Why does Linux have a reputation of being difficult to use when mainstream distros like Ubuntu or Solus are so easy to use but OSX is far more popular than Linux and so difficult to use?
What can Linux do to improve its image and receive greater support and users?
You just need to be able to buy computers with linux
Nothing. Not everything should cater to babies.
Didn't Google do that with Chromebooks?
How popular were they?
They are popular
Well chromebooks were shit but they are selling just fine, they are still making them
I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.
Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called "Linux", and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project.
There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called "Linux" distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.
In the end it is the user who makes the choice and they will most likely choose something that is already popular. Even if people switch to linux or go with linux, they will do that with a sour taste in their mouth unless they have a specific reason, i.e security or smthn
Linux USED to be difficult and these days it doesn't have to be, but keep in mind that cultural consciousness develops slowly over concepts. Just because devs made Linux as easy as possible, doesn't mean it will attract the attention of people that have Windows or iOS embedded in them
The problem is you have to install it.
Most normies cant even install windows again when they need to, even when they have a disk for it
/thread
Can't /thread your own post you dip
It's wrong no matter how many times you repeat the same inane bullshit.
>2000+18
>can't install windows
even my mother can install a fucking windows10
Here's a hint to you: marketing.
mommy.gib( milkies );
i personally find linux desktop in 2018 to be farrrrrr comfier than windows equivalent offerings, even as a gaymer who can't play most of my gaymes on linux, I still prefer it due to comfy factor/customization
I doubt that
>easy to use.
No, i've used Ubuntu for 5 years, it's still a piece off shit.
I wanted to try Zap wallet yesterday
On windows, here's what happens.
>download executable
>install it with 1 click
Linux:
ok you gotta install yarn separately
run sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install yarn
Oh it looks like Ubuntu 17 doesn't support yarn, gotta find some obscure curl command online to add that shit to my repository
ok my update isn't working... it's just hanging at 0 kb/s are the fucking Ubuntu servers down again? They're always fucking down.
Ok looks like i need npm too. hmm, the install is giving me an error. Oh look github says this issue was found in april of 2016 and hasn't been fixed yet, here's the workaround.
ok got npm installed... why did it give me a 3 year old version? Why isn't the update command working?
FUCK THIS WASTE OF TIME I'M GOING BACK
for Linux to go mainstream it has to be usable with no prior knowledge and fully graphical. the moment you have to open a console and type in commands you've lost the vast majority of users.
>MacOS
>Difficult to use
Pick one user
>OSX is far more popular than Linux and so difficult to use
>so difficult to use
lol
weak shoop
ffs the ribcage is larger than the pelvis
what is this, anime-tier knowledge of female anatomy?
Ubuntu sucks, I don't know how anyone can stand not having something like AUR. It's just so painless and easy to discover and install packages. Btw you shouldn't use apt-get to install yarn. Use npm
npm install -g yarn
You kinda have to treat Linux distros like beta/test products. They're always a WIP with new software, and you have to configure it how you want it to be, generally, which requires that you know what you want. Here is the latest shitty thing that happened to me with Linux:
Install fedora 27 because shills on Sup Forums. I have an AMD GPU, so after install it defaults to Wayland
>Display doesn't work out of the gate because missing driver packages
>Have to use amd-staging repo for the right packages
>No AUR so I have to browse the internet to find the repo
>Gay experience in general
>Display works with amd-staging
>Mouse buttons don't work because of Wayland and libinput
>You can't configure libinput
>Wayland shitty performance and input latency compared to xorg anyway
>Uninstall fedora
>Reinstall antergos, an actual good distro
>Comfy af
os x is probably the easiest to use OS currently
Hahahaha hahahaha HAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Because shit like this is still an issue 14 years later
Gnome is better than the Mac OS DE.
you have to install dash to dock, a theme, and icons(having taste helps these things), and it's better.
New gnome is the shittiest thing human ever done.
You and your fucking file chooser whining for years now. If I was in a room with you and Donald Trump, and had a gun with 2 bullets, I'd shoot you twice.
Nah it's the best Linux DE. What could your problem with it even be?
seems relevant when the OP starts with "Why does Linux have a reputation of being difficult to use"
>OP's pic on its own is nice, but why is it that as soon as i go on this, all the captions/followers/comments/descriptions kill my boner everytime?
