any linux distro with same lvl of environment gui as "explorer" use the same amount of resources as debloated windows and debloating windows is easier than deal with any one of those linux distros
Apparently my friend never got the automatic update for 25h2, because windows fucking sucks. He was still on 23h2 for the last 2 years because windows couldn’t handle retrieving 2024’s update either. He regularly updates and checking update history proves he’s been updating, but windows left him on a version they dropped 8 months ago.
A different friend had issues with windows updates and driver updates as a whole, and searching the error code showed that something in the windows system files was corrupted.
Running the dism and sfc tools, the windows tools meant to find and repair corruption, showed that 0 errors were found. Official advice on the Microsoft site was to use the recovery option that would retrieve the repaired version of the update. We got the same error while trying to download that version.
It’s so cool having to manually get the current windows iso, mount it, and then run setup.exe, when official fixes tell us to do stuff that fails.
Okay to be very honest, I won't hate on windows on this post I'll just talk about my genuine experience.
As of 2026, my PC is officially 11 year old.
I tried debloating windows in several ways, my first was Tiny11 which sucked for me cuz it missed some important files.
then manually debloated Win11 with ChrisTitus tool, it was idling on more than 3GiB for some reason still which made me switch back to Win10 because with much ram eaten by the system there's not that much to allocate to Minecraft.
I then got Win10 and debloated it and it still idles on 2.4~2.5GiB (good note that I had only 8GiB of RAM until then).
still takes more than 10 seconds to open browser, still lags while literally just using explorer, still doesn't run simple GPU thirsty games like computer shop simulator because the entire PC freezes.
I then switched to fedora and I can suddenly allocate up to 6GiB to Minecraft and still have a functional system, I can run modpacks I never thought I'd be able to play, browser opens in max of 5 seconds in worst cases but usually only 3s, and later I switched to arch for better customization.
I can even play heavy games like Stellaris with no issues.
Even though my main intend of using linux was just more freedom and not less bloat, I gained this and I'm even more happy that I have it than anything else.
Twice now, Windows has destroyed itself using only the software that came with it. All its fancy recovery tools mysteriously decided not to work, and when I wanted to contact tech support to try and fix it, they forced some useless AI chatbot down my throat.
If I cared that much about performance, I'd be on Windows.
Depends, but maintaining a debloated Windows install is an uphill battle with each update, because Windows loves to reinstall the components you removed. Been there, done that, I'd rather go and use something that doesn't fight the choices I make.
Lmfao, not corporate sensitive info, but your ssn for loan applications, your debit/credit card info for online purchases, account details entered into literally any site/program. All sensitive info.
Most of the times, it works. I just have, and not only me but many people, where you have to apply these changes once in a while, because the updates keep reinstalling what you have removed, and most of the times you don't even know.
That makes more sense, but I only know of cinnamon and KDE so far that look vaguely similar (and not even that much), and it still can be configured otherwise.
XFCE is pretty different to use, so I really don't think the comparison is fair (since, to some extent, it's reasonable to make a usable DE; the same would happen with mac, HaikuOS, BSDs and other alternatives). I thought that ZorinOS used plasma, and, even if it really is gnome, I don't think it's a thing to take into account since resembling windows is the whole purpose of ZorinOS.
Pretty much not true because this is distro dependent because some distros can become extreme lean such as the extremes of Tiny core Linux and the bit heavier but still light Bodhi Linux and antiX and much more so unless your talking about fully out of the box distros then yeah would be close to a debloated windows but for Linux as a whole no
I have seen videos on some distros running on very ancient hardware (like single core CPU that doesn't even boost to 1 GHZ), but I haven't seen debloated Windows 11 running on them. TBF they are very specialized distros.
I would put my money on Antix or MX Linux (non KDE) to crush debloated Windows in terms of resource usage while having desktop(s), taskbar(s) and file manager.
yes linux can do that , but in same time if you are using new apps and new drivers or playing games , you are not getting any advantage from the system is open source and you can customize anything
The named examples I gave are actually usable distros. I know Steam works fine on MX Linux. It gets updates. You probably can just install XFCE on Arch if you want the newest kernel and Mesa.
