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Is Linux safe to write and save stories on? (lemmy.ca)

submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I just want to write stories again and haven't been able to at all since 2025 due to...2025 and all that has entailed. I no longer feel safe or secure using any of my current devices. I feel surveyed and watched 24/7. I'm absolutely not okay with things as they are currently. (.-.) For more context, I have pre-existing mental disorders and this year has just done me in.

I'm striving toward switching out at least one device with something that I can install linux on. I was thinking either a lenovo or a dell, and will start probably with linux mint, they say it's a good beginner distro.

Not being able to write is killing me. I love writing so much even though it's not anything special. It just felt good.

I've never used linux but want to learn and I will learn, because you have to if you want to use it. You can't just hop in a car and hope it will work without knowing how to drive it. I will learn the commands. I'll fail at it a couple times but learn. It'll be great. Bring it.

I appreciate you taking time to reply.

Edit: You guys are amazing. My hope for the future is restored. Thank you!

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Linux mint is a fantastic choice, and to be quite honest, there isn’t much you’ll need to learn. The software center allows you to install anything you need securely, updates are applied with a click and a password prompt, and day to day navigation of your system is not so different from windows.

If I may make one hardware suggestion. It doesn’t sound like gaming is a big priority for you, but I would avoid laptops or desktops that have an Nvidia GPU. They can work fine, but while AMD and intel have open source drivers built into the Linux kernel, Nvidia unfortunately refuses to open source their drivers, and their driver as a result doesn’t always play nice.

If you do run into any issues, forums and search engines will usually provide you with plenty of advice, and the community is very supportive.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Thank you so much for the tip about Nvidia. I didn't know this. And I'm really glad to hear Mint is so easy! That's perfect. I have a fear of pressing the wrong button and accidentally breaking something. I'm sure that's a common anxiety for beginners. So Mint seems like a perfect starter then. Yay! Yes, it's true, I'm not much of a gamer. I wish I could play games more. There's a ton from different genres that intrigue me and I love watching playthroughs and reviews, but it's just not feasible for me right now. In the future hopefully.

I will most certainly check in online if ever an issue crops up. Everyone here has been really helpful and I'm deeply grateful. Thank you so much! :)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago

A good thing to keep in mind is, is Linux asking me for a password right now? It will ask for a password whenever changes to the system are made. It’ll ask when you update, it’ll ask when you mount a drive, etc. basically what it’s asking you, is “do you know what you’re doing?

If all you’re doing is something like an update, installing a new piece of software, yeah, it’s fine, type the password for authorization and you’re good to go. But if you’re tinkering, just make sure you know what changes you’re making and why. Mint actually guides you through setting up a utility called Timeshift that creates restore points to revert to if something gets messed up.

What if something does get messed up? Well, keep backups of important files. Either in your cloud storage of choice, or physically on something like a thumb drive. Also keep a thumb drive with a Linux mint install bootable (also called an ISO). That way if something does go wrong, you can just wipe the system and reinstall mint, and not lose anything important.