Linux desktops for business: what it takes

A Linux desktop for business is a staff computer running a supported Linux operating system, such as Ubuntu LTS, set up for the work that person does and managed like any other company PC. It suits teams whose day is mostly spent in a browser, email and documents. What it takes is much the same as any desktop: suitable hardware, a plan for each app, updates, support and some training.

The part that changes is control. Nobody else sets the price of the software on the desk or decides when it changes: new features and settings go in on a timetable you agree.

Who it suits, and who it doesn't

A good fit

• Teams that work in a browser all day, such as sales, support, admin and operations.
• Accounts teams on cloud software such as Xero.
• Shared desks, hot desks and reception PCs.
• PCs that can't take Windows 11.
• Businesses that want their desktops, data and update schedule under their own control.

Better left on Windows or Mac, for now

• Software that only runs on Windows, such as some CAD, design and desktop accounting packages.
• People who rely on desktop-only Excel features, VBA macros or Access databases.
• Specialist hardware with Windows-only drivers.

A mixed setup is normal. A Windows machine, or a hosted app, can do the one job that needs Windows while everyone else moves.

Hardware

Windows 10 support ended on 14 October 2025. Organisations can buy Extended Security Updates for up to three years after that, as a paid annual subscription (Microsoft Learn: Windows 10 ESU). Windows 11 needs, among other things, TPM 2.0, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot and a compatible processor (Microsoft Learn: Windows 11 requirements). A PC that is otherwise working well can fall short on any one of those.

Ubuntu's published requirements for its current desktop release are a 2 GHz dual-core processor, 6 GB of memory and 25 GB of disk space (Ubuntu Desktop). They don't mention a TPM or a list of approved processors. Before relying on an older PC, check:

• memory and disk, where an extra memory module or a solid-state drive can be worth fitting;
• wifi, Bluetooth, webcams and docking stations, which is where hardware problems tend to show up;
• the printers and scanners in the office;
• battery health on laptops.

For new machines, Canonical tests and certifies desktops and laptops from manufacturers including Dell, HP and Lenovo (Ubuntu certified hardware). We check each existing PC in the exit plan and say which are worth keeping.

Apps

Most things that run in a browser work on a Linux desk as they do on Windows: cloud accounts packages, CRMs, booking systems and industry portals. Microsoft no longer supports the Teams desktop app on Linux, but the Teams web app is supported in Edge, Chrome and Firefox (Microsoft Learn: the Teams client). The Microsoft Office desktop apps are made for Windows and Mac, so LibreOffice opens and saves Word, Excel and PowerPoint files instead.

Windows-only exceptions

Go through every app each team uses and sort it: it runs in a browser, it has a Linux version, or it only runs on Windows. For the Windows-only apps, the options are a Windows machine kept for that job, a hosted version of the app, or a remote Windows desktop. Which one fits depends on how often the app is used and by how many people. The guide to Microsoft 365 alternatives covers mail, files and documents.

Updates and support

Ubuntu publishes a new LTS release every two years. Each one gets five years of standard security maintenance, which covers the packages in Ubuntu's Main repository. Ubuntu Pro, Canonical's subscription, extends security coverage to ten years and adds packages from the Universe repository (Ubuntu release cycle). Ubuntu 24.04 LTS has standard security maintenance until May 2029, and Ubuntu 26.04 LTS until May 2031.

On a managed desk:

• security updates install automatically overnight, and each desk reports back, so a missed update is followed up;
• new apps and feature changes go in once you've agreed them and they've been tested;
• each desk moves to the next LTS release well before its maintenance ends;
• questions and faults go to the same support desk as the rest of your IT.

That split matters. Security fixes go on promptly, as Cyber Essentials requires, but nothing changes how people work until you've said yes.

Building desks per role

Each desk is built from the same secure base, with the apps and settings for that person's role added on top. The setup is written as configuration rather than done by hand, so a new starter's desk comes out the same way every time and a broken one can be rebuilt. For example:

• an accounts desk with a browser, the accounts package and the office printer;
• a sales desk with a browser, the CRM, 3CX for calls and LibreOffice;
• a reception desk with a browser, the booking system and the phone, and no access to the shared finance folders.

Less installed means less to patch and less to go wrong. When someone changes role, their desk changes with them.

Training

For people who work in a browser, most of the day looks the same. The differences are the login screen, how apps are opened, the file manager, and LibreOffice in place of Microsoft Office. A short session for each team covers those, with a one-page guide to keep. The pilot team moves first, and the questions they ask become the training for everyone else.

Security

A managed Linux desk is set up like any secure company desktop:

• staff accounts have no administrator rights, and admin work is done from separate accounts;
• the firewall is on and blocks connections nobody asked for;
• software comes only from approved, signed sources, and programs people download aren't allowed to run;
• sign-in uses MFA wherever the system supports it;
• the disk is encrypted, so a lost laptop doesn't expose your data.

These line up with the five Cyber Essentials controls. The guide Can Linux desktops pass Cyber Essentials? goes through each one, with what the evidence looks like.

If you're weighing up Linux desks for some or all of your team, book a planning call. We'll look at what each team uses, which PCs are worth keeping and what has to stay on Windows. The stack shows the rest of the setup, and the FAQ covers how nomsp works.

Common questions