I’ve been a Windows user since Windows 3.1. For nearly four decades, I wasn’t just a user; I was a dedicated fanboy. I lived in the ecosystem. I had the Windows Phones (I was dedicated to Symbian before Microsoft bought Nokia), the Microsoft Band 2 smartwatch, and a OneDrive/Office 365 subscription that held my entire digital life.
But on 13 April 2024, I walked away.
The Early Seeds: Live CDs and False Starts
My first introduction to Linux was between 2007 and 2011. A friend was obsessed with bringing me Live CDs to try—Ubuntu, Tiny Core, Puppy Linux. I’d boot them up, poke around, and then go straight back to Windows. I even saw my housemate using a laptop with Ubuntu installed, but at the time, I was still a Microsoft devotee.
In 2020, I made my first real attempt at a desktop workflow. I installed Kubuntu on my laptop and used it for about six months. It worked, but for some reason, the “Windows inertia” pulled me back. I converted it back to Windows 11, where it stayed until my final switch years later.
I refused to “force” an install that Microsoft claimed was a security risk (nonsense, as it turned out).
The Catalyst: “Unsupported” Hardware
The final push didn’t come from a sudden love of open source; it came from a lack of respect from Microsoft. My desktop PC—a 2017 build featuring a Ryzen 2400G—was more than capable of running Windows 11. It even had TPM 2.0. But Microsoft decided the CPU wasn’t “supported.”
I refused to “force” an install that Microsoft claimed was a security risk (nonsense, as it turned out). Instead, I used their arbitrary hardware restriction as my “exit” sign. On 13 April 2024, I wiped the drive and started again with Kubuntu. This time, it wasn’t a trial. It was a permanent move.
The Workday Friction
Today, I hate the fact I have to use Windows at work. As a power user, the workflow feels “wrong.” I’m trapped in a locked-down environment where I can’t even change the wallpaper, let alone assign the custom keyboard shortcuts I rely on in KDE.
I’m forced to use SharePoint and Teams, both of which feel clunky and slow. Between the constant Adobe pop-ups and the forced reboots for updates at the most inconvenient times, the “corporate” desktop has become a source of daily frustration.
Taking Back Control: The Homelab & Nightscout
The real shift happened when I realised I could do it better myself. In 2022, I discovered Proxmox and Docker.
The most vital part of my home lab isn’t for gaming—it’s for my family. My son has Type 1 Diabetes. I run Nightscout in an LXC container on Proxmox, which feeds data into Home Assistant.
This setup gives us audible and visual warnings for his blood sugar levels. I’ve even built a custom “button” on my son’s phone for his school; when they acknowledge a “low,” it notifies my wife immediately. That peace of mind is something no “Big Tech” corporation could provide out of the box.
The Gaming Evolution: From NES to ROG Ally X
My gaming history is a path of “anything but PlayStation.” From the NES and Dreamcast (I still miss Metropolis Street Racer) to the Xbox Series X, I’ve always preferred the ergonomics of other controllers.
As a former lorry driver, I needed a way to game during tacho breaks. I tried streaming Xbox games to a tablet, but 4G/5G is too unreliable on the road. I waited for an Xbox handheld, but when Microsoft cancelled it to partner with ASUS, I didn’t wait.
In 2025, I bought the ROG Ally X and immediately installed Bazzite. Now, I’m 100% committed to Steam. I’ve even repurchased my favourite game of all time, Red Dead Redemption 2, on Steam just to have it in my library. I prefer single-player stories on “Easy” mode—I’m here for the experience, not the stress.
The Privacy Pivot: Nextcloud & Mega
When I first switched, I spent a few weeks using the web versions of Office before I realised I was wasting money.
I moved my documents to Nextcloud with a dedicated Collabora Office Docker container. For an extra layer of security, I use Mega for its zero-knowledge encryption. Every time I boot my PC, a custom script runs rclone to sync my Nextcloud and Mega instances. My data is mine again.
The Current State: CachyOS
After hopping through Kubuntu, KDE Neon, openSUSE, and Fedora, I’ve landed on CachyOS. It’s my first Arch-based distro, and it feels like the high-performance home I’ve been looking for.
As for that 2017 Ryzen 2400G machine? When I finally upgraded my own desktop in 2025, I moved it into a new case and gave it to my son. It’s still a great computer, and it’s still running Linux.
Final Thoughts
My journey from a Windows 3.1 fanboy to a CachyOS user wasn’t a straight line. It was a slow realisation that the “convenience” of big corporations comes at the cost of control.
I still have Star Trek wallpapers on every desktop I own (except the locked-down one at work). And much like the Federation, my home setup is now built on cooperation, open standards, and the freedom to go where I want to go.