Hey guys. New to the place.
Thought I would start out with something to get to know everyone a bit better.
When did you first take the plunge and did you stick to it? I first started in 2007 with Linux Mint Fluxbox. I was super into lightweight window managers at the time. I went back to Windows for a couple of years but have now been using Linux at home since 2011. Never planning to go back.
Around 2008, Ubuntu started with those fancy desktop animations, that got me hook. My laptop back then had driver issues so I went back to windows, but it was the raspberry pi that brought me back to Linux. I now use Ubuntu as a server on a regular basis via terminal.
Good question. My first experience with Linux was with Linux servers. In the late 1990’s I ran a community website on Windows NT 4 I believe it was with IIS 4. I also used both at my full time job.
However, by around the early 2000’s i was becoming more and more aware that Microsoft and IIS was at a severe disadvantage performance wise.
Especially once PHP and MySQL became part of my daily work and play routine.
At first I was very hesitant about switching, I really enjoyed the cool factor (back then) and ease of Windows (GUI). So stuck to Windows Server right up to 2003 but was dabbling with linux sever distros using LAMP.
I finally made the switch around 2004 when traffic requirements of some projects were just out of the league of what IIS 6 could handle at the time.
So over time moved everything over to Linux with Apache, then eventually Lighttpd, Nginx, Squid, Varnish, Litespeed, and others but exclusively Linux.
I used Linux on servers but not desktop, for years, probably didn’t try Linux on desktop until 2012. But used RedHat, SUSE, CentOS on servers with DEs at work in our NOC. (Cable and Wireless)
That’s pretty much in a nutshell. Oh! I would say back then getting my CCNA and CCNP certifications really opened my mind more to the command line, and efficiency on lower-spec hardware and helped me move me away from the heavier windows graphical approach. Much credit then to Cisco Systems lol.
I don’t have Linux yet. I am looking to switch to it. I joined hoping I can get a few answers to some questions. I asked on Reddit but I don’t have enough karma or whatever so they got deleted. Sorry to be a bit spammy. 
I heard of people using Linux for servers and having way more success on many different levels. I actually have a friend who has never used it as an OS but swears by it for managing servers.
Count me in. I truthfully only use Linux for server usage.
Linux Mint, still on Mint to this day. Always return to it lol
I started my Linux adventure way back I’m 2016. I was given a Dell Inspiron with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS at the time as my workstation computer. From the get go, I started battling with package dependencies and driver issues. It was a steep learning curve but I enjoyed the power of customization. As of today, I am still standing and still using Linux.
It is a good version however the version is no longer maintained nowadays. The look of Ubuntu 20.04 and 22.04 is ameliorated. I have started also working with Ubuntu 16.04 during my studies. I think almalinux is better than ubuntu in some functionnalities by the fact of experience.
My first experience with Linux was Ubuntu 18.04. I stared at the black terminal screen. It was like learning a foreign language. I was left frustrated when all the commands I learned prior to that launch kept giving me error messages. I almost felt likely giving up but I preserved and today, I can stand tall to an extent.
@Slys my first experience with Linux that i started Linux on my own 
, was using the windows and tired of the backslashes in the reverse direction. Had a very old computer, so linux didnt worked on the same. Continued with the windows for some time more keeping patience and then bought a new computer and after that Linux and me. 
. Later switched to MACbook but kept Linux at office.
alles super,
Gaurav
My first experience with Linux was running a live version of Debian with DVD in the early 2000s. Fortunately, it has GUI and looked familiar. Then I learned about Linux Mint and started using it on my laptop. Then stick with Debian on the servers and learn more about CLI commands and applications.
I think in the near future all Ubuntu versions or Debian will no be longer saved on DVD. For Windows 10 and 11 you need a 16 gigabytes to flash the operation system because it is above 4,7 gygabytes. It will be same for Ubuntu or Debian operation system in the near future. The period of DVD is ending soon but still good memorable days.
I think my first experience was with Ubuntu 12.04 or 14.04, not sure anymore… I was young and looking to speed up an extremely slow laptop. Of course, one of the recommendations from the internet was to use Linux. Well, the rest is history.
Ubuntu 12.04 or 14.04 is very old system release. I have started with Ubuntu 16.04 which was an LTS version. I think it doesn’t contain a lot of features like Ubuntu 16.04 or the design is not good but this is an estimation. I have readen it contains a lot of drawbacks somewhere compared to Ubuntu 16.04.