UI that should feel quite familiar if you're coming from Windows.

It also has rock-solid stability and a good measure of testing. Linux Mint ships with Cinnamon, one of the desktop environments I recommend for beginners. It also has support for FlatPaks and, consequently, a wide array of apps at your fingertips!

Windows, MacOS and More

If you're looking for a desktop that offers every desktop experience, look no further than Zorin OS. It's has a beautiful desktop environment with a half dozen (or so) desktop themes that run the gamut from classic Windows to modern, MacOS, and more.

I've reviewed ZorinOS here on The Review, as well. Plus, the latest version of Zorin OS (version 18.1) has even greater support for Windows applications on their system!

Conclusion

It's time to make the switch. There are so few excuses left. And, hey, maybe you try it and you realize that Linux just isn't for you. Ya know what? I couldn't fault you for that. But you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. And there has never been a better time to take a shot on Linux.