You could probably pull some info directly from Mint's homepage.
Mint is generally considered one of the best options for former Windows users. And its homepage contains lots of info about what's included and why.
this post was submitted on 01 Dec 2025
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If you're promoting Linux, I wouldn't teach it at all.
Just show yourself doing stuff on the computer like a normal person on ~~Windows~~ what Windows used to be like.
The biggest hurdle for most users is (I think) the mistaken belief that Linux must be complicated.
Agree there, pushing that everyone is using it. I have found with family that using phrasing like "It's similar to ChromeOS", which... it isn't really - but it helps their brains adjust. Like "Okay it'll be different, but yeah I used ChromeOS and it was fine"
Given their focus, they might be interested in taking a look at some of the many volunteer outfits that refurbish old hardware rather than letting it become e-waste and sell the resulting systems for cheap to those who'd otherwise be priced out of the market. Most of those tend to install some flavor of Linux to avoid paying for OS licenses.
Great idea! I have a local place that does that near me!
Make a split-screen video:
Left side: Windows user performing a system update.
Right Side: Linux user performing a system update. And then editing a document. And then answering some messages. And then a bit of shopping. And then playing a game. All while the Windows user is still waiting for the update to finish.
Then reveal that the Linux system has a fraction of the RAM and a much older CPU than the Windows system.
Can you stage this? I'll watch it. Tag me later!
Make sure to mention libre office to quell word/excel fears
From what I know, the biggest blocker for the switch is that they're afraid they can't do all the stuff they're used to. While there are valid cases, it's mostly FUD.
I think you can start by introducing popular FOSS tools that are available in Windows. With LibreOffice amping up on compatibility with MS Office, now would be good time to tell people they can try it out on Windows
If you use domain-specific tools like Krita, Darktable, Kdenlive, VSCode, Android Studio, KiCAD, or whatever, you can also go thru those. They don't have to be FOSS as long as they're available on Linux (e.g. Steam, Postman, Spotify, etc).
This is a good callout. I'm not sure how much of the video will be "There are alternatives available" vs "Try linux!", but if we get into Try linux directly I want people to know that yes it works completely
Yeah, I honestly think that, as fun as they are, having too many those tinkering and hacking with Linux videos are doing more harm than good for this cause.
If you're trying to appeal to the common folks, you'd need to break that barrier somehow, and it's probably easier to chisel it down bit-by-bit .
Exactly, there's a saying that when you're in a field you assume everyone else must know about your field too, and people just don't. Not just the grandma's either, but everyday people: friends, family, coworkers, people just want their tech to work. They need to know that they'll be able to "use office" even if it's a different program and "check their email" even if it means installing chrome at first.
This, exactly. As much as I'd want to recommend my personal setup, it's just easier to just tell people to install Linux Mint, both for myself and for them, because of the little amount of steps one would need to do in order to get a working system.
I do wish someone would come up with something similar but with KDE, because of how similar they are to Windows UI, especially Windows 7. Maybe that's just me.
I remember a talk about this exact concept. KDE Eco was announced a ways back but it's KDE's initiative to remind people that Linux offers a more environmentally friendly option for computing, preventing the creation of E-waste, a godawful source of toxic pollutants in itself, but also in many other ways that play out across the computing hardware lifecycle. Anyone who claims to care about the environment, the global south, or even just the affordability of personal computing should be on board.
Love it, that sort of mission statement is exactly what I'm looking for!
Maybe show them some old computers that can't run win11 but revived by linux
Done and done! Found a couple articles about that!
CoculesNation happened to have done this, since Neigsendoig (my producer) has been a massive Free Software advocate since 2020.
It's this video: https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=86U5IM-tydI