this post was submitted on 20 Aug 2023
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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I'm curious to hear thoughts on this. I agree for the most part, I just wish people would see the benefit of choice and be brave enough to try it out.

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[–] dewritoninja@pawb.social 6 points 2 years ago (2 children)

This ignores a bunch of stuff. Also when a lot of non Linux people think Linux the first distro that comes to mind is Ubuntu so there you go, you have your pr distro. Linux in my experience is not easy at all to use. There people that have been on the platform exclusively for 10+ years really don't understand the modern windows experience. In the 15 years I've been using windows I've only had to use the command line for rather niche things. Winget is a nice curiosity not a necessity like apt or pacman. In windows shit just works. And 99 percent of the time it doesn't it's as easy as right clicking and selecting windows 7 as a compatibility option, and non tech users call you a wizard for knowing how to do that. They get scared when they see a command prompt and I understand it I was like that at one point.

Also everyone is used to using windows. We use it on our schools, we use it on our works, we use it in our libraries. It's what people know and people are reluctant to swap because why learn something new that's considerably harder, when what you already have just works. Almost every computer comes with windows pre-installed. For people it's just plug and play no need to worry about anything. And I belive this is the greatest problem. If there were more devices with Linux out of the box, if school and colleges used Linux instead of windows we would see a dramatic increase in the number of users. But this is going to piss off Microsoft the moment that feel it might injure their bottom line. They want Linux in a leash, a project they can steal from for their own platform, just like github. That's why they donate so much money to the project and the moment they feel threatened they will stop donations, pay politicians to stop any change and sue people for whatever bullshit reason they come up with

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[–] beyond@linkage.ds8.zone 5 points 2 years ago

Linux is not an operating system and pretending it is one is counter-productive. Take Ubuntu or Mint or SteamOS or whatever and call that Official Linux™ if you want, I guess. Or, we can actually promote those operating systems in their own right instead of calling them "flavor of Linux"

[–] PseudoSpock@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 years ago

If I could only count the number of articles that have made this argument before. Ugh. Nothing new to see here.

[–] beach_pudding@feddit.de 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

yesterday i woke up and didnt found the settings icon in the menu. i had to sudo apt the thing (ubuntu, maybe this is a garbage distro. would fedora or deb be more stable ? ) also why would i have to look up arch documentation for a problem i had with ubuntu ? people using windows just worry about.. windows, not 90 flavours of the thing. nonetheless, windows has become bloated trash beyond win 7.

[–] QuazarOmega@lemy.lol 4 points 2 years ago (2 children)

why would i have to look up arch documentation for a problem i had with ubuntu?

Because they're all built on the same software for the most part.

I don't really know what kind of issue you had, so I can't say if the following would really work better for you, anyway my personal recommendation is Silverblue for (usually) fewer headaches

[–] beach_pudding@feddit.de 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Silverblue

there we go, now we r getting somewhere.

[–] QuazarOmega@lemy.lol 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You mean you have tried it before?

[–] beach_pudding@feddit.de 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

no but people kept recommending fedora (and debian). didnt know there were multiple versions of fedora. ubuntu doesn't look as serious.

[–] QuazarOmega@lemy.lol 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Ah I get it, it's really solid so I don't think you'd have regrets, plus you get up to date software!

Ubuntu is really just meh these days, it is still pretty reliable, but it doesn't look like they're really caring a lot about their users, just my outsider opinion, as I left it a few years ago now

[–] beach_pudding@feddit.de 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

i could really use a take such as yours. there necessarily should be a reason why u changed distros. now my doubts are getting confirmed

[–] QuazarOmega@lemy.lol 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I did it for 3 reasons:

  • hunting for PPAs, which was annoying
  • older versions of software, especially for development, I used to try out new features a lot for things like PHP and other stuff (but it's kind of a moot point now with things like Distrobox or Nix)
  • upgrades to the latest major version often breaking because I first moved to the latest non-LTS and then, when it came out, to the newest LTS, contributed by the fact that the PPAs would break, since the devs behind them needed to push a new version for the last Ubuntu release

Today I still wouldn't use it for their push of Snap, I just don't dig it, I much prefer Flatpak for my apps

[–] beach_pudding@feddit.de 2 points 2 years ago

i am no dev but also i dont like when other stuff break when i install new stuff and have to spend hours looking up guides to troubleshoot. so at least we share a common middle ground

[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

That's Fedora, though. If they prefer debian distros, Fedora may not be for them. As a (very limited) frame of reference, I prefer debian distros and I love silverblue. It is now my daily driver. I both dislike and very much like the containerization of it all.

[–] QuazarOmega@lemy.lol 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I hope you'll overcome your love hate relationship and settle your differences.
sends hug

If they prefer debian distros

I want to suggest Vanilla OS, but until the new Orchid is released I'll hold off from it, I thought it would be coming sooner by now, but I guess they still have a lot of work to do

[–] 01189998819991197253@infosec.pub 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Haha thanks!

Hugs back

I had gotten a used laptop with Win10Pro, and I only use Windows for work. I've always wanted to try Fedora, so I took this opportunity (I grabbed the Win10Pro key off of it beforehand, of course), and I'm very glad I did. Gentoo will be next, I think.

Vanilla looks very interesting! It looks like a very real prospect that I may be able to recommend to new users. Ubuntu's Unity has caused several people to whom I've recommend it, to revert back to Windows. Maybe Vanilla will keep them on Linux. I actually stopped recommending Ubuntu because of Unity, and started recommending Mint to Windows users or Budgie to Mac users. I know it's somewhat configurable, but the side app bar of Unity and the Windows 8 style app menu were among some of the reasons they disliked Ubuntu. They said that it felt "ancient".

[–] QuazarOmega@lemy.lol 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

grabbed the Win10Pro key off

Oh that's possible? I had no idea, well, not like I felt the need after discovering MAS on GitHub 👀

Good call on the change of recommendations imo, although I worry that those DEs might receive the Wayland treatment too late, that's a pretty important aspect to me.
The "ancient" thing was just funny tho

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[–] brayd@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 years ago

I don't even think the CLI stuff and so on is an issue. The main reason people don't use Linux is because it's simply not pre-installed everywhere as Windows is. The same reason many people use Edge on Windows and don't install Firefox etc. The average user just uses it as it is and doesn't tinker around.

Installed Linux on my grandmother's computer some years ago and she was working with it fine because it was the first time of her using a computer and she learned it that way. For she Linux was was for other people Windows is. She didn't had any issues installing software via apt etc. after getting it explained and teached a few times.

But a user who just uses a system as it is and who is used to Windows will always dislike Linux. I dislike Windows because I find it complicated in many parts. I used Linux and sometimes MacOS for my whole life besides Windows Vista as a child.

[–] blackstrat@lemmy.fwgx.uk 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I have a solution to this I use. If asked I just tell people to use Kubuntu. You might pick a different distribution, I choose Kubuntu for a variety of reasons.

"What linux should I use?"

"Kubuntu".

No other options given or discussed.

It's my "official linux" even though I no longer use it personally.

Now you just have to do the same. Pick your own official linux that's going to be the only one you tell people to use in real life.

Maybe in a few years they'll decide to distro hop once they understand more, but right here and now they want one answer.

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