After using Windows for some 30 years as my primary operating system, I have come to a difficult realization that I will need to wean myself off it for good sometime soon-ish. This isn't a trivial decision, and the outcome won't happen overnight. But I must start somewhere. What prompted me was the news that Windows 11 Pro will most likely need an online account to complete the installation process.
Even if this doesn't happen or gets retracted, the very notion of a classic desktop formula being mangled so badly to serve some cloud-mobile greed model angers me. I have zero intention of using my PC like some smartphone chimp, on top of and beyond the technical inadequacies of Windows 11 itself. And then, later on in the future, an even more pointless idea of "desktop as a service" looms big. Not gonna play that silly game. And so, I am slowly starting the migration journey.
As I've already mentioned, it won't be easy. I'm well entrenched in my workflows, and so moving all of my programs and data full-time to Linux will not be simple. Some of that can be done today, but some of my needs cannot be satisfied yet. The exact breakdown is a bit murky. But I decided to write this article, to map out my requirements. If you're pondering a similar move, you might find the information useful. For the time being, this is the short list of the most important applications I can think of today.
This means the programs listed will most likely be my first choice. But that doesn't mean I cannot be flexible, or compromise ever so slightly if needed, or adjust to a different usage model. Or that I am using something else at the moment, for whatever practical reason. Or that there may be superior solutions I've simply not thought of right now. But just to help you understand a little better what I have in mind below, for instance, my preferred choice for a media player video or audio in Windows is VLC.
As it happens, VLC is also available in Linux as a native application. In this regard, there is really no work for me. A different example. Text editor. However, I'm also fairly happy using Kate and Geany , and a range of other text editors in Linux. Kerkythea also works with full compatibility, but I will need to provide you with a tutorial that outlines the setup, including the import of materials and old models.
