Why don't more people use Linux?
world.hey.com
A couple of weeks ago, I saw a tweet asking: "If Linux is so good, why aren't more people using it?" And it's a fair question! It intuitively rings true until you give it a moment's consideration. Linux is even free, so what's stopping mass adoption, if it's actually better? My response: “If exercising is so healthy, why don't more peo...

And Linux isn’t minimal effort. It’s an operating system that demands more of you than does the commercial offerings from Microsoft and Apple. Thus, it serves as a dojo for understanding computers better. With a sensei who keeps demanding you figure problems out on your own in order to learn and level up.

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That’s why I’d love to see more developers take another look at Linux. Such that they may develop better proficiency in the basic katas of the internet. Such that they aren’t scared to connect a computer to the internet without the cover of a cloud.

Related: Omakub

  • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
    4·
    8 months ago

    After some encouragement, I’ve been making an effort to switch much of my computing over to Fedora (at least, on weekends until it’s got everything I need on it).

    My (Framework) laptop fully supports the OS, and even booting it up on an external SSD has been easy, and it works fast and smooth.

    But, it’s absolutely not as easy to settle into compared to windows.

    With Windows, the only “tweaks” that a user might make is installing a different browser, but everything else will work as it should.

    Power Windows users will spend more time removing bloat and ads, I won’t deny that!

    But on Fedora, I had to scour the internet to find out how to get a minimize and maximize button on a window (had to install another utility, then an extension…). Then I had to do the same to move things down to a dock.

    Annoying, but it wasn’t a huge deal. These small add-on, tweaks, and personalization options all require that you know where to look and how to actually apply these fixes. Thank god I didn’t have to fuss around with device drivers.

    Then, as I happily watched the Para Olympics while multitasking, my screen just went black. No warning, no way to recover it. Hitting my laptop’s power button throws up a series of errors and !!! “FAILED TO EXECUTE SHUTDOWN BINARY”.

    If this is the equivalent to a BSOD on Windows, then it would be my first BSOD in many, many years.

    Now I need to figure out how to get some Windows-only software to run, if that’s even possible, which adds another layer of time and aggravation.

    If I were a novice computer user, I wouldn’t even bother with any of this and just stick to Windows. Hell, I wouldn’t even know where to begin with any of it!

    But I’ll see how long I can ride this out, and perhaps I’ll be a full-time Linux user some day.

    • JustAnotherKay@lemmy.world
      4·
      8 months ago

      Windows only software

      I’m sure by now you know about the troves of compatibility layers that exist in order to make this possible; depending on the software.

      Get a minimize and maximize button

      This is more of a DE issue than Linux issue, I’m assuming you went with the default Gnome but you might like KDE or Cinnamon for a more windows like experience. I personally loved both of those DEs until I made the mistake of getting comfortable with a window manager

      • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
        2·
        8 months ago

        I’m sure by now you know about the troves of compatibility layers that exist in order to make this possible; depending on the software.

        Yes, I’ll need to do a bunch of experimentation to see if I can get it working. But it’s a messy solution to something that isn’t even a thing on Windows.

        This is more of a DE issue than Linux issue, I’m assuming you went with the default Gnome but you might like KDE or Cinnamon for a more windows like experience. I personally loved both of those DEs until I made the mistake of getting comfortable with a window manager

        Fair point, I’m using what Fedora came with, but I can go with something else. Better if I do that sooner, rather than later. LOL

        • JustAnotherKay@lemmy.world
          2·
          8 months ago

          You can actually, and I would suggest, grab a fresh Fedora install that comes with either of those DEs. If you don’t wanna do that, I would suggest at least making a new user so that the gnome stuff isn’t crowding your new life

          • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca
            1·
            8 months ago

            I may have another external SSD I can use, so it should be easy to just install another copy with KDE or whatever on it.

            Or… I may just stick with GNOME, since I’d rather keep things simple anyway. Regardless, I’m glad I have options.

    • ikidd@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      8 months ago

      That’s less about Fedora and Linux than it is about Gnome.

      Coming from Windows to Gnome is a shitshow, honestly I think it’s the main reason there isn’t more Linux users. If that’s your first introduction to Linux, no wonder people yell screaming for the exits. It’s not an easy transition.

      Using DEs like Plasma or Cinnamon is a way more welcoming way to change over. Maybe eventually you’ll want try Gnome and it’s opinionated workflow, but I think its a terrible way to start out an already jarring transition.

      Nobara is a good distro to use Fedora and have KDE by default, with the option to change later. And it has a pile of video tweaks and fixes for gaming and editing out of the box or via the welcome screen tasks.