A Linux Ricer Moves Back to Windows (Reluctantly)

Originally written on 1st Jan 2026 I love Linux desktops. I especially love auto-tiling window managers. But despite all the ricing, theming, and keyboard-driven workflows, I recently made a decision I never thought I would: I moved back to Windows. Not because I stopped loving Linux, but because reality forced my hand. With window managers like Hyprland, launching apps via keybindings and switching workspaces is incredibly fast. It feels like having multiple monitors, even on a single screen. Thus I started my Linux Journey with Pop OS with a customized GNOME Setup. As GNOME became increasingly restrictive around theming with GTK4 and Libadwaita, System76 decided to rewrite their own desktop environment in Rust. As a result, Pop OS’s regular feature updates slowed down significantly. I quickly moved to Ubuntu with the new GNOME versions. The Pop Shell Extension that System76 used for auto tiling was not maintained and was thus incompatible with newer versions of GNOME. I looked for al