End of 10
Microsoft's Windows 10 is coming to the end of its life, and many older
computers currently running it do not meet the hardware standards required
for Windows 11. This doesn't mean that Windows 11 will run badly on them;
it means it won't run at all. Those computers have no future other than
as unpatched, unsupported, insecure systems waiting to be taken over by
malware, or as paperweights.
Or do they? Linux is an alternative OS (operating system) that you can
run on your computer, instead of Windows. It runs different application
software, and has a different windowing system, so you can expect to
have to learn new ways of doing some things. But the differences aren't
vast, and in any case, your computer's about to become useless for
running Windows. However, installing Linux can be a bit more daunting
than running it. So the End of 10
campaign is an umbrella organisation trying to create a database of
Linux experts the world over, who are willing to help install Linux on
these otherwise-futureless computers, in the hope that they can be useful
for their owners once again. The idea is to have a sufficiently-large
number of experts that you can find one locally, and get your computer
a new lease of life.
What Gatekeeper Technology can do
As part of the End Of 10 movement, we will find a mutually-agreeable
time to come to you, and briefly discuss what Linux is, how it works,
and what you can (and cannot) reasonably expect it to do. If you want us to,
we will then install Linux on your computer. Our preferred distribution
is Debian, a community-created Linux
with an active base here in Cambridge, and one of the most common Linux
distributions installed on computers around the world. Once it's up and
running, we would expect to spend a little time orienting you in your new
system, covering the tools people most commonly use for the most common
tasks (email, web browsing, word processing, audio and video playing,
etc.) as well as how you can maintain and extend your system.
If you are an individual or a charity, we will do this
for nothing, though we do ask that you make a donation to Amnesty International
if you feel that you can afford it (they do a great job of proecting
rights even more important than the right to control your own computer).
If you are a business, you're welcome to avail yourselves of our services
in a professional capacity.
What Gatekeeper Technology can't or won't do
We won't do ongoing free tech support for your new system. There is
a vibrant and active global community of Linux users, and we
would expect to point you towards that as part of your installation.
But once we leave you are expected to do your own research, and learn
your own lessons.
We also offer no guarantees. Every computer system is different. If,
for whatever reason, it proves impossible to install Linux on yours,
that is sad, but we aren't responsible for that. The same is true if not
everything on your new computer works under Linux. Proprietary graphics
cards and wireless network cards are particular hazards here: their
manufacturers take the view that they need only work on Windows.
Unfortunately you're stuck with the consequences of their decisions,
and this too is not our fault.
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