我是如何帮助妈妈从 Windows 切换至 Linux 的
Linux

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> 有了 Linux，即便是新手用户，也能通过大量熟悉的应用程序获得流畅、精致的桌面体验。
> 
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![](/data/attachment/album/202203/29/103155z5khz7z05fl7mz7l.jpg "Red Lego Heart")



*开源朗读者 | 淮晋阳*


大型强子对撞机是 [由 Linux 驱动](https://www.redhat.com/en/about/press-releases/red-hat-provides-cern-platform-mission-critical-applications) 的，国际空间站上的笔记本电脑是 [运行在 Linux 上](https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/155392-international-space-station-switches-from-windows-to-linux-for-improved-reliability) 的，[Instagram](https://instagram-engineering.com/what-powers-instagram-hundreds-of-instances-dozens-of-technologies-adf2e22da2ad) 和 [Nest thermostats](https://www.theverge.com/2011/11/14/2559567/tony-fadell-nest-learning-thermostat) 也是如此。最近，我们观看了 <ruby> 机智号 <rt>  Ingenuity </rt></ruby> 在火星上空飞翔，它是一个令人惊叹的无人直升机，也是 [由 Linux 驱动的](https://www.zdnet.com/article/to-infinity-and-beyond-linux-and-open-source-goes-to-mars/)！这进一步证明了这个操作系统的灵活性和通用性。


但是现在，真正的大新闻来了。我在这里“官宣”：Linux 也可以给父母使用！


### 事情经过


大约一年前，我决定把妈妈的电脑环境迁移至 Linux。现在，一年过去了，是时候回顾和总结一下了。


和大多数人一样，我是专属的 “妈妈的电脑管理员”。我的妈妈是一个 60 多岁的可爱老太太 —— 一个真正的甜心。她的电脑技能很基础，她的电脑使用需求也很基础：上上网，发发邮件，打打字，浏览、编辑照片，看看视频听听歌，还有就是在 Skype 或者 Signal 上和家里人或者朋友们打打电话。


直到去年之前，妈妈一直在使用一个 Windows 笔记本电脑。电脑已经很旧了，但还不算太糟糕。于是在某一天，通过欺骗、威胁和弹出讨厌的窗口等手段，微软终于成功让她点击了那个可怕的按钮 —— “升级到 Windows 10”。


她绝望地向我呼救。作为妈妈的电脑管理员，我的生活很快就变成了地狱。“为什么所有东西看起来都不一样了？我的应用列表跑去哪儿了？什么，这堆瓷块一样的东西变成我的应用列表了？我的电脑怎么变得这么慢？它怎么每天都要自动更新重启，而且偏偏就是在我想要用它的时候？为什么有东西（她指的是硬盘）一直嗡嗡嗡地叫？它到底一直在忙些什么啊？”


可是我又看不到源代码，我怎么它一直在忙些什么呢？


本来我是打算回滚这个升级的，但是 Windows 7 马上就要终止支持了，我担心会发生最坏的事情：没有了安全更新，妈妈的电脑很快就会变成数不清的<ruby> 僵尸网络 <rt>  bot networks </rt></ruby>中的一员，一天到晚地挖矿、发送垃圾邮件，以及对全国的重要设施发动恶毒的 DDOS 攻击。最后还是需要我来清理这个烂摊子 —— （而且是）每一个周末。


### 大救星 Linux 来了


我决定把她的电脑环境迁移到 Linux 上，反正也没有什么可损失的。我自己在五年前就这么做了，我从未那么开心过。不如让妈妈也试试，肯定不会有什么坏处。


当妈妈知道我要一次性解决她所有的问题时，她非常开心。但她不知道的是，她将成为一项为期一年的科学实验的关键部分，这个实验叫做：“妈妈能学会使用 Linux 吗？”


![Cowsay "Can Mom Survive Linux?"](/data/attachment/album/202203/29/103205m9189d4chck381ge.png "Cowsay \"Can Mom Survive Linux?\"")


（图源 Tomasz Waraksa，遵从[<ruby> 署名-相同方式共享 4.0 国际协议 <rt>  CC BY-SA 4.0 </rt></ruby>](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)）


于是，在 2020 年 2 月的某一天，我从遥远的都柏林带着一台使用七年的联想 Yoga 13 来到这里，这台电脑和妈妈那台有着相似的参数，但它的屏幕要好很多，而且只有一半的重量。我在 VirtualBox 里讨论和测试了不同的 Linux 发行版，最终选择了 [Zorin OS](https://zorinos.com/) 发行版，一个自豪的“爱尔兰造”系统。我选择它是考虑到了下面几个因素：


