This Windows 10 Clone Looks Like The Real Deal
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I can confidently say that an Ubuntu-based Linux OS called “LinuxFx” really admires the appearance of Microsoft’s Windows 10. In fact, this distribution goes to such painstakingly detailed lengths to emulate the look and feel of Windows 10, I’m surprised Microsoft hasn’t called in the army of lawyers to shut it down. But is LinuxFx a comfortable gateway into Linux for Windows users, or merely an Ubuntu clone with a clever Windows skin?
LinuxFx Build 2004 (codenamed “WindowsFx”) is a Brazilian-created Linux distribution based on Ubuntu 20.04. It uses the flexible Cinnamon Desktop, but novice Linux users would be hard-pressed to identify it; on the surface it’s truly a dead ringer for Windows 10.
LinuxFx also bundles in a healthy assortment of productivity and communication software that Windows users are likely accustomed to such as Skype, Telegram, Microsoft Teams, TeamViewer and Zoom.
There’s even a stripped-down assistant called “Helloa” that uses roughly the same logo and basic animations as Cortana. On your first boot, the Helloa assistant will help set up your graphics drivers, display and resolution, and a couple other basics before you dive in.
Lead developer Rafael Rachid tells me that Helloa is in the early development stages, and that the team is “still integrating with Google to add artificial intelligence and voice commands.” Rachid believes they will have a more polished product soon, so I’m eager to see where they take this component, as virtual assistants are a feature sorely missing from desktop Linux.
Speaking of shamelessly lifting brand imagery, Linux email client Evolution uses the Outlook logo, a “Games” system setting makes use of the Xbox logo, and the LibreOffice launcher swaps in the Microsoft Office logo.
Props to the designers who clearly know how to nail their theming, but perhaps that’s taking the imitation game a bit too far?
At any rate, LinuxFx does offer several valuable additions that Windows users migrating to Linux will appreciate. For starters, the ability to install .exe and .msi packages (using Wine) works out of the box. I tested it with WinRar, PuTTY and a couple other Windows apps and it worked surprisingly well. In addition to that functionality, a Control Panel setting lets you auto-install a suite of additional files to increase compatibility with Windows-exclusive software.
For the most part, it honestly feels like using Windows 10 until you start digging deep into customization menus or the bundled software store (which uses the Windows Store icon because of course it does). Or adding applets, desklets or a huge selection of themes to your installation.
Unlike Windows, however, system updates are seamless and don’t require a restart. . .
LinuxFx is also actively being developed for ARM platforms. It currently works on the Raspberry Pi and is being ported to the Asus Tinker.
It’s both compelling and concerning just how shockingly similar this all looks to Windows 10. Concerning because one has to wonder if the existence of a distribution like this is threatened by the copious amounts of asset borrowing. But it’s also compelling because a new Linux user can quite easily just switch up the theme and behavior using Cinnamon’s wealth of customization options once the novelty of a Windows 10 desktop has worn off.
At that point, they’re basically using a stable version of Ubuntu 20.04 with the Cinnamon desktop. That being said, Rachid tells me their longterm plan is to rewrite all the functions and systematically replace the components of Cinnamon, and eventually employ their own custom window manager.
So my initial impressions of LinuxFx are mixed. I encountered several app crashes within just a few hours, and they seem to be tied into the theming. On the other hand, you have to admire the lengths these developers went to in order to recreate that look and behavior of Windows 10 and to make migrating users feel comfortable.
You could probably install this on a friend’s PC and briefly trick them into thinking they’re still using Windows 10. The more interesting experiment would be handing this to a jaded Windows 10 user and seeing how they adapt to using what’s really Ubuntu Linux with some very clever theming.
In a way, LinuxFx proves just how easy using Linux has become.
Any volunteers? You can download LinuxFx here, and yep, it can also be used directly from the image on a Live USB.
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