The end-of-life date for Windows 10 is rapidly approaching, and the new ‘End of 10’ campaign is promoting desktop Linux as an alternative to buying a new Windows 11 computer. It’s organized by some members of the Linux community, including developers and designers from GNOME and KDE.

Windows 11 has higher system requirements than Windows 10, preventing PCs with older CPUs, no TPM 2.0 support, and no Secure Boot from officially upgrading. Microsoft still isn’t budging on those requirements, and the official recommendation for unsupported hardware is to buy a new computer. You can use workarounds to get Windows 11 on some unsupported PCs, but there’s no telling how long that will work, and staying on Windows 10 will require paying for extended support after October 14, 2025 to receive critical security fixes.

Thankfully, desktop Linux still works on all those PCs that Windows 11 left behind, and the ‘End of 10’ campaign is organizing resources and events to help people make the switch. The website explains, “Microsoft wants you to buy a new computer. But what if you could make your current one fast and secure again? […] By just installing an up-to-date Linux operating system you can keep using it for years to come. Installing a new operating system may sound difficult, but the community behind the ‘End Of 10’ is here to help! In towns and cities around the globe, there are people and places ready to lend you a hand or even install Linux for you.”

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The project is compiling a list of repair shops, organizations, groups, and other places where you can get help with Linux. The locations are mostly in Europe right now, but there are a few places in the United States, Brazil, India, Australia, and other countries. There’s also a growing list of upcoming events for help with using Linux—one of the US events is a Linux Mint Cinnamon demonstration with help from volunteers at the Humboldt Repair Café in Arcata, California. End of 10 is also working on translations, flyers, and social media campaigns to reach as many people as possible.

It’s worth noting that End of 10 isn’t promoting any specific Linux distribution, saying, “The End Of 10 website and outreach are intentionally distro-agnostic. The goal is to speak as a big FOSS family. We want the campaign and activities to represent all of our communities.” That seems like a smart move—it’s easy for potential converts to get lost in debates over which desktop environments or distros are the best and just give up.

It’s great to see a more organized effort to help people migrate from Windows 10 to Linux, especially in real-world events and places. Desktop Linux isn’t the perfect solution for everyone, but the personalized help will hopefully push more people to consider it as an option.

Source: End of 10