Articles about Linux

CodeWeavers has just released CrossOver 25 for macOS and Linux, and it’s packed with some seriously awesome improvements. Thanks to Wine 10.0 bringing over 5,000 changes, this update should make running both Windows games and apps on non-Windows systems smoother than ever. Could this finally convince gamers to dump Microsoft's OS?

Let’s be honest, Windows 11 hasn’t exactly won over everyone. Between forced updates, hardware restrictions, and Microsoft’s annoying obsession with AI features (that most people don’t even want), it has left many gamers looking for alternatives. That’s where CrossOver 25 comes in.

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While it is widely known that Android is based on Linux, it is not a typical Linux distro in many ways. There are a lot of standard features and components of Linux that are simply not available in Google’s mobile operating system.

This is starting to change. Developers -- or, indeed, anyone looking to tinker around a little -- will soon be able to use the Linux Terminal, opening up new and interesting worlds of possibility.

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ExpressVPN has rolled out a much-needed update for Linux users, finally adding a graphical user interface (GUI) to its VPN app. Yes, folks, a GUI for Linux is only being rolled out in 2025! Better late than never, I suppose.

Until now, ExpressVPN users in Linux were stuck with a command-line interface (CLI), while Windows and macOS users enjoyed a more user-friendly experience. This update brings ExpressVPN more in line with competitors like Surfshark, which has long offered a Linux app with a GUI.

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More than ever enterprises are turning to Linux solutions. But while the open source OS has a good reputation for security that doesn't mean that it’s invulnerable and it's important to stay on top of updates and patching.

Seal Security is launching Seal OS, a holistic solution designed to automatically fix vulnerabilities in both Linux operating systems and application code.

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Over the years, I have suggested leaving Windows for Linux many times, with some readers saying I sound like a broken record. In hindsight, however, that was arguably a foolish thing to suggest (in some cases, at least). No, that doesn’t mean I have soured on Linux -- quite the contrary. Actually, I am as enthusiastic as ever!

So, have I changed my tune? Well… not entirely. I still think people should install Linux, but instead of replacing Windows, I would suggest dual-booting instead. This way, you get the best of both worlds -- Linux and Windows on one machine. I suppose if you find you don’t ever use Windows, you could get rid of it down the line. But even if you don’t use Windows, why bother getting rid of it? You might find having a Windows installation handy one day. Hey… you never know.

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I appreciate calling Windows XP “Microsoft’s greatest OS” will elicit snorts of derision from a good number of you. That honor probably belongs to Windows 7, or maybe even Windows 10 (once Microsoft ironed out the many problems that plagued it from the start). But certainly, Windows XP was a classic, and a huge step up from the operating systems that preceded it.

If you miss XP but aren’t crazy enough to run an OS that (mostly) hasn’t had security updates in over a decade, FreeXP might be just what you’re looking for. It’s not XP, and it’s not from Microsoft, but it looks and feels just like it.

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The biggest problem with saying goodbye to Windows 10 or 11 is knowing what to use instead. macOS is a great choice, but you’ll probably need to buy a Mac to run it, so that makes it an expensive option.

There’s no shortage of Linux distros you can use, including the big ones like Ubuntu and Mint, but they aren’t for everyone. One relatively new choice is the stunning Oreon 10 which we declared had "arrived to replace Microsoft Windows" when it launched last December. That OS has just received a big update, but it’s what’s coming next that has us most excited.

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If you’ve had enough of Windows 11, or are considering moving away from Microsoft when the tech giant pulls the plug on Windows 10 later this year, there are plenty of options available to you, ranging from the likes of Nitrux Linux to the just-updated, gorgeous EndeavourOS 'Mercury'.

The successor to EndeavourOS 'Neo' has been in development for quite some time, but it's a great update and not only fixes loads of problems but also introduces some great new features.

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Dealing with Apple iWork files on non-Apple systems has always been a bit of a headache, but at least there were solutions. Apps like Microsoft Office and LibreOffice have long been able to deal with iWork formats, converting Pages, Numbers, and Keynote into formats that are more universally accepted. Now, however, with version 8.3, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors steps up, adding iWork compatibility for users on Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms.

