Someone is developing a Windows-to-Linux migration tool

Millions of PC users who run Windows 10 on their devices can't upgrade their devices to Windows 11 because of stricter system requirements. Microsoft introduced the cut deliberately, well aware that it would affect a sizeable number of customers.

With Windows 10 support running out in a few months, and the one-year updates extension the only official option to prolong the life of the device, it is Microsoft that is forcing the hand of its customers. Microsoft wants customers to buy new Windows 11 PCs with AI features, but what if the Windows 10 PC works perfectly fine?

There are other ways to stay on Windows 10 and relatively secure, like subscribing to the micro-patches that 0Patch promises to release until at least 2030 for the operating system.

Linux is another option, but it still seen as a system for users who know their ways around tech and do not mind experimenting a lot. While Linux has come a long way, migrating to Linux is still a daunting task for many Windows users.

Enter Project Operese

I never understood why major players in the Linux community and in development do not see the end of Windows 10 as a major opportunity. A tool to help users migrate would certainly be very appreciated, similarly to how Microsoft released a tool to transfer files and settings from an earlier version of Windows to the latest Windows 11 version.

Then I discovered Project Operese, and it seems to be the tool that I wished would have the backing of the entire Linux community.

Put simply, it is a tool to transfer data from Windows devices to Linux. The developer claims that it transfers files, programs, and settings. Probably not all programs though, maybe only those that are cross-platform.

Main downside at this point is that the tool is not yet available. Another that it only supports migrating to Kubuntu. If you fancy another Linux distribution, then you won't be able to use the tool once it is released. Future versions might support other Linux distributions, but in the beginning, it is only Kubuntu that you get.

Still, that is better than nothing and Kubuntu is based on Ubuntu, which continues to be a popular choice when it comes to Linux.

So, the main caveat is that the tool has not been released yet. The developer says that the tool will be released as open source in "the coming months". That was in early July, so expect it in late August or September at the earliest maybe.

Still, it is a great idea that could help Windows 10 users migrate to Linux to keep on using their trusted Windows 10 devices for longer than the extra year that Microsoft is giving them officially.

I will keep an eye on the project and will review the migration tool, once (if) it gets released.

Now You: Would you use a migration tool from Windows to Linux, if it would be released? Let me know in the comments below. (via Neowin)

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Posted Saturday 26 July 2025 at 4:32 am AEST (my time).

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