It's called instinct and you don't need to think much about it.
Probably because even though you want to engage with every one of her holes, subconsciously you don't want a narcissistic slut.
Who are you quoting?
Linux/GNU itself is not easy to use because it can break and be annoying in the wrong hands.
The desktop environment is another matter. KDE is rather difficult and aimed for power users. Gnome is easier and more limited. I would say none of these have a reputation of being easy. Windows and OSX babysit you from day one after install. Linux do not.
> Linux/GNU itself is not easy to use because it can break and be annoying in the wrong hands.
Windows also completely does this and even OSX has broken for most of the family members over the span of 10 years.
> KDE is rather difficult and aimed for power users.
It's not difficult. Holy fuck.
> Windows and OSX babysit you from day one after install.
They're both a huge confusing mess. About the only thing that may make them seem simpler is that you're already accustomed to them.
It's retarded trying to get linux to become mainstream, kind of destroys the point. Let the normies have their botnet while the tech literate stay to *nix
>Elegant and polished
>Easy to use
Nigger I use osx daily for my job. Here's a sampler ofbmy complaints
External keyboard caps lock lights don't work
Nonstandard keyboard layout
Command + x/c/v for cut/copy/paste instead of CTRL + x/c/v
Pressing delete in finder does nothing. Must use command + backspace to move to trash
Enter in finder renames file instead of opening it
Maximize button doesn't maximize
Clicking a programs icon in dock doesn't minimize/restore
Menu bar doesn't extend across multiple monitors. Must go to primary monitor to open menus for programs on secondary screen
No proper package manager
Finder has no option to show hidden files, must execute a terminal command and kill finder
No preview of program windows when hovering over the dock icons
Lol no ports. Lol just use a dongle
Filesystem isn't case sensitive
Glossy screen instead of matte. Not even the excuse of being a touchscreen
Don't even get me started on xcode
That's because you are used to it. For people who didnt use computers before os x would make more sense than the 'standard' convention. also there is no delete button
also maximise button does exactly that since sierra (even though i prefer the older way)
who is this fat fuck?
i see him everywhere here
People are still parroting about Linux not being easy because it wasn't easy 10-15 years ago and that's what the global population thinks about it since they haven't had interest in Linux ever since.
KDE and Xfce are very easy to use. Especially coming from a windows background.
>use npm
You just shouldn't use anything remotely related to JavaScript in general.
> Windows also completely does this and even OSX has broken for most of the family members over the span of 10 years.
That's quite an achievement. Although Microsoft and Apple have had their software issues. They are more reliable than Linux/GNU because you have no access to the risky code. Normally just malware or risky third-party software can make Windows unstable. Which there is many of, consider being the most popular OS.
> It's not difficult. Holy fuck.
Well. Easy to use, difficult to master. Try to use all the functions properly, and good luck.
> They're both a huge confusing mess. About the only thing that may make them seem simpler is that you're already accustomed to them.
I'm sorry, but they babysit. Their policy is non-nonbreakable OS where you don't need to figure out things by yourself. Little customization options, forced updates, recommendations popup and surveillance, risky system settings beneficial for Microsoft; some code you can't access or change no matter what you do.
Put it very simple. Microsoft and Apple force run their OS on easy-mode, and there's is nothing you can do about it except run third-party software that slows down the system and even might eventually break it.
At least, as a power user. After running a lot of third-party software to make Windows usable. I stopped and went to KDE. Much more natural environment. If someone is a mainstream default user, nowadays I would say Windows is very very easy to use and safe. MAC is also quite easy. Also, gaming or photoshop are good reasons.
Full screen != maximize
There are delete buttons on external keyboards
How does
>External keyboard caps lock lights don't work
>Nonstandard keyboard layout
> Objectively more awkward command + x/c/v for cut/copy/paste instead of CTRL + x/c/v
Literally every other OS uses the standard
> Must use command + backspace to move to trash
>Enter in finder renames file instead of opening it
>Clicking a programs icon in dock doesn't minimize/restore
>Menu bar doesn't extend across multiple monitors. Must go to primary monitor to open menus for programs on secondary screen
>Finder has no option to show hidden files, must execute a terminal command and kill finder
>No preview of program windows when hovering over the dock icons
>Lol no ports. Lol just use a dongle
>Filesystem isn't case sensitive
>Glossy screen instead of matte. Not even the excuse of being a touchscreen
Make more sense?