* 它基于我最熟悉的 Ubuntu Linux。
* 它和 Windows 7 很像，在精心设计的同时考虑到了 Windows 难民。
* 我感觉它很轻量、简单，对妈妈来说足够保守。完全没有 macOS Big Sur 上的花里胡哨！


![Zorin OS desktop](/data/attachment/album/202203/29/103206wzk3w4h7pcul37a3.png "Zorin OS desktop")


（图源 Tomasz Waraksa，遵从[<ruby> 署名-相同方式共享 4.0 国际协议 <rt>  CC BY-SA 4.0 </rt></ruby>](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)）


### 系统安装


我用自己一贯的方式安装了这个操作系统，为 `/home` 目录单独分了一个区，这样一来，系统重装时（尽管不大可能发生）妈妈的文件仍然能够保持安全。这是我的惯用技巧，它可以方便我安装发行版的深夜更新。


在安装过程中，我选择了波兰语作为用户界面语言。和我一样，妈妈也是个彻头彻尾的波兰人。不必担心，Linux 看起来支持所有语言，甚至包括 [克林贡语](https://blogs.gnome.org/muelli/2010/04/klingon-language-support/)。


接着，根据妈妈的需求，我安装了下面这些应用：


* Skype
* [Signal 桌面客户端](https://github.com/signalapp)
* 谷歌 Chrome 浏览器
* [Geary](https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Geary) 邮件客户端
* [gThumb](https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gthumb)，用来浏览和编辑照片
* [VLC](https://www.videolan.org/vlc/)，用来播放视频和音乐
* Softmaker Office，用来编辑文本和表格


注意到列表里没有杀毒软件了吗？好耶！


一个小时后，系统和应用全部安装完成，妈妈的 Zorin OS 已准备就绪。


![Zorin OS home folder](/data/attachment/album/202203/29/103206bjl8qd243444zd8j.png "Zorin OS home folder")


（图源 Tomasz Waraksa，遵从[<ruby> 署名-相同方式共享 4.0 国际协议 <rt>  CC BY-SA 4.0 </rt></ruby>](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)）


### 设置系统


我通过下面这几个步骤，让自己成为了妈妈的电脑管理员：


* 为我自己创建了一个管理员账户
* 把妈妈的账户设置为非管理员
* 安装了用于远程无人值守访问的 `ssh` 守护程序
* 把这台机器加入到了我的 Hamachi VPN 中：这样一来，我就可以安全地使用 ssh 连接，而不需要打开路由器上的 `22` 端口。Hamachi 是一个由 LogMeIn 提供的 VPN 服务。它是一个传统的 VPN，我的意思是，它的目标不是让你在另外一个国家运行 Netflix 应用，而是在互联网上为计算机之间建立一个安全的网络连接。
* 启动了简单防火墙（`ufw`）并允许 ssh 流量
* 安装了 AnyDesk 来远程登录到桌面


这样操作之后，我就可以通过安全的 ssh 连接访问到妈妈的笔记本电脑。我可以通过 shell 进行定期维护，而妈妈甚至不会注意到任何事情。这是因为 Linux 完成更新后通常 *不需要* 重新启动。真是一个奇迹啊！简直不可能的事，它是怎么做到的呢？


![Updating software remotely](/data/attachment/album/202203/29/103207h36b3fjppptj2crt.png "Updating software remotely")


（图源 Tomasz Waraksa，遵从[<ruby> 署名-相同方式共享 4.0 国际协议 <rt>  CC BY-SA 4.0 </rt></ruby>](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)）


### 妈妈能学会使用 Linux 吗


毫无疑问！


尽管当我把新电脑展示给她看的时候，她确实有问到为什么这个新的 Windows 又看起来不一样了。我不得不解释说这个其实不是 Windows，而是 Linux，然后向她解释了为什么我们都爱 Linux。不过，她学得很快。这个经典的 Zorin OS 桌面和她用惯了的 Windows 7 十分相似。我看到她在系统里点来点去，然后很轻松地找到并且运行了她熟悉的应用程序。


她立刻就注意到电脑启动快了很多，表现也好了很多。


然后她开始问我什么时候会给她做电脑的定期清理，好让她电脑不会再一次变慢。我和她解释说，以她的日常使用量，不需要再做定期清理了。Linux 和 Windows 不一样，它不会自己“腐烂”的。目前来说，的确如此。她的电脑仍然像第一天那样流畅和快速。


我时不时地会问她对新电脑感觉怎么样，她总是回答说很满意。一切都很顺利。电脑也不会莫名其妙就变得忙起来。再也不会有一些“很重要的更新”来打断她。应用菜单也总是在它该在的地方。在这个全新的环境中，她对自己常用的应用程序也感到满意。


