FreeBSD or Linux from Windows

[johnjohn]

Dear forum,

I am a Windows-only user since 1999 and i am not moving forward with Windows 11. I have too many reasons to mention here as a response to any questions. I am simply fedup with Microsoft. I have a laptop that i use only for internet and i want to replace my Windows 10 with a Linux Mint system. I have only a beginner-level understanding of even Linux. I am definitely not a terminal command typing guy. I like gui environments. I like to be able to drag-and-drop, double-click install, etc. I find that Windows is better than Linux for speed in production. I feel like Linux slows me down too much but i will adjust. I know that so far i am talking about Windows and Linux in a FreeBSD forum. Well, i have read about FreeBSD many times over the last 10 years and i am attracted to this system. I even like the lil' red devil logo. I have always wanted to try it out but it seems like it is too much of an undertaking for a Windows user. I have read that desktop environments can be installed using x11. I have read opinions in the following thread: forums.freebsd.org/threads/why-do-you-use-freebsd-on-desktop.88480/

So i am wondering: should i continue with Linux Mint or is FreeBSD a better option for me? my only concern is finding a replacement for Fiddler http/https web proxy. I found that Charles proxy works perfectly in Linux along with dnscrypt-proxy, so i am set for replacing Windows. However, my attraction to FreeBSD makes me wonder if i should try it out. Any tips/opinions? Do you think that FreeBSD is a better option in the long run or should i just stick with Mint?

Thank you for taking time to read my post.

 

[ShelLuser]

So i am wondering: should i continue with Linux Mint or is FreeBSD a better option for me?

First... why the focus on Mint specifically instead of, say, a distribution like Ubuntu and/or Kubuntu? I am aware that Mint is said to represent Windows a bit better, but keep in mind that on these environments presets and default setups mean only so much because... pretty much everything can be customized.

Second... a fair warning: dislike for Microsoft can make a very bad motivator to pick up on stuff like Linux and/or FreeBSD. Simply because you're diving into a whole new world and one which can easily become a little frustrating. The saying "you get what you pay for" fully holds true here. Sure, it can work out but at the same time also explode in your face as well.

And last but not least... as for your question: depends on your hardware. Genereally speaking Linux provides better ("more broad") hardware support than FreeBSD so based on that I'd say Linux could be a better suitable candidate. Easy to check though: grab a live CD and see what happens.

As for Fiddler... there are tons of proxy servers available for both FreeBSD and Linux, should be easy enough to find a replacement. Not to mention... unless you specifically use this for caching purposes you may not even really need one.

 

[Maturin]

I am definitely not a terminal command typing guy. I like gui environments.

Sorry to put it frankly, but then neither FreeBSD, nor Linux are your choice.

Either way sooner or later you have to deal with the terminal (shell) anyway.
The shell is the essential core UI of all unixlike systems. GUI (desktop environment, or just a simple window manager) is an extra option (of course, most users have one.)
It's no rocket science, just to readjust your habits. But of course, it's not done within a few hours.
I myself once came from Windows 7, and now run FreeBSD exclusively. Over the years I turned from ~95% GUI & 5% terminal usage to ~15% GUI and 85% shell. Some years ago I even deinstalled my filemanager ("Windows Explorer"). Don't need it - shell is way better . But of course that's a process. Needs time, especially if someone's used Windows only before. And it makes no sense to learn it the hard way without need.

However, my advice was:
If you're willing to learn to get used to shell usage
-(Promise: it's worth it! Once you've tasted the power, you will never look back! And, yeah, of course there will be GUIs - many you may chose from, individually customaziable)-
I'd say you may give unix(like) a shot.

