Why You Need to Use Linux
On this page
As a CS student, I tried a lot of Linux distros and worked with Windows for a big part of my life.
And I always asked myself — why do we still use Windows?
If Linux is fast, free, and open source, then why not?
But is Linux really faster? Let's see.
Which Is Better — Linux or Windows?
A lot of people use their computers just for web browsing, watching videos, or doing some Microsoft Office work.
They don't need to go deep with the system; they just want to click buttons and everything works.
So in this case, the best option is Windows, no question.
Even Chrome OS is a better choice for this kind of user.
But let's be honest — setting up a new OS for these people is kind of painful, so they just stay on Windows.
Now let's talk about people like me, who spend all their time working on computers — doing coding, system setup, network stuff, automation, etc.
I'll speak as a CS student.
Install, Update, and Remove Packages in Seconds
Each Linux distro comes with its own package manager — apt, dnf, pacman, whatever.
They make installing or removing stuff super easy and fast.
Yes, Windows also has winget and others, but after using both, believe me — Linux wins.
On Linux, you just need to know the name of the package.
Most of the time, it's already in a repo.
You install it, work with it, done.
Want to install a system service, configure proxychains, or run tor?
One or two commands and you're good.
Need to update your system? Just sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade.
No restart, no 20 minutes of "please wait".
It just works.
System Units and Cron Jobs
Linux gives you full control of your system.
You can make anything run automatically — scripts, backups, cleanups, whatever you want.
Use cron jobs to schedule tasks, or systemd units to manage services.
Want your script to run every time the computer starts?
Or every night at 3 AM?
Easy — just a few lines and done.
I always use them in my scraping projects — it's a good feeling when you're doing other things and your computer is out there scraping and gathering data automatically.
That's why Linux feels like it's made for people who actually want to control their machine.
Faster
Linux is built for performance.
It doesn't run useless background apps like Windows does.
No "defender updates" or random notifications killing your CPU.
It boots faster, runs smoother, and uses less RAM.
Even on old machines, it feels alive — especially if you use a lightweight UI, it's very fast.
When you work on heavy stuff like Docker containers, microservices apps, or big IDEs, your system can start to struggle.
With Linux, you have the freedom to make it faster — for example, using a lightweight desktop, or killing background processes automatically when your CPU reaches 80%.
And if you're doing development, Docker, or virtualization — it's just faster, period.
Customization
Linux is all about freedom.
You can change everything — from how it looks to how it behaves.
Got an idea? Write a script or a system service, and it'll work exactly how you want.
Want your own animation? Add a few lines of code and you've got it.
You want a minimalist setup? You got it.
You want a full fancy desktop with effects? Also possible.
You can change your terminal, icons, themes, keybindings — literally everything.
For me, it's not just about making it pretty.
It's about making it mine, and building a workflow that fits how I work.
Free to Use
If you're on a budget and tired of that ugly Windows watermark saying "Activate Windows" —
Linux is waiting for you with a big smile.
It's 100% free. No license, no product key, no "limited trial".
You just download, install, and go.
And everything you need — editors, IDEs, servers, browsers, terminals — is also free.
You can even build and share your own tools with the world.
Privacy
Linux respects your privacy.
It doesn't track you, it doesn't sell your data, and it doesn't send telemetry to random servers.
You have full control.
You can even open the source code and see exactly what's going on.
If you care about privacy and freedom, Linux is your home.
Linux Limitations
After all these great things about Linux, there are still some limitations. As an old gamer, I wasn't able to fully switch to Linux because of unsupported games. Also, there are limitations with software like Adobe, MS Office, and others.
In my case, I'm a heavy Notion user, and unfortunately, Notion isn't supported natively on Linux — you need to use the web version, and honestly, I don't like it as much as the real application.
Also, Linux is a little bit harder for beginners, but not really, because there are easy Linux versions like Mint or Ubuntu that make the transition smooth.
What Made Me Switch to Linux
I was always a Linux user — whether through dual boot, WSL with Windows, or working on external Linux servers. I only work with Bash (Git Bash or WSL), so I'm more familiar with Linux commands than Windows commands. Plus, I don't like PowerShell's syntax.
Another thing is customization. In Windows, it's hard to customize anything — you always need third-party software to make even small modifications, and those programs absolutely eat your resources.
And why pay for Windows when I have a free, open-source OS that, in my eyes, is easier to use?
But the real reason is shortcuts. I love shortcuts and they make all my work very easy and very fast. I don't like using the mouse so much, and Windows shortcuts are soooo slow. For example, switching between environments — I hate how slow it is to switch between environments using shortcuts in Windows.
Final Thoughts
If you use your PC just for watching videos or playing games, stay on Windows — it's fine.
But if you want to learn, build, and control your environment, Linux is where you belong.
For me, Linux isn't just an operating system —
it's the perfect tool to grow as a developer.