The first three months since my return to Linux
This is the year of my Linux desktop.
Three months ago today I moved back to Linux for good after almost a decade with ChromeOS. That day I installed Linux Mint Cinnamon on a freshly delivered System76 Merkaat.
I was growing increasingly dissatisfied with ChromeOS and bumping into the restricted confines of its Crostini Linux container more and more. The last straw was the rumor of Google considering a Recall-like feature for ChromeOS. I didn't like Chromebook Plus fragmenting the platform by delivering exclusive features only to premium users, either.
I put together my requirements for a Linux PC and distro and finally went with the System76 Merkaat and Mint.
Prior to the switch to ChromeOS I had been using Linux for almost two decades and coming back to Linux felt incredibly good. But I was still unsure and concerned about the hardware compatibility and stability of Linux.
Mint immedially dispelled my compatibility concerns as it fully supports every single hardware feature of the Merkaat and the connected peripherals. Nearly no software configuration is required, and the little that is is as simple as installing a couple of packages with the system's package manager.
As for stability, an incorrectly flashed USB boot stick caused some Linux installation glitches. A borked upgrade from Mint 21.3 to 22 forced a full instsllation of Mint 22. And I managed to lock myself out of my account, forcing another full reinstall.
The bottom line is I practiced enough emergency reinstalls I now have the experience to complete the full process in under three hours.
Despite the initial setbacks and annoyances, some of which due to my rustiness with Linux, it has been smooth sailing over the past three months. And the flawless software updates grew my confidence in Linux and my setup.
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