If you prefer the 'hard way', willing to read The Handbook, work yourself through, and set up a -your- machine from scratch, you may try to start with FreeBSD. (You may get lots of help here on the forums [but nobody is doing your homework for you.])
If this sounds a bit too much work for the start, you may begin with some turn-key Linux distro, like ubuntu, Mint, SuSe, or such. Just to get warm with the idea to change your work style step by step more and more to the shell.
Downside: If you become unsatisfied with one of those, and decide to switch to FreeBSD, you need to relearn some things again, cause some things differ from Linux, 'cause BSD is not Linux - it's pretty alike for the start, but for sure not the same. (FreeBSD is better )

But if you cannot become friends with the idea to use a shell at all, trying to avoid its usage at all cost, then neither way is for you.
You may either stick with Windows, or maybe switch to Apple's MacOS.
At least I don't see no other choice, then.

 

[Cthulhux]

You may either stick with Windows, or maybe switch to Apple's MacOS.

Agreed. macOS isn't even that bad, honestly. And there's a lot of FreeBSD and, lately, OpenBSD in it.

 

[johnjohn]

First... why the focus on Mint specifically instead of, say, a distribution like Ubuntu and/or Kubuntu?

are you at a bar? drinking in the daytime? Ubuntu is garbage and everybit as bloated as Microshat. I remember installing Ubuntu 8 years ago on a system and i had to disable send data to ubuntu preference which was enabled by default. I am willing to bet money that if Linux distros, like Ubuntu, became mainstream systems (more users than Windows) that most of the distros would start behaving just like Windows. I hate Ubuntu and i do not want that crap on my system.

I am not a regular Linux user but i have used it in the past and to answer the other post at the same time: typing commands is not a big deal so much as the frequency of command typing driven by necessity. For example, every little thing must be a typed command, then FreeBSD is not for me. I mean it irritates me that 7zip is a command line tool on Linux. Some things shouldn't be a terminal typed command in my opinion (why not make script to do it with a click?). However, i prefer nano, vim and pico (no longer available?) editors versus graphical text editors. I do not despise commands and i actually feel more in charge of my system but then when i want to unzip a file or zip a file, then it becomes quite annoying.

I have Mint running on virtualbox and it is perfect as a replacement for Windows but i really am curious about FreeBSD and i have no problem reading handbooks and learning commands. I'm a php programmer and by the way, Windows has command prompt and i use it frequently.

I definitely appreciate the opinions. Perhaps i will wait for more views to make a final decision but someday i will try FreeBSD for sure. I just do not want to switch to a system that i have never used before and stumble. I need only the following from a system: virtualbox, https intercepting proxy, video game emulators and xampp if possible.

 

[Fuzzbox]

Hi,

In my humble experience, you will meet a similar learning curve, in the end, with both a Linux distro and a *BSD OS.
But a "beginner friendly" Linux system will be easier to apprehend in the first days/weeks.

Why don't you install a virtual machine like Virtualbox and try to install several OS like Mint, Ubuntu, Manjaro, Leap, GhostBSD... to make up your mind ?

 

[johnjohn]

Hi,

In my humble experience, you will meet a similar learning curve, in the end, with both a Linux distro and a *BSD OS.
But a "beginner friendly" Linux system will be easier to apprehend in the first days/weeks.

Why don't you install a virtual machine like Virtualbox and try to install several OS like Mint, Ubuntu, Manjaro, Leap, GhostBSD... to make up your mind ?

I already have Mint on virtualbox and it is working well for me. I like it. However, my fans are going crazy and it is extremely slow in virtual box at times. I could only give it 1.48 GB of my 4GB laptop. I use a cheap ASUS laptop for internet usage. My main system at home is an ACER Aspire VX 15 with 16GB ram and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce with 4GB of ram. I do not connect this Windows 10 system to the web. I am not new to Linux but Linux or FreeBSD as my main system will be new to me. However, i really only need a few things from a new system (mentioned in my last post).

 

[Espionage724]

I am a Windows-only user since 1999 and i am not moving forward with Windows 11. I have too many reasons to mention here as a response to any questions. I am simply fedup with Microsoft.

Are you really mad at Microsoft, or were you swayed to believe they're sabotaging their own OS? I used Windows since 98, was convinced Windows 10 was bad and went to Linux for some years, gave FreeBSD a try briefly, and nowadays use Windows LTSC.

