Linux, as a supported alternative
For hardware that cannot run Windows 11, Linux is a supported alternative rather than a workaround. This page compares the three distributions linked from the downloads page and how to get a verified image.
The downloads page links to Ubuntu, Fedora and Debian because they are legitimate alternatives for hardware that cannot meet the Windows 11 requirements, or for anyone who prefers Linux. They are listed as a choice, not as a way to force an unsupported Windows install.
This page compares the three and the usual checks: download from the project's own domain, prefer the release that matches how long you will keep the machine, and verify with the project's own checksum. Each links to a source page that explains the distribution and links on to its project.
Why Linux appears on a reinstall site
When a machine fails the Windows 11 requirements, the honest options are a supported operating system such as Windows 10 until its deadline, a Linux distribution that supports the hardware, or replacing the machine. Linux is the path this site recommends over a requirement bypass that produces an unserviced install.
A live image also doubles as a diagnostic: it boots without touching the internal disk, so you can check whether a fault exists outside the installed operating system before committing to any reinstall.
Three distributions, three cadences
Ubuntu's long-term-support releases are supported for years, which suits a machine you intend to keep. Fedora favours recent software on a regular cadence. Debian is deliberately conservative and stability-first, ideal for a long-lived machine.
The right one is about the machine's role and your preference, not about working around Windows. The source pages for each cover what the project page provides and how it fits the reinstall decision.
Getting and verifying the image
Download from the project's own site — Canonical, the Fedora Project, or Debian — then write it locally with one of the writers on this site. The image's trust comes from the project's domain; the writer only copies the bytes.
If the project publishes checksums, comparing them is the practical verification. A hash printed next to an unofficial mirror proves nothing; provenance from the vendor's own domain is the check that matters.
Project domain only
Get the image from the distribution's own site. This site links there and hosts no Linux images itself.
Official sources in this group
Every card below opens a page on this site that explains what the source is for and links to the vendor’s own domain. None of them hosts a file.
Ubuntu Desktop: get the image from Canonical
Canonical's own download page for Ubuntu Desktop, why the image must come from the project's domain, and how it fits a reinstall-or-replace decision.
Fedora Workstation: get the image from the Fedora Project
The Fedora Project's official Workstation image, why it must come from the project's own site, and how it compares as a Linux alternative.
Debian: get the installation images from the Debian Project
The Debian Project's official installation images, why they must come from debian.org, and how Debian fits as a stability-first Linux alternative.