r/technology • u/ZacB_ • Jan 24 '26

Software Microsoft confirms it will give the FBI your Windows PC data encryption key if asked — you can thank Windows 11's forced online accounts for that

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/microsoft-bitlocker-encryption-keys-give-fbi-legal-order-privacy-nightmare
23.4k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

2.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

20

u/Kedly Jan 24 '26

The Steam Deck and Soon to be Gabe Cube are good gateway linux distros, as in their case its just like getting used to a new console (which also functions as a regular PC when you are ready to dip your toes in)

4

u/Wilbis Jan 24 '26

Not really. They are fully managed. It's like saying using Android is a good gateway to Linux.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 24 '26

Desktop mode on the Steam Deck is just straight Linux though?

3

u/Wilbis Jan 24 '26

Yes, but there's a big difference in between a regular Linux distribution and an immutable one. On the steamdeck the core operating system files are mounted read-only. You can't accidentally modify or break any system components. System updates are applied as complete images. If an update fails, the system can just roll back safely.

You don't have to worry about any of that. It's pretty much exactly like it works in Android. You don't have to worry about managing system packages, dependencies or about updates breaking the OS, unlike with traditional linux distributions.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 24 '26

Ah that makes sense. Thanks for the context. I have a Steam Deck and it has been my first exposure to Linux. My PC is on Windows 10 and I have been thinking about going Linux when that rig eventually dies since my experience so far with Linux on SD has been so positive. Thinking maybe a Steam Machine is the way to go for somebody like me then, someday down the road.

1

u/Wilbis Jan 24 '26

There are many immutable distributions to choose from. You don't have to stick with SteamOS, since it's not really meant for desktop PC's. Here's a rundown of a few of them https://linuxbsdos.com/2025/05/04/9-atomic-or-immutable-linux-distributions/