Well, here we are. We all knew it was coming. We had clear warnings. And now, it's finally here. Microsoft's beloved operating system, Windows 10, has reached its end-of-life date.

It's weird writing that in a sombre way, because I still remember the early days of Windows 10, where Microsoft fought to get stubborn people off of Windows 8.1 and the legendary Windows 7, and use its then-newest operating system. Now, Microsoft is doing the same thing, except it is trying to nudge the millions of loyal users still on Windows 10 to upgrade to Windows 11. And yes, Windows 10's market share is still quite high.

But between the two Microsoft-sanctioned options of using Windows 10's extended support plan for another year of security updates and upgrading to Windows 11 is a third option: migrating to another operating system. Some XDA writers moved to macOS, while I went for Linux. Given how you can turn a fairly old Windows 10 PC into a Linux machine for free, I wanted to share what I believe is the best Linux distribution for Windows escapees.

Linux Mint's Cinnamon desktop environment is easy to understand for Windows users

Cinnamon is an excellent introduction to what Linux can do

I feel like Linux Mint is often recommended for Windows users, so I tried to think of another distribution that might be a better fit. However, it's tough to think of something else that's more suitable for people leaving Windows, especially given how it was my first distro when moving away from Windows 10. As such, I'd prefer to draw on my own personal experience of how Linux Mint was for me instead of plucking out any old distro.

People recommend Linux Mint a lot because it uses Cinnamon, a desktop environment that's really easy for Windows fans to understand. All your basics are there: a Start menu look-alike, a taskbar with all the essentials arranged like Windows, and even a wallpaper that resembles Microsoft's style.

It's worth noting that Cinnamon isn't exclusive to Linux Mint. It's what's called a "desktop environment," which is one of my favorite Linux features that even Windows fanboys can appreciate. You can install Cinnamon on any compatible Linux distro, and it'll look just like Linux Mint; however, for the sake of migrating from Windows and wanting as comfortable an experience as possible right out of the box, Linux Mint is perfect.

Linux Mint is based on Debian

Makes it easier to find Linux versions of your apps

When you move from Windows to Linux, you'll need to do a little bit of working out what can stay and what can go. Some of the apps you like using on Windows have a Linux version that works perfectly; others will work, but not as well. And others still won't have a Linux version, meaning you'll need to find an alternative.

From my personal experience, I had an easier time finding Linux versions of my favorite apps when I was on a Debian-based system. If developers create a Linux version, it typically includes a DEB package, which you can simply download and install on a Debian-based distribution. When I moved to Fedora, some of my apps didn't have RPM files, so I had to manually convert them to DEB versions to use them, which isn't ideal.

However, Linux Mint isn't the only distro worth checking out

Don't base your entire judgment on one version of Linux

Before you hop onto Linux Mint, it's worth noting that it's not the only distro out there that you can use as a beginner. It's one of the best points of entry, for sure, but you can totally experiment with other ones if you'd like.

While using Linux Mint, take note of all the aspects you dislike. Perhaps Linux Mint feels a bit too similar to Windows, and you'd like to add a bit of variety to the UI? Does Linux Mint update too often? Does it update too slowly? Do you dislike Cinnamon as a desktop environment and want to try something else? Do you want more control over what's installed on your system and want to build it from scratch? Or perhaps you want a distro that specializes in a specific task, such as work, gaming, or even serving as a server?

If you use Linux Mint and are completely satisfied with it, that's great! Just because Linux Mint is ideal for beginners, doesn't mean you have to grow out of it and use a different distro later on. However, if you do find some things you don't like, don't be afraid to go distro hopping or change up the desktop environment to find the one that checks the boxes for you, something I highly recommend Linux newcomers try once or twice.

I moved away from Linux Mint to Fedora KDE Plasma because I enjoy how often Fedora updates, how it adopts Wayland tech, and how KDE Plasma works. You can see an example of KDE Plasma in the screenshots above. As it's a desktop environment, you can install it on Linux Mint. However, I recommend trying Fedora KDE Plasma instead, as it allows you to use it without breaking anything. Your use case will be unique to you, so be sure to reach out or do research on the elements you treasure the most to find your perfect distro.

Linux Mint is a great start for Windows escapees

Whether you find a new home on Linux Mint or you end up moving on, I think it's well worth checking out if you want to give your Windows 10 PC a second life. Plus, if you're using older hardware, it may thank you for using a lighter OS over Windows 10.