Who hasn't used a computer before? Are you Amish?
Gnome dev detected.
>feature that makes shitposting with your 20 gb of images named "1432658027949.jpg" possible without annoying workarounds or KDE
>windows has had this feature for 25 years
Richard Matthew Stallman.
thanks.
i now get back on eating things from my toes
>OS X isn’t like windows
These are literally noob complaints
They did it with android as well. Millions of normies are using linux without realizing it.
Well first of all, for OS X you use Apple technology, including apple keyboards. With their keyboard layout cmd is in the place where ctrl is on PC keyboards, so theyre the same as awkward (but it's better because there isnt a conflict with unix's ^X/C/V)
>> Must use command + backspace to move to trash
Well there's no del, so it's a shortcut.
>>Enter in finder renames file instead of opening it
It actually does make more sense. Enter is used for text, so attaching another property of it opening objects would be unnecessary. also other applications use cmd+o, why would Finder be different?
>>Clicking a programs icon in dock doesn't minimize/restore
um it does restore sweetie. It shouldnt minimize, it wont be obvious.
>>Menu bar doesn't extend across multiple monitors. Must go to primary monitor to open menus for programs on secondary screen
subjective opinions
>>Finder has no option to show hidden files, must execute a terminal command and kill finder
hidden files would be very annoying
>>No preview of program windows when hovering over the dock icons
Why would it be there? If a window is open, you already have it in the original form. If a window is minimized, there is a preview to the right.
>>Lol no ports. Lol just use a dongle
Lol just use wireless 2bh
>>Filesystem isn't case sensitive
Um it is sweetie, there are 2 variants. People may like non case sensitive variant more, IRL most systems arent case sensitive
>>Glossy screen instead of matte. Not even the excuse of being a touchscreen
glossy screen has objectively better colors
I'd say that Windows XP was the last truly accessible and easy to understand OS from microsoft. Windows 10 is a clusterfuck, the home folder is a fucking mess, programs save their settings in a dozen different places, collections add another useless layer of abstraction, the address bar by default doesn't show the actual location in the folder structure, the control panel is hidden beneath a new "Apps & features" window (with no mention of "programs" anywhere, while the control panel on the other hand doesn't mention "apps" anywhere), the OS comes bloated with a fuckload of useless junk, most of their proprietary software either wants to scan your files right away or identify you with a user account and email. Even if you clean up all that any update can suddenly install new trash like mobile games' ports without your permission, or even remove all your pinned shortcuts in the start menu and substitute them with whatever shit they're peddling, like what happened with the latest "creators update". It's a chaos of clashing paradigms, UIs and flashy intrusive marketing where it doesn't belong. I can navigate through all this shit because I've been here all this time while it gradually changed, but I don't see how anyone who's new to computers would figure it out on his own.
This
Almost everyone I know is literally out of their depth when it comes to installing os or basic comp maintenance. A friend of mine who just started a master's in computer science has to have me build his computers.
I just think normal people have a mental block towards computers and how they work. It's fucking tiresome, but it's not hard pulling a few extra dollars a month from people needing basic help.
windows is worse t.bh, i prefer to dnd from pcmanfm, at least it's consistent and i know where to find what and it's full screen
can't dnd in windows afaik so i have to use that little window with my big thumbnails, ugh
>OSX
>difficult to use
pick 1
also
>headset has to be replugged in order to work
>drivers are a pain in the ass to find and apply
>random bullshit error only 2 people have run into
>random bullshit error only 5 people have run into
>etc.
Linux is a nightmare as a home desktop environment and if you aren't tech savvy enough to figure out the previous shit then you certainly aren't going to be using Linux for what it's best for.
kys
also anyone using ubuntu is a fucking moron
>Not properly naming your files like a smart person
lmaoing @ your life
I am so tired of this asshole. Fucking communist.
everything you listed is bullshit, you don't need any of it
gnome sucks because apparently some of it's major applications are abandonware
AND because nautilus moves files every time you open a folder - and this won't be fixed (if there even is a ticket)
>naming your files in >2010
I bet you're one of those people that thinks CLIs are superior to GUIs 100% of the time
holy fuck you're jewed!
