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342 comments
  • As someone who has had been around Linux-based people and whenever I have had a single gripe about Windows - it's this.

    I don't have a hate boner with Linux, I just feel like Linux is a little too much for the average casual user. Everything is fine until they run into a single issue with Linux, if the bewilderment of not having their familiar easy to run programs that they had on Windows wasn't a turn off for them from the get-go.

    • I would disagree with "average casual user" or maybe I think about them differently. For me average casual user now is completely fine with Linux distribution like Mint or Ubuntu or similar (or maybe chrome os). And with that they are little bit safer online as they are usual targets and victims of malicious software etc.

      I think casual users are type of people completely happy with internet browser, media player, image viewer and just basic software ... They are usually satisfied with regular Android phone Wich is enough for everything they do in computer space.

      This type of users (like my mother and other members of family) are fine with major Linux distros. They don't care about OS they use, it means nothing to them.

      This is where I draw the line when suggesting Linux to people. If they don't know and don't care ..Linux is usually fine. If they are aware of what type of os they use or even what version ( talking about Windows) I will suggest Linux only if they are open to it and I'm willing to help and recommend some software alternatives.

  • Linux will only be the solution when it finally learns to adequately cater to a better class of idiots. Once Linux handles a fool as well as Windows, then we can talk.

    • Doesn’t even have to be a "class of idiots". It would be enough if stuff didn’t just sometimes break, seemingly randomly. (It’s not quite random, obviously.)

      Recent example: I had OpenSuse TW recommended because of its reliability. First tip: install codecs, which requires adding the Packman repository. Now, simply updating threw up errors several times because Packman and the other repositories are apparently not in sync, and some dependencies would break if I updated. (Waiting a few days "fixed" it, but still shouldn’t happen.)

      Depending on which update method you use (Yast/Discovery/zypper/update widget) you get different error messages, most of which are not informative. This is for an established distribution known for its reliability, and this alone would keep me from ever recommending it to normal users, even moderately tech-savvy ones.

      Things are getting better, but I’m still shopping around for a distro that just works. Perhaps that new Fedora version, or one of the immutable ones, now that they are getting popular.

    • Pretty much. I'd absolutely love to run an idiot proof distro. If one existed.

  • Bird 1: I have some trouble with Linux.

    Bird 2: Whistles and flies off…

    • No, bird 2 then screams at bird 1 for using Ubuntu and recommends

      <FLAVOR OF THE MONTH HERE>

      distro that will totally work and is totally easy to use despite the lack of documentation. It's then bird 1's fault if they can't get their niche hipster distro to work.

      • I am unfortunately guilty of recommending niche "hipster" distros back in the day. Now I know to recommend the basics. Or just nothing at all so I don't have to be unpaid tech support.

  • Most birds have trouble with windows. Especially when they are polished and super shiny

  • ...I mean.... if you -STILL- want to use Windows (and only) Windows at current date, Year of Gaben 2023? Then you either need a reality check or to stop being -THAT- lazy.

    • 2022 and 2023 I made multiple decent attempts to go Linux and I've finally ragequit back to Windows where things finally just work. Currently using WSL for my Linux needs.

      So many frustrating hours.

      • Unresolvable sound issues
      • Multi monitor issues
      • Size scaling issues
      • Couldn't get my games working even for Gold rated proton games
      • Don't think I ever got nvidia drivers working correctly
      • Really struggled on some distros to find the correct packages for some things because they were named differently?
      • Couldn't find how to set a desktop background that filled my entire screen in Gnome. It kept repeating to fill the screen instead of just "zooming"
      • Got 100% CPU usage in KDE just doing nothing
      • Didn't even want to start figuring how to run my Windows-only apps because by that time I was a bundle of stress and just wanted to use my pc without fighting it every step

      Conclusion for me: Windows is best DE, so use Windows+WSL

      I'm a bit sad about it because I'm getting more and more frustrated with Windows 11 direction. It seems each update brings a new configuration or "feature" that makes things more difficult for me.

      I do feel I am being pushed out of Windows.

      For about the last 10 years I try going Linux roughly every 3 years. So I'll give it another shot in a couple of years.

      I fully understand for some people it just works. But it is not yet my personal Year Of Linux Desktop

342 comments