As the Windows 10 EOL date is close I was wondering what fellow Linux users thoughts about it are.
Are you helping open minded people making the switch to Linux? If yes, which distro are you using? Are you using resources like endof10.org?
Or are you using the the opportunity to get your hands on some cheap hardware for your homelab? Are you keeping an eye on special websites or just ebay (or your local equivalent)? Are you talking with local companies to get the hardware directly from them?
Or are you just observing and enjoy your peace of mind because you switched already to Linux before?
Whatever it is, we are very interested to hear your stories concering this interesting time.
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I would help if asked, but I’m not out there trying to convince people. This isn’t the first Windows version to be EOLd, and Apple and Android have all but convinced people that a 2-3 year hardware replacement cycle is normal. I just don’t think this is a significant consumer event at all.
Or are you just observing and enjoy your peace of mind because you switched already to Linux before?
Yeah, but I wouldn’t say “switched” is the right word for me. I’ve been using a variety of OSes for personal and work for a long time. I worked in embedded software, and we had to support a variety of build toolchains for different host OSes and different target OSes. So the idea of using a different OS on my own computer is not a big deal. Over the years it’s been Solaris, BSDos, Mac, Windows, and more flavors of Linux than I can recall.
Not the question you asked, but it was gratifying when Raspberry Pi really started to take off because it was the first time that developing for a different hardware arch and OS target was going mainstream. I would enthusiastically help people with that sort of thing. But even fewer ask. lol
Installed bazzite on my son’s gaming laptop, it works perfectly well and he really likes the ricing.
The bazaar on bazzite is really convenient for the non-power user
Good for him!
Switched to Mint over a year ago from win 10 on my desktop and my wives laptop, we both love it. It was fresh, user friendly and familiar in the same time. To be fair we are pretty much average users without any specialized needs, other than gaming.
Later this year I built a new gaming pc 100% with Linux in mind. I am running Bazzite on it and it works absolutely amazing. Bazzite is currently my favourite distro. Im not a distro hopper or a big tinkerer myself, don’t have time for experimenting, so not planning to switch. It just works perfectly.
My grandfather asked me about Linux, but unfortunately, he’s still using Photoshop for now.
Get him to check out Krita. It has Photoshop style binds but they’re missing a few things gs you’ll have to set… But depending on what he does with Photoshop and how adaptable he is, it could be a viable solution.
Mostly, he uses Photoshop for printing, though, and I don’t know if Krita has as powerful a printing dialog.
Unfortunately still have to use W11 for some anti-cheat games I play with friends :(
But being forced to update to 11 motivated me to come back to Linux on a PC. I already have a little homelab with all the flavors, but was wondering how it would game on my desktop.
Ultimately went with Debian + KDE on a second SSD, and it’s just awesome. Especially coming from WSL on my desktop, it’s just so seamless.
Had a little trouble getting Nvidia drivers for my relatively new card (Debian’s latest proprietary driver still didn’t support it lol), so I had to use the official Nvidia repo. And it was a little tricky signing it for Secure Boot, but other than that, awesome.
Need to run better side-by-side tests, but it at least feels like a 10% or so performance improvement.
Thank you Linux! And fuck Fortnite, release a Linux port already!
The EoL doesn’t affect me. I use Linux and Mac. My work pc is windows 10 but that’s their problem.
My roommate refuses to move on. I flat out gave him an old surface pro X with win11 and a spacious new SSD. I offered to migrate him to fedora and teach him how to use it. I offered to help him pick out a new pc if he wants. No, he’ll just keep waiting 20 minutes for his old crusty Dell to boot up, then another 10 to load chrome. For updates, he said he’ll just download hacks as people post them online.
All his shit is on its own VLAN now.
I am a chicken, I could not make the switch for the home desktop and work computer, so I just downgraded to Windows 11. There are some financial apps that needs switching, damn.
Maybe I could convince people to let me use Linux at work…
It is just a computer. Don’t let us nerds intimidate you. Use what you are comfortable with.
That said, you could dual boot or even just boot of a USB stick into a live Linux session. That will let you play with it and decide if it is as scary as you feared.
Linux Mint can be written to USB and booted into a live Linux session I believe.
Macbook/Linux user here: People (And organisations/governments) who are reasonably skilled with technology will understand that on hardware which can’t use windows 11, and is stuck with windows 10 without security updates need an alternative operating system. When institutions switch to linux, they will likely contribute to the opensource project, and overall bring the user base numbers up, which will make more software developers add support for linux.
