Windows vs Linus or coexist?

[Nikkifoxy]

HI :3

 

I am trying to decide what to do, due to me very strongly not liking Windows 11 at the same time thinking of Linux but maybe Windows 10 would be okay even if EOL, so i am stuck and not sure what would make most sense.

1. I am in training for system admin/msp technician.

2. I do run a homelab, proxmox with docker and few lxc containers

3. I have truenas, but it hasn't been fully integrated just yet Nextcloud, backup and more planned for the future.

4. My main desktop is running Windows 10 Pro which i enjoy way more than my Windows 11 pro on my laptop.

5. Laptop i use mainly for work and personal not any gaming. So i was thinking of putting Fedora on it, i tried a live boot and almost all features worked out of the box even touchscreen. I do have few apps  i need to run that do not seem to be on linux (Pulseway products) which i was thinking of running using bottles but still haven't tested. While my desktop gets used for everything else, from gaming, to learning, to personal, testing and everything. 

So i am not sure if i should keep windows 10 on Desktop and Fedora on laptop, or Windows 10 pro on both, but then if i reinstall windows 10 pro on windows 11 pro system would it still activate windows? Or should I just suck up and move to Windows 11.

I have been more privacy focused lately. And into a lot of open source products.

I have been trying to be more secure but also not to make my life all about trying to fix things to get something done.

 

Thank you any help would be appreciated!! :3

[Thomas53]

If you're happy with Win 10, ther's no reason to switch t0 Win 11. Linux coexists well with Windows. All that you need do is choose "Install Alongside" and Linux will take what ever space on the hard drive is available. Or if you know what you're doing you can either restrict the space to a set amount or move enlarge the space and let the installer shrink the Windows installation. Also, the Pulseway products do run on Linux, go to their website for installation instructions.

[Nikkifoxy]

I appreciate your answer))

 

When i say "coexist" I mean the mix of my OS 

Desktop having Windows 10 Pro

And my laptop running Fedora 42

 

And as far as pulseway products, I know their agents work on Linux but the remote support desktop software does not seem to be supported based on their website

[Biohazard777]

1 hour ago, Nikkifoxy said:

but maybe Windows 10 would be okay even if EOL

If it goes online - not ok.
Win 10 goes EoL in a couple of months or so,
in order to continue receiving security updates for one more year (till October 2026) you'll have to pick one of the following:

Quote

- Use Windows Backup to sync your settings to the cloud—at no additional cost..
- Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points—at no additional cost..
- Pay $30 USD (local pricing may vary).

https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2025/06/24/stay-secure-with-windows-11-copilot-pcs-and-windows-365-before-support-ends-for-windows-10/

There are other options:
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 -> supported until Jan 12, 2027
Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 ->  Jan 13, 2032
or...
Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 -> Oct 10, 2034
Even though it is 11, it's way more relaxed (no TPM requirement, local accounts allowed),
and it doesn't get feature updates (so no Copilot, AI paint nonsense, etc.).

However, these editions are officially available only through commercial licensing channels, not available to individual consumers through retail channels.
As such, I can't offer you any guidance on acquiring them / accessing ISOs from MS, as that would violate forum rules.

-------

As for help with what you should do...

Does the hardware & software you need work on Linux?
 |
 +-- Yes --> Switch to Linux
 |
 +-- No --+
        |
        v
   Are alternatives acceptable and won't hinder you?
        |
        +-- Yes --> Switch to Linux
        |
        +-- No  --> Don't switch

[YellowJersey]

As much as I'll champion Linux from the rooftops, I can't deny that Windows does have its uses; there are just certain use-cases where Linux just isn't a practical option. Despite running Linux Mint 95% of the time, I still keep a Windows 10 drive in my system's spare M.2 slot for when I need Windows.

Fortunately, don't have to choose Windows or Linux; you can easily have both.

If I were you, I'd either install Linux on a different SSD or create a separate partition and run it on the same SSD as your Windows 10 install and create a dual-boot system. That way, when you turn your computer on, it'll ask you whether to boot to Windows or Linux.

 If you do want to experiment with Linux, I highly recommend Linux Mint, especially if you're coming from a Windows environment. If you're used to Windows, Mint will feel pretty familiar. I switched from Windows 7 to Mint 17.2 in 2015 and found the transition pretty smooth, especially for a big dumbdumb like me. (The only thing you need to do once you install it is turn the firewall on, which you can do by going to the "Start" menu, typing in "Firewall," clicking on the "Firewall" icon, and turning it on. I'm not sure why it's not on by default, but it's really the only configuration that has to be done.) I personally prefer the MATE desktop version, but the Cinnamon version is generally more popular.

 I'd also recommend installing Linux on a separate SSD and removing the Windows SSD before installing Linux. I have no idea if this is a common thing, but the bootloader for my Linux system somehow ended up on the SSD with the Windows install on it, which became a problem with I had to remove the Windows SSD and then couldn't boot into Linux. I just removed the Windows SSD and reinstalled Linux to solve this problem.

 If you're into gaming, I've had a really good experience using Steam on Mint. Just go to the "Software" manager from the "Start" menu and it'll take you to the app "store?" (Question mark because is it really a store if all the software is free?).

 If you have any questions about Mint, shoot me a DM. I'm happy to answer any questions or provide any help that I can.

[BillBill]

Windows 10 Home you can link your PC to a Microsoft account. That provides 12 months of security updates at no cost. If you do not link your PC to a Microsoft account then that would be $30.00 USD for home edition. 

[Potatoes__]

Dualboot is the way, you can gradually make a full move as soon as you are ready and feel that Linux fulfills most of your use cases. Don't rush it, get used to it on your own terms! I'd recommend reading on manual partitioning just in case and make sure to have separate root, /boot and /home partitions. 

 

Having a separate /boot partition instead of overwriting the existing one makes sure Windows won't bork your Linux install upon updating (if Win10 updates at all lol), and having a separate /home helps to save your data in case you need to format your root or reinstall your distro.

 

The existing NTFS drives can be shared between the systems but in the long run, if you end up mostly using Linux, you'd want to move to ext4. I've done some tests a few days ago and it turns out  NTFS on Linux may be noticeably slower than ext4, and some very specific apps/games may have troubles with it. Like for example Civilization 6 straight up refused to start the game until I moved it to an ext4 drive. Now I have a single shared drive for stuff I want to access from both systems and my main data/games partitions are ext4, but your mileage may vary and NTFS may be just fine for ya.

 

And I can vouch for Fedora as the distro of choice because it feels stable and reliable yet tries to run the latest stuff. And most importantly for beginner distros, lots of online discussions and support.