this post was submitted on 20 Aug 2023
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Linux

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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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Why don't more people use desktop Linux? I have a theory you might not like (www.zdnet.com)
submitted 1 year ago by Nicbudd@beehaw.org to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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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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[–] Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

“When someone comes to me asking how to get into Linux, they do not need to hear a laundry list of distributions to choose from. When they ask, I don't want to have to say, something akin to, "You could try Ubuntu, Linux Mint, elementary OS, Zorin OS, or Ubuntu Budgie."”

Ok, so what if I need a car? People will give me a laundry list of car brands to choose from, so I don’t really see that as a valid point. What if I want to buy a pair of shoes? Is there another laundry list? Yes there is.

Just pick something popular, and try it out. If you don’t like it, you’ll have a better idea of the features you want or don’t want in the future.

[–] squaresinger@feddit.de 0 points 1 year ago

Well, it's all about expectations and alternatives. People don't expect to be overloaded with choices before the OS even boots.

Linux is the only OS on any platform where they have (to make) this choice.

Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, all of these Systems don't give you a choice between wildly different versions.

Also, the issue extends to after the installation as well. If someone asks me about a Windows issue of medium intensity, I can tell them on the phone how to fix it without having a PC nearby.

Say they ask me how to do something as simple as to install a program from the repository.

Depending on the Linux they are using, they will (or will not) have any one of a few dozen package manager GUIs, which will work wildly different. Even if they don't use the GUI, they might be using apt, yum, pacman, snap or any other of a few dozen CLI package managers.

And depending on their distro, the package in question can have one of a few dozen different names, or might not be in the repo at all, so that I need to add a ppa or some other form of external repository.

That is a massive issue in everyday use. The only viable thing is for the local family/friend group admin to decide which distro to use and then everyone needs to use that distro or get educated themselves.

For example, I got a lot of experience (~10 years) on Debian-based OSes. Put me on Arch and I have no clue.

The same is not true for e.g. Windows, where I have used every single version extensively (except of Win11).