I keep seeing headlines like this all the time. I'm over here like "This has already been a thing for years". Whenever I'd setup a win10 pc for someone, I'd have to clean the ads out of the start menu as part of the setup. So I ask again, how is this any different from the bullshit we're already dealing with?
If Microsoft does that I'm wiping out my laptop and going back to Linux*
* only reason I moved away is I bought a new laptop to replace my 2010 Mac mini that ran LinuxMint, and the laptop came preloaded with Windows 11 and I decided to just keep using it as-is as I liked the UI.
Fun fact: it is not an entirely new idea. Microsoft did something similar with Active Desktop in Windows 98 but was later removed.
The wierd part is, if i think about my star menu usage in win10, there hardly is one. The important programs are on the task bar. The Startmenu isn't as much needed as used to be. Still sucks though.
Best way to make the switch is by immersion. I'd also like to add it's best to do it when you're not being forced on a timeline, and you have time to deal with it. All my personal machines made the jump 7 years ago and I don't regret it.
I considered it before I switched from 7 to 10, but since 10 still makes it possible to create an offline account and disable most of the spyware and other bloat, I opted to stay with Windows for another generation of OS. 11 is different though, it's several steps too far into proprietary hell.
I think the same, Win10 is still "domesticable", because of this it will be the last Win I'll use, maybe in Octubre 2025 in dual boot with Linux, for local use. Win 11 is already beginning to take over the user's PC as its own and Win 12 probably only admitting apps from the MS Store, naturally most proprietary paid apps or free with ads or hidden costs (Free*)
I switched from Win7 to Linux, but you are right, few stuck to their guns on that threat. My only Windows machine now is a work laptop that I have to use for some tasks. Admittedly, even Win 10 is looking good now compared to Win11. MS is doing a bang up job as being consumer antagonists.
I've been using it for a few months now and only rarely I used console and it was just to paste some commands for something. So yeah, I don't think that you really need to know howbto use console if you don't need to do anything that specifically needs it.
I had to often look up how to do stuff on windows because of it's trash UX so it's an absolute W for me. But I can understand that terminal may look too scary/complicated to some ppl.
Oh Windows is certainly not exempt from the issue. Not at all.
Personally I don't have any issue with the terminal but sometimes I am totally not in the mood to research yet another time why or how to run anything.
Also I prefer Word way too much over Libre/OpenOffice.
Only if they had a word-like theme and translation to achieve what I want in a word-like behaviour it could tempt me to switch the tools.
I live near exclusively in the console because it's my work and I love it, it's WAY more efficient than the GUI, but last time I actually NEEDED the console? I can't remember, honestly.
Also are you trying to say you never needed to figure something out on windows? Granted, I don't read much about it because fuck Windows, but I remember windows Registry headaches, is that still a thing? Just copy paste these base64 codes in the registry in these UUID keys, which literally would be impossible to learn, and it will fix it, super easy!
At least not for the regular joe stuff I do.
Obviously I tinker with my install and am not shy about reverting to a backup if I know it will be highly intrusive.
For the not so regular joe stuff close to the pro-sumer region you probably will have to research just about anything if you want to achieve something.
You have to learn a little for any task, so people saying that they don't want to learn something is a bit weird.
Linux really isn't more complicated than windows. Actually, after 25 years of Linux desktop, looking at windows it's frustrating complication after complication.
I am not desinterested to learn.
It just doesnt make sense to always have a need to enter the CLI for stuff regular users want to do.
Let the power toys be under the hood, no problem with that. But the regular folks don't even grasp the idea to find out how to change the IP of their regular windows PC for something they want.
Linux is currently developed by tech enthusiasts for mostly tech enthusiasts. Who tells the (by the way awesome) maintainers to stop and think what they develop in that particular way?
Even a group of maintainers might fall into the trap to develop something in such a way that it overwhelms the regular user.
IMO what it needs is resiliency against those users and more aim to make it idiot proof (for them) and make it more an actual daily driver that first has a GUI for the most common tools and then the CLI if needed
looking at windows it's frustrating complication after complication.
