After 4 years of using Fedora KDE as my main OS with 0 issues or drawbacks, my workplace is now requiring all computers to be on Windows 11. Any suggestions to make the transition back more bearable?
My dissapointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined :(
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Sorry for your loss :( Same thing happened to me about a year ago.
I was the sole IT admin for a small company. Used Debian with KDE on a snappy little Thinkpad. No issues managing all the infra with it, even though most of it was MS trash. I used Reminnia for RDP into the Windows servers, and the Browser for all O365/Entra administration. A Windows 11 VM for the rare times I needed to test Windows-only apps or configs.
Worked like a dream, but then we got bought out by a huge competitor. Their IT team took everything over. I had to decommission my on-prem Linux servers, Ansible automations, Open Project tracking and FOSS ticketing system. Finally, I had to give up my Sweet little Linux Thinkpad and use their standard-issue HP Windows 11 garbage laptop. They were slow, clunky, buggy, and ugly, it was awful.
I quit a few months later after securing the job I have now. It pays about 35% more, has twice as much PTO, and about 50% of my workload is Linux stuff. It’s so much better.
My advice, if it’s truly non negotiable, install WSL first thing. It’s not nearly as good as having actual Linux, because it’s running inside of Microslop’s horrid OS, but it’s better than nothing. Try to be an advocate for FOSS at the company, see if you can convince leadership to let you implement Linux-based solutions wherever they might fit, make yourself the de facto expert on them so you at least get to work on Linux and FOSS infra.
Aside from that, start job hunting. Try to find a job that will let you be more Linuxy.
the last time i used wsl on a work windows laptop, windows fucked up the virtual disk drive and everything in it was gone.
this was about 5 years ago, so hopefully it’s gotten better.
Honestly WSL2 is pretty good now. I have Fedora running in it and use basically the same config files as my personal laptop. Neovim behaves exactly the same across both. The only problem I have is that CTRL+V get intercepted by the terminal before it get to vim. That means that block visual mode is not available to me.
That and multiple desktops feels REALLY clunky, even compare to Gnome.
The only problem I have is that CTRL+V get intercepted by the terminal before it get to vim. That means that block visual mode is not available to me
this was was my biggest gripe with wsl because i do 95% of my work with the vim and bash and i’m saddened to learn that it hasn’t gotten better.
It’s alright now, does what it needs to do. It’s kind of a pain because of the weirdness of running as a pseudo-VM, but better than no Linux at all.
pseudo-Cm
what’s this?
Sorry, typo, I fixed it now. Pseudo-VM is what I meant.
it’s funny that you used psuedo-vm; i’ve always wondered if i would have been able to recover the disk image was qcow instead of whatever wsl uses.
Pressing F to pay my respects.
Sorry to hear that OP.
When old employer was bought out they tried to move us on to windows. It was shit. After non stop issues they gave in and let us keep linux.
Just use the shovel your boss gives you. Back to your own preferences once you clock out.
Meh, does “the boss” pay you to use a shovel or to dig stuff up?
It’s obvious OP is going to be miserable and less productive on Windows, it’s not to their employer’s benefit for that to happen.
Boss has different people for different functions within the company. A monoculture is more susceptible to systematic flaws, but it is also less expensive to maintain. It is not OPs place to decide how the company manages is computing facilities, so if WSL or Cygwin are not accepable compromises (OP and company have to both agree) then OP has to decide whether they are willing to go along with Windows or find another job.
Something to talk about during the exit interview anyway.
You assume a whole lot of thought and strategy from “the boss” :)
I dont disagree though, fundamentally.
I’m sorry to hear that. Our company recently got acquired, and every 4-6 months the new IT team tries to say, “but do you guys really need Linux? What for?”. We answer them, in depth, every time, but then it just comes back up a few months later.
I’m scared one of these days they’re just going to force the change on us, all productivity will grind to an absolute halt, deliverables will be missed, and eventually they’ll backtrack but only after it’s too late to recover the programs that got hosed in the process.
Just ask them why they want to waste the money on licensing. Money is the language managers understand
Although compliance is also a concern.
For us, on our Linux machines, they pay Canonical or RedHat for workstations 🤷♂️
Why is this a requirement? Commercial support?
I think mech@feddit.org is right, but one other piece I’ve heard is that “unmanaged” desktops make things like randsomware insurance harder
I sometimes forget that I’m not the only kind of user who may run a Linux box. I’m not immune to compromise, but I’m not an “average” user like say… Peggy from accounting.
Start doing a job search?
No amount of HRT would make this transition any easier my dude.
lmao
As a form of protest create README txt files everywhere that say things like “I wish I was using linux” and “friends don’t let friends use windows”.
or only write instructions for Linux if you’re really evil
Switch workplace.
There are countless ways to bypass that (e.g. https://docs.linuxserver.io/images/docker-webtop/ running on a server) but honestly if a workplace does not value your expertise to hone your own tools, they don’t really value you as an employee.
Thanks for the info guys, good stuff!
Those of you who are telling me to look for a new workplace over an OS change are a bit crazy though lol. It’s not quite that bad.
Think about it the other way around; you could use Linux on your work pc for the time being and your workplace was fine with that? that’s awesome. it’s a bummer things changed, but… that’s corporate life, bro.
At workplace, use whatever OS and tools allowed by company policy.
At home, use whatever OS and tools you like.
At least that is how I’m managing it.
Depending on your computers specs & if it’s allowed or not by your company… You could always continue to use Fedora & run win-11 inside a VM with pass through enabled…
This is what I did. They get to manage a Windows machine and I get to continue being more efficient at the job they hired me to do.
Virtualize windows lmao
Winboat looks nice. I’m planning to play with it today. I’m also going to try distro box etc. Wish me a happy Virt-day. (yeah, yeah, I know where thee door is.)
https://gist.github.com/camullen/0c41d989ac2ad7a89e75eb3be0f8fb16
Just cut Windows out as much as possible and run everything in WSL. Setup everything to boot straight to all your WSL layers, and aside from the absolute shit Base OS, it should be the same.
Tell them you can’t switch due to some incompatibility and then just don’t do it.
Quit
