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 :(
If it’s your computer that you bought and legally own, tell them where they can install their Winblows 11. (The nice way to say this is to tell them to requisition you a computer or think of an alternative, because you are not going to use a personal device for company business anyway)
If it’s their computer that they own, grin and bare it.
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.)
Start doing a job search?
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.
Yeah exactly. Although it’s also totally understandable that OP is unhappy with their decision. At the end of the day any reasonably large workplace just wants all their IT to be as manageable as possible, which means as uniform as possible in hardware and OS. But using windows for many jobs just kinda sucks.
No amount of HRT would make this transition any easier my dude.
lmao

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.
WSL is reasonable bearable, you can install Fedora instead of the default Ubuntu/Debian too. My work PC started out on 10 and is now on 11. I think I changed the terminal program, but the one I use may be the default in Win11. Honestly, I think the only programs I run outside WSL are a browser, DaVinci Resolve and Reaper (replaced Kdenlive and Ardour, both of which I prefer).
I am able to use the same neovim config on both my home (fedora) and work laptops, which is pretty handy.
At the end of the day it is their computer, not yours.
Doesn’t having WSL under the hood negate Linux’s inherent security?
I’d much rather have Windows shit containerized within Linux.
It is a VM so fully sandboxed. All the sharing is smoke and mirrors (often in pretty cool ways).
Truth is that security is not OP’s problem. Someone else (likely well above their pay grade) is shouldering that responsibility and they have decreed Windows for everyone.
It depends what you mean by ‘security’. Obviously, by introducing more layers, you have more places where exploits can life. However, the biggest threat by orders of magnitude is being tricked into giving stuff up, and that risk will remain constant.
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.
Clearly I was not the first with that call to action.
But seriously, Windows is awful. I’ve had to use it lately, and it’s comically bad. Like the OS shows me ads! Wtf!? In Fahrenheit 451, it describes the billboards as longer so you can read them while driving fast on the highway, and I feel like the ads Windows shows are basically a similar type of dystopian. And like, now you can disable more with menus, but then the disable option is like buried somewhere hard to find.
And as soon as you get an update all their shit is turned back on, and re-enabled, and edge (🤮) is back on the taskbar… I hate microsoft so, so much.
There are programs that control your internet access and if you use one of those programs to say, block almost every windows service, a lot of problems go away.
I didn’t do it because windows sucks but it is a nice benefit. Edge auto opens? Cool, it fails because it’s barred from internet access. Ads? But no internet so no ads.
Also deals with auto updates from companies that need to fuck off. I guess that’s still windows.
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.
Depending on your computers specs & if it’s allowed or now… 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.
Tell them you can’t switch due to some incompatibility and then just don’t do it.
Well, why? Compliance? ISO certification requirement? Any chance of providing the requirements to Linux?
Quit
Just in the right moment when windows got so reliable and safe /s
Get a separate device for work. You shouldn’t be working on your personal computer anyway.
It is a work device. I was just allowed to use fedora until now.
https://github.com/ChrisTitusTech/winutil has some nice and simple buttons for reducing the bullshit.








