But Linux Looks So Different…

When migrating to Linux, some users find it easier if the desktop environment looked close enough to Windows. Why? Because the familiarity gives them enough comfort to click around and do something. It also gives them the feeling that it’s not going to be too different, at least when it comes to them using their computers. My mom and sister will kill me if I make them use Openbox or Ratpoison as their window managers, same thing goes if I installed Enlightenment or Windowmaker. They will end up feeling too weirded out by the experience.

At first there was wanting to make things look very familiar, like Windows…

After all, Linux is not Windows.

Because it was just really easier to get to go back to old ways or stick with something that’s comfortable. Comfortable is good enough for some people. But you see, it really depends on several factors:

• How lazy you could get. The comfortable might not be the best user interface for you. But you just haven’t thought about it yet. And you don’t really want to think about it anymore.
• How comfortable you really are and how you’d like to start getting comfortable with something new. You’d like to be more comfortable first and then you are open to other options later on. You just don’t want to panic while interacting with a new system yet.
• How overwhelming the choices are. There are too many options and too many choices, but they all look weird and you don’t like feeling weird. And you’re getting too lazy to check everything out there.
• How you are guided throughout this migration process. This is related to all of the above given points. After all, some people who have had friends closely keeping tabs on their migration process have someone who can/will answer questions. If not, they have someone who will experiment on new Linux desktop environments along the way.

If you think about it, migrating to Linux might feel scary or very uncomfortable. But others might think it’s something good and exciting. I guess that the key here is an attitude of learning. Someone who’s more of a learner could turn apprehension into an opportunity to have new experiences by experimenting on different user interface paradigms that’s available in the various window managers and desktop environments.

There are many guides and screenshots on the internet. Some of them might look interesting but too different from Windows. That’s ok. After all, Linux really is different from Windows. And the desktop environments and window managers that are available make it more interesting that way. At the same time, you could take a look at which one really is more suited to your needs. Even if you have no one that’s physically beside you to hold your hand in the process, virtual hand holding from online friends and those who are in the community help too. But remember this: Don’t panic. It will cause you more stress and difficulty if you do that. Exploring all these things could be fun and I hope you’d start enjoying the process too.