But while this should happen, it might work in microsoft’s favour, (Like when Netflix stopped password sharing) meaning people, who are used to windows will just buy new windows 11 machines, overall increasing microsoft’s company value. Microsoft also supports the Israel military during the genocide, and Bill Gates personally supports Trump and had close ties with Epstein, so it would be best if the general public does an accident, or purposeful boycott. Personally I buy secondhand stuff and put linux on it, if you want new stuff either buy a mac, or buy one of those new linux machines from Lenovo?
I’ve been using Linux for about 25 years. I completely stopped using Windows at home more than a decade ago.
I do some volunteer work for an organisation that refurbishes old computers and gives them to people who can’t afford one. For the time being we’re using Rufus to bypass TPM and other hardware requirements so we can install Windows 11 on everything.
We’re willing to install Linux for people who want it, but unfortunately I haven’t seen that happen yet. Most of our customers have no idea what an OS is. A lot of people also need Windows for education or work. There’s a free course available that teaches how to use a computer and of course that is also Windows-only.
We helped one of our colleagues to install Mint on his old laptop, though.
not a whole lot of takers here either, and not a single one yet due to win10’s “retirement”.
everyone wants windows. but after that, most are pretty receptive of other foss options like libreoffice.
For the time being we’re using Rufus to bypass TPM and other hardware requirements so we can install Windows 11 on everything.
Heads up, Microsoft has stated that they do not support machines that don’t meet requirements and that those machines may stop receiving security updates at any time.
Never had Win10 in the first place. I did upgrade from 7 to 11 using the same product key. I would gladly run Linux but have yet to understand why no Debian live media would ever boot on my main laptop
Probably secure boot, if you deactivate it in the BIOS it should work, maybe
Or are you just observing and enjoy your peace of mind because you switched already to Linux before?
Yes, that. As far as my circle of friends and acquaintances who are running Win10 are concerned, I’ve made the effort to advise them to switch to something newer for security reasons. They will probably switch to Windows 11, but that is their concern.
i switched right after win95 🙂
I bet you also have a 4 digit slashdot id!
(This is not an insult. Quite the opposite)
lol. never created a slashdot account…
Encouraged one of my friends to install Mint and upgraded my Lenovo Yoga to MX. Both of us are happy.
Transitioned my moms computer to Windows 11, 11 months go. Pretty easy. Her computer was originally for Windows 7 and is still fully supported. Her computer will always be Windows as I `m not local and other people have to be able to support her too. It is also what she knows. I love Linux but it is not for everyone.
Feel you. If you are tech savvy you can debloat Windows for them and get rid of recall and the online accounts.
That’s become increasingly difficult.
There are Sommer good tools to create stripped ISOs and to adjust running installations.
You can strip ISOs of some bloat but you cannot strip M$ out of it , tho. And there’s always a chance an update adds it back in.
I had outlook appear back on one of my laptops after an update. I had removed it ages ago. Some services do the same.
So, are you going to limit updates too? That’ll make it vulnerable.
My point is, it’s just going to be cat and mouse game with “cleaning or stripping” Windows.
See, I run a stripped Windows for playing games that don’t run under linux. I update it regularly and nothing intrusive was re-added by updates. The other systems I use are linux and macOS, with each OS having its purpose.
In acknowledge that Linux is not intrusive and that you have to have PiHoles and other DNS sinkholes for a basic protection, which is hard for regular people. But in the end you have to look at peoples needs and if somebody insists he needs Windows, and you are knowledgeable in IT stuff, make it as secure and clutter free as possible.
have to have PiHoles and other DNS sinkholes for a basic protection, which is hard for regular people
mullvad’s free dns. free for all, not just their subscribers. encrypted doh or dot only. a basic ad and malware blocking dns sinkhole is a fairly simple configuration away if your os supports it (win11 and android do… those are what i’ve set it up on for others so far).
It’s a once-off operation if you’re willing to go the LTSC route. Microsoft likes to undo all your hard work debloating Windows with the semi-annual major updates on non-LTSC editions.
Moved family mostly to Zorin. I stay with Tumbleweed.
Keeping Windows on dual boot for some edge cases. For the app or two that doesn’t run with Linux I keep Windows in a virtual machine (which sadly I need once or twice a day).
95% of my daily business runs on Linux.
Now I wish my phone would do that too.
Wth do you need once or twice a day, unless it’s for a niche hobby or work?
Work. Sadly Linux cannot run most Windows Store apps.
And there’s some niche software that runs, but crashes too much for my liking. So unfortunately in these cases: Windows.
