Questions about Distros and Using Linux Before I Switch

Unfortunately, based on what I saw on the Proton website, if I want to use it on linux it looks like the only way is to get it on Ubuntu, Debian, or Fedora using the console.

For official support, yes. Thankfully, ProtonVPN is also available as a flatpak. As such, any distro that allows installing (unverified) flatpaks through its GUI software store suffices. Though, not all distros are created equally in this respect. Focusing on Kubuntu and Linux Mint specifically:

• Kubuntu requires the use of CLI to set this up.
• Linux Mint, on the other hand, supports it by default. Though, by default, unverified flatpaks are hidden. Thankfully, you can change that in the preferences window of its software manager.

Don't be afraid of using the commandline!

It might look like you are citing magical words to your computer at first. But, since Linux is extremely modular and has endless flavors, that's one thing tutorial makers can expect everyone to have in common.

Ubuntu (and Kubuntu, which is just Ubuntu with KDE Plasma desktop environment instead of Gnome) and Linux Mint (based on Ubuntu, but with a different desktop environment) are all derivatives of Debian. Almost anything intended for Debian will work on both.

You can install Proton VPN just be copying and pasting the commands in their official tutorial.

Updates are handled similar to Windows, while not being intrusive. You will be safe updating only when the OS notifies you about it.

Side note: since you'll be using a laptop, you'll most likely use display scaling. Unless it has a very high resolution display where using 2x scaling is okay, you will want to use a fractional scaling factor. Linux Mint uses an older display technology (for stability purposes) that does not do that very well. So, I recommend going forward with a distribution with KDE Plasma desktop. That one has the best fractional scaling experience so far and Kubuntu has it.

Even if you do not want to use the command line/terminal very often, it would be worth just learning how to install, remove packages and update your system. Just those few things will likely make your whole experience much easier.

Personally I'm a PopOS enjoyer over Mint but that's really not a big deal.

1. As for not using the command line, you can get away with it for the most part but you're eventually going to have to use it for something. Your distro, whatever you pick, will have an app called "shop" or "discover" or something similar that will let you download other apps and updates (yes you will generally want to keep your system up-to-date). It's also likely that you'll be able to download and use Proton this way. Since Mint and Pop (and Ubuntu lol) are Ubuntu based, any app that works on Ubuntu (like Proton) will also with with them.
2. Custom theming (including mouse) well be pretty easy. Go into your settings app, find themes, and pick from any of the pre-installed onboard themes. Or go into your shop app, or even the internet, and download someone else's theme.
3. Keyboard shortcuts are also configurable and most of the time will be the same as windows
4. If you pick a distro with a gui installer (all of your distro candidates do) then installation is basically completely unfuckupable.

Try using Linux off a live boot thumbdrive. Then you can figure out what you need to figure out before committing. You can even test out different distros. Just get as fast of a thumb drive as you can or Linux will feel pretty slow.

1. I don’t want to use the command window for everything, or really much of anything, at least at the start.

With many of the modern distros, you can get a long way without a lot of command line work. But, some interaction will likely still be inevitable. However, most distros include either flatpak or snap, which lets you download, install and update software via the Graphical User Interface (GUI). So, there shouldn't be too much command line work required.

2. I currently use Proton VPN and I’d like to use it on this new laptop too.

It looks like Proton officially supports Ubuntu. And I would note that it expects the GNOME desktop, not KDE. So, Kubuntu will likely run into issues (probably the same issues as Mint). That said, they also have a page on installing on Linux Mint which seems to indicate skipping a single step. There are also guides out there for installing Proton VPN, without using the terminal.

As an aside, unless you need a VPN to securely access a remote network, shift your apparent location or for downloading/sharing copyrighted works, consider saving the money and not paying for a VPN. They are mostly just a waste of money for the average user. Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now.

So, does this mean I should use Ubuntu? And will Kubuntu work or would I have to use a different version of Ubuntu? And is there no way to get Proton without using the console?

