Windows 10's demise nears, but Linux is forever

The Register ^ | 28 January 2025 | Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

[ShadowAce]

Come October 14, 2025, Windows 10 support dies. Despite that, more users than ever are using Windows 10 rather than moving to Windows 11.

I can't say that I blame them. Windows 11 sucks almost as much as Vista – remember that stinker? In addition, Windows 11 is less of a desktop operating system than it is a remote Microsoft client equipped with AI-powered Recall, telemetry, and data collection. You may see these as features. I see them as spyware. All this and more is why I use Linux for my primary desktop.

True, I've been using Linux as my desktop for decades now. Before that, I ran Unix as a desktop. When I started, my choice of desktops was not between GNOME or KDE; it was between Csh and the Bourne shell. Bash, today's most popular shell, hadn't even been created yet. In those days, to get work done, you really did need to know how to make simple shell programs. That was a long, long time ago.

Today, anyone smart enough to use Windows, a very low bar indeed, can use desktop Linux.

Take, for example, my own favorite Linux desktop: Linux Mint. I've gotten people in their 70s who wouldn't know a shell command from Excel up and running on Mint without any trouble.

That's because Mint, with its default Cinnamon interface, looks a lot like Windows 7's Aero frontend. It's been years since 7 was retired, but there are a lot of users who still love its look and feel. Heck, there's even a program, StartAllBack, which enables you to reset Windows 11's interface to one that closely resembles Windows 7's desktop.

In addition, these days, it's simple to install Linux applications. You don't need to know package managers such as APT, DNF, or Pacman. No, on Mint, you just find the Install Software icon by searching the menu and then look for the program you want. If you can install programs on your smartphone, you have all the skills you need to install programs on Linux.

Can't live without your Microsoft Office programs? You don't need to leave them behind on Linux. Maybe you should, but that's another column. Instead, all you need to do – read closely now – is 1) Open a web browser on your Linux system; 2) Go to https://www.office.com; 3) Sign in with your Microsoft account; and 4) Start running the web versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Office apps. That's it. That's all.

Boy, is Linux hard or what?

If you prefer, there are many great free – not one penny – open source programs. Instead of Office, you can try LibreOffice. You'll find it looks and feels a lot like Office 2003. That's a win in my book. Instead of Edge, Mint and most other Linux distros come with Firefox as their built-in web browser. Or, if you want, you can always install Chrome or a host of other browsers.

As for email, personally, I can't stand Outlook. I'm not alone. On Linux, your best choice is Evolution. Many people prefer Mozilla Thunderbird. The choice is yours. If you really love Outlook – there's no accounting for taste – just sign into Outlook on the web. No sweat, no mess.

Some people say you can't game on Linux. Wrong! So, so wrong! Many Steam games are available on Linux via the Steam Store. For that matter, with the Chrome web browser and the Xbox Game Pass, you can run streaming Xbox games on Linux. That said, if you're really serious about games, why are you on a desktop anyway? Get a PlayStation 5, which runs a customized version of FreeBSD, by the way, or an Xbox Series X. Consoles are better and cheaper for serious gaming anyway [cheaper, yes, but not better, according to our author of The RPG – ed].

Oh, one final software thought. Unlike Windows, where every month a new batch of serious security bugs appears on Patch Tuesday, Linux was built securely. That's not to say that Linux has perfect security. It doesn't. What it does have, though, is essentially no desktop security worries. In all the time I've been running Linux, I've yet to have a single serious security problem.

How safe is it? To the best of my knowledge, there are no Linux antivirus programs available for desktops. There was simply no demand for them.

Still not convinced? Tell you what, go to your local junk shop and buy a cheap computer. Unlike Windows, Linux runs on pretty much anything. For instance, Mint only needs 2 GB of RAM (4 GB recommended), 20 GB of disk space (100 GB recommended), and a graphics card that handles 1024 x 768 resolution. In other words, any PC from the last 20 years or so should do just fine.

Also, keep in mind that you may not be able to "upgrade" your Windows 10 PC to Windows 11. Microsoft demands that your PC have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 and other newer hardware. Linux doesn't care. Linux will run on pretty much anything. So before "the biggest Ctrl-Alt-Delete" in history, you should consider upgrading your out-of-spec Windows 10 machine to Mint.

