Sorry for your loss :( Same thing happened to me about a year ago.

I was the sole IT admin for a small company. Used Debian with KDE on a snappy little Thinkpad. No issues managing all the infra with it, even though most of it was MS trash. I used Reminnia for RDP into the Windows servers, and the Browser for all O365/Entra administration. A Windows 11 VM for the rare times I needed to test Windows-only apps or configs.

Worked like a dream, but then we got bought out by a huge competitor. Their IT team took everything over. I had to decommission my on-prem Linux servers, Ansible automations, Open Project tracking and FOSS ticketing system. Finally, I had to give up my Sweet little Linux Thinkpad and use their standard-issue HP Windows 11 garbage laptop. They were slow, clunky, buggy, and ugly, it was awful.

I quit a few months later after securing the job I have now. It pays about 35% more, has twice as much PTO, and about 50% of my workload is Linux stuff. It's so much better.

My advice, if it's truly non negotiable, install WSL first thing. It's not nearly as good as having actual Linux, because it's running inside of Microslop's horrid OS, but it's better than nothing. Try to be an advocate for FOSS at the company, see if you can convince leadership to let you implement Linux-based solutions wherever they might fit, make yourself the de facto expert on them so you at least get to work on Linux and FOSS infra.

Aside from that, start job hunting. Try to find a job that will let you be more Linuxy.

Do not, under any circumstances, conduct any private business on it. What isn't being logged by Microsoft and shared with your employer, advertisers, various governments will be screenshot'd every n seconds. Additionally, I highly suggest, if you haven't already, to setup a separate VLAN for this device if you ever bring it home and connect it to your home network. Defender absolutely does passive sniffing and active network scanning now. It will also be collecting and logging visible SSIDs as well. Enjoy!

Pressing F to pay my respects.

Sorry to hear that OP.

When old employer was bought out they tried to move us on to windows. It was shit. After non stop issues they gave in and let us keep linux.

I'm sorry to hear that. Our company recently got acquired, and every 4-6 months the new IT team tries to say, "but do you guys really need Linux? What for?". We answer them, in depth, every time, but then it just comes back up a few months later.

I'm scared one of these days they're just going to force the change on us, all productivity will grind to an absolute halt, deliverables will be missed, and eventually they'll backtrack but only after it's too late to recover the programs that got hosed in the process.

Just use the shovel your boss gives you. Back to your own preferences once you clock out.

No amount of HRT would make this transition any easier my dude.

Start doing a job search?

Virtualize windows lmao

At workplace, use whatever OS and tools allowed by company policy.

At home, use whatever OS and tools you like.

At least that is how I’m managing it.

Uh. My condolences. Do they also force you to use the software installed on Windows? Otherwise you could just image Fedora and run it in a virtual machine inside of Windows 11. Technically, I guess that'd fulfill the requirement with Windows 11 on the computer... Just that you don't use it for more than log in, start the Linux VM and expand it full-screen.

Depending on your computers specs & if it's allowed or not by your company.. You could always continue to use Fedora & run win-11 inside a VM with pass through enabled....

https://gist.github.com/camullen/0c41d989ac2ad7a89e75eb3be0f8fb16

Just cut Windows out as much as possible and run everything in WSL. Setup everything to boot straight to all your WSL layers, and aside from the absolute shit Base OS, it should be the same.

Switch workplace.

There are countless ways to bypass that (e.g. https://docs.linuxserver.io/images/docker-webtop/ running on a server) but honestly if a workplace does not value your expertise to hone your own tools, they don't really value you as an employee.

I think the problem with Linux in the workplace is that it's hard (read harder than Windows and MacOS) to setup to be managed devices. Especially if the company is a Microsoft shop to begin with. The IT security teams just don't know how to enforce the company policies on Linux machines. Enforce password policy, network credentials and managed apps. It easy with Intune for Windows and Mac. Much harder on Linux.

That's the reason I was given by my work place, when I was "forced" to switch from Linux to Windows.

As a form of protest create README txt files everywhere that say things like "I wish I was using linux" and "friends don't let friends use windows".

Thanks for the info guys, good stuff!

Those of you who are telling me to look for a new workplace over an OS change are a bit crazy though lol. It's not quite that bad.

You may run Fedora in WSL2. This is what I do. My work is largely command line based. Use Wezterm. If you must, launch GUI apps from there. I'm running graphical Emacs daily just fine this way. My coworkers don't have half the gas for our kubernetes pods that I do and that's by in large the fact that I refuse to lose my Linux chops

Ask your IT to install Virtualbox (or vmware if that's what you have) and go on using Linux inside a VM.

That's what I did. I don't do absolutely everything on Linux because, for example, using MS Office directly on the PC instead of the web version in the VM is much more practical, but I do most things.

Edit: to add: work PC is provided by the company, not my own.

Quit

If they want you to use something specific on your own device then you should be able to request a new device from them

Just in the right moment when windows got so reliable and safe /s

WSL is reasonable bearable, you can install Fedora instead of the default Ubuntu/Debian too. My work PC started out on 10 and is now on 11. I think I changed the terminal program, but the one I use may be the default in Win11. Honestly, I think the only programs I run outside WSL are a browser, DaVinci Resolve and Reaper (replaced Kdenlive and Ardour, both of which I prefer).

I am able to use the same neovim config on both my home (fedora) and work laptops, which is pretty handy.

At the end of the day it is their computer, not yours.

Run MS OS like an app, inside a VM. Retain your Linux install.

WSL?

Leave it at the office.

Depends on what access you have on your PC.

My two steps are always the same

1. debloater
2. i install chocolatey and use that to manage my applications if possible.

Then, depending on your work requirements, I would deactivate OneDrive if not used.

How big is said workplace? Can you respectfully ask for an exemption? Don't say Windows will make you miserable (it makes everyone miserable, apart from a few Microsoft bootlickers), talk about loss of productivity, reduced security and increased risk, and – if you can – challenge the grounds on which the change is being made.

Often, they are incapable of providing proper justification for the change. May not help, but you'll have the minor satisfaction of knowing it is bullshit.

If it's your computer that you bought and legally own, tell them where they can install their Winblows 11. (The nice way to say this is to tell them to requisition you a computer or think of an alternative, because you are not going to use a personal device for company business anyway)

If it's their computer that they own, grin and bare it.

Install Powertoys if you can, this at least makes windows usable (funcionality-wise, its still going to be slow as shit)

Install Fedora in a VM if you can?

New job time!

https://github.com/ChrisTitusTech/winutil has some nice and simple buttons for reducing the bullshit.

On my work PC i have windows 11 which is a mess and keeps getting worse. I installed a Debian VM on it to have at least some freedom and pleasant PC experience.

Use VMs. Depending on their setup/requirements depends on which OS can be in the VM.

What is the reasoning there?

If possible, maybe get a separate machine to throw Windows on and then keep your personal rig on Linux?

Can't you just boot straight into a VM running windows, in your Fedora? Passthrough the hardware.. who's gonna know?

Since my work involves sensors, I set up a continuous testing setup on a raspberry pi and got its IP whitelisted. I ssh into it when something is annoying to do in the Windows laptop.

Big oof, time to start applying else where imo.

@ISolox Don't let them take your freedom to use linux at your home. Use for them, and send the thek to hell after the work.

Get a good KVM switch or stream-access the Windows machine with VNC or similar (beware of clipboard sharing). I have the same issue at home and just use a KVM switch at the moment.