With this week's official EOL of support for Windows 10, the impetus to try to look into migrating to Linux again for my personal desktop workstations has grown stronger again. Especially as I refuse to have my personal machines associated with Microsoft Accounts that will inevitably mean that various personal info gets inadvertently leaked onto OneDrive (including various sensitive files / settings / etc.), it feels like time to give this another crack, now that I'm using actual desktop workstations instead of laptops with weird hardware...
As I documented on this blog many years ago, the last time I tried switching to Linux, things didn't go so well back then. Particularly, as I was on a HP laptop that had a bunch of very-hard-to-support crap, and I was trying to dual boot it. I'm hoping though that things go smoother this time through a number of different decisions!
State of Play
Ok, so I actually currently have several machines:
* Current desktop (let's call it B2) I'm using and writing this on - It's the newer of the two workstations
* Older desktop (let's call it B1) that I haven't been able to use since January, after its PSU (presumably) failed, and then I haven't gotten around to sourcing a replacement PSU and then getting someone in to help me replace it (i.e. there's *NO WAY* I'm gonna trust that box with its data-filled HD's to any shop... but without the drives, I might consider it if necessary)
* Laptop - AKA the one I got new just ~1 wk prior to Code Quest, which failed about 2 weeks in from power-supply issues (*groan*) that took a few months for the service centre to remediate). I don't use this one much now - only when I travel, or am over at my other place. Am currently planning on keeping it as a Windows box, just not sure whether that W10 (as "emergency rescue / relief machine" when either desktop's OS setup is being worked on), or W11 (sans all current data)
* Work Laptop - W11 already. (Heck, it's fans are spooling up *again* for the nth time today while supposedly put to sleep, as IT has *again* either command an update, OR the bloody thing has one of those 100% CPU scheduled tasks running that kept me locked out for 30 minutes last week). Out of my control, but is available as a "last resort" box for Windows-required stuff (e.g. checking on / fixing Linux-unreadable drives) should it come to that.
Current Roadmap
1) On B2, I've set up a Linux VM with one of the distros I'm considering using.
* It's OpenSUSE this time, given that I've always actually wanted to use it since first hearing about Linux decades ago now. Last few times, I've gone with Mint, but have also admittedly always run into issues with it
* Failing this, I may just migrate to also just using Rocky Linux for my personal machines (given that's what I'm familar with from work now)
2) As of last night, I've managed to get the desktop environment settings relatively under control. My next steps are to then try:
2a) Migrating my various projects to run under this VM (i.e. making sure the dependencies work, and in the case of my "MediaSlurper" tools, that they will even work - as I do need them functional once I hit the ground and make the switch)
2b) Switching it to be running "full screen" under the Windows host, and then doing my usual stuff under the VM as if it were the OS I'm properly using, to check for any pain points, while expediting any stuff that needs Windows access
3) Doing full backups of B2 Windows setup + data (in parallel with this trial period)
4) Creating a bootable USB drive (like a proper large-format SSD, and not just a USB-stick) that will become the new Linux main drive, and transferring the VM's image across onto that with the setup I make
5) Booting from this SSD, and running like that to check various hardware support issues when running on bare metal (i.e. wifi, microphone, webcam, tablet support, and ability to interoperate with my KVM setup)
This part is the part where it'll become clear whether this whole enterprise will work or not.
Notes So Far
I'm pleasantly surprised by how good KDE is now. In fact, so far, I have to say it seems to have all the things I've been wanting from a desktop environment (in terms of taskbar behaviour). Lots to do still to prove out whether this holds once I start pushing it a bit in anger, but it seems to work a bit better than the "Dock to Panel" Gnome-extension approach I've set up for myself on the Rocky devbox at work...
The last time I used KDE was in 2012, when I configured my Uni-supplied Linux box to use that in place of the abysmal Gnome 3 desktop that I absolutely couldn't stand back then.
Spoiler Alert: I still can't stand it now... but could manage to live with it for a few more weeks / months than I lasted last time!
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