Now, I admit shifting your machine from Windows to Linux is the one thing where you need to have some computer smarts. Still, upgrading from Windows 10 to Linux Mint isn't that hard.

If the very idea scares you, try it out first on an aforementioned scrapheap PC. Get two, they're cheap.

Or you could just buy a Linux PC that is all set up and ready to go. Of the big PC names, Dell and Lenovo both offer Linux desktops and laptops. There are several smaller vendors that offer Linux. Some of my favorites include System76 in the States, Slimbook in the EU, ThinkPenguin globally, and Juno Computers in the US and the UK.

So, as the end of Windows 10 closes in, do yourself a favor. Give the Linux desktop a try. I think you'll be glad you did. ®

[Openurmind]

It s new... Input Remapper:

https://www.linuxuprising.com/2020/12/remap-keyboard-and-mouse-buttons-on.html

[daniel1212]

Because you are probably the only one in the world that uses it...

Meaning few who complain about hitting the capslock key do not seek solutions, but which has plenty of answers on how to do that. Not sure if they do so as to ctrl+c, which autohotkey makes easy. I will search more for proven solutions for Linux.

Honestly, having to right click, choose copy and then chose paste (for which I remap Esc or F1 or F2) is far, far slower than just hitting two keys. I also use QuickTextPaste for common fill ins. On my old PC (not used by me) which runs Mint I did remap ScrolpLock to sleep, though I forget how to I did it.

The keyboard letter keys not working sounds like a glitch.

Yes, a major one!

But you may have ended up with a bad download.

Yet the live version worked IIRC.

That is your particular distro. Mint has those options in the right click menu along with many more extra features most do not have. Now I don’t know about that distro. but in Mint you can right click your most used apps listings in the menu and send a launch icon onto your panel (tool tray) so they are handy all the time for you in your bottom panel.

But one should be able to add to right click as well as Open With/SendTo menus, besides a Custom Start menu/Quick Launch (the latter requires Explorer Patcher for Windows to revert to W/10 shell).

That menu system was designed back when windows XP and Windows 7 were the most popular OS... It works like windows did before Win vista and 10 screwed it up.

Nothing wrong with mimicking if better, but since Win 8 and 10 were inferior, Linux should copy what the widely used OpenShell enables.

. You know you can go set the boot order in your bios to go look for that external drive first to boot from first.

Yes, but this works well as it is. No booloaders to configure or mess up. Thank God for all the good options in life.

If you want the most customizable distro it is Mint Cinnamon.

I had installed that before, and Mint 19.3 is what is installed on my old quite capable home-built (just used for the Internet), but found it lacking in desired customization, and as I read of KDE being lauded for this aspect, then I chose it. Maybe I will try to ask about this on one of their forums.

I am going to once again reiterate that you “should” have much better luck with Mint Cinnamon..

Tried to download it from the main site, but which only provided a 28 kb torrent file, by which I suppose the whole file will download perhaps, but I do not like that. Another source provided a 2.77GB file. Seems rather small to me, but I am using Rufus make a bootable USB of it.

Maybe try it next week, by the grace of God.

[Bob434]

I don’t know much about kernels thing, but I tried once to revert to an earlier kernel, and wow, did it hose my linux install- I had to do a timeshift revert to get back my system, which thankfully I was uncharacteristically “smart enough” to do a snapshot before trying out the kernel th8ng. I have since built a computer and have dedicated a 1 tb drive to just timeshift backups, and macrium reflect backups for my 2 windows installs on a seperwte drive, and I also duplicate the backups to anothe r 2 tb external ssd. With the new NVME drives, it takes only 2 1/2 minutes to do a timeshift backup of linux. Thr macrium reflect for windows takes a bit longer, but nowhere near as long as it used to with ssd, or with hdd especially. 8m ,owing the speed of the NVME’s

[Bob434]

I think Daniel might be “peace by Jesus” on thst site down in the comments?

[Bob434]

One thing I forgot to mention is that there are programs like easystroke which let you do things sith the mouse like open a program, close a program, go backwards and forwards through tabs, minimize, and a lot more by doing “mouse gestures” which “might just help” you with what you are trying to accomplish?

