Stumbled across this quick post recently and thought it was a really good tale and worth sharing.
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 people do it?
- If reading is so educational, why don’t more people do it?
- If junk food is so bad for you, why do so many people eat it?
The world is full of free invitations to self-improvement that are ignored by most people most of the time. Putting it crudely, it’s easier to be fat and ignorant in a world of cheap, empty calories than it is to be fit and informed. It’s hard to resist the temptation of minimal effort.
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.
Now I totally understand why most computer users aren’t interested in an intellectual workout when all they want to do is browse the web or use an app. They’re not looking to become a black belt in computing fundamentals.
But programmers are different. Or ought to be different. They’re like firefighters. Fitness isn’t the purpose of firefighting, but a prerequisite. You’re a better firefighter when you have the stamina and strength to carry people out of a burning building on your shoulders than if you do not. So most firefighters work to be fit in order to serve that mission.
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.
Besides, if you’re able to figure out how to setup a modern build pipeline for JavaScript or even correctly configure IAM for AWS, you already have all the stamina you need for the Linux journey. Think about giving it another try. Not because it is easy, but because it is worth it.
The reason is that Linux usually doesn’t come preinstalled. I’m pretty sure at least 50% of the users wouldn’t even notice they have Mint Cinnamon instead of Windows on their Laptops.
I’d crank that up to like 80% Linux users somehow always seem to overestimate how tech savvy most people are.
I’d say 50% of users can’t tell you what an operating system is. maybe more. and ya’ll expect those people to be able to CHOOSE a Linux distro and actually install it. no way. that’s way way too much to ask of the average end user.
Jorge Castro of Universal Blue (Bazzite, Bluefin, Aurora) likes to say that normal people don’t install operating systems. And he’s totally right.
I’m 💯 sure at least 99% of steamdecks run the ootb steam Linux
I know a guy running windows on a steam deck. Absolutely mad
What a pervert.
That’s like buying a Ferrari and dropping in a Lada engine.
I’m sure I would like Bazzite on my Deck. But I don’t use it a ton and Steam OS works fine. So I’d only install Bazzite if I was bored and wanted a project.
I see no need for anything but steamOS on my deck but i put bazzite on my desktop the other week. Best thing i have done.
I don’t use Linux. I’m here from /all. I last attempted Linux probably around 2006 or so. The biggest thing I remember was driver support being awful. I guess it’s a lot better now?
My biggest hurdle to making the switch is that it takes effort. It’s not because I’m lazy; it’s because I don’t see any need to put in effort. Because I already have an OS, and it works fine. I know that to some, particularly in this community, there are a lot of things about Windows to complain about, but the vast majority of users can’t come up with a list of things that bothers them about their daily OS. If my computer already had Linux on it, I’d probably feel exactly the same way.
My first experience was from back then also. It is much easier today than it was back then. It drove me crazy around 2008 or whenever I was fiddling around with it but today I would say it is easier than windows if you have an open mind.
I was a Windows user for around 30 years and loved it. But I got so frustrated with Windows that I switched. My computer didn’t feel like I was the one in control of it anymore, and I hated that.
I’m very happy on Linux, now.
Yeah, the issues with Windows are mostly a ton of really small things. There aren’t too many major issues that will force you to switch instantly, and no one of the small things will make you switch because it’s easier to just deal with it and move in in that moment.
I can’t even remember what it was that made me switch about two years ago. It was Windows ignoring a setting I changed before when it updated. It just got really frustrating how little they care about what I want my system to do/look like. They only care about what they want, but it’s my machine! It all eventually pushed me over the edge, but most users aren’t tracking that.
I’m pretty convinced that most users would have a better time with Linux now though. In particular, the package manager makes not dealing with individual application updates and running random executable you find online such a better experience. As long as people are using a distro that suits their requirements, and not one that requires a lot of manual effort, it functions better than Windows. It isn’t Windows though, so they get annoyed that it doesn’t function identically to that shitty system they’re used to.
Thats pretty understandable honestly. If my old netbook wasn’t so bogged down from Windows, there’s a chance I wouldn’t have switched to Linux. In a way, I’m glad for it, but it woulda been easier if it just came with Linux preinstalled <3
In my experience drivers have been pretty solid… except for NVIDIA. People seem to either have 0 issues or tons. Fingers crossed the upcoming Nova+NVK driver combo brings a more consistent and stable experience for all :)
I just made this same basic point in response to another comment, but this is exactly right. It takes effort to learn anything new, and that effort isn’t always worth it to people. But that alone doesn’t make using Linux “hard.”
Exactly, my wife struugles with tech. She hated windows and how it did unexpected things that made no sense. I put Linux on her computer, she doesn’t bug me with complaints now since it operates the same every day.
I did the same thing for my wife. She lives almost exclusively in the browser. I put her on the same atomic OS I’m using, and for her the experience is pretty similar to her previous Chromebook.
Similar : my spouse was complaining about how slow her laptop was and that she’d probably have to buy a new one. I popped a bootable Mint USB in and she was impressed that it was “like new”.
I left her on the bootable for a week as a trial then installed it to the HD. 99% of what she does is browser based anyway.
Yeah same kind of experience, on Windows 10 her laptop would barely run, it lagged so badly because it is a 2 core Celeron. On Linux it is actually peppy and she can run her zoom meetings and excel stuff, plus browsing. It is comparable speed to my new work laptop with 20 core processor running W11…that’s how bad WindowsOS has become
@clif @BCsven are you implying that Linux is not compatible with most things on winlol? I’ve yet to find anything that I need and is winlol only, everything either has a version on Linux or has a Linux-able alternative
There are many winlol-only things but none I need
For gaming, Linux
For office use, Linux
For media, definitely Linux…
And that’s all most people want from a computer, yet Windows always throws a curve ball at some point.
My home computers and servers are all Linux since 2017, even my work Laptop was because the CAD/CAM software had a Linux version. I have been running W11 for work lately and it is such a terrible user experience. I will be mid productivity mode and the Office Ai.exe kicks and and reduces my brand new machine down to a crawl speed. It happened way too many times and it does nothing to improve what I’m working on. I tried deleting the ai.exe and aimgr.exe, but those get reinstalled after an update, so now I have made two empty text files and renamed them to match the two files, this (so far ) has tricked MS into not reinstalling those files.
But there are so many other janky bullshit things that W11 does that I can’t believe a company the size of MS can release this stuff
Astounding. This is why I got away from sysadmin work. Dealing with Microsoft products kills my enjoyment of computing.
Tbh I just care about privacy and do not want surveillance on my system. If you don’t care about that (which I can understand because life is hard and energy is limited), then Windows or Mac is maybe perfectly fine for you. All I am saying is, if Linux would be pre-installed, people wouldn’t care to make a switch to Windows, they would just live with a perfectly fine OS and go on with their lives.
totally this!!! Most users just need a browser and an email client at best. They couldn’t care less about the OS that’s sitting on top of. If they could go to a store and see a $1000 laptop with Windows and $800 laptop with Linux being sold side by side, majority would pick the cheaper one if they could still get online with it.