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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.