Why don't more people use Linux?
world.hey.com
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 peo...

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ndlug.org/post/1064425

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.

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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.

Related: Omakub

    • SorteKanin@feddit.dk
      01·
      16 days ago

      I’ve previously posted a few examples:

      Two 4k external monitors through a docking station - Why is this seemingly effortless for Windows but basically impossible for Linux?

      Is there a way to keep Linux responsive when at ~100% CPU usage?

      I also regularly have my window manager crash when inserting my laptop into my docking station. Happens maybe 20% of the time. Sometimes even when it works the display scaling makes things blurry until I reset the scaling from 150% back to 100% and back again, then it’s fine. Add to this a few annoyances with UI, but these are more forgivable.

      There’s all kinds of these small problems that compound to just make for a much worse experience. It doesn’t just work but it needs to if it really wants to provide a viable alternative to normal people.

      Keep in mind, I am not a “normal person” - I am a professional software engineer and I still find all this stuff super annoying.

      • arendjr@programming.dev
        1·
        16 days ago

        I agree with your examples and it’s certainly true there are plenty of rough edges on Linux. Then again, how many examples are there for things that should “just work” and do on Linux but don’t on Windows? There’s enough that make me not use Windows at all, because it has a subpar user experience. I even used a Macbook for a few years, mainly for work, and there were too many small things that annoyed me about it, so it too had a subpar user experience.

        Seems it’s mostly a matter of perspective which issues are more important to you.