Reclaiming the desktop: Why I’m still on Linux in 2026

2026-04-15 16:00 UTC

I’ve been using Linux for years, but as the proprietary alternatives get more aggressive with telemetry and adverts, I wanted to document the choices that actually keep my desktop predictable. This isn’t a manual, but a practical overview of my setup. From why I’ve settled on CachyOS and KDE Plasma for my main rig, to the reality of dealing with proprietary software and app compatibility in 2026. It’s just an honest look at the transition and why I’m done with the corporate defaults.

Replies (9)

@Dsklnsadog@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2026-04-15 16:06

What surprises me more is that someone feels the need to justify staying on Linux at all. That’s a conversation that shouldn’t even exist. The question has almost always been the other way around: why use anything else?

Open ##1163998
@Grass@sh.itjust.works 2026-04-15 16:14

This just in: Why I’m staying with my husband that doesn’t beat me, doesn’t gaslight me, doesn’t rape children or explain daily why rapists should run our country. He helps with chores too. The reason will shock you.

Open ##1164095
@LLMhater1312@piefed.social 2026-04-15 16:34

Steam has reported record number of linux users in their os survey! I made the switch this year too!

Open ##1164317
@spacetff@lemmy.ml 2026-04-15 17:21

And yet you use & support systemd…

Open ##1164854
@saltnotsugar@lemmy.world 2026-04-15 17:31

Why I still drive a Ferrari instead of the poop smelling ice cream truck.

Open ##1165023
@panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 2026-04-15 18:09

I’ve said some negative things about KDE Plasma feeling like three desktop oses taped together, but the latest version the fixed all that and it’s pretty good. I still want to destroy all the hotksys and window decorations, but it just works, and it works well, and it works for edge cases where Gnome and Cosmic crash or fail silently. KDE is pretty good, and I say that about a very small amount of software.

Open ##1165588
@eli@lemmy.world 2026-04-15 23:18

Just had a conversation at work about using Linux full time. Coworkers asking me what issues I have and what games I can play. I mean it’s not all sunshine and rainbows…but I told them my Start Menu opens every time I need it. I don’t have explorer.exe randomly crashing. I can search in my Start Menu for things and they actually come up properly. Oh and with btrfs snapshots I can update whenever and if it breaks I just rollback and wait for a fix. Which has happened…once in the last 5 months of using Cachy+Plasma. I feel like I can actually use my computer now. With Windows I dreaded doing updates. With Linux I update whenever I want and it doesn’t fucking bother me at all.

Open ##1174365
@AnalogFunk@lemmy.ml 2026-04-16 02:31

I’ve had discussions with my friends about using Linux full time. I got one of them to move their mom’s old All-in-one to Mint since it couldnt move to Win11. Most of them worry about anti-cheat and such, but I tell them consistently “the games we play all work, how do you think I play with y’all?” I’ve started moving everything I do to FOSS, or at least respectful, alternatives. My whole world has become more intentional and free the more detached from the “convenience” of big tech solutions.

Open ##1178117
@Bloefz@lemmy.world 2026-04-15 18:34

Why ‘still’? Linux is only getting better and other options are getting worse.

Open ##1179435