As a long time less-technical linux user I don’t really wanna be that person but I do think its important to point out that generally the issues they were frustrated with are things that would be invisible to average users, and would irk the hell out of technically competent people and power users pretty much exclusively
I adore linux and have used it exclusively for like 10+ years, but it has a fair bit of jank that is most noticable to normal folks, and is frankly invisible to technical folks because it just doesnt pose a meaningful obstacle or speedbump to them. So yes, talking about the ways in which its way better is fantastic, but much of this is not a useful comparison for anyone except the people who already use linux and have happily done so for ages
There’s kinda this disconnect where technical folks will tell you linux is light years ahead and so much better than dreadful proprietary options, and as a less technical art and design nerd, I can tell you it still really needs UX polish and attention to usability (like more graphical ways of doing things), and those are things that impact the kinds of folks who don’t use linux and have been standard on windows and Mac for a long time.
It’s both, but I do wish technical folks could see the things that less technical new users get hung up on, because that stuff is REALLY important for linux to keep improving if we want more and more adoption
Thats one of the reasons I’m so excited for it to be gaining steam (hah, Valve pun) with gamers, since volume of users that aren’t sysadmins or pen testers is really important to those issues becoming visible to folks building linux and talking about where it needs to improve.
20 years ago, fixing easy stuff in Linux was a matter of Google searching, finding it, then copy pasting what you needed to do from the browser into a terminal.
Since the beginning, the difference between a problem in Windows and a problem in Linux is that the problem in Windows can (and often does) hit a dead end - proprietary wall, it’s broke and you just have to live with it. In Linux (more generally: free open source software) it may be broke, but the fix is always possible, if you’re willing to put in the necessary work.
With AI reducing the effort necessary to do this kind of work, rather dramatically, I expect Linux and FOSS in general to be getting a bit of a boost. Not taking over the world, 2030 still won’t be the year of the Linux desktop, but… the ability to scratch all the itches is more valuable today than it was a year ago.
I used to fairly frequently hit dead ends on Linux, e.g. regarding Wifi drivers or getting some (Linux) applications running. But the driver situation has improved greatly, and thanks to Flatpak, Distrobox & co. I’ve only ever run into one application I couldn’t install - a corporate antivirus. Whoopsie!
regarding Wifi drivers or getting some (Linux) applications running
Yeah, there is that about drivers, definitely been there and there were times “the grass was greener in Redmond” - but… as you say that has improved, to the point that I recently can’t get Windows WiFi drivers from Ezurio, but they support every flavor of Linux.
When people comment about having issues with Linux, this is what that should be compared with.
Or not, since linux distros ideally shouldn’t be bound to windows. (but realistically they are)
As a long time less-technical linux user I don’t really wanna be that person but I do think its important to point out that generally the issues they were frustrated with are things that would be invisible to average users, and would irk the hell out of technically competent people and power users pretty much exclusively
I adore linux and have used it exclusively for like 10+ years, but it has a fair bit of jank that is most noticable to normal folks, and is frankly invisible to technical folks because it just doesnt pose a meaningful obstacle or speedbump to them. So yes, talking about the ways in which its way better is fantastic, but much of this is not a useful comparison for anyone except the people who already use linux and have happily done so for ages
There’s kinda this disconnect where technical folks will tell you linux is light years ahead and so much better than dreadful proprietary options, and as a less technical art and design nerd, I can tell you it still really needs UX polish and attention to usability (like more graphical ways of doing things), and those are things that impact the kinds of folks who don’t use linux and have been standard on windows and Mac for a long time.
It’s both, but I do wish technical folks could see the things that less technical new users get hung up on, because that stuff is REALLY important for linux to keep improving if we want more and more adoption
Thats one of the reasons I’m so excited for it to be gaining steam (hah, Valve pun) with gamers, since volume of users that aren’t sysadmins or pen testers is really important to those issues becoming visible to folks building linux and talking about where it needs to improve.
20 years ago, fixing easy stuff in Linux was a matter of Google searching, finding it, then copy pasting what you needed to do from the browser into a terminal.
Since the beginning, the difference between a problem in Windows and a problem in Linux is that the problem in Windows can (and often does) hit a dead end - proprietary wall, it’s broke and you just have to live with it. In Linux (more generally: free open source software) it may be broke, but the fix is always possible, if you’re willing to put in the necessary work.
With AI reducing the effort necessary to do this kind of work, rather dramatically, I expect Linux and FOSS in general to be getting a bit of a boost. Not taking over the world, 2030 still won’t be the year of the Linux desktop, but… the ability to scratch all the itches is more valuable today than it was a year ago.
I used to fairly frequently hit dead ends on Linux, e.g. regarding Wifi drivers or getting some (Linux) applications running. But the driver situation has improved greatly, and thanks to Flatpak, Distrobox & co. I’ve only ever run into one application I couldn’t install - a corporate antivirus. Whoopsie!
Yeah, there is that about drivers, definitely been there and there were times “the grass was greener in Redmond” - but… as you say that has improved, to the point that I recently can’t get Windows WiFi drivers from Ezurio, but they support every flavor of Linux.