>we didn't provide del as an option, so this longer way is actually a feature™
>enter is used for text, like most of the keyboard, yet there are keyboard shortcuts
>lacking proper multi mon is somehow subjectibe
>seeing hidden files would be very annoying so not being able to enable/disable them easily is obviously the best solution
>forced to use expensive latency ridden wireless or be cucked by annoying dongles is superior to more options
Enjoy your OS of choice.
>Well first of all, for OS X you use Apple technology, including apple keyboards. With their keyboard layout cmd is in the place where ctrl is on PC keyboards, so theyre the same as awkward (but it's better because there isnt a conflict with unix's ^X/C/V)
No. It's swapped with ALT. Why should I not be able to use whatever keyboard I can want? Like the one I'm issued in an enterprise environment?
>>>Menu bar doesn't extend across multiple monitors. Must go to primary monitor to open menus for programs on secondary screen
>subjective opinions
Objectively bad for those who use multiple monitors
>Lol just use wireless 2bh
Like my wireless monitors, wireless SD cards, wireless flash drives, and ... oh wait
>glossy screen has objectively better colors
And objectively more eyestrain. And objectively shit viewing due to reflections
wires are bloat. There are wireless sdcards and flashdrives, the monitor is the computer. no need for nothing.
>No. It's swapped with ALT. Why should I not be able to use whatever keyboard I can want? Like the one I'm issued in an enterprise environment?
Because Apple makes the best stuff.
>Objectively bad for those who use multiple monitors
Well it's not only used for multiple monitors. When i connect a laptop to a projector, i don't really want menus.
>And objectively more eyestrain. And objectively shit viewing due to reflections
have better lightning?
Linux that is easy to use are garbage. Systemd defeats the put of even using Linux because it's not audited and won't be so basically its closed source. So you're way better off with a closed os for convenience
Linux without GNU can be quite popular among normies. See Android and Chromebook.
>the monitor is the computer
>Apple makes the best stuff
You're pretty funny.
Keep spouting dumb shit for our amusement.
Hey hey, while you're at it, what OSes and distros have you used and for how long?
The developer of the os everyone calls linux by mistake.
Pssst. There's a GUI package installer that automates this whole process. It was designed especially for water heads, like yourself.
>I'M GOING BACK
You should, I hear Mexico is beautiful this time of year.
False. Mac OS is a steaming pile of shit. It looks nice, but it has so many retarded quirks, it'll drive you insane trying to do anything beyond grandma tier usage.
why not? it's the only scripting language that isn't complete shit.
these are quirks for you
Drivers. Even Dell will often sell you systems with wifi cards that won't be able to enable their dual-bluetooth modes in Linux.
system76
no, not really. the desktop environment is just unconfigurable garbage.
less configuration the easier
>window drop shadows.
>partially hidable dock that still has an window undrawable region when "hidden"
>animations still can't be disabled and are just as laggy and stupid timewasting crap as usual
>no focus follows mouse
>no select paste
this isn't even getting into how abysmally bad "POSIX" implementation where using read() with your own memory is faster than mmap().
macOS is just a fucking joke. Lignux was a lot better on my macbook 11,1 than macOS.
That was like 5 questions in one, OP.
No, it's annoying.
>How popular were they?
Every school I've looked at pushes them as the officially supported student laptop. They're a joke to most of us but I guess google spread enough bribes around that they're popular with schools
only 99% of the time
>linux is hard.
Easy as any other kernel imo.
linux isn't hard, it just doesn't have basic functionalities and doesn't just work
>Btw you shouldn't use apt-get to install yarn. Use npm
>npm install -g yarn
Use Linux it just werks
>The developer of coreutils, bash and the compiler of the OS known as Linux.
Fixed that for you
t. has only witnessed female characters in poorly drawn chinese cartoons
From my expertise in pixels and after having analyzed various bigger yet matching versions of OP's image, I can certify that this isn't a shoop
Fedora, Ubuntu, or openSuSE?
Linus Torvalds uses Fedora... But what should I use?
Fedora isn't bad, personally more a fan of Solus though
>OSX difficult to use
The what now...?
