Due to a recent announcement by Microsoft that they are adding a Recall service to their Windows operating system, something that has worried people over privacy concerns, equating the idea to spyware, people have wondered if Linux is a viable alternative to those unhappy with Windows. In this more rambling post, I’ll go into my thoughts on this matter.

Am I One To Talk?

I’ve long enjoyed using Linux, having dabbled with them since the mid-2000s. However, I have a Linux distro installed on an old mid-2011 MacBook Air which I use for light work, such as web browsing, writing and coding. My daily driver is my Mac Mini, used for the same, but also with other applications not found on Linux.

As such, am I one to talk about all this, as someone who isn’t using Linux on a daily basis?

Well, I think I do have a perspective of someone who really wants to use Linux full time, but can’t, and I know people who use Windows and I wouldn’t dream of suggesting they migrate to Linux. As such, I am favourable towards Linux, and reasonably knowledgeable, but know it isn’t for everyone, and that might be worth considering.

Windows By Default

To begin, why does Windows have such domination? Ask the average person it’s probably because it’s all they’ve ever known, and perhaps due to their applications. Maybe they’ll also mention cost compared to an alternative in macOS (something I will go into later), and maybe ease of use.

I think these four points are important to consider because these are genuine and acceptable barriers to entry when suggesting Windows users “simply” move elsewhere.

Capability and Capacity

Firstly, people may not have the time, energy or ability to learn a new operating system. We do not know the individual circumstances of someone, but I’ve nonetheless seen some people be derogatory towards those who complain about Windows, but did not move to Linux. This is not helpful for the wider community at large, it is off-putting and gives Linux an overall bad name. People are allowed to complain about something in hope that it will lead to improvement and positive change, and in some cases, it may be all that they can do. Sure, people can suggest Linux, but we should not be negative towards those who do not want to change to Linux because Windows is all they’ve ever known.

Applications

Secondly, while there are great alternatives for various Windows applications on Linux, and many applications are cross-platform, we should not kid ourselves and think there are perfect alternatives to every Windows application.

I remember vividly trying GIMP as an alternative to Adobe Photoshop in the late 2000s and found it to be an excruciating experience. Every few years, I would try again, and quit in a fit of rage. However, when I tried Affinity Photo for the first time a few years ago, I found migrating over to be significantly easier. Sadly, Affinity Photo is not on Linux and I do not accept GIMP to be a suitable alternative to Affinity Photo for me. As such, this one application alone has made it impossible for me to use Linux as my primary operating system.

There will be over stories like these with various applications not found on Linux, and sure, we can suggest to the Adobe Photoshop user to try GIMP, but if they come back and say it did not work out for them, do not belittle them, as I have sadly seen and experienced, as not trying hard enough, or not wanting to sacrifice some aspects for “the greater cause” of using a Linux compatible application.

And again, to make a similar point from earlier: people may not have the time, energy or ability to learn a new application. Simply telling people to change their entire workflow and understanding of an application may not be possible.

Saying all that, I don’t wish to be pessimistic. There have been great advancements in applications becoming cross-compatible, and thanks to Steam and their operating system running on Linux, gaming on Linux is increasingly popular. So my advice is that if you are considering moving to Linux, write down a list of the applications you use, rank them in importance, and then investigate if it runs on Linux, and if not, look into alternatives - AlternativeTo is a good resource with their filters to easily identify applications that run on Linux. For example, I know of a Windows user who would have this as their list:

• Adobe Photoshop (alternative: GIMP)
• OBS (On Linux)
• Minecraft (On Linux)
• Roblox (No Alternative)
• Discord (On Linux)
• Open Office (On Linux)
• Firefox (On Linux)
• Thunderbird (On Linux)

Depending on how they get on with GIMP, they may be able to move over to Linux, though they would lose access to Roblox. As this is a game, they may be willing to dual boot their machine so that Windows is used for gaming only. If they have time and ability, they may wish to try running Roblox via emulation. Or, they may wish to stick with Windows. It’s all about someone’s individual circumstances, each situation is different and unique, we cannot apply broad strokes about what people can and cannot do when it comes to their computers.

Cost

Thankfully, the vast majority of Linux operating systems, known as distros, are free, so cost would unlikely be an issue as to why someone would not move to Linux from Windows - it’s cheaper than buying a Windows 11 key!

But, and as an aside from the Linux talk, I have also seen some suggest a compromise to Windows users, what about a Mac? Perhaps an easier transition for some Windows users to make (with a plethora of applications and tweaks to recreate the Windows experience), and much more likely to be able to use the same applications from Windows (though not all, there are still some gaps).

However, I cannot see many willingly put a perfectly well functioning computer away and having to spend at least £650, to use macOS, for an entry level Mac Mini, which has limited upgradability of internal parts, and so the consumer may need to buy an entirely new machine if they want certain aspects upgraded later on. The appeal of Linux here is that it can be installed, likely for free, on an existing easily upgradeable Windows computer, and without purchasing dedicated hardware.

Perhaps Macs are the right Windows alternative to you. They are for me. However, it again cannot be a simple swap for many, and may be a more viable option later on when that Windows user needs to upgrade their computer and could look at Macs instead, though that may not be the most cost effective option for them compared to similar hardware on a PC.

Graphical User Interfaces

I know it is probably cliché at this point, but I am being very serious when I say this: it is unacceptable if the user has to use a terminal emulator to achieve something in Linux.

There may be those of us who are fine with using Konsole or love using Terminal, and I do! If I can install an application via HomeBrew in Terminal, I will! But interfacing with terminal emulators should be completely optional, and sadly I have had to use them to get, what I would deem, necessary tasks, done.

Ease of use is extremely important. The average person does not want to open up that scary and unusual looking terminal application and enter in a series of commands they do not understand because someone online (hopefully trustful!) told them to. They want a graphical user interface where they can click buttons to install applications or configure their computer without too much fuss.

Suggesting people simply learn how to use a terminal emulator, or that they should not feel uneasy entering commands, is not acceptable, and I hope by now I do not need to repeat myself as to why.

So What Now…?

Again, I don’t want to be negative and dismissive of Linux. I wish I could use it in my everyday activities and I want more software developers like Serif to create Linux ports of their Windows and Mac applications. I love using my Linux laptop, and I want Linux to become more popular with more users choosing it. It is because I want these things to happen I feel I need to point out issues which could be improved to aid in new users migrating from Windows, and also not to leave a bad taste in the mouths of Windows users who currently cannot migrate (for whatever reason) and may choose never to because of negativity and poor behaviour they are experiencing from some in the Linux community shaming them.

Suggest and offer help, but if that is declined or it just doesn’t work out, that’s fine, move on and hope situations change in the future, making it more possible for people to migrate, with the Linux community ready and willing to help out whenever that time comes.