Tell that a Windows admin and that admin might say the same about you and your OS.
In the end, everyones wants it their way.
If you just want to browse the web and edit work documents you have nothing to fear.
If you just want a game and don't want to be too awfully picky about what you're playing you have nothing to fear
If you want to play anti-cheap games and host docker components you're going to have to do a little console here and there.
If you want to stream to YouTube and twitch, You're probably not going to have as much of a good time. You can still do it but there's work and compromises involved.
In about half a dozen distros VFL does not work out of the box for OBS.
If you flat pack your OBS and don't do it exactly right with all the plugins at once, the plugin sandbox causes issues in OBS.
If you're running an OBS bot camera things get extra spicy.
In most cases high color support is not allowed.
If you're trying to do stream Deck stuff that can be an issue.
Don't get me wrong I'm glad it wasn't a big deal for you but for your average person coming in complaining that terminals are too much, they might be in for a less than stellar experience.
Cheers, I'll give it a go. Unfortunately I'll have to navigate my way through the Denuvo BS that Capcom loves shoving down our throats.
On the plus side I've been using the libreoffice suite and frankly speaking it's more or less comparable to what Windows offers for my needs. Their excel equivalent feels really jank though.
I think that this betrays their plans: Windows will go "free with ads", with an ad-free version that is subscription only. That doesn't hurt their bottomline since the governments and companies of the western world will still go subscription in order to get support. The ones who don't have enough money for that (individuals, small countries/companies, small municipalities), they will go "free with ads". I mean, practically, Windows is free even right now. They have oem serial numbers that activate the OS for free, legally, to be reused. So why not make it profitable, it's their thinking. Also, on newer builds of Win11 you can't avoid logging in without an msn account.
That is the Trap. Pre-installed Windows is not free, you pay for it in the price of the PC, the same PC without OS is almost ~€100 cheaper. A lot of vendors offer now PC only with FreeDOS, where you can select to install Linux, paying only the CD or USB or install Windows, paying it's license (€100-120).
I do not care what the fuck you use, just avoid Manjaro, Clear Linux or those weird distros. Use Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, Fedora, anything mainstream, secure and solid. Snaps or not, everyone is in the same camp - pro-usability.
I suggest using either Windows 10 AME offline beyond EOL, or Windows 11 with Ameliorated playbooks, as secondary option to Linux to ease the transition and have a compatible OS for games/software.
Slowly reduce Windows dependence even if it cannot be fully ruled out. If you can use Windows offline, it can be the second best outcome.
Also, consider a separate $20-30 128/256 GB SSD for Windows. Isolation is one of the best things you can do.
It won't be a security risk once it's in use, IT across Germany will know within days of deployment. It will almost definitely be a modified version of some probably well known Linux.
No sense in giving an adversary info on the distro before it's fully implemented though I imagine. (I would consider that a head-start even if they heavily modify a popular distro)
Giving the See👁️Aye advanced notice wouldn't be smart, no matter how they wanted to play it.
I don't think it really matters whether a potential adversary has a 'head start' all that much, security through obscurity doesn't work super well when it's going to be deployed to thousands of easily accessible devices anyway. It'd only just be a defense in depth, but even then meh. But it's neither here nor there, they'll do it whatever way they feel is best.
Basically all of social engineering is to get exactly what you're talking about, a "head start"
Go to their LinkedIn: does the head engineer have MySQL version X on his skills, resume, job description, etc? Maybe somebody even endorsed them for it? "Wow they are THE best database administrator"
Now you know who you need to hack for their database access AND what zero days to research.
Social engineering is to gain access circumventing downcode, not really "get a head start"...
Most attacks are entirely social engineering. You're not breaking into secure databases by pulling ridiculous zero day backdoors when it's much easier to convince an intern to download a file or give you access directly. These super involved attacks are state actors, and no amount of trying to hide what Linux version is being modified will do anything for you there.
State actors of course also use social engineering
Ultimately the point is hacking really doesn't involve the kind of subterfuge you're describing here in a way where " what Linux is it " matters at all. I mean, windows is used for secure systems across the world, it's hardly secretive.
