TSE under Linux

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Claus Futtrup

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Jul 21, 2025, 12:54:33 PM7/21/25
to TSEPro Support
Hi fellow TSE users,

Today I installed TSE for Linux, following Carlo's instructions on his
web pages. :-)

Here's a short story of mine. Please only keep on reading if you're
interested ...

Just FYI, my first encounter with Linux was at the university, around
1992, but I didn't install Linux on my own PC until 2005. More about it
here: https://cfuttrup.com/blogspot.html#linux

My Lenovo T480 laptop came with Windows 10, and although I ran some
Linuxes alongside MS Windows 10, Zenwalk, and later Linux Mint, I ended
up mostly using Windows 10.

The Lenovo gave up last winter (more than 6 years old); the USB-C
charging port gave up, and I switched to another laptop that I was
gifted by a workplace, an HP EliteBook 840 G5. The business stuff meant
it 'locked up,' and I had to reinstall Windows 10 from scratch.

The primary motivation for me to install Linux now is the fact that
Windows 10 is EoL in October. To my dismay, I was unable to reduce the
partition size of the Windows partition to make room for Linux. In the
past, this was never an issue.

The cause of the headache is Bitlocker. Jesus, Microsoft really makes
life difficult for us users. So, I found out I have to backup and
reinstall Windows 10 from scratch (again). To succeed, one must follow a
very specific procedure:

1. In a Microsoft forum I read that one can use Rufus
(https://rufus.ie/en/) to burn the Microsoft Windows 10 ISO to your boot
device, e.g. a USB pen.

2. Download the Microsoft Media Creation Tool (MCT).

3. In the MCT do not select default options, but choose the alternative,
to download an ISO file, which you must then later burn to your boot
device. Do not proceed to burn to a DVD--instead kill the MCT process;
it has done its job.

4. Load Rufus (it is nicely contained in a single .exe file; no
installation needed). And indeed, after pushing the START burn button,
you get 4 options:

   - What should be the name of the user (Windows defaults to a 5-digit
number these days; I was horrified), I modified this to my liking.
   - Decline asking for permission to share data with Microsoft (YES)
   - Decline using BitLocker (YES)

Somehow Rufus modifies the boot process, maybe the ISO file (maybe a
config file inside), and it all works just great.

After having reinstalled Windows 10 (and all the software and setup,
gag), I now have a Windows partition without BitLocker, where the
partition can be scaled. I cut about 70 Gb off and landed around 150 Gb
(using about 110 Gb).

I chose to install Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. I could have waited until October,
but I don't like to hurry, so I started the process now, just keeping it
in the background until I need to make the switch. It's summer vacation,
and some days with rain are for spending time inside.

Windows 10 (and/or Ubuntu) is loaded with the GRUB2 bootloader, I had to
go into the BIOS and set this EFI bootloader as the primary one. I
installed a GRUB2 theme so that it isn't so ugly-looking.

What made me choose Ubuntu? Well, I am running a server (at
https://speakerbench.com) together with a friend, and it uses Ubuntu. I
realize desktop and server are two different things, but maybe there's
some commonality to this anyway.

The first editor I installed was Microsoft Visual Studio Code (I use it
under Windows 10 as well). The gnome-text-editor is IMO horrible.

TSE under Linux is clearly just a (Terminal) console pure text editor
('e'), so it adds to nano and vi (which I am familiar with). So, I will
start to pay more attention to this part of the discussion in this
forum. :-)

Feel free to ask questions.

With kind regards,
Claus

knud van eeden

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Jul 21, 2025, 4:19:51 PM7/21/25
to TSEPro Support
1. So you chose to create a Linux partition on your Microsoft Windows hard disk.

2. So thus decided to not install Linux WSL on Microsoft Windows, it seems.

3. It is thus in principle not necessary at all to re-format part of your hard disk to install Linux WSL

4. If assuming that one has to partition a hard disk to install Linux (WSL) then that shows thus not to be necessary at all.

5. Because how does Linux WSL run? Microsoft Linux WSL runs in a special hidden Virtual Machine, thus completely software bound, no involvement of partitions on 
   hard disk is necessary at all thus. It installs e.g. a lot of Linux kernel libraries on that special hidden Virtual Machine, then these libraries are called, that is the way wsl works to run Linux on Microsoft Windows.

6. Big advantages are that it can use the Microsoft Windows infra structure programs.

7. You can start wsl from any cmd.exe prompt, just by typing 'wsl' on the command prompt after installation of Linux WSL.

8. I can if I want start a wsl box with one long command, originating from within TSE, it starts then Linux WSL Ubuntu (other Linux distributions are possible of course).

9. The Linux non-WSL distributions I have all installed in Oracle Virtual Box virtual machines (about 40 Linux distributions at the moment installed).

10. When testing I can then try it on Linux WSL (which is just another cmd.exe like box on my Microsoft Windows computer), or start automatically
from a long list of 40 Linux non-WSL distributions from within TSE to test in that version.

11. There is thus a difference between the behavior (e.g. keys assigned and working, mouse behavior) of Linux WSL and Linux non-WSL. I would personally say maybe choose Linux WSL as that would be the simplest approach overall.

with friendly greetings
Knud van Eeden


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knud van eeden

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Jul 21, 2025, 4:34:24 PM7/21/25
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12. And partitioning of a hard disk is for me completely out of the question. 

