The end of Windows 10 is approaching, consider Linux and LibreOffice

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https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2025/06/11/the-end-of-windows-10/

The countdown has begun. On 14 October 2025, Microsoft will end support for Windows 10. This will leave millions of users and organisations with a difficult choice: should they upgrade to Windows 11, or completely rethink their work environment?

The good news? You don’t have to follow Microsoft’s upgrade path. There is a better option that puts control back in the hands of users, institutions, and public bodies: Linux and LibreOffice. Together, these two programmes offer a powerful, privacy-friendly and future-proof alternative to the Windows + Microsoft 365 ecosystem…

The move to Windows 11 isn’t just about security updates. It increases dependence on Microsoft through aggressive cloud integration, forcing users to adopt Microsoft accounts and services. It also leads to higher costs due to subscription and licensing models, and reduces control over how your computer works and how your data is managed. Furthermore, new hardware requirements will render millions of perfectly good PCs obsolete…

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windbg, EyesOnWindows, Cybertooth, SB9K, LHiggins, lmacri

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Having tried out the “distrochooser” site linked in the article and chosen answers that a non-techie senior might, I was pleased to see Linux Mint was the top recommendation. It’s what I’ve been suggesting to anyone interested in avoiding Windows 11.

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EyesOnWindows, LHiggins

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Using distrochooser I was surprised to see this noted for Linux Mint, Ubuntu, Manjaro and 6 lessor known distributions:
We cannot recommend this distribution for you because:
(x) Closed source programs are installed by default

Interesting to me is a distribution which changes very infrequently:

Crux Linux is a lightweight 64 bit focused operating system with recent tools and libraries

• There are tutorials for troubleshooting and problem-solving
• User has to select the software to use
• Suitable for daily use
• Usable without fee

HP Compaq 6000 Pro SFF PC / Windows 10 Pro / 22H2
Intel®Core™2 “Wolfdale” E8400 3.0 GHz / 8.00 GB
HP ProDesk 400 G5 SFF PC / Windows 11 Pro / 23H2
Intel®Core™ “Coffee Lake” i3-8100 3.6 GHz / 16.00 GB

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So, will Linux be “accepted” as an OS by secure sites like the IRS, Social Security, banking, etc. It isn’t listed on my bank’s required software info. Haven’t checked anywhere else yet – just wondering if something like Linux Mint will be a good “substitute” security-wise for Win 11?

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You can (probably) rest easy. I do all my credit-card payments and banking on Kubuntu Linux. I can’t remember the last time there was an issue with using Linux for these purposes.

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

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Tom in Az, LHiggins

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LHiggins wrote:

So, will Linux be “accepted” as an OS by secure sites like the IRS, Social Security, banking, etc.

Ask IRS, Social Security, your bank… which OS is running their services. Most likely Linux.

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LHiggins, Cybertooth

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FWIW I haven’t had any trouble with financial sites. They seem more interested in my browser and it’s version than anything else. I did get a message once when I tried Mint with Opera saying that my OS and browser either weren’t supported or recognized (I don’t remember which) and that I might not get the “full user experience”. Turns out I couldn’t tell the difference between that and Mint with Firefox, although I now use just FF for financial sites. But it’s always a good idea to have more than one browser, just in case.

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Charlie, LHiggins

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Alex5723 wrote:

Ask IRS, Social Security, your bank… which OS is running their services. Most likely Linux.

I’ve never thought about this one way or another, but it appears you are right.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Linux_adopters

Desktop mobo Asus TUF X299 Mark 1, CPU: Intel Core i7-7820X Skylake-X 8-Core 3.6 GHz, RAM: 32GB, GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti 4GB. Display: Four 27" 1080p screens 2 over 2 quad.

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LHiggins, Alex5723

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I’ve used Linux a number of times. I’ve written databases in C on Linux. I’m running Ubuntu 24.04 (CLI) on Windows 11 WSL2 now to run Llama 3.3:70B, which means that after installation of Ubuntu, all I do now is launch it then open a browser window to Open WebUI to interface with the LLM.

My overall experience? I much prefer Windows. Both Linux and Windows are merely platforms for the software that I want/need to use, and in my experience, again, I much prefer Windows. The green in my signature line still applies.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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Charlie

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If I were, however, to compare OS software companies to aerospace companies, Microsoft would be the Boeing, and Linux would be Space X.

 

Even astrophysicist Carl Sagan when speaking astronomically used Billions, not Trillions.

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Charlie wrote:

Microsoft would be the Boeing, and Linux would be Space X.

Or perhaps Microsoft would be NASA and Linux Space X.

Desktop mobo Asus TUF X299 Mark 1, CPU: Intel Core i7-7820X Skylake-X 8-Core 3.6 GHz, RAM: 32GB, GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti 4GB. Display: Four 27" 1080p screens 2 over 2 quad.

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