Honestly, if you're going to modify Windows, why not just go Linux? Monkeypatching Windows into a good (useable?) OS seems like more effort for less return than just picking up a distro. The only advantage I've heard people claim for Windows is that "it just works." If it can't even meet your workflow, why bother?
majkinetor|4 years ago
I customize the heck out of Windows with couple of PowerShell scripts. So to get my own "distribution" I need no more then hour or two wait and almost zero effort starting from default ISO install.
I usually have:
1. Recursive windows updater (handles updates and restarts until no updates are available)
2. 50+ Chocolatey packages ( cinst git pwsh vscode docker-desktop dbeaver dngrep everything doublecmd copyq signal slack viber autohotkey premotem flameshot paint.net krita conemu googlechrome thunderbird foobar2000 ... )
3. Run debloater that removes junk services and apps, everything from start menu and taskbar. This also kills Windows Defender.
4. I run ShutupW10 with almost all settings enabled.
Its basically done from there. Many of those tools also download their own settings on first run, such as vscode getting my config and extensions.
Such Windows environment is as productive as any Linux one for me. The only thing I really miss is decent window manager like i3 on Linux.
cybernautique|4 years ago
I'm realizing how detrimental this is to my emotional well-being, but I still genuinely can not imagine what would entice me back to the Microsoft stranglehold. The fact that you even need to run a debloater (that removes most of the user-facing crud), add a package manager, and empathically tell your OS to shut up... I just don't see the point.
It's adversarial.
Why do I want an enemy for an OS? and even if the OS was friendly, Microsoft certainly isn't, and so: why do I want an enemy's snitch for an OS?
boogies|4 years ago
What things?