If your reasoning involves anything with Windows 10 being unsupported soon or 11's TPM 2.0 req, you likely won't last long on FreeBSD. You have to want it and should already have a bare-metal install

So i am wondering: should i continue with Linux Mint or is FreeBSD a better option for me?

Mint. I'm thinking you're probably used to how stuff works on Windows, and Mint is basically an easy version of Linux. You'll likely be borrowing knowledge/tips from Linux to FreeBSD, but FreeBSD itself requires deeper tinkering and different concepts that I wouldn't expect Mint to really need.

 

[jardows]

My personal take for someone wanting to "leave" Windows, is that trying to ease into the process by picking as close to Windows like environment is bound to fail. No OS, be it FreeBSD, Linux, Haiku, etc., does Windows as good as Microsoft Windows. You will be constantly trying to do things the Windows way, but get frustrated because it almost works, but not quite.

Look at this process as an opportunity to learn something new and expand your computer skills. I chose FreeBSD as my non-Windows OS largely because of the need to learn the system in order to use the system, which has enabled me to tune the environment around a way that I work best. Yes, there is a learning curve, but it is worth it. I also wanted to have full control over my system, something Linux distributions have been moving away from (seriously, if you don't already know how, just try switching the desktop environment in Ubuntu!).

Do you think that FreeBSD is a better option in the long run or should i just stick with Mint?

Quoting just this last bit for my final thought, with my emphasis added. If you want to really learn the system, keep in mind that Linux is an ever changing system. If you want to learn the mechanics of your system, and you learn them well today, in 3-5 years keep in mind there is a good chance on Linux that will be obsolete information, as they will have embraced the new shiny thing. FreeBSD tends to fix and improve, rather than replace major parts of the system, so 10 years from now you won't be needing to relearn everything again.

 

[kpedersen]

As mentioned, you are not a fan of the terminal. FreeBSD and OpenBSD are pretty much out and you will find Linux is wildly incomplete in terms of its UI experience. It has been thrashing in the water for over a decade with regards to its desktop experience and it is likely the open-source distributed approach to development will never result in a good UI (there was a really good paper on this but annoyingly I can't find it now).

macOS or Windows are possibly your only options.

Give Windows LTSC or Windows Server a shot. Microsoft knows it needs to keep these functional because enterprises won't put up with the same kind of consumer nonsense as... well consumers.

(Oh, and start getting familiar with the terminal *now*. That way you can safeguard yourself if Windows and macOS do finally implode )

 

[ShelLuser]

are you at a bar? drinking in the daytime? Ubuntu is garbage and everybit as bloated as Microshat.

Try playing the ball vs. the man; personal comments like these only undermine your posts and credibility. I'd also advice you to stop believing in rumors and instead focus on facts.

Because riddle me this... a basic Ubuntu installation isn't all that much different in size and extra 3rd party software as, say, Debian, SuSE (if you want to talk about bloat...) or even Manjaro. If Ubuntu were garbage, then why is it one of the more popular distributions?

I get it that you don't like it, fair enough, but that doesn't make it garbage. That's just a chilidish attitude.

I remember installing Ubuntu 8 years ago on a system and i had to disable send data to ubuntu preference which was enabled by default.

Then you did something wrong because back then most of their own enhancements were opt-in.

I am willing to bet money that if Linux distros, like Ubuntu, became mainstream systems (more users than Windows) that most of the distros would start behaving just like Windows. I hate Ubuntu and i do not want that crap on my system.

And with behaving like Windows you're referring to ... ? Maybe the strict uphold of standards and making sure that from an administrators perspective hardly anything changes under the hood? Fun fact: systems administration of Windows XP isn't all that different from that of Windows 10 & 11, courtesy of MMC.exe, aka the Microsoft Management Console.

Fun fact two: within the above context one could argue that FreeBSD is more similar to Windows than Linux is, also because on Linux things can (and do) drastically change on a whim (including changes within the core system or kernel) whereas that's much less the case with both FreeBSD & Windows.

I am not a regular Linux user but i have used it in the past and to answer the other post at the same time: typing commands is not a big deal so much as the frequency of command typing driven by necessity.

