I'm transitioning from Windows 11 to Linux and it's been really challenging. I've been reading a lot about different distributions, but honestly, the more I read, the more confused I get. Here's what I need from my new setup: I require Word and Excel for my PhD, particularly because I use Mendeley for citations, and I need the plugin to function properly. I'm also into gaming on Steam and heard about Accela. Here are my specs: 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13620H, 24GB RAM, and an NVIDIA RTX 4060. I do web browsing with either Zen or Mozilla and would like to know if I can use Revit, Eberick/TQS/Cypecad natively on Linux. A friend suggested Bazzite or SteamOS, but I want a full Linux experience, possibly Fedora or Mint. I've read that Fedora and Bazzite are immutable distros, and I've seen mentions of containers, which I don't really understand. Any insights?
4 Answers
Fedora is fantastic for most users, just a heads up, though—it's not necessarily immutable. There are other versions, like Fedora Silverblue, that are. Definitely give Fedora a try; it has a lot of great features!
I recently switched to Mint and it's been awesome for getting away from Windows. For Office, I created app shortcuts for the web versions, so they feel native. I still keep LibreOffice for when I don’t need MS Office functionality. Performance is so much better since I made the switch!
Glad to hear Mint's working out for you! I'll consider setting up something similar for my Office needs.
If you need Word and Excel for your studies, I'd think carefully about switching to Linux right now. But if you're set on trying it out, I'd recommend starting with Mint; it's beginner-friendly. Both Ubuntu LTS and Fedora Workstation are solid choices, too!
For Word and Excel, you're likely going to need Windows since the desktop versions are specific to it. You might want to consider using a virtual machine or setting up a dual boot to have both systems. Honestly, with the great specs you have, I'm curious why you're facing performance issues on Windows. If you're just browsing, it shouldn't lag. Regarding Revit or those design applications, they might not run well on Linux natively.
Totally agree, switching might be more trouble than it's worth during your PhD. Fixing Windows first could save you a lot of headaches!
Good point on the VM! I'll definitely look into dual booting if I decide to go that route.
Thanks for the info! I'll look into the different versions of Fedora.