A Linux system wearing a Windows 11 face - built on Ubuntu, light on old hardware, and honest about what it can and cannot do. Here is the complete picture before you install it.
It looks like Windows 11. The Start menu sits in the middle, the taskbar feels familiar, even the Settings pages look like home. But underneath, there is no Microsoft code at all - Winux is a Linux system built on Ubuntu, dressed to look and behave like Windows so that switching does not feel like moving to a foreign country. This guide explains honestly what Winux is, what it needs, how to install it, and who it is really for - including the parts its fans do not advertise.
Winux is a Linux distribution developed by a small team in Brazil, led by Rafael Rachid. The project is old - it began in 2007 as Linuxfx, was later known as Wubuntu, and now carries the Winux name. It is not made by Microsoft, it is not a Windows edition, and it shares no code with Windows 11.
The foundation is Kubuntu - Ubuntu 24.04 LTS with the KDE Plasma desktop. On top of that solid base, the team applies a deep Windows 11 theme: the centred taskbar, the Start-style menu, window controls, icons and even Windows-style Settings and Control Panel pages. The result is a system a Windows user can sit in front of and use within minutes, while the engine room - kernel, drivers, software store, security model - is pure Ubuntu Linux.
Winux is set up for daily work out of the box:
.exe and .msi files just works, because the compatibility layer is pre-configured.You can also switch the desktop to a Windows 10 style if you prefer the older layout - the look is a theme, and themes can change.
Winux needs a 64-bit Intel or AMD processor, at least 3 GB of RAM (4 GB is better), and about 25 GB of disk space - 50 GB on an SSD is the comfortable setup. There is no TPM 2.0 requirement, no Secure Boot demand, and no CPU generation blacklist. It installs on both old BIOS and modern UEFI machines.
That is exactly why Winux interests the huge crowd of Windows 10 users whose perfectly working PCs were told they cannot have Windows 11. If your machine runs Windows 10 acceptably today, it will run Winux.
The video above shows this entire process live, on a real machine - watch it once before you start and the install holds no surprises.
Winux is free to download and free for daily use. The project also sells a paid Pro key (PowerTools) that unlocks extra tools and support options. Prices and what the key includes change over time, so check the official site rather than trusting any number quoted elsewhere - including here.
Honesty matters on this point: reviews of Winux are mixed. Some users love it; well-known Linux publications have also raised questions about the project - how closely it copies Microsoft's designs, and which features sit behind the paid key. None of that stops you trying the free version, which costs nothing but an afternoon. Our advice is simple: use the free edition first, live in it for a few weeks, and only consider the key if a Pro extra is something you genuinely need.
Winux suits you if: your PC cannot run Windows 11, you mainly browse, use email, watch media and work on Office-type documents, and you want the switch to feel familiar from the first minute.
Winux is not your answer if: your job depends on specific Windows-only professional software (heavy Excel macros, Adobe Creative Cloud, specialist CAD, dongle-based accounting), or you play games protected by kernel-level anti-cheat. Those honest limits have their own pages in this series - read them before deciding, not after.
Used with clear eyes, Winux is what it claims to be: a familiar-looking, Ubuntu-powered system that gives older PCs a supported, updated future after Windows 10.
The complete Winux walkthrough - download, installation and the full first look - is shown live in the video.
▶️ Watch Full VideoYes for downloading and daily use. The project sells an optional paid Pro key (PowerTools) that unlocks extra tools and support options. Prices change, so check the official site winuxos.org for the current figure, and try the free version first.
No. Winux is Linux - Ubuntu with the KDE Plasma desktop - themed to look and feel like Windows 11. Windows programs do not run natively; some run through the built-in Wine layer, and many will not run at all. The familiar look is real, but the system underneath is Linux.
In most cases, yes. Winux has no TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot requirement and no CPU blacklist, and it needs only about 3 to 4 GB of RAM and 25 GB of disk. Test your exact machine first with the live USB mode before installing.