You have questions, we have answers.

Yes. Free to download, free to use, free to share, free forever. No trial period, no "starter edition," no credit card. The whole thing. This isn't a business model where you're the product, it's software built by a worldwide community of people who believe operating systems shouldn't cost money.

Not if you don't want to. You can try Linux from a USB stick without touching your hard drive, nothing gets erased, nothing gets moved. When you're ready to install for real, the installer gives you the option to keep your existing system alongside Linux, or start fresh. Either way, we always recommend backing up anything important first, just like you would before any big change.

Most of what you use every day already works. Chrome, Firefox, Spotify, Slack, Zoom, Discord, VS Code, Steam, all run on Linux. For the rest, there are powerful free alternatives: LibreOffice replaces Microsoft Office, GIMP replaces Photoshop, and Darktable replaces Lightroom. The only apps that truly don't have a Linux option are a few specialized professional tools, but for most people, everything they need is already here. See the full breakdown on our What Works on Linux page.

No. Modern Linux looks and works a lot like what you're used to. There's a desktop, a taskbar, a file manager, a web browser. You click things, they open. You can use Linux every day without ever opening a terminal or typing a command. If you can use Windows or macOS, you can use Linux.

You're not alone. The Linux community is one of the most helpful, patient groups of people on the internet. Forums, Reddit, Discord servers, YouTube tutorials, people who remember exactly what it felt like to be new. You can ask any question, no matter how basic, and someone will help. Our Get Help page has all the best places to start.

Absolutely. That's actually how most people start. You download Linux, put it on a USB stick, and boot from it. The whole operating system runs from the USB, your hard drive stays completely untouched. Use it for an hour or a week. When you pull the USB out and restart, your computer is exactly the way you left it. Ready to try? Our Get Started page walks you through every step.

Most do, right out of the box. HP printers have excellent Linux support. Brother, Canon, and Epson work well too. WiFi printers generally just show up. Scanners are well-supported through a system called SANE. The rare exception is a brand-new, very niche device, but even then the community usually has it sorted within weeks. See What Works on Linux for more on hardware and app compatibility.

Safer than what you're used to, by a wide margin. Linux's security model is fundamentally different: software comes from trusted repositories instead of random websites, and the system doesn't give programs permission to change important things without your explicit approval. Viruses targeting Linux desktops are extremely rare. Most people run Linux without antivirus software and never have a problem.

Short for "distribution." Linux itself is just the core engine. A distro is a complete package, the engine plus a desktop, apps, and a way to install it. Think of it like ice cream: Linux is the base, and distros are the flavors. Linux Mint, Ubuntu, Fedora, they're all Linux, just with different looks and personalities. You don't need to understand the difference to use one. We recommend Linux Mint for most people starting out.

Because nobody's selling it. There's no billion-dollar company running ads for Linux. It grows by word of mouth, one person telling another. But it's growing faster than ever. Desktop Linux usage has jumped over 70% in three years, governments across Europe are switching to it, and every single one of the world's 500 fastest supercomputers runs Linux. It's not a secret. It's just quiet.