This update lets users peek into iWork files without needing Apple's own software. While you can't edit these files directly yet, there's a conversion tool that can turn them into DOCX, XLSX, or PPTX, making them editable in the familiar formats. This move cuts out the need for extra software or asking for different file types from colleagues.

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Windows 12 has been the subject of leaks and speculation, which can be totally fun to discuss and imagine. But let’s be honest, folks -- that operating system is not likely to arrive this year. In fact, it could still be several years away. On a positive note, however, that should give Microsoft plenty of time to make sure the OS is actually worth using.

As a regular Linux user, I have some very serious demands if I’m ever going to consider switching, and Microsoft has a golden opportunity to get things right. Here are five things the company needs to deliver before I even think about going with Windows 12.

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If you are a Linux fan that is forced to use Microsoft Windows for some reason, you know how valuable Windows Subsystem for Linux is. If you aren’t familiar, WSL allows you to run a Linux environment from within Windows -- no virtual machine needed. It’s pretty wonderful.

Well, folks, today, Ubuntu on WSL gets a very useful upgrade that both developers and enterprises should really love. You see, thanks to Microsoft’s new tar-based distribution format, Ubuntu can now be installed and managed without relying on the Microsoft Store. That’s right, y’all -- no more struggling with Store-related headaches.

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With Windows 10 set to reach its end of life later this year, Microsoft has been taking every opportunity to heavily push Windows 11 as the only upgrade path for users. The latest operating system share figures from StatCounter show the message is getting through -- slowly -- with Windows 11 achieving 36.65 percent of the market, an increase of 2.53 percentage points since last month.

What that means, of course, is that Windows 10 still has 60.33 percent, suggesting users aren’t in a huge rush to move away from their OS of choice to the AI-riddled sequel. Let’s be honest, Windows 11 isn’t the only game in town for Windows 10 users looking to make the move. One of the more popular alternatives is Nitrux Linux, which has just hit a new milestone.

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CachyOS fans, get ready -- this first release of 2025 (download ISO here) was definitely worth the wait. The team held off until NVIDIA’s latest driver was available to make sure users with Blackwell-based 50xx series GPUs had a seamless experience. Now, with the 570 driver in place, Blackwell support is fully integrated.

For those unfamiliar, CachyOS is an Arch Linux-based distribution that focuses on performance and optimization. It builds on the power of Arch while adding aggressive compiler optimizations, a user-friendly setup, and custom tweaks designed to get the most out of modern hardware.

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If you’re tired of Microsoft’s bloated Windows operating system, and you are looking for a fresh alternative, Solus 4.7 could be the Linux distro for you. Code-named “Endurance,” this new release (download here) is chock full of updated software, improved hardware support, and polished desktop environments. The name “Endurance” is not random, either -- it was deliberately chosen to reflect the team’s promise to deliver consistent updates and a reliable experience.

All four editions of Solus comes with updated core apps, including Firefox 134.0.2, LibreOffice 24.8.4.2, and Thunderbird 128.6.0. Multimedia playback is to the desktop environment you choose. For example, Budgie and GNOME editions ship with Rhythmbox and Celluloid, while Plasma users get Elisa and Haruna, and Xfce uses Parole.

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The Wine team has officially released Wine 10.0, marking a full year of extensive development with over 6,000 changes. This stable release introduces major updates designed to improve performance, compatibility, and visual experience when running Windows applications on Linux (and other non-Windows platforms).

Perhaps the most impressive arrival in Wine 10.0 is the addition of full support for the ARM64EC architecture, now on par with ARM64. This allows developers to build hybrid ARM64X modules that blend ARM64EC and ARM64 code in a single binary. While currently reliant on an experimental LLVM toolchain, the upcoming LLVM 20 release should streamline support. The update also introduces 64-bit x86 emulation, using ARM64EC to allow Wine’s internal processes to run natively, reducing the need for resource-intensive emulation.

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