In this video, we walk through a 5-step roadmap to help you prepare for moving from Windows to Linux. This isn’t an installation tutorial — instead, it’s a practical guide covering the key things you should think about before you switch. If you’re serious about making the jump to Linux, these steps will set you up for a smooth transition. We'll discuss why you want to switch, your hardware, what apps you need to use on linux, choosing a distro, and finally, how to prepare your data to switch! 🎯 Stay Connected with Me! 🌐 Bluesky – Catch my latest thoughts and updates: @ 🧢 Merch Store – Rep the channel and support the content: 🎥 Patreon – Get early content, exclusive posts, and support the channel directly: 🖥️ My Gear - Recording, editing and tech equipment === Production Notes === 🎵 Music & SFX: Epidemic Sound (licensed subscription) – 👉🏻 Some links may be affiliate links, which help support the channel at no extra cost to you. Thanks for keeping this content alive! 🙌 🎉 Click here for the exclusive 'switch to linux -cheat sheet' on my free patreon tier! ➡️ Linux Distro Downloads: Fedora Download: Ubuntu Download: SUSE Download: Mint Download: Zorin OS 18 Download: Debian Download: XFCE Download: ➡️ Websites/Sources Flatpak: WineHQ App Database (Wine AppDB) ProtonDB: Bottles App Store: Ubuntu Repos: 📖 Chapters: 0:00 My first exposure to Linux in 2000! 0:51 Why I wanted to make this video and who’s it for. 2:14 1) Why do you want to Switch? 3:14 2) What hardware do you have? 4:01 3) Windows Apps and installations 4:25 Wine, Bottles, and Proton 5:50 How to check app compatibility 6:26 How Linux Installs and Updates Apps 6:35 What is Flatpak? 7:00 4) Choosing a Linux Distro/DE 7:24 Don’t be afraid of the Linux file system or terminal 8:07 Distro vs DE 8:50 A Linux distro for a beginners 9:37 A Linux distro for more savvy users 9:57 Testing driving Linux Distros 10:47 Will my NAS work? 11:50 Use Ventoy for testing multiple distros 12:35 5) Preparing for the switch 13:46 Honorable mentions for consideration-Open source philosophy and Linux security. 15:03 Conclusion ⚠️ Disclaimer: This content is meant for homelabs and learning projects, not for production or professional use. Please make sure to back up anything important before attempting. #linux2025 #linux #linuxforbeginners #switchtolinux #Ubunutu #fedora #mint #debian #xfce #wndows11 #windows10 #mackeytech