tbolt
Ditching Windows for Linux
I’ve ditched Windows 11 for Linux, specifically Ubuntu, and it’s been a relief. I dual-booted for years, but the benefits of having an always-on Linux machine outweigh the hassles of managing and using Windows. Linux on the desktop is in a great spot. The ecosystem is vibrant and it will only continue to blossom. If you’re into computers, I’d argue it’s the most fun option.
I don’t log into this machine directly very often since I still prefer MacOS for day-to-day use. But when I do, I don’t begrudge it like I did with Windows. I’m quite happy with Ubuntu and GNOME. Maybe that’s boring, but it does everything I need and is extremely stable.
Gaming still works well. Steam with Proton is excellent. Valve and the folks behind Wine/Proton have done incredible work. Steam Link makes it easy possible to stream games to devices in the house, particularly with Apple TVs. It’s actually worked better on Linux than it did on Windows. Even streaming non-Steam games has been smooth. I tested running Battle.net via Proton with Diablo IV and it worked like a charm, with zero fiddling or configuration as I recall.
For development work I still prefer MacOS and the Nova text editor. Nova has good SSH/SFTP support, so I can connect to my Linux box and work on projects remotely, and I often do. Agent forwarding with 1Password SSH Agent means I can still use my GitHub key from the Mac. It’s a nice setup.
On iPhone and iPad I use Prompt for SSH. It’s a bit expensive and a little buggy but otherwise a great app. Plus I can VPN into my home network when I’m away so I’m always able to connect to my Linux machine. I’ve been tinkering with Claude Code this way, and it’s a wild setup.
