Winboat
Winboat
I’m worried about the direction MS is heading, but I won’t choose an OS based on ideology. I’ll review everything every 1-2 years to understand how Linux fits into MY workflow. I really enjoy the appearance of W11, its interface, and it runs smoothly on modern hardware—though boot times are longer than Linux. I recently tried installing my remote software on Linux again, and it had issues. I think the problem lies with my employer’s IT team not updating their systems, not with Linux itself. I have no control over that. So I stick to Windows on my desktop PCs. When I’m physically at work, I have no alternative. Unlike one in ten games failing, remote access isn’t optional—it’s essential. I’m comfortable with MX Linux on certain media PCs, which are great for testing and learning. I’ve spent time trying to run Linux as a full desktop, but the experience has been limited. Linux should support me, not hinder me. W11 works well; my Android phone does too; my iPad functions fine. For Linux, I need to learn, experiment, and accept some limitations. The VM environment only makes sense if most of my tasks run smoothly on Linux, and I only need Windows software occasionally—once a week at most. If you’re always using VMs or similar setups, pretending to use Linux isn’t really worthwhile.
This setup seems limited for running virtual machines. I've seen someone use Photoshop on Winboat successfully, but they needed a powerful machine with 128GB RAM. The project is still new and in beta, and it doesn't currently support GPU passthrough, though they're likely working toward that soon.
GPU Passthrough requires you to have a second GPU to passthrough to it which also requires your motherboard to properly split up IOMMU Groups and while there is a patch for IOMMU groups (ACS Override Patch) to forcefully split them it has some unintended consequences with security and potentially stability since memory areas get shared between the host and guest because those devices are not actually isolated.
I just gave it a go—it looks quite user-friendly compared to setting up Qemu or KVM. Try resetting Winboat and deleting the WM in the config page. Surprise! If you didn’t mention a local ISO, it will fetch one and save it in the folder you chose beforehand. From Omnissa client, it seems it doesn’t support nested RDP sessions, which is fine for me. I use Remmina for remote access and have dynamic resolution updates enabled for 1-to-1 scaling. It also has a multimonitor option—have you tried that? Surprise! It isn’t turned on, so personalization isn’t possible.
But one of those needs to be taken out of the host, I’m not very experienced with iGPU passthrough and have seen conflicting outcomes, so getting a dedicated GPU might be the safest choice. Important points though: not every GPU can reset correctly after being removed from an OS without rebooting the host. NVIDIA seems to handle this reasonably well, AMD is more challenging, and I don’t know much about Intel’s situation. GPUs that remain linked to the VFIO driver usually lack proper power management if the VM isn’t running, which can cause them to overheat and potentially fail. This might also relate to the inability to reset them properly. While they stay connected to the VM or VFIO, they become unusable on the host. If the VM stays active and you only use the GPU inside that VM, it’s not a major concern. For Intel iGPUs from the 5th to 10th generation, Intel GVT is supported, but there’s limited documentation for newer models. AMD and NVIDIA generally fall into workstation categories. Even if you manage it, performance issues could impact applications, and the only solution is to be aware of these limitations. How severe the problem is depends on the host and guest activities at any moment and how much resources the guest consumes.
Although the components aren’t top-notch, they perform well enough for most users who haven’t met TPM standards. I’m using a similar configuration with Debian 13 and an i7-7700k. It’s likely that many people with older systems have weaker hardware. For my requirements, it meets the needs—though not suitable for virtual machines.
Many claims on YouTube seem exaggerated. Channel A claims switching to Linux is simple and your old PC with limited RAM will still work. They promise everything will be covered by the repository. A week later, Channel B shifts the message: if you need a Windows app, use a VM or WinBoat. But they overlook that optimal results come from a 64GB system with 12 cores.
If you have such specs, sticking to Windows might be better. I don’t play games or handle graphics-heavy tasks. Yet if you need a second GPU, consider saving money and energy by using Windows instead. During setup, I installed Windows via the browser, assuming it was hosted on their servers. But if it’s on your local drive, performance issues are understandable.
I recently heard a Linux podcast suggesting games now run smoothly on Linux—just a small step toward making other Windows programs work. They mentioned it would take more development, but some features already existed over 15 years ago. I realized many developers are cautious about new ideas.
When assessing Linux, I tend to trust them initially. Features often seem rough at first, but improvements come with time. But if a problem hasn’t been fixed for decades, it probably won’t be fixed soon.
I had high hopes for Hyprland and thought it would outperform Linux. That was unrealistic!
Recently I watched a video that highlighted keyboard shortcuts and configuration tweaks. Unfortunately, most tutorials focus on mouse use, ignoring the need to adjust settings. I’m disappointed—using a PC for work usually means relying on a mouse, not a keyboard. A modern UI like Hyprland’s tiles is impressive, but it doesn’t address the real challenge of config files and shortcuts.
Trying Krohnkite last night confirmed my frustration. The keyboard shortcuts are still problematic, and I’m left with no choice but to stick with W11 for a normal user who prefers traditional methods.
Many people are pushing Linux as a complete replacement for Windows, but in reality it may never fully replace it. Those who create Linux content often spread inaccurate information and set unrealistic expectations. The situation shows that much of the more active Linux community lacks deep knowledge and frequently offers poor guidance. This reflects a common issue. Games succeed because they depend mainly on minimal Windows features beyond DirectX, and translating to Vulkan was easier than with other technologies. In contrast, older solutions like WineD3D (which used DirectX on OpenGL) performed poorly once you moved away from DirectX. Relying heavily on Windows-specific functions quickly breaks compatibility, even if some programs seem functional—they often just use placeholders that don’t actually work. Even with current improvements, there’s no assurance of perfect performance. Windows continues to evolve, and as Microsoft releases new updates, developers must adapt quickly to avoid legal issues. Wine is useful now, but it won’t become the long-term answer people expect. I’m eager to see how upcoming Windows 11 changes affect software needs and how Wine handles them.