I tried WINUX — a promising Windows 11 experience inside a Linux distro, and I think they've nailed it

We've talked a lot about the impending end-of-life of Windows 10, and what folks can do if they can't, or choose not to upgrade to Windows 11. One of the options is to pay up for extended support, one of the options is to buy a new PC — which Microsoft would surely love — and one continually floated is to make a switch to Linux.

Linux is known for many things, one of which is legendary support for older hardware. But Linux can be a very different experience from Windows, and quite jarring for many who make the switch. I've already looked at one Linux distro that aims to be friendly to Windows refugees. AnduinOS was created by a Microsoft engineer, so it has the credentials.

WINUX is not, but having poked around with it, there's no denying that it's impressive. It looks almost identical to Windows 11, and not just because of the wallpaper and taskbar layout. It also feels closer to Windows 11 than many Linux distros I've tried over the years. Might it be the one for those who are seriously looking to switch, even if temporarily? It's certainly in the mix.

Ubuntu underneath, Windows 11 on top

Whatever it looks like, WINUX is, of course, not Windows 11. It's Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, which means another four-ish years of support from now, since LTS releases promise five years, compared to the regular rolling releases. That's still quite a long time for any single version of an operating system.

While Ubuntu does the driving, out front is KDE Plasma, something you may have heard of. It's one of the more popular desktop environments on Linux, it's on the Steam Deck, and it's highly customizable. In essence, the Windows-ness of WINUX is a remarkably good theme for Plasma.

The taskbar looks right, the Windows logo and icons for some of the built-in apps look right, the Start Menu looks right, and even the right-click menu looks right. At a passing glance, most people would probably assume it was, in fact, Windows 11, even though it's not absolutely identical.

Some of the stock wallpapers are included from Windows 11, and so are some of the stock themes. There's even a settings app called PowerTools, which resembles the Windows 11 settings app, but it runs alongside the KDE Plasma equivalent, not instead of.

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Start scratching, and you'll see the stock KDE apps where you would have Windows ones. The icon for the terminal looks like Windows Terminal, but it's KDE's Konsole. File Explorer is actually Dolphin, but, again, it's pretty close to the look and feel of the Windows app.

It's easy for someone who is fairly experienced using Linux to just say "you should try Linux", but the truth is the vast majority have only ever known Windows. The theming is doing a lot of the work in WINUX, but I can't stress enough how good a job it does. It's like a big old comfort blanket wrapped around you as you're venturing into the unknown.

The stereotype of Linux users living in the terminal doesn't have to be accurate, either. Installing apps, updating them, installing system updates, can all be done from the GUI apps on WINUX (as on many other flavors of Linux.) WINUX is probably the least scary Linux distro I've ever seen from the perspective of coming from Windows.

That's still remembering that, for Windows 10 users making the switch, even the look and feel is quite different. But it's certainly more approachable.

A distro set up to be easy to use out of the gate

Besides the excellent theme work, I also really appreciate that WINUX is set up to be easy for converts from the first second. You can't have Microsoft Office on Linux; it doesn't exist, but instead, you get pre-installed shortcuts to the web versions in the Start Menu.

Microsoft Edge for Linux is pre-installed as the stock browser, though Google Chrome is also already there if you prefer to go that way. Generally speaking, most Linux distros out there ship with Firefox, but with WINUX, you can be straight back into a browser you're familiar with from Windows.

Gamers are also looked after. Steam is pre-installed, as is Heroic Game Launcher, which is my own, preferred way of accessing Epic Games, GOG, and Amazon on both Linux and Windows. All you need to do is log in, and if you have AMD graphics on your PC, that's it. If you're using NVIDIA or Intel Arc, you still have drivers to get, though.

Yes, this isn't Windows. But with that kind of experience in mind, this is one of the better alternatives I've seen. And as our previous report on WINUX said, all without the red tape. It's really well done.