I can trace my computer usage back to 1996, when computers were precious and companies were offering training courses. At that time, everyone talked about the three essential skills for the future: driving, English, and computer skills. I bought many books to understand computers, hoping to build a solid theoretical foundation and not be left behind by the times.
Initially, I used Windows 95, playing the single-player game “Toy Soldiers,” and during the Windows 98 era, I played “Red Alert,” with very little technical skill. In 2001, I got my first computer and started learning Basic language. The excitement I felt when my first program ran is hard to express. Later, the story of Coolfire inspired me, and I began to study cracking. Countless nights were spent on crack, trw2000, and breakpoint, during which I accumulated a lot of knowledge. With the arrival of Windows XP, the difficulty of cracking increased, and I started ghosting repeatedly, striving to install a clean XP without blue screens. It wasn’t until 2010, when I switched to Windows 7, that I stopped frequently reinstalling the system. Windows has accompanied me through many unforgettable moments, with realplay, Storm Audio, QQ Coral Bug version, winamp, netant, Super解霸, Rising, Acdsee, and Qianqian Jingting… classics never fade away.
Microsoft’s excellent marketing services equated PCs with Windows, and the world only knows Windows, while Linux gradually faded into the river of time.
The first Linux I used was “Red Flag,” which had a poor experience, and I couldn’t install software, so I gave up. After many years, the internet evolved from Didi’s little cat to high-speed broadband, and Linux systems became localized with Kylin, Tongxin, and Euler taking turns to appear, showcasing a flourishing landscape of operating systems. At this time, I got my first Armbian server with 2GB of memory and 8GB of ECC, which opened the door to Linux for me. I spent a month familiarizing myself with Linux commands, learning Docker, and installing application services like Portainer, Ant Notes, and Kodcloud, which were my initial intranet applications. Through Pugongying (SD-WAN), I witnessed the network advantages of Linux, with the low-power Armbian quietly lying in the corner, silently providing services for me. Gradually, the 8GB of storage could no longer accommodate my services, and I began learning PVE, Debian, and Ubuntu, discovering the stability of Linux and the convenience and challenges of installing software. One command to install, a whole morning to debug, and a year of uninterrupted operation.
For me, Windows is for work, while Linux is for life.