For years, Windows users frustrated with constant changes, aggressive updates, and growing system bloat have flirted with switching to Linux. But 2025 marks a noticeable shift: a new generation of Linux distributions built specifically for ex-Windows users is gaining real traction. One of the standout examples is Bazzite, a gaming-optimized Fedora-based distro that has quickly become a go-to choice for people abandoning Windows in favor of a cleaner, more customizable experience.

Why Many Windows Users Are Finally Jumping Ship

Microsoft’s ecosystem has been slowly pushing some users toward the exit. Hardware requirements for Windows 11 left millions of perfectly functional PCs behind. Ads on the Start menu and in system notifications have frustrated many. And for gamers, launcher problems, forced reboots and background processes that siphon resources have driven a search for alternatives.

Linux distributions have benefited from that frustration, especially those that focus on simplicity, performance and gaming readiness.

Gaming-First Distros Are Leading the Movement

Historically, switching to Linux meant sacrificing game compatibility. But with Valve’s Proton layer and Vulkan-based translation technologies, thousands of Windows games now run flawlessly, sometimes better than on Windows.

Distros targeting former Windows users are leaning into this new reality:

• Seamless Steam integration

• Automatic driver configuration for AMD, Intel and NVIDIA

• Built-in performance overlays like MangoHUD

• Proton GE and tools for modding or shader fixes

• Support for HDR, VR and modern controller layouts

This means a new Linux user can install one of these distros and jump straight into gaming with almost no setup.

Bazzite: A Standout Alternative OS

Bazzite has become the poster child for this trend. Built on Fedora’s image-based system and the Universal Blue infrastructure, it offers an incredibly stable base that updates atomically, similar to SteamOS.

What makes Bazzite so attractive to Windows refugees?

• Gaming-ready out of the box no tweaking, no driver hunts

• Rock-solid performance thanks to an immutable system layout

• Support for handheld PCs like the Steam Deck, ROG Ally and Legion Go

• Friendly workflows that feel familiar to new Linux users

• Customization without the risk of breaking the system

It’s no surprise that many “I switched to Linux!” posts now mention Bazzite as their distro of choice.

The stable release of Linux Kernel 6.18 was officially tagged on November 30, 2025.

It’s expected to become this year’s major long-term support (LTS) kernel, something many users and distributions care about.

Here’s a breakdown of the most significant changes and improvements in this release:

Core Improvements: Performance, Memory, Infrastructure

• The kernel’s memory allocation subsystem gets a major upgrade with “sheaves”, a per-CPU caching layer for slab allocations. This reduces locking overhead and speeds up memory allocation and freeing, improving overall system responsiveness.

• A new device-mapper target dm-pcache arrives, enabling use of persistent memory (e.g. NVDIMM/CXL) as a cache layer for block devices, useful for systems with fast non-volatile memory, SSDs, or hybrid storage.

• Overall memory management and swapping performance have been improved, which should help under memory pressure or heavy workloads.

Networking & Security Enhancements

• Networking gets a boost: support for Accurate Explicit Congestion Notification (AccECN) in TCP, which can provide better congestion signals and more efficient network behaviour under load.

• A new option for PSP-encrypted TCP connections has been added, a fresh attempt to push more secure transport-layer encryption (like a more efficient alternative to IPsec/TLS for some workloads) under kernel control.

• The kernel now supports cryptographically signed BPF programs (eBPF), so BPF bytecode loaded at runtime can be verified for integrity. This is a noteworthy security hardening step.

• The overall security infrastructure and auditing path, including multi-LSM (Linux Security Modules) support, has been refined, improving compatibility for setups using SELinux, AppArmor, or similar simultaneously.

Hardware, Drivers & Architecture Coverage

• Kernel 6.18 brings enhanced hardware support: updated and new drivers for many platforms across architectures (x86_64, ARM, RISC-V, MIPS, etc.), including improvements for GPUs, CPU power management, storage controllers, and more.

• In particular, support for newer SoCs, chipsets, and embedded-board device trees has been extended, beneficial for people using SBCs, ARM-based laptops/boards, or niche hardware.

• For gaming rigs, laptops, and desktops alike: improvements to drivers, power-state management, and performance tuning may lead to better overall hardware efficiency.