6 challenges I didn’t expect after moving to Linux
6 challenges I didn’t expect after moving to Linux
https://www.xda-developers.com/6-challenges-i-didnt-expect-after-moving-to-linux/
Publish Date: 2026-03-14 17:30:00
Source Domain: www.xda-developers.com
When I moved from Windows to Linux in mid-2025, I thought I knew all the things I had to know before moving. Yes, I realised that Linux isn’t Windows, so things like EXE files wouldn’t work. Yes, I knew that not all apps would work on Linux, so I’d need to find alternatives. You know, the run-of-the-mill stuff that every Linux user tells someone wanting to move operating systems.
However, no matter how much I prepared, read up on topics, and analysed giant distro wars on Reddit, there were six things that still caught me off guard. And while I’ve since come to know and love these elements of using Linux, I still think they’re worth a mention for anyone else wanting to make the jump.
Coming to terms with AppImages
I still find them kind of weird
On Windows, running an app was easy. You grabbed an EXE, and that executable would either install the app on your system or run as a portable app. Unfortunately, EXEs don’t work on Linux, but it does have its own alternative: the AppImage.
Coming to terms with what an AppImage was felt weird. They’re kind of like portable apps on Linux, where you download the file, allow it to run, double-click it, and watch it open. Under the hood, an AppImage works differently from a portable app on Windows, but in the eyes of a newcomer, they feel the same.
As such, when I first began my Linux journey, I would download the AppImage for the app…
