Installing Linux is easier than Windows 11 now

How To Geek ^ | Dec 31, 2025 | Faisal Rasool

[ProgressingAmerica]

Installing Windows used to be a simple process back in the days of Windows 7 and 8, but Microsoft has made it a terrible experience in Windows 11. Linux, which had a reputation for being hard to install, takes 5 minutes to set up and install. Windows 11 takes ten times as long and forces you to jump through countless hoops just to collect more data.

...

Linux installers don't have a thousand telemetry toggles to disable

Instead of walking you through the setup after the installation, popular Linux graphical installers complete the setup first. Usually it's a few screens where you select a keyboard layout, timezone, installation destination, and a username and password. That's it. After that, the installation begins and the computer reboots once, directly onto the desktop.

...

Local accounts are the default

...

There are no ads in the setup process

[ducttape45]

If PlayonLinux could run more of the software I use I would finally make a complete jump to Linux. Granted, yes, I can browse the Internet and all that, but there are a few things I can’t do without. But I’m chomping at the bit.

[kawhill]

Best of all, if Windows tries to get in the way, just zap it.

rm -r directory_with_contents/
The -r flag (or -rf for force) is used to delete a directory and its contents, including subdirectories and files. Be extremely careful with this command, as it can result in data loss.

[cableguymn]

well 11 won’t install on my computer so....

[dragnet2]

Windows turned into a never ending nightmare for me with their endless updates many of which were de facto virus themselves. All run by extreme leftist. Very intrusive controlling bull sh*t.

Go Linux!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Double Mega Dittoes. Mint 22 here as well. Actually, Mint 17 and Mint 22 on same hardware.

[Republican Wildcat]

The Windows 10 “end of support” was an end of support that wasn’t - it literally asked me on the update screen to just click a button for another year of support for free and that’s all it took.

[Bikkuri]

It HAS been for about a decade and a half, at least.

[dayglored]

Linux or Windows 11 LOL ... PING!

You can find all the Windows Ping list threads with FR search: just search on keyword "windowspinglist".

Thanks to ShadowAce for the ping!

[Seven_0]

There may be some specialty programs that require Windows, I’m keeping Windows 10 for that.

I have some old CNC machines that will only run dos. I keep XP for that. It's getting harder to keep it running on the new computers.

[Bikkuri]

If you ever have issues with PlayonLinux running anything, you should also check out Lutris.

[Bikkuri]

Updat5ed my main PC from LM 22.2 to 22.3 a couple of days ago.. upgraded in less than 3 minutes, went smoothly.

Running Fedora KDE on my server/laptop.

[dayglored]

In my job and/or at home, I install a copy of Linux (nearly always Ubuntu, either Desktop or Server) about once a week. Windows (11) about every two months.

Linux is quick (5 min) and practically trivial, and the defaults are generally what you want, except possibly sending crash info, which I disable.

Windows takes a long time (up to an hour, sometimes more), and is filled with "gotchas" that you have to think about and carefully select the non-default settings to avoid the spyware telemetry. It's frankly nerve-wracking in a high-security environment where one un-caught wrong click means you have opened a security hole. And even if you get through the obstacle course, it's likely that a future update will return your settings to the invasive Microsoft defaults, possibly without even telling you it did so.

No comparison.

[Wilderness Conservative]

Windows free since 2015 and haven’t looked back.

[thescourged1]

Bfl

[Paul R.]

I don’t mind all the hoop jumping to install Win 11. What’s irksome is having to repeat it after updates, and every single update screws up something, sometimes even altering BIOS (actually UEFI) settings. The last update killed my network printer connection, and I literally spent most of 2 days trying to restore it. No luck. It looks like I’ll have to revert back to a USB connection and printing only off my “main” desktop machine.

[kawhill]

There’s always this:
https://www.digikey.com/en/maker/blogs/2023/understanding-the-rs-232-standard

[NorthMountain]

I am looking for good CAD software for linux.

I can (and have) done the internet search and gotten lists of software that exists in various states of usefulness. I DO NOT need anyone to do that for me.

I am interested in peoples’ actual personal experience with CAD on linux. For reference, I use SolidWorks ... which, regrettably, is Windoze only.

[OL Hickory]

i use zorin..no issues 5+yrs

[kawhill]

Linux offers robust native CAD options like FreeCAD (parametric 3D), LibreCAD & QCAD (2D), and OpenSCAD (programmatic 3D), alongside commercial choices like BricsCAD and GstarCAD, with workarounds sometimes enabling Windows software like AutoCAD or SolidWorks via Wine or virtualization. Key considerations for Linux CAD are open-source versatility, parametric modeling, 2D drafting, and compatibility with standard file formats (DXF, STEP, etc.). If you’re gonna dowload from the wild be careful.

[Lockbox]

I played with Linux about 15 years ago, nice but took a little bit more work than Windows at the time. Windows 8 I think. Now with the nightmare of Windows 11 I am thinking of Linus again.