DevOps demands Linux: Why switch from Windows?

From Windows to Linux: The shift required by DevOps work

A VPS server running Ubuntu, a couple of active websites, and a user who admits that every time they log in via SSH it feels like "getting beaten up." That is the starting point: the discomfort of managing a Linux server from Windows without having internalized the command line. The proposed solution is radical: migrating the entire desktop to Ubuntu or another distribution, using a graphical interface for daily tasks but forcing oneself to use the shell for almost everything. The stated goal is not aesthetic: it is for the terminal to stop being an obstacle and become second nature, because for DevOps, the argument goes, there are no shortcuts.

Is switching from Windows to Linux worth it in 2025?

The dominant answer in the conversation is yes, provided the hardware supports it. The historical bottleneck—graphics card drivers, Wi-Fi, printers—has narrowed significantly. "It has been well debugged for years," summarizes one participant, noting that only in very specific situations, such as changing drivers, does one end up resorting to the console. The experience of those who left Windows after Windows 7 points in the same direction: no noteworthy problems. Another participant, who alternates between Windows and Linux at home and work, settles the matter with a phrase that sums up the technological consensus: "We are already in 2025."

The nuance comes from specialized software. Those dependent on tools without native Linux versions—the case of music software like Kontakt is mentioned—do not have an easy path. For the rest, office suites, browsers, VS Code, and little else, the transition is viable. The intermediate alternative appearing in the conversation is WSL2, which allows having a Linux environment inside Windows without giving up the familiar desktop. However, for those wanting to force themselves to learn, a virtual machine does not impose the same discipline as a native boot.

The unexpected side effect: Windows slows down old PCs

One of the most repeated testimonials is that of the old laptop revived with Linux Mint. "The PC runs much faster now with Mint than it did before with Windows 10," claims someone who attributed the slowness to the hard drive and components. The question raised—what does Windows do to old computers?—has no closed answer in the material, but the pattern repeats: clean installation, no pre-installed programs, and a recovered sense of fluidity.

The choice of distribution becomes a labyrinth in itself. Some admit that the hardest part is not Linux, but deciding among the dozens of available variants. Mint and Manjaro appear as recommendations for modest equipment and users coming from Windows. Ubuntu maintains its dominant position, albeit with criticism: it is reproached for drifting toward imposed decisions—the snap format—that recalls Apple's philosophy. For those seeking stability and control, the repeated recipe is Debian with Flatpak applications.

Gaming on Linux: From excuse to argument

The old topic that Linux is not good for gaming has been inverted in the conversation. Steam and Proton have changed the landscape, and some claim many new games perform better on Linux than on Windows. The technical recommendation is clear: AMD graphics cards over Nvidia, due to driver openness. To manage catalogs from Epic, GOG, or Amazon, the tool pointed out is Heroic Launcher, because native launchers do not exist on Linux.

The counterargument remains alive: there are games and services that do not work, and those with libraries heavily dependent on proprietary anti-cheat may face surprises. But the balance has shifted enough for gaming to cease being the main reason not to make the jump.

The real barrier is habit, not technology

The most repeated obstacle is not a driver or a specific program: it is the laziness of reconfiguring a computer that already works. Those with a desktop adjusted to their taste, with everything installed and functioning, hesitate before touching anything. The experience of those who have already migrated indicates that the discomfort lasts little and that, conversely, returning to Windows becomes difficult. "If I had to use Windows right now, I would have difficulties," summarizes someone who switched years ago.

The professional argument carries weight. Some defend that working with Windows at scale—updating the operating system on 150 computers, for example—is a constant source of problems, and that this pushes towards migration. For those managing servers, the command line is not a hobby: it is the work tool. And there, the debate is not whether Linux is better, but how long it takes to stop fighting with it.

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The exact point where the analysis gets stuck is the usual one: there is no single distribution that serves everyone, and the choice depends on the hardware each person has at home. Migration works. The question is for whom, and with what equipment.