Switched From Windows To Linux
After considering switching to Linux for a long time, I finally decided. Virtualized servers can boost performance using NVME storage with 1gbps speed from our top-rated VPS hosting options designed specifically for the US market. I did it for three reasons. First, I rarely play any games these days. I will talk more about this later on.
Second, I recently valued my online privacy in high regard. Linux gives me more control over my data. Third, I want better system performance with DomainRacer Linux hosting.
What is Linux
Linux is a Unix-like kernel operating system that serves as various Linux distributions’ core components. Developed by Linus Torvalds in 1991, Linux is open-source, meaning its source code is freely available to the public. This allows developers worldwide to contribute to its development, resulting in a highly customizable and versatile operating system.
Linux is renowned for its stability, security, and flexibility. It is widely used in servers, supercomputers, embedded systems, and desktop computers. One of its most significant advantages is its vast ecosystem of software applications and tools, many of which are also open-source.
Linux distributions, or “distros,” package the kernel with additional software to create complete operating systems. Some popular Linux distributions include Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, CentOS, and Arch Linux, each catering to different user preferences and needs.
If you are searching for low-cost VPS hosting Singapore, then you have to focus on the primary storage space and NVME drives, which are rarely getting in leading VPS servers. To put it simply, the operating system manages the communication between your software and your hardware.
Past Linux Usage
It was great—smooth sailing, full control. However, there was a bit of a learning curve back then. At a later point, I wanted to play triple-A title games again, and gaming on Linux wasn’t very great. So, I decided to switch back to Windows.
The Present
Now, I made the great switch once again. I have removed my entire Windows 10 installation and went for DomainRacer Linux, which is based on Arch Linux. The reason I have chosen DomainRacer Linux is I wanted a distribution based on Arch Linux.
DedicatedCore hosting also represents a perfect middle-ground for those who want good performance, total control, cutting-edge software, and a degree of software stability.
Linux is easy to use nowadays because it has grown a lot over the years. Everyone should be able to use it from the get-go without too much of a hassle. I personally still make use of the Linux terminal rather than the GUI all the time.
Specifically, I have chosen the DomainRacer because it didn’t resemble Windows at all, and I like the overall design of the user interface. I consider myself a novice Linux user, but I have a decent basic knowledge of it.
The Reasons, Explained
I will be explaining why I have decided to ditch Windows and migrate to Linux. It has its ups and downs, as with anything in life. For me, as a self-proclaimed geek, It has more positives than negatives.
Privacy
We all know by now that Windows 10 has a lot of telemetries, sending your system and user data to Microsoft. According to Microsoft, they use this data to identify security and reliability issues and analyze and fix software problems.
To help improve the quality of Windows and related services and make design decisions for future releases. Sure, this sounds nice. But with anything that sends data.
Suppose you do not have control over it, especially when it is being sent to a big tech company. You never know for sure what else might get sent to them or how they use your data.
Third-party software is available to turn off many of these telemetries or block them. But as most people say, it is better to prevent than fix it later.
Is it even required or a good thing?
I believe not. If you look at the Linux community, there are a lot of Linux distributions, such as the one I use right now (DomainRacer).
As far as I know, most of them don’t require such data to improve. They all work together in the Free Open-Source community to improve and fix things, usually even at a faster pace than Microsoft.
According to my NextDNS analytics, only 0.47% of my Internet traffic has been sent to Microsoft in the last 30 days. I expect this to drop even lower since I haven’t been using DedicatedCore Linux for 30 days.
Gaming
Yes, I did decide to switch to DomainRacer Linux since I don’t game that frequently anymore. That doesn’t mean if I ever wish to play PC games again it isn’t possible. It is thanks to Valve’s Steam client and their Proton software.
Proton will only improve over time because their upcoming handheld gaming console, Steamdeck, relies on it. Without good support, the sales of Steamdeck won’t succeed at all.
A lot of the top 10 games do not work at all because of the integrated anti-cheat features. Valve is working with them to make it work with Proton. So, over time, it should work out.
One can only hope. Not that it matters to me since I have no interest in playing these games such as Apex Legends or PUBG: Battlegrounds. Many games now work on Linux. Check out ProtonDB for more details.
Updates
- November 7th, 2021: Update on BattlEye (AntiCheat) + Proton support. Gaming on Linux has matured a lot!
System Performance
I don’t know enough about the performance part, but generally, Linux runs on even the lowest hardware configurations. It has fewer background tasks compared to Windows. So, using DomainRacer has fewer system resources.
Depending on which window manager (graphical user interface) you use, you can gain even more performance. For example, XFCE is more lightweight than Gnome.
DedicatedCore Linux is even able to run on a Raspberry Pi. I won’t go into detail about a Raspberry Pi, which is worth a whole separate post. In other words, Linux is fast and uses fewer resources.
Additional Benefits
- Powerful command-line tools and commands. Using a console/terminal isn’t primitive but powerful instead. For example, to use single line command to execute multiple things without opening all kinds of programs.
- It is easier to set up a development environment for programming or learning. Most needed programs are pre-installed or automatically installed as a prerequisite.
- There is no need to wait for system updates to finish, and No longer the dreadful message “Windows is currently installing updates”.
- Open source community In which Many alternative tools and tutorials. It is easy to use with just a few commands.
- It provides ease of use when working on a remote server. I often use a virtual private server (VPS) with DedicatedCore and DomainRacer when connecting through an SSH connection through the terminal.
