I use linux based distros for the following reasons. Currently I use Arch Linux (2019 - Present). Ubuntu was my first linux system which I started using full time from 2017. From early 2000s - 2017 it was mainly Windows. Sometimes I wonder why I didn’t switch earlier (and then I remind myself that I was not aware of anything other than Windows.)

• Free. No need a license to use an OS. Opensource.
• Privacy. Avoid telemetry, spyware, user data being transmitted to any corporation.
• Highly customizable.
• Can fix issues on linux without modifying registry (like in windows).
• Can actually fix issues with some google search, unlike windows which may or may not have a feasible solution.
• I didn’t like the transition from windows 7 - Vista - 8 - 10 (now 11). User experience has been subpar.
• More stable and performant.
• OS is available for me to tinker and modify according to how I want it.
• If something goes wrong on windows it’s something windows did. In Linux if something goes wrong it’s something I did.
• Updates can happen without restarting all the time.
• Security. No more antivirus software (I can still remember the dark ages of Norton). Linux has almost no malware and viruses.
• Easier to set up programming environments.
• Convenience of package managers over exe installers. Granted nowadays there is chocolatey but I’m not sure if it’s good/bad since I haven’t used it. The reasons why I use linux.
• I can debug my parents’ systems remotely with ease and fix issues much faster compared to when they used Windows.
• Can run it on the cheapest of hardware with the DE of my choice.
• Different DEs to choose from. My favourites are xfce and kde.
• Easy and straightforward installation.
• Availability of applications.
• Docker works great on Linux.
• Installation of applications is straightforward. I can keep a list of applications installed with pacman -Qq > package_list and reinstall using pacman -S - <package_list>. In Windows I used to maintain a text file with all applications installed and the site from which I got the installer.

To provide an alternative and more engaging view on why Linux might suck, have a look at the following resources.

• Bryan Lunduke’s videos
• Unix Haters Handbook [pdf]​
• Adobe / MS Office products are mostly unavailable to install on Linux
• C# or .NET frameworks