Given what I read so far I kinda conclude that you're probably better of with a move to Mac instead of either Linux and/or FreeBSD. It's obvious that your knowledge about the whole thing is dated, your motivation is more driven on personal believes rather than facts and well... as I said in my first post: dislike for one product isn't the best motivator to pick up on another.

For example: what you'd consider "bloat" is something I might probably pick up as invaluable protection against shooting yourself in the foot. Something which is very easy to do on environments such as Linux and Unix, theoretically one missed comma could already be enough to open yourself up to disaster, and you'd probably never be the wiser either. Issues like these are far less of an issue on systems such as Windows and/or Mac.

Just my 2 cents of course.

 

[johnjohn]

As mentioned, you are not a fan of the terminal. FreeBSD and OpenBSD are pretty much out and you will find Linux is wildly incomplete in terms of its UI experience. It has been thrashing in the water for over a decade with regards to its desktop experience and it is likely the open-source distributed approach to development will never result in a good UI (there was a really good paper on this but annoyingly I can't find it now).

macOS or Windows are possibly your only options.

Give Windows LTSC or Windows Server a shot. Microsoft knows it needs to keep these functional because enterprises won't put up with the same kind of consumer nonsense as... well consumers.

(Oh, and start getting familiar with the terminal *now*. That way you can safeguard yourself if Windows and macOS do finally implode )

I don't hate terminal it is simply a slower way of computing. Hello? typing commands all day is not my cup of tea. I'd have to write scripts to automate alot of stuff but sometimes i enjoy the terminal. By the way, I hate Apple and it would be like moving to a communist nation. No Thanks. You can keep crapple. I'd rather go back to Windows XP. LOL.

I appreciate you taking time to post your opinions. Thank you very much.

I installed FreeBSD on VirtualBox and i tinkered with commands a bit. I'm not a fan of vi, so i installed nano. Then i installed xorg after i adjusted the vhd size and used the service growfs onestart command. I like it for some reason even though it is command based. I made an error and booted as single user but everything was read only. I scratched my head a bit, then rebooted (shutdown -r now). I decided to try multi user boot and voila! I'm in business I really like FreeBSD so far, even though i am new to this system and the non-windows methodology. I will spend some time getting used to this system and maybe i will turn to it in the future. I obviously need time to master the system before making it my normal system. I think that i will go with Linux Mint while i learn FreeBSD in my spare time. I really do like it

 

[kent_dorfman766]

Because riddle me this... a basic Ubuntu installation isn't all that much different in size and extra 3rd party software as, say, Debian, SuSE (if you want to talk about bloat...) or even Manjaro. If Ubuntu were garbage, then why is it one of the more popular distributions?

LMAO! OK, riddle me this, how do you turn off the spyware nature of Screwbuntu? Oops...the answer is that you cannot. Turn off every option you can find that phones home to canonical, and then open wireshark and you will see that corporate big brother is still getting you to leak data to their servers. "U"buntu is corporate spyware, almost as bad as Android OS.

 

[fmc000]

LMAO! OK, riddle me this, how do you turn off the spyware nature of Screwbuntu? Oops...the answer is that you cannot. Turn off every option you can find that phones home to canonical, and then open wireshark and you will see that corporate big brother is still getting you to leak data to their servers. "U"buntu is corporate spyware, almost as bad as Android OS.

Can't you just run a removal script, like https://gist.github.com/CodeSigils/974abb61becf435c857b55e925f12780

 

[dclau]

Flame bait? If true, there are some serious firefighters here. Don't do it. Spin up a VM and check it yourself, if the bean count is an even number, just give it a go.

 

[ShelLuser]

LMAO! OK, riddle me this, how do you turn off the spyware nature of Screwbuntu?

You don't since you're now referring to a non-existing Linux distribution.

If we're talking about Ubuntu otoh you could "use the source" (obviously) since it's still an open source project, thus allowing you to remove the whole kaboodle. Or you read the fine manual and disable some options manually, for example by using "ENABLED=0" in /etc/default/motd-news.

