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Rico van Zelst
Rico van Zelst

Posted on • Updated on • Originally published at rico.sh

Switching from Windows to Fedora: A Developer's Experience

As a passionate developer, I am constantly looking for ways to improve my workflow and increase my productivity. That's why, after almost a decade of Windows as my primary operating system, I decided to make the switch to Fedora Workstation 37 on my laptop. Here are a few reasons why I made the switch and why I think it's a great choice for other developers.

One of the biggest benefits of using Fedora is the level of customization it offers. With a wide range of desktop environments and tools available, I was able to easily customize the look and feel of my system to suit my preferences. This has been especially helpful as I've been learning the operating system, as I've been able to set things up in a way that works best for me.

One of the main reasons that prompted me to switch to Fedora was the Modern Standby (S0) issues I was experiencing on Windows. Modern Standby is a power-saving mode that is supposed to allow the computer to enter a low-power state while still maintaining connectivity and the ability to perform tasks in the background. However, I found that this feature often caused problems on my machine, such as battery drain. Since switching to Fedora, my battery life in general has significantly improved, and I'm not worried about my laptop being 1% after I closed it at 100% the day before.

In addition to the customization and Modern Standby issues, I've found that using Fedora has helped to increase my productivity. The operating system is stable, fast, and efficient, which allows me to focus on my work without being slowed down by system issues or other distractions. The customizable nature of Fedora has also helped me set up my desktop environment in a way that works best for me, further contributing to my increased productivity.

Another advantage of using Fedora is the package management system, dnf (Dandified YUM). This system makes it easy to install, update, and remove software packages, saving me time and effort compared to manually downloading and installing applications on Windows.

In terms of performance, I've found that Fedora performs just as well, if not better, than Windows on my machine. It's lightweight and runs smoothly, even when I have multiple applications open at the same time. It also uses substantially less RAM than Windows, which is always a bonus.

Finally, I switched to Fedora because I agree with the philosophy behind the operating system. As an open source project, Fedora is built on the principles of collaboration, transparency, and community-driven development. This aligns with my own values and the way I like to work.

In conclusion, there are many reasons why I switched to Fedora from Windows. The level of customization available, the Modern Standby issues I was experiencing on Windows, the increased productivity, the efficient package management system, the excellent performance, and the philosophy behind the operating system all contributed to my decision to make the switch. If you're a developer looking for a reliable and customizable operating system, I highly recommend giving Fedora Workstation 37 a try.


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Top comments (2)

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Afonso Barracha

As a long time fedora user I think you will not regret the decision, the OS is awesome. However, the fedora set-up is not the easiest, personally I would recommend new Linux users with Linux mint before fedora.

Unlike debian based distros there are a lot of things missing in fedora, you need to manually ad the community/external packages (rpmfusion), for some reason ffmpeg and ffmpeg-libs packages do not come installed out of the box as well which can be annoying (some videos on Firefox will buffer). Sure all this things have solutions you can find on Google and YouTube, but I think it is something that should be kept in mind before changing OS.

Another bummer with linux is the Nvidia graphics cards, the drivers are always behind when compared to Windows, so if you are thinking of using linux long term I recommend going either full red (amd ryzen & radeon) or full blue (intel i-x & arc) with your workstations.

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Rico van Zelst

Fedora Linux UI