Can I convert a laptop on which I already have Windows or Mac installed to an open source system?

The safest way to do this is to choose new hardware that we can recommend; this way there will be no problems with peripheral compatibility (wifi, audio, mic, camera…) This also allows you to run both systems in parallel, in order to compare the look and feel of applications, so that the new system can be tweaked to replicate the old as closely as possible.

If you want to take the plunge without a parallel run, we can assist in backing up your device’s data (though there is not much point in backing up graphical application settings since you will not be able to render them once the new system is installed…) After the install is done, we can restore the data to your new open source operating system.

I hear there are different open source operating systems; which one should I choose?

We can make a recommendation on one that is most stable and suits the hardware you have. There’s little point in “moving in” to an operating system if it will not have updates a year or two from now.

On the other hand, if you are a technically savvy user, or gave gotten advice from someone whom you technically trust, we can opt to install software that you suggest (but of course our warranty for that will be quite limited…)

Given the ample online resources for Linux, we recommend that (though we also offer limited support for versions of “BSD”…) We also prefer to have users adopt “KDE Plasma” for the interface of the operating system, since it uses conventions that most end-users can quickly pick up on.

I would like you to backup my data (for an install of a new system onto the same laptop…); what assurances can I have as to your confidentiality?

Service personnel can sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement that we can furnish. We also do not object to clients witnessing our working on devices (though for reasons of privacy and trade secrecy we do not allow video recording when we are doing so…)

Can all my Windows or Mac applications run on an open source system?

If you have an application that is tied to Windows or Mac (often for licensing reasons; examples are Excel or Photoshop…), you CAN run it on an open source system by using a “VM” (Virtual Machine…) provided your device has ample memory (since this setup entails an additional install of Windows inside the open source system, it will necessitate an additional installation fee…)

But if you are willing to adapt to the conventions of new applications that are FREE (or even use ones that have a nominal charge…), you can sidestep that additional setup.

This is a helpful article on what alternatives there are for Windows and Mac.

Switching to Linux: How to Replace Everyday Apps With Open-Source Alternatives

This is by no means a comprehensive list; nor does it provide guidance on how to use them -but that’s what we are here for. If you pay for installation, we will provide a reasonable degree of assistance and instruction to help you make the transition -or setup a VM for you that can be opened with a click.

If you run Windows or Mac inside an open source system, what’s the point? Why not just run, for example, Windows-only to begin with??

Since your “host operating system” (the open source one…) runs with a firewall, as long as you are not doing direct file retrievals from the Internet from sources of unknown provenance (and make sure all Email+text communications are done in the open source operating system, not Windows or Mac…), one advantage is that you can not worry about not receiving security patches for Windows 10 (since Microsoft said they will not be furnishing them anymore, except through a paid subscription…)

You can continue to operate that way with Excel, Photoshop, and other Windows-only applications until such time as a satisfactory alternative is offered.

If I want to continue to run Windows 10 and not pay for nor bother to upgrade to 11, what is the risk of doing that?

At first, not a lot. But as hackers have time to introduce new exploits, and Microsoft does not bother to patch Windows 10, the risk escalates -except if you are running Windows 10 behind a firewall and not using it for browsing or communications. Running Windows 10 inside of a Linux desktop “VM” (Virtual Machine) will continue to afford you that protection.

This was already seen with Windows XP; running XP for browsing and communications instigated many breaches in companies refusing to upgrade to Windows 10 or migrate to desktop Linux. Nowadays the graphical experience of desktop Linux has improved so much that using it as a go-to for tasks should be given serious consideration,

What are the reasons to move away from Microsoft Windows?

• There is more and more intrusive monitoring being done by Microsoft that raises privacy concerns -from Teams to AI addons.
• There is more and more advertising being injected into Microsoft interface components -isn’t that what you paid to avoid when you first got the system?
• Forced updates which can be rather difficult to defer. This can be very hazardous if you are running third party software which has not been “regression tested” with the updates, and they end up breaking the functionality of that software when you are using it on a deadline.
• Confusing and frivolous changes to desktop conventions (such as centering the “Start” menu, as opposed to maintaining its well-known convention of the lower left…)

What are the reasons to move away from Mac?

Primarily one: the luxe prices that their hardware and peripherals demand. Apple will argue it’s worth it, but we leave that call to the end user. after they have evaluated both systems. It is possible to have a desktop theme installed on Linux that closely resembles the look and feel of Mac.

Another advantage to Apple products is access to their “Genius Bar” in retail outlets, for support -but OS alchemy provides a functional equivalent to that.

Are there any associated costs with a move from, say, Windows or Mac to a Linux desktop?

Primarily one: time; learning the different conventions on desktop Linux. That’s why we are here: to help you with that, as opposed to spending hours or days online to find a remedy (though that is still an option if you would prefer to do that…) On rare occasion an open source solution might not deliver all the functionality you would like, and a paid application solution for an open source operating system might be better.

Are open source systems safe? Do I need antivirus when I use them??

Open source is as safe as other operating systems; the same advisories of not exploring documents sent to you with unknown provenance applies to open source systems.

One advantage though of open source systems is their modular design. When setting up a system, you can choose what components you want, and opt out on ones you don’t need (other software manufacturers often do not give you that option, in the secret hope that you will become addicted to the additional software they bolt in…) The larger amount of bolt-on software offers more opportunities for an exploit to be perpetrated on you. So for that reason the design of open source operating systems has a qualified edge over Windows and Mac ones .But even though open source operating systems have that design advantage, through messaging deception exploits can still be perpetrated on an end-user, so care should be taken in whom you accept messages from and what applications you choose to use.

We DO recommend antivirus (and can also recommend free ones, but prefer paid ones…) We also recommend “Thunderbird” as a mail client, since it has good levels of security that most other Email programs do not have (if you have used “Outlook”, you can think of Thunderbird as a simpler version of that…) We also recommend the protonmail service (which has a subscription fee…), which can be used in conjunction with Thunderbird. Mail stored at protonmail by Thunderbird using protonmail’s “bridge” component cannot even be read by admin staff of protonmail. Thunderbird can retain unencrypted copies of your Emails on your laptop (we recommend at least 2 TeraBytes of storage to support that and other growth that can naturally occur over time…)

But what happens if I lose access to my device?

That’s where periodic backups are important. After installation we will always follow up to see if you have done your backups (or if you like, we can perform them for a service fee…)

We strongly recommend that all hardware BIOS’s be “Opal” compliant; this is a standard where there is a boot-time password which all data is encrypted with. Once a device is locked, nobody will be able to access the data of a lost or stolen laptop.

I lost a file on a disk; can you recover it?

If the loss is due to disk wear, it is important that you force powerdown the device immediately; continued use will permanently damage the disk and make any lost files unrecoverable. If there is no disk wear, we can attempt a search for it, but we could also work with labs who could indicate if the file can be recovered -though this is not a cheap option.

For a fee, we can also set you up with software that automatically archives file updates on the versioning services of gitlab and github.