Just going with Ubuntu might be easier and it's the officially supported distro. If you run into a problem, you may have trouble getting support on an unsupported distro. That said, it looks like getting it running on Mint/Kubuntu seems easy enough and works. I'm personally a fan of the KDE desktop (this is where the "K" in Kubuntu comes from) and think it makes the Windows->Linux transition somewhat better.

if I’m able to change to a custom mouse pointer (I currently use a cute one that I’d like to also use on the new laptop)

Yup, you can change the mouse pointer. Not sure if you can import your current one, but that's going to depend on the format and where you got it.

if keyboard shortcuts like alt-tabbing work or are easily configurable

You'll find many of the shortcuts work the same. Even the ones using the "Windows" key are mostly similar, though you'll see it referred to as the "Meta" key. Alt-Tab as an example works exactly the same. And yes, they are configurable.

I’m kind of confused about how updating things works on linux. Will I be able to easily update to a new version of whatever distro I’m using?

So, edging back onto my soapbox for a sec (you can safely skip this whole paragraph, if you want), the software ecosystem in Linux is a mess at the moment. It's very much the XKCD Standards situation. First, you will likely have the main OS way to update the OS and software. For Ubuntu, this will be via .deb packages. You'll update these via a command like sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade. The you will have one or more other package managers for containerized packages. This will be flatpak or snap. Why do we have one (or both) of these? Well, like a lot of standards fuckery it comes down to some very good technical reasons and nerds thinking that they are going to be the one to provide the "One True Solution". And of course, that's why we now have multiple completing standards. And then you get AppImage based software for developers who don't want to be bothered with package managers and who hate security.

(non-soapbox answer) Yes, updating is usually pretty easy, but it may involve updating in more than one place. At minimum, you're likely to need to do OS updates via something like the apt commands and also updating via flatpak.

Will I be able to easily update to a new version of whatever distro I’m using? Do I even want to update to the newest version?

Mostly yes and absolutely yes. For the distro upgrade here's an example (not my blog) for the latest Mint upgrade. Pretty simple stuff. As for "Do I even want to update to the newest version?", tip number one for keeping your system secure is: install your updates. This is true regardless of what OS you're on. Please, if you install it, keep it up to date. This is what happens when people neglect updates.

And is there a way to be notified and set auto-updates for some applications?

Yes, and probably best to just turn on automatic updates and forget about it.

I’ve seen quite a few threads and questions about having to manually update things, but if I get an application from the software manager then will it be as easy as a clicking a button?

Yes, if you install from the software manager (behind the fancy name, this will be either flatpak or snap in Mint or Kubuntu) updates will be a one-click affair. Or better yet, automagically handled, if you turn that on. Turn that on.

I know I’ll have to adjust and just learn-by-doing some things no matter which distro I pick

Unfortunately yes, there will be a learning curve. But, I promise it's not so bad and it's completely worth it. And there are lots of folks here who will be happy to help (and a few jerks who will scream "RTFM!", sorry about those, they suck.). If things get too bad, you can always go back to Windows, you have a license and it's pretty easy to reinstall these days.

uhhh how easy is it to fuck up the process of trying and then installing a linux distro? Like completely-make-the-computer-unusable fuck up?

It's really, really, really hard to get the computer completely fucked up and unusable, just by changing the OS. Seriously, the most likely way you would do this is by dumping your drink of choice in the keyboard because you got distracted. The great thing about software is that it is very rarely permanent. And nothing you're doing here would be permanent. Go wild and try try a new distro. If things don't work out, going back to Windows isn't hard at all.

So based on all that, should I just go for Linux Mint like most new users? Or would you recommend a completely different distro?

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Mint is great choice and the one I'd recommend. While I don't use it myself (I hate myself, so I use Arch), it's got a solid reputation, is designed to make the transition from Windows easier and uses KDE for the interface (don't worry if that last bit doesn't make sense, just roll with it). There is also a lot of support available here on Lemmy and across the web.

There's a community-packaged flatpak for ProtonVPN, you should be able to get it from the software center with the click of a button. The app is very barebones, though, compared to the windows one. But it works.

I might also throw in a distro reccommendation: Fedora Kinoite. It's an atomic distribution, meaning updates to the distro are applied all at once and the previous version before the update is still available at boot if something goes wrong. Very hard to mess up your installation that way. It uses KDE Plasma which has that windows-ish taskbar, and allows for mouse cursor customization. Updating the OS is done seamlessly through the software center. Applications are also installed through the software manager. If you want to learn to use the terminal and terminal-based applicications, it provides a tool called toolbx which basically lets you do all your terminal things in a container which you can easily replace if you mess something up.

