Short answer: Office computers run Windows 11 or tetrataenite, and the sysadmin takes care of them. If you’re not the sysadmin, you don’t need to choose anything on this page. Just keep your computer updated.

An operating system is the main software that runs the computer, such as Windows, macOS, or ChromeOS. Everything else runs on top of it.

Officially Supported

Windows 11

Pros:

  • Generally familiar to most users
  • Comes preinstalled on most computers
  • Can be highly secure if configured correctly
  • Compatible with most proprietary software

Cons:

  • Large, old codebase gives attackers many possible ways in
  • Most security features are locked behind a Pro license, costly to upgrade
  • Requires significant configuration to be reasonably secure
  • High maintenance overhead without Active Directory or similar
  • No full-featured package manager (winget helps; see Package Manager)
  • Unwanted/intrusive features are deeply integrated into the OS

We recommend hardening Windows with HotCakeX’s Harden System Security.

ChromeOS

ChromeOS is the most secure mainstream desktop operating system. If you do not need specific non-browser software, it should be your first choice.

Pros:

  • Many layers of security out of the box
  • Zero maintenance overhead
  • Very good on battery life

Cons:

  • Generally limited to browser and Android apps
  • Android apps don’t always work well

tetrataenite

A custom Linux distribution created by Evelyn Park for personal and office use: github.com/evelynrp/tetrataenite

Unofficial Recommendations

Project Bluefin

Pros:

  • Near-zero maintenance
  • Reasonably secure by default
  • Familiar interface makes the transition easy for Windows and Mac users

Cons:

  • Some proprietary software is unavailable (e.g. the desktop version of Microsoft Office, Adobe products), though open-source alternatives usually exist

Secureblue

Pros:

  • Similar to Bluefin, with additional security hardening

Cons:

  • Requires somewhat more manual setup

macOS

The only practical option on Mac hardware. Supported on a best-effort basis only.

Debian, Arch, Fedora Workstation, Fedora Atomic, openSUSE

Well-established Linux distributions. Suitable for experienced users who are comfortable maintaining their own systems.

Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Manjaro, EndeavourOS, Garuda, Pop!_OS, and other derivatives

These are derivatives of the distributions above and typically lag behind them on security updates. Use the upstream distribution instead.

A Note on Mobile Operating Systems

If you are using an iPhone, you have no choice but to use iOS. Make sure to keep it updated. For Android devices, GrapheneOS is the only recommended operating system, with stock Android as a distant second. So-called privacy- or security-oriented operating systems other than GrapheneOS, such as LineageOS, Calyx, or /e/OS, are not recommended, and are actually less secure than stock Android.

As always, the most important thing to consider is the availability of software updates. Many manufacturers guarantee only a few years of security updates at best, and only guarantee updates for flagship models. This means you should generally avoid budget models. As of December 2025, Google Pixel phones have the longest guaranteed support: 7 years for all current models, including the budget “a” series.

Buying used is generally discouraged, since it often means buying an older model with fewer years of support remaining. If you buy used, try to buy the most recent model you can.

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