First and for all re-partitioning can go wrong, one needs specialized programs for that and if it goes wrong again repartitioning of the hard disk and reinstallation. One typically needs special programs.

Further gets Microsoft Windows full priority. If I really wanted to install Linux on a hard disk then probably dedicating a special computer to that.

And then after repartitioning the hard disk one is back at the state of some years ago when installing also Linux on the computer together with Microsoft Windows that at each startup one all the time in general has to choose between 2 operating systems, or Linux or Microsoft Windows. Making it much more cumbersome. 

13. Regarding programs like BitLocker, I assume those programs (also) encrypt the hard disk. It can happen that if one makes one small mistake when e.g. wanting to transfer the content of the hard disk to a new computer, one might loose the full content of the hard disk. So being very careful is the message here. Recovering the content of an encrypted hard disk when some error occurred which changed the content of the encrypted hard disk in some random way is in general not possible and its hard disk content is thus lost very probably forever.

knud van eeden

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Jul 21, 2025, 4:50:34 PM7/21/25
to TSEPro Support
14. Regarding the Microsoft ESU(=Extended Software Updates) program, one can buy thus security update support, that moves the issue up to 3 years forward, so to October 2028. In the mean time one can uninstall and transfer and reinstall e.g. on a newer PC with Microsoft Windows 11, e.g. via a shared drive the network.


15. Further might it still maybe be possible to install Microsoft Windows 11 also on older (e.g. 10 years old) Microsoft Windows 10 PCs under certain circumstances.

Carlo Hogeveen

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Jul 22, 2025, 2:52:10 AM7/22/25
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Hi Claus,

I will turn my old Windows 10 pc into a (probably Debian) Linux desktop because of Windows 10's upcoming end-of-life, and appreciate your sharing of your experience.

Carlo



Claus Futtrup

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Jul 22, 2025, 3:17:59 AM7/22/25
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Hi Knud, et al.

Thank you for your many (15) comments.

Carlo - thanks for the thumbs up. Let me know if you have any questions (at the moment I can still remember most of the details).

Knud - just FYI, partitioning a harddisk is not exotic these days. Try typing "Disk Management" in Windows search bar. Although I used GParted for the job (fantastic product). Since I was first involved in Linux in 2005, I have used partitioning software (twenty years) and I am perfectly comfortable with it. When I resize partitions, I don't even take a backup anymore.

On another note, you argue for using WSL,  I think you already know this, but just to be clear: It would pose a security risk to run Linux as a virtual environment inside an OS that isn't updated anymore.

Sure, one can update to Windows 11 or pay for extended Windows 10 support,  but what if I don't want any of those two options?


>1. So you chose to create a Linux partition on your Microsoft Windows hard disk.

My harddisk doesn't belong to MS Windows.

BitLocker encrypts your harddrive with an encryption key stored within the PC (using TPM = Trusted Platform Module) such that once you discard the PC - and remember to remove the harddrive - once the two ar separated, the data on the disk is difficult to decrypt and read, not impossible, but difficult. BitLocker can be good for some users, but there are some constraints. There are other ways to encrypt the content on your disks.

You are right that WSL provides you with a Linux environment INSIDE Windows, no need to dual boot. You don't have to make a choice at boot time. The opposite is also possible, to have Windows running in a virtual machine inside a Linux - which in my case is a more safe choice (since I can maintain my Linux distribution, keeping it updated with security patches). Amusing historical fact: Did you know that virtual environments came to LInux first and when Windows was put inside, Steve Ballmer was absolutely furious, claiming such use was a violation of the software license and what not. This lead nowhere. Microsoft embraced virtual environments and turned things around, now having WSL, which to me is almost a joke compared to the real thing (Linux, an OS designed for the purpose, running virtual environments).

Some years ago I installed Windows 10 in a virtual environment (VirtualBox) under Linux, and first I could 'boot' Windows 10 in one window, place it wherever I wanted and run whatever software I wanted inside. Later I modified the configuration such that I could start programs and have them in windows individually on my Linux desktop. Not only that, but I configured the setup for ability to share certain features (e.g. the clipboard, certain areas of the harddisk, etc), but once you allow these openings in the sandbox, you are also opening up for security risks and since Windows 10 is EoL (End of Life) regarding support for security updates, I will not be experimenting with it this time. Note how I could load multiple Windows applications and have them running in separate windows, and how the mouse cursor was usable within those windows, etc. No problems.

I don't think WSL is gods gift to the world. Rather, it is the response from Microsoft, once they saw the writing on the wall, that Windows was becoming relegated to being an 'app' inside another OS.

With kind regards,
Claus

knud van eeden

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Jul 22, 2025, 3:40:28 AM7/22/25
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OK, Linux desktop is thus the primary operating system and overrules Microsoft Windows clearly and partitioning and reformatting the harddisk is no issue.

Here it is clearly the other way around, Microsoft Windows always first and no/never partitioning and WSL preferred.

Assumed is you will be surprised how many things will not be working in TSE for Linux non-WSL (keys, mouse, other, ...), you will find out probably.

Regarding Microsoft Windows 10 thus buying the updates for something like 30 dollar is what is expected going to be happening so that is all going to be OK for continued security. 

If not then having 2 to 3 currently very seldomly used laptops with 11 installed here and then stepwise uninstalling and transferring from 10 to 11.

with friendly greetings
Knud van Eeden

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra / 1 terabyte / artificial intelligence

On Tue, Jul 22, 2025 at 9:18, Claus Futtrup
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