*install windows not use windows; regular local accounts can still be created afterwords.
this post was submitted on 07 Oct 2025
190 points (98.5% liked)
Technology
39939 readers
404 users here now
This is the official technology community of Lemmy.ml for all news related to creation and use of technology, and to facilitate civil, meaningful discussion around it.
Ask in DM before posting product reviews or ads. All such posts otherwise are subject to removal.
Rules:
1: All Lemmy rules apply
2: Do not post low effort posts
3: NEVER post naziped*gore stuff
4: Always post article URLs or their archived version URLs as sources, NOT screenshots. Help the blind users.
5: personal rants of Big Tech CEOs like Elon Musk are unwelcome (does not include posts about their companies affecting wide range of people)
6: no advertisement posts unless verified as legitimate and non-exploitative/non-consumerist
7: crypto related posts, unless essential, are disallowed
founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
Why would a OS need an online account?
We truly live in the stupidest timeline.
How will it know which ads to show you without knowing who you are?
Linux has been a superior OS for a while, especially since Steam's efforts to port games over to it.
Only reason many people hang on, including some in my household, is platform exclusive tools like Adobe.
Well, Adobe is not "household" software. :-)
But there are a lot of other software, that people have a hard time letting go of. Like Affinity, Scrivener, certain games, a lot of small programs/apps, like FastStone apps (Image viewer and more), AllMyNotes, ActionOutline, Duplicate cleaner 5, EZ CD Audio Converter and more...
More people will switch to Linux
Great strategy to force users have a bad experience while your platform is in decline to a free and user friendly alternative. Very smart of MS, as per usual.
* if you purchase the budget version.
I've been very happy with no windows on my computers for over 15 years now.
About the same for me. Genuinely happy and cant understand why more people dont just install it. Its soo easy these days.
Ok! Moved to linux for gaming 2 years ago and havent looked back. Eat shit, MS.
Ok fine Linux it is. As a person who mostly uses a computer for 3D modeling, drafting and invoicing.... what are my options?
What software do you use?
I worked with 3D for decades and Blender replaced almost everything. The performance is actually better on Linux. I personally use Linux mint, but regarding software it barely matters what distro you use nowadays.
But support, compatibility, ease of use can vary a lot. I haven't used another distro for many years so I can't say much.
If you rely on autodesk and adobe stuff you will probably suffer. But personally I would say it's deserved because there are not a lot of companies more evil than them. The sooner you start trying alternatives the better.
Invoicing I just used inkscape but it's not great. Be prepared to make some sacrifices, but it's all worthy to get rid of microsoft.
Invoicing I just used inkscape but it’s not great. Be prepared to make some sacrifices, but it’s all worthy to get rid of microsoft.
How is Inkscape used for invoicing? You cretate the invoice as vector graphic template and just replace the text?
I don't ever do any invoicing myself, so I am not clear on the requirements here. But a template in LibreOffice Draw could perhaps work for this purpose? There might be some way to programtically replace the fields, and if you store client and project details in a database it should eventually be a matter of choosing which client to bill for which project and click "Go!". I would aim for such a self-made setup to be independent on any license-ridden software. But again, I don't do this, so I might have missed some important part of the puzzle.
Yeah, I don't know. I know that there are softwares specific for invoicing but I've never used one, nor did I use to send too many invoices. Most of the time I was an employee, doing some other freelances, so it wasn't too much to keep track.
I used Inkscape because I was more used to it, working with graphics most of my life. LibreOffice is probably easier. But I don't know how that's supposed to be done with proprietary softwares either.
Hopefully someone with more experience on this can help him.
alternativeto.net
I use Lemmy and Steam games, someone please recommend a Linux OS and a browser to end this stupid shit for me.
bazzite and librewolf
Linux Mint and Firefox should be good starting points.
I'd like to add that librewolf is a great privacy focused browser based on Firefox.
Went this route a few months ago. The switch was incredibly easy.
Pop!_OS, PikaOS, CachyOS, and Bazzite are the top gaming distros right now.
I recommend Pop! if you have Nvidia cards. If you have AMD, any of them will work.
PikaOS or Bazzite with the KDE Plasma desktop are going to be closest to Windows 10 in terms of how you use them.
Pop! has a super different UI, almost Mac-like. But it's based on Ubuntu, the most-used distro. Which means that if anything goes wrong you can search "[problem] Ubuntu" and get hundreds of solution pages.
CachyOS is based on Arch, which is the big, scawy Linux that all the nerds say they use. It's easier to break than the other ones, and won't officially offer some of the apps that something Debian/Ubuntu based might have. I would recommend it when you're looking to get a bit more technical.
That said, I haven't broken my install yet and CachyOS is like the fastest OS available right now. Serious FPS gains for a LOT of games compared to Windows, and even other Linux distros. I also have not had to sit and troubleshoot it over anything. I was shocked at how smooth it was for an Arch system.
So, there's not really a bad choice in those 4. I'd recommend Pop! if you never want to have to tinker, Pika or Bazzite if you want to feel like you're still using Windows, and Cachy when you feel comfortable taking some training wheels off (and that could be right now!).
For browsers, try LibreWolf. It's a locked-down version of Firefox. Or just use Firefox. It ain't perfect, but then again it ain't Chrome.
oh hey nice I haven been on Mint for awhile and my Nvidia card gives me no end of trouble
PopOS vote from me. Very easy to get set up, especially if you have an Nvidia card. Flatpak is integrated to their store, it just works out of the box.
I've been on PopOs for over 7 years and its been steady as a rock! I could never go back to windows.
Mint is very similar to a Windows feel
Just wish Cinnamon looked a bit better.
TBH I'm fine with XFCE. It looks reasonably modern but is lightweight and uncomplicated. Takes recolors well, too. Never had any problems with it.
Sure, but the cool thing about Linux is that you can pick the gui. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_X_window_managers
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_X_Window_System_desktop_environments
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_display_servers#Wayland
Linux Mint. If my 85-year-old dad can get used to it after over 30 years of Windows, you’ll be fine.
/edit Also Firefox comes with pretty much every Linux distribution, but if you need something Chromium-based, I’m partial to Vivaldi.
https://yearofthelinuxdesktop.net/
According to the flowchart there, cachyOS or bazzite, also some other tools and recommendations, good luck!
Nobara and pikaOS also both good options. I use CachyOs on my main PC and nobara on my htpc and have had a very pleasant time with the distros and their communities. Just gotta leave windows at the door and be open to learning a new way of doing things. Best of luck OP
and browser I love zen browser and have Vivaldi as my chromium browser of choice when some niche task needs it
CachyOS has recently stopped playing H264 videos on some websites after a system update.(on Librewolf and other browsers too). Installing ffmpeg4.4 will fix this.
LInux mint or bazzite, I'd take a look at both, and firefox with ublock origin
I've had a good experience with Bazzite. It worked out of the box for steam, and the "bazaar" app store built into it had everything I needed. Heroic is in there and good for handling PC games from other stores. Use Proton+ to get the latest Proton GE if you run into any windows game compatibility issues and it may solve them.
Lol too late. I already moved to Linux and love it.
"As far as Redmond is concerned, this is all for the user's own good. " What a joke!
Lol.
If I ever use windows again. It'll be a cracked version.
Good riddance
sudo apt purge windows
That's fine by me.
Deal! (i'm swithing to Linux)
Have fun! It's a learning curve, but a very accomplishable learning curve, and at the end you get to say that you don't use microsoft
If no workaround can be found, I may finally be able to get Mrs. Erinaceus switched to Linux...
Ok
11 IoT Enterprise LTSC, and be free from this and other M$ bullshit.
view more: next ›