What is it you want to remap? I onow the control key, but what combo? Like do,you want ctrl+g combo to open something? If so, mouse gestures can easily do that.

Or is it a case where some key gets in the way, and you want to remap it to something that won’t mess up what you are doing?

[ShadowAce]

Tried to download it from the main site, but which only provided a 28 kb torrent file...

Not sure what you are seeing, but I just went to the link you provided, and started to DL the entire iso image.

No torrent.

1. Click on your link
2. Choose Version 22.1/Xfce (my choice--you can choose any version, obviously)
3. Scroll down 2 inches to "Download Mirrors"
4. Choose the first "USA" link
5. Profit

[daniel1212]

This brief post is for recommended extensions and themes for Gecko-based browsers (such as Floorp, Firefox, Waterfox Classic) browsers. First, as one who "needs" multiple tab rows, then unlike with minimalist Chrome, these are possible to obtain in Firefox via The Patcher (as well as Vivaldi - the best Chromium-based browser IMO), but since this takes some time, then I recommend trying Floorp, a Gecko/Firefox-based browser, originally built by two Japanese students, that has no Firefox telemetry options, and comes with the powerful tracking blocker/ad blocker uBlock Origin.

And within the Settings section are a multitude of GUI customization options, which includes multiple tab rows. Review 1.

For multiple tab rows, go to about:preferences#design ans scroll down a bit and under Tab Bar Style check Multi-Row Tab Bar. You can also choose Number of rows when multi-row tabs are enabled. Above that, I prefer Firefox Proton UI.

As for themes, I have tried many, and want good visibility of text, as well as the active tab being identifiable/framed, and find two the best provide this, that of Better Darkmode by Unknownplayz, - presuming you like dark mode, which I find provides the best visibility.

As regards extensions, there is the Bible Previewer Extension, which turns references (as in 2 Pet. 3:9) to viewable pop up on mouse hover.

Then there is the Custom Scrollbar extension, by which you can customize Go to Options and choose New Scrollbar if you want, and move the slider below on right to Use Custom Colors, and choose contrasting thumb and track colors. Below that, under Advanced, I disallow web sites from overriding settings.

And an extension I often use is the Undo Close Tab Button by Button Guy, which places an icon on your extensions bar which you can click on and see and choose a tab that was closed.
Thank God.

Another helpful extension for me is the Form History Control which saves text such as on this forum (not banking sites) so as to recover this later if needed.

Note also though that the advantage of installing multiple browsers (I have about 8) means that each can be used for its own purpose (like some for certain forums, other for certain shopping sites, etc.) For doing that with Firefox portable, see here, while for Floorp, I just install and run it from different locations. I also do run two "stand-alone" installs of Chromium-based Vivaldi, which is another portable browser.

And also as regards recovering that which was lost, is the Open in the Archive (.org ) extension, but which you can r. click on a link and choose to open it in the Internet Archive, and thereby obtain a defunct link, or compare changes. I have many more extensions - thank God for such - and other posters can add theirs, as this should be a start.

[Openurmind]

“But one should be able to add to right click as well as Open With/SendTo menus,”

Mint does that. But it will only do it with files that those particular options “actually apply to”. Click on an image file and it will give you image app options. Click on a document file and it will give you document app options. Or you can chose a different one other than those if you like from an “other” list. And when it actually applies to something correctly it will indeed give you the “send to” option. If you are not getting that from Manjaro then they did not set it up right as it should be.

“Tried to download it from the main site, but which only provided a 28 kb torrent file, by which I suppose the whole file will download perhaps, but I do not like that. Another source provided a 2.77GB file. Seems rather small to me, but I am using Rufus make a bootable USB of it. “

That is actually HUGE for a Linux Distro. :) Up until the newest versions of Mint it was always less than 2Gb. Some are less than 1 Gb. The one I downloaded yesterday to play with named “Slitaz’ is only 53.4 Mb. So that is correct compared to over 18Gb for Windows 10. Here is the newest version Mint and the “James Madison University” Mirror source has always been reliable for me. It downloads slower to help prevent glitches.

https://linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=319

“Yet the live version worked IIRC.”

