this post was submitted on 15 May 2024
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I urge everyone to install linux on an old notebook and see if it works for you with firefox as a browser and thunderbird for emails
Whatever linux version is on the Steam Deck wasn't bad to use when I needed Desktop mode. It was pretty similar experience-wise to windows (no mac experience).
That's probably KDE - the K Desktop Environment. Linux variants are called "distributions" and they are basically software bundles maintained by groups.
Desktop environments are basically bundled themes and software to present a desktop, bars, effects, and so on. Windows basically has one desktop environment, but linux has many: Most popular are KDE (windows like) and Gnome (Mac like), but there are more like Cinnamon, XFCE, LXQt, LXDE, which look more like windows.
Desktop environments also have window managers - they do what they say, manage your windows: maximize and minimize them, stack them (stacking window managers), tile them (tiling window managers), or even allow only one window at a time (like kiosks).
If you want to start your linux journey, grab bazzite if you want to game or linux mint debian edition (comes standard with cinnamon desktop environment, but you have the choice during installation to use KDE too) and give it a go!
You can also test distros (linux mint for example) online!
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This is good to know. I want to put Mint on my laptop but I do like the look of steamdeck desktop too.