There are many great advantages to using Linux on your home computer. Even if you do not feel that you are very tech savvy, you may find that Linux is a great way to go for you. It may take a little bit of research, and it does have a learning curve, but once you understand what is going on, Linux is great for many reasons.

First, and in most people’s mind, foremost, is the fact the Linux is free to use. You do not need to go purchase the operating system. It is open source, which means that you can find what you want without the pricey tags that a lot of operating systems today have. Most of the applications that you will want to use with Linux are also open source, and free as well.

If you multi task, Linux is probably going to work very well for you. It is completely designed to be able to do quite a few things all at once. Having something going in the background will most likely not slow down what you are doing in the foreground.

If you are the type that likes to have things your way, Linux can help! There is a huge amount of flexibility when using Linux. With everything from which of the distributions you want to use, what programs you install, and even how you use it, is all up to you, the user.

Linux has also been said to be one of the best operating systems for stability and security. It does not need you to reboot your computer all the time to make updates. It also does not slow down or even freeze up because of memory leaks. Linux has been shown to be one of the safest operating systems to use. If a bug or virus was found, there are many programmers all over the world that would be working on the fix immediately.

Though there are video games that are open source, and even made specifically to run on Linux, many people find that gaming outside these parameters can be a little difficult. Depending on the type of gaming that you are interested, you may or may not be able to run the game when you are solely running Linux.

Because of this, occasionally people who consider themselves gamers may have both Linux as well as Windows on their computer. Being able to get around the problem can be frustrating for some people. In fact, it has been said that game developers need to start looking at making things more available to those that use Linux based operating systems. Though they are a smaller part of the market share, there is still a significant amount of people that prefer Linux, and realistically, a lot of them enjoy playing some of the hit video games on their computers.

Another option that some people have chosen, if they want to play a game that does not have Linux support is to look into translators. These programs will help allow the game to work on the Linux operating system. Unfortunately, not all games work with a translator, and even some of the ones that do, do not work at full capacity. It may end up being a bit of trial and error to find out if your game will work with a translator or not.

Whether you are looking for an RPG, an MMO, an RTS, or anything in between to fill up your free time with gaming, you may want to look into what is available for Linux, before dual booting with Windows or trying a translator. You may be able to find a game that fits your wants and needs much easier than you would imagine.

Sometimes, Linux gets a bad rap. People hear things about Linux that keep them away. Unfortunately, many of these things that keep new users from Linux are generally not true.

For example, many people hear the name Linux and think that they have to be coders or programmers to even consider using Linux as their operating system. Luckily, this is far from the truth. There may be a bit of a learning curve to using Linux, but you by no means need to know programming or coding languages to use the operating system.

Another common thought is that there are absolutely no games that you can play on a Linux operating system. This is completely untrue. There are, in fact, quite a few open source games that have been made specifically for the Linux operating system. Beyond that, there are more famous and popular games that can be played on the system with no interference at all. Also, there are translators that can help you play games that may not generally be usable on Linux.

Some people are concerned that because Linux and all of its distributions are open source software, it is unsafe, and not secure. Luckily for many out there, this is simply not true. In fact, many pieces of software that are open source are considered better than their counterparts. The reason for this is that if everyone can see the code, then it better stand up. If the code is bad, people will know almost immediately.

There is also the concern that Linux won’t open Windows based applications. With the advent of OpenOffice, this is not as much of a concern, because you can now open Windows applications, including docx documents.

Though there are many misconceptions about the Linux operating system, there are steps being made to correct them. Linux is much more compatible with most things than people like to give it credit for.

If you are new to using the Linux operating system, you may feel a little overwhelmed. In fact, it may seem down right daunting at times. You may feel like you have jumped into something and have no where to turn, and no idea what to do next. If you are feeling this way, you shouldn’t. There is tons of help out there for new Linux users, as well as support and help for those that have been using Linux for a while. Sometimes we all get stuck, but don’t let it get you down!

First, you may want to consider some tutorials. There are tons of tutorials online about how to do different things in Linux. Whether you prefer to read it, or find a video, you will find the help you are looking for. Another idea is to get a book from the library, or purchase one from a local bookstore, that will be able to teach you a little more about Linux as well.

You can generally get personalized help as well. Since Linux and its distributions are all open source, there are a lot of people that use it out there to help you. In fact, a lot of times, these people play with the code itself, and may have run into the same problem you are. There is everything from message boards to chat rooms where you can find help. You may even want to consult people you know in your life. You may be surprised to find out that a friend or family member has been using Linux for years.

No matter what kind of problem you come across, you can almost always find a fix. Don’t hesitate to talk to those that may understand it a bit better. In the future, you may find yourself helping someone who is new to the system with the same problem!