Then it may have been the install that glitched. If you leave the external drive plugged in and boot back into the live CD, the live CD will give you the option to go autocheck and repair anything wrong with the target drive’s structure. It is your rescue/repair medium also. :)

Now in Mint Cinnamon you can create and add your own custom menus and items. Manjaro “should” let you do the same? Right click the “Start” menu button and select “configure”, then “menu”, then “open the menu editor”. There you can add what you want and create all the additional custom menus you want. New menus, new items, properties, Etc. Now after you make additional menus you Should be able to open them all at one time by holding down ALT and left clicking the items/menus. Once arranged how you like by dragging it should remember them and keep them like that for you next time. Minimizing/expanding is a factor with this when it comes to multiple items/apps.

https://softhints.com/linux-mint-19-how-to-edit-main-menu/

More customization in QT5 configuration app.

Work spaces:

https://itsfoss.com/workspaces-linux-mint/

More shortcuts:

https://www.reallinuxuser.com/great-keyboard-shortcuts-for-linux-mint-cinnamon/

https://keycombo.info/en/linux_mint_linux/select_multiple_items

Here is a handy default Mint tool that can be set up to open multiple menus at a time:

https://umatechnology.org/linux-mint-how-to-use-hot-corners/

[Openurmind]

Ace if you see me start to steer him into a mistake please feel free to point it out to me. :)

[daniel1212]

Thanks. You click on Cinnamon and that page is where I presumed the featured Torrent Download: 64-bit was the link for my location. After reading your rely, I went back and scrolls down about to Clarkson University and dowloaded that. But which is the same size as I had downloaded from the second source. Rufus already made a live USB of that one, for use later.

[Openurmind]

Here you go... :)

I just found something with the capslock issue. There are settings. Now this is in Mint Cinnamon I don’t know about others.

Menu>system settings>keyboard>layouts>options>caplocks behavior:

There are 16 different options and combinations to chose from...

[Openurmind]

I honestly have never needed to change a kernel. The default have always worked for me. I just know you can. I have never used the kernel GUI changer in the update manager but maybe it is broken. Did you use that? I think that you can load kernels into the kernel folder and then choose from them at boot up from the grub menu?

[Openurmind]

Do you have this in yours too? Trying to figure out if it is an industry standard so I know in the future?

Menu>system settings>keyboard>layouts>options>caplocks behavior:

There are 16 different options and combinations to chose from?

[ShadowAce]

I run KDE.

That being said, I do have those options, but the path to get there is slightly different:

system settings->Input devices->keyboard->Advanced tab->Configure Keyboard options.

[Openurmind]

THANK YOU! So it is an industry standard they just have it parked in different places. Good to know! And I made notes!

[Bob434]

Yes i did use that- didn’t work- I coulda tried more kernals, but didn’t want the hassel incase they didn’t work too-

[[I think that you can load kernels into the kernel folder and then choose from them at boot up from the grub menu?]]

Cool- didn’t know that- i will have to try it- if one is messed up can just remove the kernal from the folder then- i think-

[Openurmind]

Now I would have to test that myself but I am not for sure.

[Bob434]

if it does work, it would be fantastic as i could try out 22.2 and if that doesn’t work, go back to 20 fairly easily- though im not sure it can work with newer kernals? not sure how to extract the kernal? Or is a kernal what we download when we get a new version?

[daniel1212]

I just found something with the capslock issue. There are settings. Now this is in Mint Cinnamon I don’t know about others. Menu>system settings>keyboard>layouts>options>caplocks behavior: There are 16 different options and combinations to chose from...

Thanks. May experiment next week.

[Openurmind]

I guess you can think of the kernel like an engine option in a car. While they normally ship that model with a 6 cylinder you can always toss in a V8 if you want. It is a separate component from the Distro and Desktop. But that kernel is always evolving to support newer hardware but it is also pretty much the same base in all linux Distros.

So Distros pretty much just build mounts to adapt that same engine to fit their own custom make and model cars. The distro is just the car, paint, interior, and feature (App) package. And the “desktop” is your dashboard with control knobs. But you can actually put together your own whole Distro by mixing and matching Kernel, Distro, and Desktop modules.

There is some really cool custom stuff out there.