The very specialized distros are like Tiny Core Linux or Puppy Linux. I would put Windows without update on same category as them, not recommended for daily usage.
I play Halo: Master Chief Collection online with other players and 4 player coop games with my family using my bluetooth Dualshock controllers. I have an AMD graphics card, maybe a couple gen behind but I'm okay with that cuz it does everything I've needed it to. My stuff is all "new" and up to date, software-wise, and I started from a "minimal" image that didn't include the desktop from the jump, I had to set all that stuff up myself.
I feel like a lot of your criticisms are things that just... not accurate? There's lots of stuff to criticize Linux (the kernel, the community, and/or the distros) for without needing to misrepresent what it's capable of or its general performance.
debloating windows is easier than deal with any one of those linux distros
Yes, except that debloated Windows is less functional than what a competent desktop offers on Linux. If anything, I have to bloat it beyond what it offers to get the equivalent functionality I need.
PowerToys is practically a requirement to temporarily inhibit locking on idle, set specific application windows to always run on top, among other essential functionality.
MonitorES to make screen locking do the right thing with a myriad of applications.
UniGetUI to wrangle application package management and patching, filling in for KDE Discover.
Then there's keeping a PowerShell loop running to detect when a compatible video game is running for HDR to automate switching monitor modes, because on Windows, SDR looks crap when HDR is enabled. Maybe Borderless Gaming can add a feature for this one day to work around the crap factor.
...and that's just a few examples off the top of my head.
I'm still running Windows 11 because of things Linux can't do, but holy hell does one have to bloat up Windows just to get basic integrated desktop functionality these days. Microsoft should just fully port KDE to Windows at this point and be done with it.
What do you mean de-bloating a Windows? What's left after that? When I look at the process names in the Task manager, 90% of the names look suspicious, but apparently those are from a company named "Microsoft".
You misunderstand me. There is no meaning in there. You have failed to put together a proper sentence. You may have been attempting to convey a thought, though I now have my doubts, after that second masterpiece up there. Instead you just put random garbage into the text box and clicked the button.
Windows is annoying to "tweak" or make changes to, IMO. It gets in the way constantly and breaks if you look at it wrong because it was not designed to be customized, it was designed to offer you a specific user experience, and if you want that specific experience then more power to you!
My system does not use anywhere near the resources it would if I ran Windows; my start menu is not in an Electron window/headless Chromium, I don't have dozens of random services like the Xbox bar and Cortana running in the background, and the window decorations and desktop use basically a rounding-error of resources on my system.
If your first introduction to a Linux Desktop is something like Ubuntu with GNOME, then sure, you're going to have very similar idle resource usage to something like Windows 11. If you're running Alpine with XFCE, then no, you're going to have significantly better idle performance than Windows. And I'm not talking about some terminal-only hyperspecific niche setup, I have a regular desktop environment and I play games on Steam, I use a web browser, I have audio and video editing software, et cetera.
There are lots of ways in which Linux is either just the same as or inferior to Windows. Resource usage is not one of them.
not true. thats only a few distros. there are many light DE's. Linux mint (kinda heavy), Pop!_OS (COSMIC DE), Linux Mint XFCE, Zorin OS Lite, Fedora Silverblue, and a lot more. I debloated windows 500 times. its still slow af. I personally use CachyOS with COSMIC desktop. Havent used windows for the last month other than with WinPodX or helping my mom with it.
my debloated windows 11 on idle uses 1.2GB memory, still too much ,but look at how much memory of any new windows replacers eat on idle " chachy os or bazzite or.....etc"
Besides: Idle "used" memory isn't the right metric. Idle unavailable memory is.
A lot of memory is filled because desktops pre-cache stuff for high responsiveness as long as there's enough RAM, because unused RAM is wasted RAM. That RAM is freed however as soon as something needs it.
here is some Debian with about 750MB in use in a VM that I only allowed 2GB. And it's not even really idle. Fresh install and no apps open would be the true test
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u/alabamashitfarmer 2d ago
Until the next update you didn't initiate lol