Persistent privacy violations, the increasing number of ads in Microsoft Windows, billionaires meddling in European elections, and sanctions against the International Criminal Court — by early 2025, it was clear to me: I was no longer willing to trust my digital life to this situation. I wanted to move. Yet leaving felt impossible; surely I would have to give up my favourite applications and games if I stepped away from Microsoft and Google. Or so I thought.
Experimenting
I started by installing Linux on my old laptop, treating it as a sandbox to experiment and learn. Over a couple of weeks, I tried several distributions—Mint, Fedora, OpenSUSE, and Ubuntu—exploring different desktops and setups. To my surprise, Linux worked far more smoothly than I expected, and I genuinely enjoyed using each distribution. In the end, I settled on Kubuntu. The deciding factor was practical: my USB dock relied on the proprietary DisplayLink driver, and Kubuntu offered the easiest, most reliable support. Everything else—the desktops, the software, the performance—was just a bonus.
Finding software alternatives
Once Linux was running, I replaced my essential software. Joplin had already replaced Evernote, but I still needed office, email, browsers, and tools like Prusa Slicer. I explored options via EuropeanAlternatives.eu, AlternativeTo.net, and—cautiously—AI like LeChat.ai. To my surprise, everything worked seamlessly. And after installing Steam on my old laptop, I was stunned at how stable and fast my games ran.
Owning my email
Two weeks later, Linux had replaced Windows on all my machines. Windows was gone, but I was still tied to Microsoft and Google—my files on OneDrive, my communications on Gmail. I wanted out, but moving from Gmail usually means moving into another provider, creating a new dependency. From that moment, I decided I would only use an email service that let me switch providers without changing my address—and I was willing to pay for it. I explored my options on EuropeanAlternatives.eu and tried a few services. Infomaniak stood out with kSuite, providing my own email domain and 50 GB storage, for just a few euros per year. So I registered and never looked back.
Principles
My experience moving out of perceived lock-in taught me practical ways to stay in control of data, software, and services. The principles I follow are:
- Make sure it “just works” – Your setup should be stable and usable without frequent intervention. Anything that requires constant fixes risks forcing you back into the very lock-in you are trying to avoid.
- Local-first – Use software that stores files locally and rely on the cloud mainly for syncing and backup. This ensures your data and tools remain usable even if issues arise.
- Open standards & portability – Prefer open formats and protocols for cross-application compatibility, and ensure bulk data export is possible.
- Trusted jurisdictions – Store data where privacy and access are legally protected, limiting exposure to surveillance, tariffs, or sanctions.
- Independence has value – Paying a reasonable fee for reliable, controllable services is often worth it.
- Accept manageable trade-offs – Some lock-in is acceptable if the impact of failure remains limited.
- Leverage curiosity – Experiment with alternatives; familiarity preserves options and lowers the cost of switching.
These principles are not theoretical—they are practical rules I learned through switching operating systems, software, and services, and they guide every digital decision I make.
Continuing my journey
So far, I’ve greatly improved my ability to switch between applications and services. I’ve learned a lot—from successes, but also from mistakes that taught hard lessons about the principles above. The journey isn’t over: my password manager and 3D CAD software are still proprietary, and I’m gradually updating my email across accounts. Take it from me: the first step seems daunting, but once you start, reclaiming control of your digital life is easier and more empowering than you’d expect. Upcoming posts will share more of these experiences and lessons.