Anyway, I think I agree with dclau above me; I got better ways to spend my time.

 

[Beastie7]

I have only a beginner-level understanding of even Linux.

If you don't have the desire to build and configure a desktop from a vanilla shell (with a completely different userspace than Linux), FreeBSD most likely isn't for you. There is no hand holding involved here.

Stick with Mint (Debian), or get a Mac.

 

[tingo]

FWIW, Debian is the "base" of Ubuntu etc. and in my opinion is better than all of them; better stability, better documentation and solid performance. And you can have whatever gui you want, simply install the relevant desktop package.
Oh, and if the program you want isn't updated enough, check out Debian backports.

 

[Jrfontes]

Dear johnjohn,

I'm Linux Nint user for many Yeats and I am very happy with it. Before Mint, I tried Ubuntu, Fedora and CentOS. Mint was better for me and I always recomend it to my friends everytime they ask.
Recently I tried pure FreeBSDand I had trobles not because it is a problemas, but because I am not as experienced with it as I needed or as I am with Linux. Now I am using GhostBSD - a more friendly FreeBSD distribution.
In my humble opinion, FreeBSD is not for tou now. You should get more experiente on Unix-like systems before you say "good by" to windows.
But if you can use both windows and FreeBSD (GhostBSD maybe) at the same time - a dual boot option - I think you can get that experiente you need.
It's a pit you don't Luke Mint. It is a good and easy distribution and highly recemmended to beginers.

Dear forum,

I am a Windows-only user since 1999 and i am not moving forward with Windows 11. I have too many reasons to mention here as a response to any questions. I am simply fedup with Microsoft. I have a laptop that i use only for internet and i want to replace my Windows 10 with a Linux Mint system. I have only a beginner-level understanding of even Linux. I am definitely not a terminal command typing guy. I like gui environments. I like to be able to drag-and-drop, double-click install, etc. I find that Windows is better than Linux for speed in production. I feel like Linux slows me down too much but i will adjust. I know that so far i am talking about Windows and Linux in a FreeBSD forum. Well, i have read about FreeBSD many times over the last 10 years and i am attracted to this system. I even like the lil' red devil logo. I have always wanted to try it out but it seems like it is too much of an undertaking for a Windows user. I have read that desktop environments can be installed using x11. I have read opinions in the following thread: forums.freebsd.org/threads/why-do-you-use-freebsd-on-desktop.88480/

So i am wondering: should i continue with Linux Mint or is FreeBSD a better option for me? my only concern is finding a replacement for Fiddler http/https web proxy. I found that Charles proxy works perfectly in Linux along with dnscrypt-proxy, so i am set for replacing Windows. However, my attraction to FreeBSD makes me wonder if i should try it out. Any tips/opinions? Do you think that FreeBSD is a better option in the long run or should i just stick with Mint?

Thank you for taking time to read my post.

 

[Maturin]

Let me put it that way:
If experienced nothing but Windows before you need to learn computer's usage first.
How to use it comes next.
You may avoid that by using something like MacOS. But with anything else (BSD, or Linux) you have to face the fact, that you're missing something fundamental, but you cannot point it out right. (I made this experience myself.)
If experienced nothing but Windows before you don't know what I'm talking, 'cause you simply lack this experience.

You don't believe that, right?
Here's one proof:

I don't hate terminal it is simply a slower way of computing.

Wrong! That is simply not true.
It's just slower while you're not used to it.
Once you've learned how to use a shell you realized you lived in slow motion before.
Still don't believe it, right?
Write a page of text:
a) with the keyboard
b) with the mouse on a virtual keyboard
And it still does not convince you.
Because you're confusing "easy" with "fast".

GUIs are not ment for to fasten all tasks to be done on computers, nor to increase work efficiency, but to more simplify the most often used trivial tasks like start a program. And of course for graphical work like CAD, image manipulation, and of course gaming, the mouse is priceless.
But that's not computering. That's only certain parts of it.

