Just another Linux?

So I have been busy over the last couple of weeks looking at different distributions of Linux. Mainly because I am a geek, but also because I like to recommend them to people who have devices that are not capable of running Windows 11 – but not ready for the land fill just yet.

One such distribution is WinLinux. https://winuxos.org/

This is based on Ubuntu Linux so there is plenty of support, but the selling piece for me is that it looks and feels like Windows 11.

Its early days, not sure exactly how Microsoft would react to the way this OS looks and feels. It even has a windows logo on start-up – So may end up in the bin if the lawyers at Microsoft get involved.

It was really easy to install, not too much dialogue. It supports Linux, Windows, and Android apps straight out of the box, so plenty for you to have a go at. It uses a free version of the power tools, but there is an upgraded version that offers more settings and tweaks and was cheap enough.

On my test laptop – a Core i5 3rd Gen, with 8GB and an SSD, it installed quickly and ran surprisingly well. all the hardware was detected, including the WiFi. I did the normal install, then went to do an update and it was already UpToDate. Which was pretty good 😉

It came with an opensource Office already installed, but the links for Microsoft 365 versions of office are all there as well, just like a fresh install of Windows 11. It also has a OneDrive client with a GUI, comes with Microsoft Edge as the browser, so pretty much as per a Windows 11 device.

The Desktop:

The Start Menu:

There are plenty of installed apps, including ways to add the device to a corporate network, Steam is also pre-installed, as is a preview version of Teams.