Behind the wheel: I Switched to Fedora. Here’s Why-

Let me start with the obvious: change sucks.

It’s clunky, uncomfortable, and usually comes at the worst possible time. But you know what sucks more? Using the same bloated, locked-down tools every day that treat you like a liability instead of a user.

So, I switched.

I wiped the home system and installed Fedora.

Not for fun. Not for some tech bro badge. I did it because I’m tired of pretending these so-called “industry standard” tools are anything but digital handcuffs dressed up like innovation.

The Setup Circus

Let me walk you through the highlights.

I tried to update the system—got slapped with a wall of errors. Needed superuser privileges, because apparently me owning the machine isn’t enough permission. Fonts weren’t monospaced. Scripts didn’t run because of phantom permission issues. I had to learn what chmod actually does just to make my terminal not look like a haunted typewriter.

Oh, and let’s not forget GPU drivers, system partitions, and a dozen things that should’ve been obvious but weren’t.

Every step of the way was friction.

And yet—it felt honest.

Why It Matters

It reminded me how most construction software feels to the average tradesperson.

No intuition. No flow. Just dropdown menus designed by someone who’s never worn a hardhat. Endless login loops. Bloated systems that act like they’re doing you a favor by working at all.

Meanwhile, we’ve normalized monthly fees for tools that don’t improve. We pretend “cloud-based” means progress, when really it just means you don’t own anything anymore—not your tools, not your data, not even your workflow.

The Point

So no, Fedora isn’t perfect. But it’s honest. It’s mine. And that matters more.

I made the switch to remember what it feels like to struggle. To learn. To not be handed everything with a bow on top—and to realize that maybe that’s the point.

I believe we can build something better—something open, intentional, and respectful of the people doing the work. And it starts by sitting in the discomfort. Taking the wheel. And driving forward anyway.

Even if the engine stalls a few times on the way.