Of course I don't start my browser by typing 'firefox' in the shell. I simply click the according button in my GUI, of course. But if I have thirty files to be transformed from .avi to .mp4 with a shell I'm done on my machine before some GUI only user has even started the first job with filemanagers

At a closer look you just have half a dozen actions, only (point at, left-click, right-click,...) to be combined at depth level 2 max. In contrary the keyboard provides infinite number of combinations. And in the time you need for clicking two buttons on your GUI I've typed at least twenty characters on my terminal.

The trap with GUIs and Windows is, it promises to use a computer intuitively without learning, which is a lie.
And it's always hard to face the truth, because you have to admit you've believed lies before.
You may stay in denial, and still want to use GUI only machine - that's okay.
But as I said in my first post:
If you're unwilling to get used to a terminal at all cost, you came to the wrong shop.
Besides we don't discuss Linux here, sooner or later there you also have to face the terminal.
Installing FreeBSD means terminal. Then some terminal work is needed until you have the machine basically configured the way you want it, install some packages (which is always a terminal job in BSDs and Linux), before you even have the X-server, and a DE or WM installed.
On unix(like) the terminal is the main UI. GUI is an optional add-on - not vice versa.
And what we neither need nor want, but get to see here every couple of months anyway, is some one starts a discussion again:"Wouldn't it be nice if FreeBSD is automatically installing a desktop environment in basic installation?" NO! And I'm getting tired to explain why not.

So, bottom line (again):
You either start to become friends with the idea you need to (re)start learn computering (new) from scratch, which also but not only means terminal usage,
or stick to Windows, or chose Apple - which both already was okay.
But I see no other way. And no discussion, nor grumping can change that.


peace out.

 

[johnjohn]

It's a pit you don't Luke Mint. It is a good and easy distribution and highly recemmended to beginers.

I do like Mint, i have it installed in virtualbox on my Win10 system. Mint seems to be a perfect match with me. I have no problems with it and i managed to get Charles proxy working with https interception (to block ads, telemetry, etc.) and i installed and configured dnscrypt-proxy (from the terminal). I am happy. All i have to do now is copy all of my files from Win10 to an external hdd, then install Mint. I am no longer chained to Windows. I had to use Windows all of these years because i use certain software that i could not use on Nix machines (PhotoImpact, snes9x, Project64, Dolphin, epsxe, pcsx2 and desmume). I like to play my old games from time-to-time and i could not get emulators working on linux. Wine (at the time) did not run PhotoImpact. I have no reason to use Windows now and all of its bloatware (tons of services that i have no need to use, tons of connections to ms services, espionage packages, et cetera). I hate Windows for several years now. Linux is improving and i have no problems installing emulators these days. I have downloaded Linux versions for all of my emulators now and i can always use PhotoImpact in virtualbox with xpsp3 installed. I am moving to Mint and i will learn how to use FreeBSD in my spare time. I have downloaded the handbook pdf and i look forward to gaining more experience with this system. For now, i will go with Linux.

To everyone else, Thank You for your opinions. I appreciate them very much. However, please do not engage in any flaming or arguing. I didn't mean to cause such a stir here at your quiet little forum. I feel like i am to blame for the uproar. Take it easy guys and gals. Be happy.

Although, to ShelLuser: stop disrespecting other peoples opinions. Ubuntu sucks to me and you have no grounds to insist on your point-of-view overshadowing anyone elses. Welcome to freedom and liberty. Isn't it nice I still appreciate your opinions and I also Thank You for taking time to post.

I hope that everyone has a nice day and Thank You FreeBSD for giving us other options! Maybe someday i will also be a FreeBSD user.

 

[USerID]

Linux is improving

I didn't notice it. I ran away from Linux here. The reasons are childish:
1. The amount of malware for Linux has exceeded the critical level;
2. I don't want someone to mine cryptocurrency for hours on my Linux PC;
3. The epidemiological threshold has been exceeded and has crossed the red lines: every distro-masturbator masturbates with such fury that after minor updates, changes or "improvements" I cannot repair my system myself.
4. The most important difference from Linux! FreeBSD is also a repair kit: OpenZFS, snapshots, recovery environments, rollbacks, assembly from ports. These are all manual tools for repair.
5. There is no malware, banking Trojans, cryptominers, etc. under FreeBSD;
6. The degree of "predictability" in FreeBSD is 90%, in Linux - 40%. These are my personal comments. If anyone can - correct me.

