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Well I can tell you why Linux does not have a higher adoption rate: toxic shit like this.
Na the biggest and main reason why Linux doesn't have a higher adoption rate (on desktop) is that it's not preinstalled on the devices you buy.
There are obviously other factors but they are miniscule in comparison
Most people don't want to have to use a cmd line to use their PC.
Edit: Seriously, why is it such a confusing prospect to linux users that linux is difficult. Literally, every thread on here comparing distros is filled with
"I used debian, but I had to update it every day or my graphics drivers would fail."
"Oh to fix that regularly occuring issue, just type 'cgreg320 -I1I0O xx /*poweruninstall the year your motherboard was manufactured' into the command prompt."
"Oh yeah, Nvidia graphics cards, AMD motherboards, Steam, Chrome, Adobe products, left-handed mice, and the letter F are unsupported on this distro."
Windows is easy. Not great, but easy.
Cmon, this might have been true 15 years ago, but my grandma has been using Mint for 5 years + and TRUST ME she don't know shit about Bash. Big distros work OOTB today, as soon as you stick to regular use you'll never see a shell in your life.
At a certain point, though, you have to wonder whether a traditional desktop linux distro is better for regular users than just preinstalled ChromeOS on a Chromebook.
I revived an old computer using Mint, and it works great, but that's for my brother who just browses and does spreadsheet and writing. I'm a bit more involved with how I use a computer and it is difficult enough to setup a wireless Xbox controller that I am considering automating it for future use and make that public. Note that I know fuck all about how to even begin, and I might give up halfway through, but the point stands that the motivation was triggered by a lack of user friendliness.
I know people who use linux mint (or other distros that aim at user friendliness) who literally never have to touch the command line. This claim that you need to use the command line was true 5 years ago, but today it is largely false.
I am in a Linux User Group and I am literally the only person who uses a tiling window manager (I use hyprland) instead of DEs like kde, gnome, cinnamon, etc.
I feel like it depends on which distro and hardware you choose. I remember having some weird pcie errors on xubuntu on an HP pc, and I couldn’t find a fix online. Windows is pretty hassle free on almost all hardware, probably owing to the fact that all the hardware is made to work with windows (or owing to windows excellent compatibility, maybe both?)
Using regular Ubuntu on a laptop now it’s pretty seamless though. I haven’t had to do any command line stuff for setup as of yet, so it’s getting better.
Tried out Pop OS for my laptop which is generally seen as a simpler distro. I had to hit up terminal to attempt fprintd. Getting a fingerprint registered was a pain in the ass. Then when I did get it registered, I could not log back in through the UI. I'll still likely switch to it sometime soom and send the logs to fprintd to eventually fix but it was still frustrating as hell since fingerprint scanners are a pretty basic feature nowadays.
The only issues I've really had with my Linux Mint VM is upgrade issues and my smb mount occasionally failing. Both of those basically required terminal.
Don't get me wrong, Linux is a fuck ton easier than it was 15 years ago when I started testing it out. But there still is a ways to go.
"Seriously, why is it such a confusing prospect to Linux users that Linux is difficult?"
Because honestly? It really isn't. A couple of years ago, maybe it was hard, but now, Linux is easy to pickup and learn; so easy even someone like me who has zero programming/coding skills (not my profession) and still kinda thinks typing stuff into the terminal is basically black magic was able to pick it up and adopt it with very little hiccups and set it up for my ma on a seperate computer with no problems on her end. Unlearning Windows? That's the hard bit, especially if you go into Linux (or even Mac, as was the case with me a long time ago) thinking it's Windows with another skin instead of different beast althogether that has it's own quirks one needs to get used to, just like with anything new (and just how the majority are used to Windows's own quirks). That's where you'll start having a bad time.
Most people don’t want to have to use a cmd line to use their PC.
"I don't want know that car needs oil changes, I just want turn key and go"
"Uh oh, car no start."
/throws car in trash and buys a new one
I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux.
Oh no, I can no longer tell if you are serious or making fun of the people who are serious.
The best know how to tread the line perfectly. Some say that even they don’t know if they’re serious.
Haha 😀 This is Linux memes community afterall ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ
This is GNU/Linux memes community
You're such a shit. 😀
Tomato potato potato tomato.
Permanently Deleted
Fueds between distros will always exist, like fueds between car manufacturers. It's just banter, except some people take it wayyyy too far.
but which distro YOU use?
All the parrots doing Ubuntu bashing over the last few years are really hurting adoption in my opinion. It still is the best Linux OS for new users for many reasons, even if there are many other ones that might be better suited for other uses or preferences.
Riddle me this—I’ve used Windows, MacOS, Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu to host a Plex server over the last 12ish years, and Ubuntu has been the most stable, hands down. Currently I’ve got a bunch of VM’s on ProxMox, but Plex still hums away on an Ubuntu Server LTS VM without a hitch.
I have plenty of reasons to chose other distros for specific needs, but when I want something to just work and be easy on me, Ubuntu is the right choice, and it is definitely a solid place for anyone to start getting into the Linux way of life.
No riddle really. The last time I checked, Ubuntu was the most used server Linux OS. Just like RHEL, it's tested for and used in the enterprise, but unlike RHEL, everyone gets the same copy, including you and me. It follows that it should be solid. A big part of that comes from Debian of course, but there's additional testing and patching in Ubuntu. It's no wonder it just works.
It's a meme
This is parroted all the time, all the while linux is doing just fine.
Why is adoption rate such an important metric?
Serious answer: we need a sizeable installed user base so that the cross-platform developers don't leave us behind. I found this article to be a pretty compelling analysis of how dependent we are on "scraps" from MacOS/Windows versions of web browsers, and how the Mozilla foundation might not prioritize desktop Linux if it runs into financial difficulties. The recent Red Hat controversy also reminds everyone of how dependent Linux as a whole depends on financial backing from deep pocketed corporations.
Actually it's because Linux users are all mentally ill.