在这一年中，我远程登录过几次她的电脑，为的是进行常规的软件包升级。我还使用 AnyDesk 登录过两次她的桌面。一次是妈妈问我能不能帮她把 SD 卡里的照片自动导入到 `~/Pictures` 目录里，如果能够放到以日期命名的目录里就更好了。当然可以，只要懂一点点的 Bash，就可以使用 `gThumb` 很轻松地实现这个功能。另一次，我把她经常访问的网站添加到了桌面，这样她点击桌面图标就可以访问了。


这就是目前我作为妈妈的 Linux 管理员所做的全部事情！按照这个情况，我还可以再给 50 个妈妈当电脑管理员！


### 总结


我希望我的故事能够启发你考虑迁移到 Linux。过去，我们认为 Linux 对于普通用户来说太难了。但今天，我相信事实恰恰相反。用户使用电脑越不熟练，他们就越有理由迁移到 Linux！


有了 Linux，即便是新手用户，也能通过大量熟悉的应用程序获得流畅、精致的桌面体验。新手用户们将比在任何其他流行的计算平台上都要安全得多。并且，通过远程访问来帮助他们从未如此简单和安全！


*免责声明：本文不推广所描述的任何产品、服务或供应商。我与他们没有任何商业利益或联系。我并没有在暗示这些产品或服务是最适合你的，也不承诺你的体验会和我一样。*


*本文最初发布在 [Let's Debug It](https://letsdebug.it/post/16-linux-for-mars-copters-moms-and-pops/) 上，在获得许可后重新使用。*




---


via: <https://opensource.com/article/21/6/mom-switch-linux>


作者：[Tomasz](https://opensource.com/users/tomaszwaraksa) 选题：[lujun9972](https://github.com/lujun9972) 译者：[lkxed](https://github.com/lkxed) 校对：[wxy](https://github.com/wxy)


本文由 [LCTT](https://github.com/LCTT/TranslateProject) 原创编译，[Linux中国](https://linux.cn/) 荣誉推出


OK
The Large Hadron Collider is [powered by Linux](https://www.redhat.com/en/about/press-releases/red-hat-provides-cern-platform-mission-critical-applications). Laptops on the International Space Station [run on Linux](https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/155392-international-space-station-switches-from-windows-to-linux-for-improved-reliability). So do [Instagram](https://instagram-engineering.com/what-powers-instagram-hundreds-of-instances-dozens-of-technologies-adf2e22da2ad) and [Nest thermostats](https://www.theverge.com/2011/11/14/2559567/tony-fadell-nest-learning-thermostat). Recently, we watched Ingenuity fly over Mars, an amazing robo-copter driven by… [Linux](https://www.zdnet.com/article/to-infinity-and-beyond-linux-and-open-source-goes-to-mars/)! It's yet more proof of how flexible and versatile this operating system can be.

But now, the really big news. It's official. Linux can handle Mom and Dad just as well!

## The story

About a year ago, I decided to migrate my mom to Linux. A year has passed, so it's time for retrospection and conclusions.

Like most of us, I'm officially *Mom's Computer Admin*. Mom is a lovely lady in her late 60s—a real sweetheart. Mom's computer skills are basic. Mom's computer needs are basic, too. Read the internets, send email, type text, browse and edit photos, play videos and music, call family and friends on Skype or Signal.

Until last year, she was using a Windows laptop, old but not too bad. Then one day, through deceit, threats, and obnoxious popups, Microsoft finally made her click that dreaded "UPGRADE TO WINDOWS 10" button.


My life as Mom's Computer Admin quickly turned into hell with her desperate calls for help. Why does everything look so different? Where is my app menu? What, this pile of tiles is now my app menu? Why is the computer so slow? Why does it restart daily for updates, just when I need to use it?! Why is something (she meant the hard drive) making noise all the time? What is it actually doing all the time?

And how would I know that without any ability to look into the source code?

I considered rolling back the upgrade. But with Windows 7 reaching end-of-life soon, I feared the worst: Without security updates, Mom's computer would soon become a member of countless bot networks, mining cryptocurrencies, mailing spam, and launching vicious DDOS attacks on the vital infrastructure of entire countries. And I'd be the one to clean this mess—every weekend.

## Linux to the rescue

With nothing to lose, I decided to migrate her to Linux. I made "the move" five years ago and have never been happier. It surely wouldn't do harm to try it with her.

Mom was happy when I declared to fix her problems once and for all. What she didn't know is that she would become the crucial part of a year-long scientific experiment named: "Can Mom survive Linux?"

