… Linux gaming is a “no”, but Windows must go …
Last evening, I got a wild hair™. This resulted in an attempt to spin up a Windows 11 virtual machine on ProxMox which, admittedly, was going quite well until I got to the part where it got to account creation.
It was at that point that it demanded a Microsoft Account. That’s right, gone are the days where you could fork over to an “offline account”, thereby bypassing the Microsoft account ecosystem and all the spying that comes with it.
Naturally, I Googled. I did find a possible solution, but it was very chaotic and not at all simple. The thought of doing this each and every time I decide to spin up a Win11 VM for whatever reason immediately turned me off.
Additionally, I’ve heard that M$ is now showing advertising on the Start Menu. Indeed, this is one of the “rumors” I was hoping to confirm or deny on my own by my own installation activities but, alas, it was not to be.
With all of the above in mind, a decision has been made — I will not go to Windows 11. Ever*.
Instead, I will begin the process of auditioning/demoing different Linux distros until I decide on one that will replace Windows as my daily driver. I have a lot of Ubuntu in-house, so that’s where I will start; I’ve also heard good things about Linux Mint so that will likely be the 2nd contender. When support for Win10 ends on October 14, 2025, I will shut it off*.
So stay tuned, it keeps getting crazier over here.
* – If “something” happens which results in Micro$uck changing their ways and no longer requiring a M$ account, I may reconsider my impending ban. That said, I’m certainly not holding my breath.