Let me be clear upfront: you don’t have to switch from Windows or Mac to de-Google your life. You can replace Gmail with Proton, use LibreWolf on Windows, run Signal and Bitwarden on macOS, and achieve most of your privacy goals without touching your operating system.
But I’m choosing to make the switch anyway—in the spirit of open source and in the spirit of breaking free from big tech entirely.
Microsoft’s operating system has become increasingly aggressive about pushing users into their ecosystem—constant sign-in prompts, cloud integration nudges, telemetry collection, and features that assume you want everything connected to a Microsoft account. If I’m serious about owning my data and controlling my tools, keeping Windows would undermine the entire philosophy of this project.
Linux isn’t necessary. But it’s consistent.
Why Linux Makes Sense
Linux isn’t just about avoiding Microsoft. It’s about fundamentally changing the relationship between me and my computer. With Linux:
- I own the system. No forced updates, no telemetry I can’t disable, no features I didn’t ask for.
- It’s free and open source. The code is auditable, the community is transparent, and there’s no vendor lock-in.
- It aligns with the project philosophy. If I’m replacing Google Drive with Proton and Gmail with encrypted email, running Windows undermines the entire effort.
- The software I need exists. LibreOffice, GIMP, Inkscape, LibreCAD, FreeTube, Bitwarden—everything I’m switching to runs natively on Linux.
The question isn’t whether Linux is viable. It’s whether I can make the transition without breaking my workflow.
CHOOSING Kubuntu and why?
I chose Kubuntu 24.04 LTS for several practical reasons:
KDE Plasma desktop is flexible and customizable without being fragile. It’s polished, familiar enough for a Windows user, and powerful enough to configure exactly how I want it.
Ubuntu base means massive software support. Nearly every Linux application targets Ubuntu first. If something works on Linux, it works on Ubuntu. That translates to fewer compatibility headaches and better documentation.
LTS (Long Term Support) gives me five years of security updates. I don’t need to worry about upgrading every six months or dealing with breaking changes. Set it up once, let it run.
Proven hardware compatibility. Ubuntu has the best track record for working with a wide range of hardware out of the box—WiFi, Bluetooth, fingerprint readers, docking stations, sleep/wake cycles. I don’t want to spend weeks troubleshooting drivers.
The Hardware: Starting with What I Have
I’m not buying new hardware yet. I started by installing Kubuntu on a machine I already had at home—an old work computer with the essential specs for this project, a ThinkPad T14. My goal is to maybe buy a used Elitbook 840 G8 or similar, maybe buying a new Slimbook that is specifically made for Linux. Or even maybe going into the hazel of installing Linux on my Dell Latitude 7350 detachable.
I currently have a Dell Latitude 7350 detachable that I genuinely like—the hardware is excellent. But from what I understand, installing Linux on that machine is quite the project. It’s a specialized device with potential driver and compatibility headaches.
Building my own “OS”: My Custom Linux Image
Here’s where this gets interesting. I’m not just installing Linux and calling it done. I’m using Cubic to build a custom ISO—essentially my own reproducible Linux installation.
The result? I can drop this custom ISO onto any compatible machine and have my entire environment ready in one install. No manual configuration, no forgotten steps, no “how did I set that up last time?”
It’s reproducible, documented, and mine. And who knows, if it’s a system that I like, I might even give you a version of the ISO for you to download if you wish!
The Compromises
Let’s be honest: this isn’t seamless.
Work Microsoft services still require a browser. I can’t run native Outlook on Linux the way I could on Windows, so I’m using isolated browser instances for work email, OneDrive, and SharePoint.
Some software won’t transfer. PDF Exchange doesn’t exist on Linux, so I’m using a toolkit approach with multiple tools instead of one polished application.
The learning curve is real. Even with KDE Plasma being user-friendly, Linux works differently. File paths, permissions, package management, terminal commands—there’s relearning involved.
But here’s what I gain: complete control. No telemetry I can’t disable. No forced updates. No vendor deciding what features I need. The system does what I tell it to do, and nothing more.