For new Linux users, the go to is usually Linux Mint (The Ubuntu based one). But I also like to recommend Kubuntu. You can't go wrong with these two. They're hassle free, stable and when vulnerabilities are announced, they're practically never affected because they use slightly older and tried and tested software versions.

Unfortunately, using the command line is something you will have to learn. But as far as Proton VPN goes, you just have to copy and paste. It's a no brainer. I use all their products on Linux and it works well.

So im going to but in. Im not sure on your particular use cases like proton vpn but I can say a few things. Not using your main system is fine. One big thing about linux is people who have not used it will be amazed at how fast old hardware can seem with it when they are used to windows bloat. Next I personally use zorin os which is an ubuntu spin although im slowly thinking about and messing with other things. Zorin's schtick is an ability to change the gui automatically to be similar to several other things (various versions of windows and osx) but its free version immitates some version of windows. It further looks to be very stable os it uses stable branches (read older, not bleeding edge). I tend to not need bleeding edge so that is fine with me. Its an out of box distro so has libre office, iron (free software chrome spin), disk burning software, rdp client software, and just a whole bunch of most of what someone would use day to day all as part of the install. As part of that out of the box it has wine along with play on linux installed which makes running windows programs about as easy as its going to be out of the box but its not gaming focused like proton (talking the steam software not the vpn here). So I use it because I don't do a whole lot at the operating system level anymore and just want a system I can get going and run with within the hour. Can definitely change the mouse pointer like make it bigger and stuff. Honestly custom mouse pointer stuff has been around so long I doubt it would be that big a deal on most system. Its ubuntu spin so the proton vpn should be doable. Im going to try and upload a screenshot of the gui software install which is just what you get with ubuntu I believe and I see proton vpn. Yeah I can't figure out how to put a screenshot in a comment. Sorry but I assure you it has something showing up without dropping to the command line.

1. You don't have to use it for everything, though prepare that a lot of Linux tutorials will have you putting commands there, because it's simply easier.
2. I use Proton VPN as well and though I don't remember how I installed it, I run it using a GUI, not terminal. Additionally, whenever you read a guide for Ubuntu, there's 99% chance it applies to derivates without any modifications. Both Kubuntu and Linux Mint.
3. Custom mouse pointer - yes
4. Updating distro - yes, easy. App updates are also easy, it can be automated, though I personally prefer running them manually. It's a few button clicks away.
5. Use a beginner friendly distro, of those I'd recommend Linux Mint, Ubuntu or Fedora (or its derivate, Nobara). If I had to choose one, I'd go with Linux Mint.
6. Installing Linux is extremely easy nowadays. Definitely easier than installing Windows from scratch. Making the computer absolutely unusable is really hard, pretty much everything can be fixed.

It isn't really clear from what you have said if you are using a laptop or desktop. If you are using a laptop chances are you only have one primary storage medium, likely an HDD or SSD. If it is a desktop it is more likely you have or can have two drives. If you have the option of having two entirely separate drives you can keep Windows installed on one drive and Linux on the other. You could select your boot device on startup and the chance of one messing with the other is reduced a lot.

A potentially better way to learn is to either install linux on an old or spare machine or to just boot off a live USB. The great thing with a live USB is you can access the system, use the software management stuff, try out finding settings and getting things done, all while being able to just reboot and have everything go back to normal after. If you want you can even make the USB a persistent install, so changes hang around and allow you to keep using the system in Linux with your changes over multiple reboots.

That all said, my honest recommendation is to use VirtualBox or a similar program. VirtualBox lets you run a virtual machine and install Linux on it without risking anything on your main system. You can learn how to do software updates, install new programs, configure things, and so on all while touching nothing on your system. Your machine can keep working as normal in Windows, you can learn with no risk, and you can compare different versions of Linux to see what you prefer. The process for setting up a virtual machine in VirtualBox is fairly simple and should only take about half an hour to do, so it isn't a big time investment.