this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2021
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Linux

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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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[–] [email protected] 26 points 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago) (4 children)

I have to disagree on this. The Linux Desktop (once installed) is ready for "normal" users and has been so for years; and not just theoretically, I personally have installed Linux on several PCs and the only maintenance I have to do is reinstalling it when the person buys a new PC.

I think this is true for 80% of the users out there, who basically use their PC as a "click here to open browser" device (and viewing some photos etc.). However, ChromeOS does that even better than Linux admitably.

The problem is with the 20% Windows power-users / gamers, for whom Linux is not a suitable replacement as it works differently and is easy to break if you have only dangerous half-knowledge. While these people certainly would be capable of learning Linux, I don't really see that happening as they often show open hostility to any system that is doing things differently than what they are used to... and in a sense that is understandable as it is a sunk cost fallacy of having spend considerable time to learn how Windows operates.

I highly doubt that Linux will be ever able to cater to those 20%, even if there are certainly some areas that could be improved. But those users will just find some other issue to nitpick about...

[–] [email protected] 9 points 3 years ago (1 children)

I agree with @[email protected]
What a Linux desktop needs is a user, who's able to think and who not assumes that it has to work the way he is used to from Windows. Many are simply unwilling to learn and therefore reject Linux.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 years ago (2 children)

I don't think this is the problem. GNU/Linux desktop are more than capable to provide a Windows-like UX with KDE + AppImage.

The problem in my personal opinion is that there's bugs everywhere. All desktops are written in memory-unsafe languages and keep on reinventing the same wheels over and over again, reintroducing subtle bugs.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 years ago (1 children)

oh boy … this “memory-unsafe”-argument again 🤦
Even with a Windows looking desktop UI and usage of AppImages, it's still no Windows! There are no .exe-Files for drivers and games. There is no Microsoft account you need to login to. There is no “installer” who ask for the path you want to install your program.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 years ago

oh boy … this “memory-unsafe”-argument again 🤦

What's wrong with the argument that playing compiler in your head is both a waste of energy and a sure way to write bugs? Aren't you tired of unexpected resource usage, stuff that should work that reaches hard-to-reproduce edge-cases, and kids bypassing your screensaver.

There are no .exe-Files for drivers and games.

Really? Then what is Wine/NDISWrapper for? I've used Windows games and drivers in the past on my GNU/Linux system, and some of them sure used .exe extension.

There is no Microsoft account you need to login to.

Isn't that a good thing? Also many people still use older windows where cloud login doesn't exist. Does that mean it's not Windows?

There is no “installer” who ask for the path you want to install your program.

Yet GNU defined the standard --prefix to choose where to install your software (make --prefix /Program\ Files/foobar).

I mean sure there's no equivalent of the registry, Aero/Metro UI toolkit, Cortana, or centralized Windows store (except on Ubuntu with snap). But who said we had to have the bad bits? ;)

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 years ago (1 children)

appimage is easy for me now, but it took me forever 2 years ago to figure out that --no-sandbox addition needed and i still am annoyed that I often have a problem getting the icon on a menu or panel.
i think we should be open to criticism so that we can improve Linux and thereby starve the BigTech beast. If you have weeds in your garden, don't make excuses for them, yank them out or allow them to grow in more appropriate places.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 years ago (1 children)

I've used AppImages a bunch but i've never heard about "--no-sandbox" so far. Do you know of apps that won't run without it?

i still am annoyed that I often have a problem getting the icon on a menu or panel.

I've personally had good luck with AppImageLauncher in the past, but lately i just run apps from terminal. There's also a bunch of other solutions. Let me know what worked for you :)

i think we should be open to criticism so that we can improve Linux and thereby starve the BigTech beast.

100% agree.

If you have weeds in your garden, don’t make excuses for them

Some weeds are really good for your garden's ecosystem in fact, but that's off-topic :)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 years ago

Since electron was apgraded or fixed, that appendage is no longer needed. I read that all of those appimages were made using electron. I did have AppImageLauncher and used it a first, but forgot about it. No longer have it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 years ago

The Linux Desktop (once installed) is ready for “normal” users and has been so for years

As someone who supports many novice GNU/Linux users, i think this is true, but there's many papercuts along the way. Every desktop environment is broken in subtle ways: the closest to a stable/consistent whole i GNOME but even it sometimes has services eating up resources unexpectedly, and is hard for users to tweak (too much reliance on extensions for what should be basic settings which are much easier to discover for users).

I'm not saying Windows is better: on Windows the "basic" experience works well but as soon as you start installing software, stuff will break in random ways until you have to reinstall from scratch.