If your PC has multiple ssd slots, then you can consider dual boot so that you can just keep the windows install there for using such programs.

If you do not have that option, then connecting to your printer should work without the proprietary program, you just need the correct drivers. Then linux programs will be able to print directly to the priner.

Scanning is a different issue, this depends on your printer, the distro you use, and the available programs. You will have to do some research here.

The PC settings can sometimes be accessed in bios, and sometimes there are open-source versions of such control apps on github or similar sites. Again, here you will have to do some research.

I agree 100%. It’s amazing how stable these distros are.

I agree that those issues can be frustrating (I came from arch and now use bazzite, so I do have some cli headaches sometimes), but most newbies are not going to even open a terminal imho. For them it is unmatched in terms of stability and ease-of-use.

I do agree with you that anyone who tinkers with electronics or software should start with something else though.

Cool, thanks! I’m just getting started with self-hosting, so I doubt that I will need such on-demand scaling, but now I know where to find it if that changes.

And still worlds better than standard android.