Reading time: 7 min
There are certain myths that refuse to die, like the idea that goldfish only have a three-second memory or that chewing gum takes seven years to digest. And then there’s Linux. Poor Linux has been around for decades, running most of the planet, and people still repeat the same tired nonsense about it like broken records.
So today, I’m putting these myths on the chopping block. No mercy, no sugarcoating—just me pointing out why these takes are as dumb as a flat-earther convention. Let’s go.
Myth #1: Linux Is Hard to Use
I used to hear this one all the time: “Linux is for hackers!” or “You need to be a wizard to even log in.” Yeah, okay, Gandalf. Meanwhile, I’m sitting on Ubuntu, doing the most brain-dead repetitive tasks—editing text, browsing the web, watching YouTube—and it’s easier than on Windows.
Ubuntu is so stupidly easy it almost feels insulting — point, click, done.
Windows has turned into this carnival where you can’t do anything without being slapped in the face with ads, pop-ups, or reminders to use Bing like it’s the cure for depression. With Linux? I open my text editor, I write. I open my browser, I surf. No clown show in the background.
So let’s be real: the hardest part of Linux is spelling “distribution” without shortening it to “distro.”
Myth #2: Linux Has No Apps
This one is just lazy parroting. Over the years, Linux hasn’t taken apps away from me—it’s given me better ones. And the funny thing? I started using some of them on Windows too because they were just that good.
Here’s my personal “thanks, Linux” list:
- HandBrake : The best for converting video files. My Windows PC still thanks Linux for introducing us.
- Transmission : A clean torrent client without the sketchy junk.
- GIMP & Krita : Photoshop who? Paint what? These two cover it all.
- Mailspring : Because Outlook feels like software written for people who still fax documents.
- Atom (RIP, Dec 15, 2022) : One of the best text editors that ever lived. VS Code is my IDE now, but Atom had a good run.
- Kdenlive & DaVinci Resolve : Real video editing without selling your soul to Adobe’s subscription scam.
- LibreOffice : Microsoft Office wants rent forever. LibreOffice is just there, free, and better at some things.
Notice the theme? Open source doesn’t just replace apps—it frees you from subscriptions. I haven’t paid Adobe or Microsoft a single cent, and my work still gets done.
Myth #3: The Terminal Is Scary
“Oh no, a black box with blinking text, I’m going to die!” Calm down, it’s not an alien spaceship. It’s literally a shortcut machine.
Instead of clicking through 50 menus to change a setting, I paste a command, hit enter, and I’m done before you even find the Control Panel. I even keep a cheat sheet—copy, paste, done. That’s not scary. That’s fast travel for your computer.
The people who complain about the terminal are usually the same ones who type “Google.com” into Google.
Myth #4: Linux Doesn’t Support Hardware
Yeah, maybe back in 2005 when you had to sacrifice a goat to get Wi-Fi drivers working. But now? Plug in a printer, and Linux just shrugs and says, “Cool, here you go.”
Meanwhile on Windows, you download a 300MB “driver package” from a website that looks like it was coded by malware itself, just to get the printer to show up. And don’t even get me started on NVIDIA drivers on Windows compared to Linux—they’re a joke.
The truth: Linux supports old junk and new gear alike. That dusty printer in the office closet? Linux will probably breathe life into it like some kind of necromancer.
Myth #5: Linux Is Just for Servers
If Linux can run the internet, it can definitely handle Netflix and a spreadsheet. The fact that it dominates servers isn’t proof it can’t do desktop—it’s proof it’s rock solid.
Honestly, if your laptop is choking on Chrome tabs, maybe the problem isn’t Linux—it’s you opening 83 tabs of “funny cat videos” at once.
Myth #6: Linux Is Ugly
Ugly? That’s the myth? Please. Linux lets you rip the skin off your desktop and rebuild it however you want. Don’t like the way it looks? Swap the entire damn desktop environment out like changing socks. Want macOS wannabe vibes? Two clicks. Want to relive Windows XP with the rolling green hills? Easy. Want your desktop to look like the control room of the Death Star? Done.
Meanwhile, on Windows, “customization” means diving headfirst into a clown show. First, you gamble on some shady “wizard” program that might Thanos-snap your entire desktop. Back in the day there was Aston Shell—remember that? Those guys actually had a vision of a customizable Windows. Look at them now: they gave up in 2012, forums dead by 2014. Why? Because they figured out the hard truth—it’s a fool’s errand to make Windows into anything decent.
And if Aston didn’t nuke your setup, you’d still be stuck bolting on Classic Shell just to unfisher-price the start menu, then juggling Rainmeter with 70 widgets—CPU meters, fake clocks, anime girl weather reports—praying your desktop doesn’t crash harder than Internet Explorer in 2003.
And now with Windows 11? It’s somehow worse. You can’t even move the damn taskbar anymore. Customization is dead; Microsoft basically nailed the coffin shut and said, “Deal with it.”
Linux ugly? No. Ugly is wasting hours modding Windows only to end up with something, but a desktop.
Myth #7: Nobody Uses Linux
This one makes me laugh. Nobody uses Linux? Let’s see:
- Android = Linux.
- ChromeOS = Linux.
- Servers = Linux.
- Smart devices = Linux.
- Internet infrastructure = Linux.
Even your fridge is probably running Linux while you’re still out here saying, “Nobody uses it.” Spoiler: you already do.
Myth #8: Linux Is Bad at Gaming
Alright, yes, for years this was true. But then Valve dropped the Steam Deck and suddenly the narrative flipped.
Proton lets Windows-only games run on Linux like it’s no big deal.
Lutris and Heroic Launcher make managing launchers and libraries easy.
In some cases, Linux outperforms Windows on the same hardware.
Meanwhile, Windows still thinks it’s okay to run a random “system scan” mid-match while you’re trying to clutch in CS:GO.
Gaming on Linux is no longer the joke—it’s the punchline for Windows.
Myth #9: Learning Linux Takes Too Much Time
Here’s a little secret: everything takes time.
Switching from Android to iPhone takes time.
Learning to drive takes time.
Even doing nothing takes time—you just sit there while time runs out.
So yeah, Linux takes some learning. But investing that time means you walk away with a system that’s yours. Not rented, not leased, not full of ads—yours.
If you can scroll TikTok for four hours, you can learn a distro in 30 minutes.
Closing Thoughts
Linux isn’t perfect. No system is. But the myths people cling to are way more outdated than the 1998 PC in your uncle’s garage.
The reality: Linux is stable, customizable, packed with apps, and yes—even fun. The terminal isn’t a monster under the bed. Gaming is alive and well. And no, you don’t need to wear a hoodie in a dark basement to use it.
Next time someone repeats one of these zombie myths, laugh, install Ubuntu in 15 minutes, and move on with your life.
Because the truth? The dumbest myth of all is pretending Linux isn’t worth your time.
Hey! Decided to pack your bags and move out of windows, and it’s candy-ass walled garden? check this out: Moving to Linux.