![Cowsay "Can Mom Survive Linux?" Cowsay "Can Mom Survive Linux?"](https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/uploads/intro.png)

(Tomasz Waraksa, CC BY-SA 4.0)

And so, one day in February 2020, I arrived from faraway Dublin with a seven-year-old Lenovo Yoga 13, which had similar specs but a much nicer screen and half the weight. After some deliberations and testing various Linux distributions on VirtualBox, I decided on the [Zorin OS](https://zorinos.com/) distribution, proudly made in Ireland. My choice was driven by the following factors:

- It's based on Ubuntu Linux, with which I'm most familiar.
- It closely resembles Windows 7, being carefully designed with Windows refugees in mind.
- It feels lightweight, simple, and sufficiently conservative for Mom. No shiny macOS Big Sur glitz anywhere around!

![Zorin OS Zorin OS desktop](https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/uploads/zorin-os-desktop.png)

(Tomasz Waraksa, CC BY-SA 4.0)

## System installation

I installed the operating system my usual way, with the `/home`

folder on a dedicated partition to keep Mom's Stuff safe in the unlikely case of system reinstallation. It's my old trick that makes late-night distro-hopping much easier.

During installation, I chose Polish as the user interface (UI) language. Just like me, Mom is Polish to the bone. No worries, Linux seems to support every possible language, including [Klingon](https://blogs.gnome.org/muelli/2010/04/klingon-language-support/).

Then, I installed the following applications to cover Mom's needs:

- Skype
[Signal for Desktop](https://github.com/signalapp)- Google Chrome browser
[Geary](https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Geary)email client[gThumb](https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gthumb)for photo viewing and editing[VLC](https://www.videolan.org/vlc/)for playing video and music- Softmaker Office for text editing and spreadsheets

Notice how there's no antivirus on the list. Yay!

An hour later, her Zorin OS box was ready and loaded with applications.

![Zorin OS home folder Zorin OS home folder](https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/uploads/zorin-os-home-folder.png)

(Tomasz Waraksa, CC BY-SA 4.0)

## System configuration

I made myself Mom's Computer Admin by doing the following:

- Created an admin account for myself
- Turned Mom's account into non-admin
- Installed the
`ssh`

daemon for remote unattended access - Added the machine to my Hamachi VPN: This way, I can securely connect via
`ssh`

without opening port 22 on the router. Hamachi is a VPN service by LogMeIn. An old-school VPN, I mean. Intended not for running Netflix from another country but for connecting computers into a secure network over the internet. - Enabled Uncomplicated Firewall (
`ufw`

) and allowed ssh traffic - Installed AnyDesk for logging in to the desktop

With this, I have secure ssh access to Mom's laptop. I can perform periodic maintenance via shell without Mom even noticing anything. That's because Linux normally *does not* require a reboot after completed updates; what a miracle, how's that even possible?

![Updating software remotely Updating software remotely](https://opensource.com/sites/default/files/uploads/upgrading-software.png)

(Tomasz Waraksa, CC BY-SA 4.0)

## Can Mom survive Linux?

Without the slightest doubt!

When I showed Mom her new PC, she did ask why this new Windows looked different *again*. I had to reveal that this is not Windows at all, but Linux, and explain why we all love Linux. But she picked it up quickly. The classic Zorin OS desktop is very much like her old Windows 7. I watched her find her way through the system and launch her familiar applications with ease.

She immediately noticed how much faster the computer starts and how much better it performs.

She's been asking me when I will do the usual computer cleanup so that it doesn't become slow again. I've explained that, with her average use, it won't be needed. Linux simply doesn't rot on its own as Windows does. So far, this has been true. Her PC runs as smooth and fast as on day one.

Every now and then, I ask how she feels about her new computer. She invariably answers that she's happy with it. Everything works smoothly. The computer doesn't get busy for no reason. No more interrupting her with Very Important Updates. And the menu is where it should always be. She's comfortable with her usual applications in this entirely new environment.

Over the year, I've logged in remotely a few times to run routine package upgrades. I've logged in with AnyDesk twice. Once, when Mom asked whether photos from an inserted SD card could be imported automatically into the `~/Pictures`

folder, and preferably into folders named by dates. Yes, `gThumb`

can easily be made to do that with a bit of Bash. Another time, I logged in to add frequently used websites as desktop icons.

And this has been all of my effort as Mom's Linux Admin so far! At this pace, I could be Mom's Computer Admin to 50 other moms!

## Summary

I hope that my story will inspire you to think about migrating to Linux. In the past, we considered Linux to be too difficult for casual users. But today I believe that the opposite is true. The less proficient computer users are, the more reasons they have to migrate to Linux!

With Linux, novice users will gain a smooth, polished desktop experience with a multitude of familiar applications. They will be much safer than on any other popular computing platform. And helping them with remote access has never been easier and more secure!

*Disclaimer: This article is not promoting any of the described products, services, or vendors. I don't have any commercial interest nor associations with them. I'm not trying to suggest that these products or services are best for you, nor promising that your experience will be the same.*

*This article originally appeared on Let's Debug It and is reused with permission.*

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