 

[USerID]

Palo Alto Networks analysts report the emergence of a new Linux malware, Auto-Color, which attacked universities and government organizations in North America and Asia between November and December 2024.

Elastic Security analysts have discovered a new Linux rootkit called Pumakit. The malware uses privilege escalation to hide its presence on victim systems.

ESET analysts reported the discovery of a UEFI bootkit targeting Linux systems. Although the Bootkitty malware is more of a proof-of-concept and only works with some versions of Ubuntu, its appearance indicates that attackers have begun to invest significant resources and time into developing bootkits for Linux.

ESET analysts have discovered a new backdoor for Linux called WolfsBane. According to the researchers, this malware is an analogue of the Windows backdoor that has been used by the Chinese hacking group Gelsemium since 2014.

North Korean hackers are using a new Linux variant of the FASTCash malware to infect financial institutions' payment switching systems and make unauthorized cash withdrawals from ATMs.

Aqua specialists have warned that improperly configured and vulnerable Linux servers have been attacked for three years by malware called perfctl, whose main purpose is to launch a cryptominer and proxyjacking.

Doctor Web analysts have identified a Linux version of the well-known TgRat Trojan used for targeted attacks. One of the notable features of this malware is that it is controlled via a Telegram bot.

Researchers have discovered that Red Hat and Ubuntu are being attacked by a Linux version of the DinodasRAT (aka XDealer) malware, which has likely been active since 2022.

 

[SDK Chan]

Either way sooner or later you have to deal with the terminal (shell) anyway.
The shell is the essential core UI of all unixlike systems. GUI (desktop environment, or just a simple window manager) is an extra option (of course, most users have one.)
It's no rocket science, just to readjust your habits. But of course, it's not done within a few hours.
I myself once came from Windows 7, and now run FreeBSD exclusively. Over the years I turned from ~95% GUI & 5% terminal usage to ~15% GUI and 85% shell. Some years ago I even deinstalled my filemanager ("Windows Explorer"). Don't need it - shell is way better . But of course that's a process. Needs time, especially if someone's used Windows only before. And it makes no sense to learn it the hard way without need.

During my childhood I used Windows exclusively, and only turned to Shells after I got 19 years old.
To speak frankly, all the years using GUIs only I felt kind of retarted.
First you click on one thing, then another, and if you want to create 100+ directories, or just want to move stuff from RAM disk to HDD or SSD it gets very annoying, or even a nightmare, because you need to do that each time manually on your own.
The shell however strangely was very intuitive for me after a few hours of use.
I liked the fact to not to have a file manager, and browsing through directories, just with commands a breeze.
I think a GUI comes in handy if you want to configure really complex things like an emulator or a browser.

 

[kpedersen]

I don't hate terminal it is simply a slower way of computing.

Many experienced users actually find the opposite* which is why it is still prevalent within the industry.
That said, it is likely exacerbated because good GUIs are so sorely lacking in the open-source world that it inflates the numbers. Who knows?

(* Especially since the invention of <Tab> to autocomplete)

I'd rather go back to Windows XP. LOL.

Well that *is* the dream for most people. XP did pretty much everything. With a (logical) air-gap, strong proxy and specific fork of Chrome (supermium), I have managed to keep my father's computer alive so far (He can only log in as an unprivileged user, effectively eliminating malware, but weirdly, due to poor quality backwards compatibility from most developers, I trust that way less malware works on XP these days anyway (C run-times are a fickle mistress...)).

I decided to try multi user boot and voila! I'm in business

Glad to see you made some good progress with it. One good thing about FreeBSD vs Linux distributions is that it changes way less often. So anything you do learn, stays relevant for often decades. Good luck!