Wean yourself off of Windows with Linuxfx — I've tried many Linux distros designed to look and feel like Windows, and this is the best one yet

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Is it Windows or Linux?

Linuxfx
(Image credit: Openclipart, AnduinOS, ZorinOS)

The hunt for Linux-based alternatives is ongoing, and I've tried quite a few. One of my latest tests involves Linuxfx Winux (abbreviated to Linuxfx for brevity), which is based on the latest Ubuntu LTS. Linuxfx closely resembles the Windows 11 user interface, and for good reason; this is a distro for those who want the Windows experience as they move from Windows 10 or 11 to the world of Linux.

As many of us already know, Windows 10 will go End-of-Life on October 14, 2025, and yes, you can purchase a support package to keep your Windows 10 install going. But if you don’t pony up the cash, then you don’t get the support. Updates will end, and your once precious OS will soon fall foul of nefarious users. So your options are to pay up, switch to Windows 11, or perhaps give Linux a try. After all, many of us spend 90% of our working day in a browser, so the underlying OS doesn’t really matter.

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Les Pounder
Les Pounder
Associate Editor

Les Pounder is an associate editor at Tom's Hardware. He is a creative technologist and for seven years has created projects to educate and inspire minds both young and old. He has worked with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to write and deliver their teacher training program "Picademy".

11 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Grobe
    I didn’t appreciate the pop-up notification or the full-screen browser window that asked me to purchase a serial key. Ok, this is a lifetime key, so $35 isn’t a bad price, but the confusion between purchase and donation leaves a sour taste.
    This just add into the scheme made up to fool bystanders into thinking you're actually running W11 - just another well planned feature. A pledge for donation would certainly shatter that illusion.
    Reply
  • das_stig
    Can't see Microsoft standing by and letting this one fly, look and feel it has to be breaching copyright somewhere.
    Reply
  • Grobe
    das_stig said:
    Can't see Microsoft standing by and letting this one fly, look and feel it has to be breaching copyright somewhere.
    They might not have invested very heavily on developer teams in order to make a OS that everybody likes, but make no mistake - on this case, I'd expect a heavy cash stream into the layer firms that have deep looks into this 💰
    Reply
  • CajunMoses
    For what it is, a knockoff of MS Windows, it looks like a decent first attempt. Kudos for including Wine. But it's a pass until it uses KDE Plasma 6 with Waydroid installed. If the VM for Android apps isn't reliable, they shoot themselves in the foot by including it. Also, trying to charge for syncing Cloud drives into the system file manager makes no sense.
    Reply
  • domih
    Frankly speaking, I do not care about my Linux looking like Windows, nor doing things like Windows does.

    I have been using Linux in parallel to Windows since the mid-90s, mostly for the Web, DB and other app servers.

    My last Windows usage was with Windows 7. Windows 10 convinced me to finally switch my desktop workstation to Linux too.

    I opted for Ubuntu Mate due to its paradigm menu bar + windows with almost everything accessible and customizable, in opposition to the minimalistic approach of Gnome (*&^%$#@!).

    How did the switch go? Unease (mostly due to memory muscle) the first few weeks. That's it.

    Since then, the obvious conclusion is: I can do things faster on a Linux desktop compared to Windows. Mostly because when something is not directly available in the GUI, the console is the gift that keeps on giving.

    To people tempted to switch to a Linux desktop: the apprehension is understandable but it does not hold its water. Past the first few weeks, you will tell yourself: I wished I had switched earlier.

    I subscribe to CrossOver (commercial version of Wine) which takes care of all the Wine configuration for me, plus a GUI to create "bottles". In doing so, I can still use a few Windows apps that I appreciate so much, e.g. NotePad++ and all its text processing features, while I keep telling myself I should dig further into awk and sed :-)

    IMHO, a Linux desktop looking like Windows 11 is a wrong premise. As long as you have a menu bar + windows environment, you'll be fine.
    Reply
  • stonecarver
    Actually not to bad. If I had to deploy this on a PC where the person only does the minimum things like Email , watching videos and surf the web. Done !

    To so many on that fence when 10 dies and your stuck with non Windows 11 CPU's why not.

    Although just as easy to do the Windows 11 bypass methods and stay on actual Windows but that's another story.

    Having this structured the same as where folders are jumping off Windows to this Linux version is a easy path moving forward for older people.

    I have a couple of 80 year olds I'm going to test this out on and not tell them it's not Windows till later.

    I'm testing this OS out right now running it just off a USB drive and on Tom's.

    90% makes you feel your actually on Windows 11 but than again when we get some updates where Windows changes stuff anyways and we just adapt.

    And it boot in a flash even off running on USB thumb drive.

    Later I will slap on Steam and see how that goes but again if your back is to the wall here you go and keep chugging along.
    Reply
  • American2021
    LinuxFX is an interesting concept but I'm going to stick with Linux Mint on the computer I use Linux on. Linux Mint helped me to learn to use Linux and with Wine installed I get the API --> POSIX. Plus, Linux Mint is much more stable and safe to use per my understanding.

    So, LinuxFX is an interesting concept but not stable enough for me.
    Reply
  • Math Geek
    1 glaring omission from this is a direct link to the official site for this.

    so many fake copies or altered ones out there. an official link should be in the first paragraph really.
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    "Look and feel" like Windows is irrelevant, because it is not Windows.
    Unless you limit yourself to basic web browsing and web based email, your Windows applications will not work.
    Granted, there are a LOT of people where that basic use is just fine. I know some of them, I've given some of them Linux based laptops.

    But no matter what it looks like, do not try to fool yourself that it is "Windows".
    Reply
  • stonecarver
    USAFRet said:
    Granted, there are a LOT of people where that basic use is just fine.
    Were agreeing on the same point. Thank you for your ever always so wise input.
    Reply