Goodbye Windows. Hello Linux!

As I write this post, I can reckon my experience with computers spans about 30 years. The vast majority of my life. Although it didn't start with a PC, but with a Commodore and then an Amiga, it’s the PC that I’ve worked with the longest - and still do. For most of this time, I used various versions of Windows. I also had an episode with Macbooks, but I won't hide it: I'm not a fan. Now, after all these years, something rather surprising has happened: I’ve said goodbye to Windows. Almost overnight, I switched to Linux. Why? How did it happen, and what did I choose? That's exactly what this post is about.

WSL - Great, But Not Enough

I won't hide that the arrival of WSL - Windows Subsystem for Linux - significantly changed my perception of the system. This solution lets you combine both worlds: on one hand, the Windows desktop, access to all its applications, and habits formed over the years. On the other, the vast array of tools available for Linux, many different distributions, and native Docker support. All of this also integrates surprisingly well, both at the command line level and within Windows Explorer. It even allows running Linux GUI applications (albeit with certain limitations and issues, e.g., with scaling). I used it for several years and was generally quite satisfied, but I'll be honest: it’s not a solution that offers performance on par with a native setup. And you can feel it sometimes. All it takes is a slightly more complex project, a larger repository, or building a large JS/TS application, and you immediately feel that something is off. Add to that the rather slow performance of the JetBrains suite, which I otherwise really like and value because it gives me almost everything I need out of the box. A tool like Visual Studio Code runs faster (because it works differently) and provides better integration, but what good is that if it just reminds me of LEGO bricks from which I first have to build the tool I need for my work.

Windows: Unstable Construction Site

The biggest problem with Windows, however, is what has been happening to it in recent years. Windows 11 introduced significant limitations on interface customization, and some of them haven't been fixed to this day - for example, you still can't move the taskbar to the sides or the top. Initially, it was also plagued by incredible UI inconsistency: multiple different context menu styles... hiding many useful options... a mix of the new Settings panel and the old Control Panel. If all of this had at least brought numerous positive changes, it would have been fine. The problem is, it didn't. The new File Explorer style is really just a "superstructure" built on top of what already existed. The result? This fundamental system application started launching surprisingly slowly, even on very powerful machines. The same applies to Paint, Media Player, and even Notepad.

Do I see any chance for improvement? Honestly, not really. The last 2-3 months alone have seen numerous blunders from Microsoft: blocking localhost, blocking the 25H2 update, a bug with USB keyboard support in recovery mode, and the list goes on. While these issues might only cause problems occasionally, they clearly demonstrate that QA is in retreat at the company and stability is declining. Instead of polishing existing changes and improving performance and consistency, we are constantly being served new features that nobody really asked for - primarily things related to AI, like Copilot. I'm not claiming they are useless, but let's face it, times have changed. Today, people use browsers and phones far more than a multitude of dedicated applications. Microsoft seems oblivious to this and continues to follow the same path it did years ago.

Sleep Issues

Another good example is the Modern Standby feature. Microsoft decided that Windows could be like... phones or tablets. That is, we can put it to sleep quickly, but it will still maintain connectivity and update the system, refresh apps, and receive notifications in the background. The premise was decent, but the execution was far worse. On many pieces of hardware - including the laptop I use - Modern Standby doesn't always work correctly. It happens that the system restarts itself while in sleep mode. Sometimes, after waking, it can almost completely drain the battery, heating up in a backpack, etc. This is an experience far removed from what Macbooks, for example, offer. And how does Linux handle it? Even if the hardware doesn't support the traditional sleep method, Linux generally has no problems with Modern Standby mode. So, it can be done, it just needs to be properly refined.

Linux Is Better for DevOps

Ever since I started working in DevOps, I've begun using an increasing number of CLI tools - from cloud providers, from coding packages, nowadays from AI, but also just many very handy utilities. Working with files, converting files, manipulating data: all of this is most often available much more conveniently from the console. Using it isn't mandatory, of course, but in my line of work, it turns out to be very useful. I should add that I settled on CachyOS (a distribution built on Arch Linux) along with the KDE environment. All of this is very friendly, even for a new user, but if you want to do something more advanced, it's no problem at all. The official Arch documentation, for instance, allowed me to quickly enable disk encryption and then add support for hibernation.

Miss? Yes and No

What do I miss and what will I miss after this change? To be honest, very few details. After all these years, I still believe Windows is unmatched in window management, thanks to its snap feature and snap assistant (suggesting other open applications to snap). As of yet, I haven't found a replacement for this in KDE, but on the other hand, I'm using other features available in that environment. As a result, this change isn't just about replacing Windows, but about committing to something completely different and new. That's a much better approach. The second issue is battery management. On a laptop, this matters. Despite using a distribution with an optimized kernel and certain improvements, I still get the impression that the battery life is noticeably shorter than on Windows - even though the laptop runs quieter and delivers better performance. However, this isn't a high price to pay for all the advantages.