I’ve used Linux extensively for around 15 years.

So many quirks and issues from back in the day have simply been solved.

Using Linux today is as easy as anything else, and here are some of the specific ways.

synology nas

I like transparent panels and window bars for no reason other than they make my work environment fun.

When I first started using Linux, it felt like stepping back in time.

Microsoft Vista had just arrived, bringing transparent windows and colorful themes.

The Kubuntu Focus Ir16 Gen 2 laptop open and on a desk.

Jerome Thomas / How-To Geek

Mac OS X had set the standard for what good design looked like.

Yet installing Ubuntu felt like firing up not Windows Vista or even XP, but Windows 98.

You could expect a new version of Ubuntu, Fedora, or openSUSE every six months.

Star Labs StarLite MkIV laptop on a shelf.

Bertel King / How-To Geek

Linux has new app stores that have eliminated the wait.

This has made using Linux a more vibrant, fun place to be.

These same new app stores, Flathub and the Snap Store, have also solved this problem.

The default desktop on Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex.

SF007 /Wikipedia

We have a version that works, and we stick with it to get stuff done.

Then there are those of us who can’t help but play around with the software.

Many of us doeventually grow out of distro hopping, as is called.

Apps in GNOME Software on Fedora Silverblue

I found existing software like VirtualBox confusing.

GNOME Boxeswas a game changer.

Some distros made it easy, and others didn’t.

Music playing in the Amberol local music app for Linux.

Now this issue has been tackled from multiple angles.

With built-in drivers and open standards, many things are plug and play.

This is largely now a non-issue.

Software repositories in GNOME Software on Fedora Silverblue

Do more printers come with Linux drivers than back in the day?

Honestly, I don’t know.

I also don’t know the last time I tried to plug a computer directly into a printer.

A Fedora-powered laptop running Ubuntu in a virtual machine.

Image Credit: Bertel King / How-To Geek

I do my printing wirelessly, regardless of the operating system.

As for scanning, I scan files directly to a USB stick.

Whether the scanner works directly with my computer is increasingly less of a need in the first place.

Garuda Linux comes with Proprietary Nvidia drivers for smooth installation

Is Linux the best option for everyone?

I wouldn’t say that.

Linux has come quite a long way.

Tux, the Linux mascot, with a gamepad on the right side and some screens in the background.

Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek |Peter Kotoff/ Shutterstock

A Canon printer with a scanner.

Andrew Martonik / How-To Geek