This Linux distro is so Windows-like, it even comes with Microsoft apps

[RV_]

I will continue to post alternatives to buying a new computer if anyone has a Windows computer too old to update after Windows 10 support drops off in October 2025. If you don't like Windows or prefer Apple great! These are free alternatives for Windows 10 and 7 users to get back to a secure Operating system.

Wubuntu is ready to help you transition if you're debating whether to try Linux but are afraid it's too different to Windows. Yes the pictures of the desktop are this Linux Distro not Windows 11. The task bar and everything look familiar enough for me.

Excerpt:

 

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

One of the many wonderful things about Linux is that you can make it look how you want. If you want to go crazy and create a desktop that looks and feels unlike any other, you can. But there are also distributions for people who'd rather have a user-friendly and instantly familiar desktop environment.

Wubuntu is one such distribution, and I'm sure you can figure out what operating system it mimics. Yes, the correct response is Windows 11. 

I've tested plenty of Linux distributions that attempt to copy the look and feel of Microsoft's OS, and none of them get nearly as close as Wubuntu. Upon installing Wubuntu, I was surprised at how much it resembled Windows 11 -- down to the inclusion of Microsoft's AI, Copilot, and Microsoft Edge.

The only thing Wubuntu is missing is those pesky ads in the menu.

s you probably expect, Wubuntu is based on Ubuntu and uses the KDE Plasma desktop to achieve a strong appropriation of Windows 11. On the panel, you'll find a weather app, a sidebar, a desktop menu, a run command launcher, favorites, a system tray, and Copilot. Upon first login, you'll be greeted with the Settings window, where you can select your theme and adjust a few other aesthetics.

 

As usual, KDE Plasma is a highly configurable desktop environment.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Dig a bit deeper, and you'll find things like Microsoft PowerShell and quick links to Office 365 apps, each of which opens in Edge. For those who'd rather keep their document creation/management locally (or in the cloud), the OnlyOffice Desktop Editors is installed.

Wubuntu also includes tools to interact with your Android devices, Active Directory support, a driver manager, Google Chrome, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Steam, Thunderbird, VLC media player, Webcamoid, Wine/Winetricks, and Flatpak (so you can easily install even more software).

 

Aside from the collection of pre-installed software, what's most impressive is how well the developers have copied the look and feel of Windows 11. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not a fan of the Microsoft operating system, but that doesn't mean I can't be impressed with the amount of work that went into creating this distribution. And the more you dig into Wubuntu, the more little details you'll find -- especially if you've been using Windows 11 for some time.

 

As Wubuntu is based on Ubuntu, you know you're getting high levels of user-friendliness and outstanding hardware support. The only downside is that Wubuntu ships with kernel 6.8.0-48, which means you're not getting the added hardware support from the latest kernel release. Even so, unless you're running the latest hardware, kernel 6.8 will do a great job detecting and supporting your computer's technology."

Much more and related hotlinks in the full article here:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-linux-distro-is-so-windows-like-it-even-comes-with-microsoft-apps/

Edited December 14, 2024 by RV_

[hatrack]

Saw this article the other day so I downloaded it but haven't had time to install it yet.

Thanks

Derek

 

Ken....

[RV_]

YW Ken. Please post back what you think good or bad using it. I will try it when I decide which computer gets to be my test bed. I am going to take one of my small M.2 drives I upgraded to a 1 TB and swap them out and try it on my Surface Pro Tablets, each of which came with a 128GB and the other with a 256GB M.2 drive that cane be swapped out in a minute. I also have a 256GB m.2 drive for this desktop that it came with and I upgraded. I will save drive images of each so I can go back to my Windows install and all apps programs as I had them. I have been reading for the most Windows like Linux distros and want to be able to help friends who have machines that cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 they want to keep but are shy of changing OS'. TBH I get new systems every year to 2 years at most just to play with but really don't need all the power they have. But they are my toys and much cheaper than my hobbies before disabilities.😉