Just because you know how to use a package manager doesn't mean everyone that gets into computers does. It would be more logical to a person that does not know how to use a computer to tell "if you want to install that application just drag and drop it into that application folder" than "hey just like sudo apt update and then sudo apt install packagename"
You do know the software center exists, right?
Whatever as long as you don't use anything other than KDE, Xfce or Budgie.
So does an app store exist in OSX. Also fuck if the Gnome software Center isn't buggy. I would never recommend that to anyone new.
>Gnome software center
Idk fàm but the one in Ubuntu and Solus both work just fine in my experience.
They're only easy to use if you don't run into strange issues and don't deviate from typical use cases and typical hardware setups. If something doesn't work properly or you want some setup which hasn't been considered and requires config beyond what the mostly simplistic UI tools allow a normalfag will be pretty much fucked. Ubuntu and the like have a moderate layer of user-friendliness on top but if you're ever forced to touch anything underneath that the friendliness is all gone.
You just described every existing piece of software.
Not really. Take as an example the Pascal black screen and boot failure from 2016. Pretty much all 'friendly' distros had it since nouveau didn't support Pascal and simply shat itself. Windows will not do that. Windows will run in 800x600 or some shit with a generic driver, but it will not completely fail to boot with no video signal like a boatload of Linux distros did for months on end. There were workarounds of course, but if you present a normalfag with a system which has no video signal he'll probably think it's fucking broken.
On Linux it's way more apparent how unfriendly things get if you want something that is different than what is already configured.
Ubuntu for example one of the more easier to use distros has no real easy straight forward way to disable mouse acceleration with Windows it's just a checkbox in the mouse settings but Ubuntu has no such option requiring making a config file or digging into some other configuration that isn't really straight forward for normal users
No, Richard, it's 'Linux', not 'GNU/Linux'. The most important contributions that the FSF made to Linux were the creation of the GPL and the GCC compiler. Those are fine and inspired products. GCC is a monumental achievement and has earned you, RMS, and the Free Software Foundation countless kudos and much appreciation.
Following are some reasons for you to mull over, including some already answered in your FAQ.
One guy, Linus Torvalds, used GCC to make his operating system (yes, Linux is an OS -- more on this later). He named it 'Linux' with a little help from his friends. Why doesn't he call it GNU/Linux? Because he wrote it, with more help from his friends, not you. You named your stuff, I named my stuff -- including the software I wrote using GCC -- and Linus named his stuff. The proper name is Linux because Linus Torvalds says so. Linus has spoken. Accept his authority. To do otherwise is to become a nag. You don't want to be known as a nag, do you?
(An operating system) != (a distribution). Linux is an operating system. By my definition, an operating system is that software which provides and limits access to hardware resources on a computer. That definition applies whereever you see Linux in use. However, Linux is usually distributed with a collection of utilities and applications to make it easily configurable as a desktop system, a server, a development box, or a graphics workstation, or whatever the user needs. In such a configuration, we have a Linux (based) distribution. Therein lies your strongest argument for the unwieldy title 'GNU/Linux' (when said bundled software is largely from the FSF). Go bug the distribution makers on that one. Take your beef to Red Hat, Mandrake, and Slackware. At least there you have an argument. Linux alone is an operating system that can be used in various applications without any GNU software whatsoever. Embedded applications come to mind as an obvious example.
Next, even if we limit the GNU/Linux title to the GNU-based Linux distributions, we run into another obvious problem. XFree86 may well be more important to a particular Linux installation than the sum of all the GNU contributions. More properly, shouldn't the distribution be called XFree86/Linux? Or, at a minimum, XFree86/GNU/Linux? Of course, it would be rather arbitrary to draw the line there when many other fine contributions go unlisted. Yes, I know you've heard this one before. Get used to it. You'll keep hearing it until you can cleanly counter it.
You seem to like the lines-of-code metric. There are many lines of GNU code in a typical Linux distribution. You seem to suggest that (more LOC) == (more important). However, I submit to you that raw LOC numbers do not directly correlate with importance. I would suggest that clock cycles spent on code is a better metric. For example, if my system spends 90% of its time executing XFree86 code, XFree86 is probably the single most important collection of code on my system. Even if I loaded ten times as many lines of useless bloatware on my system and I never excuted that bloatware, it certainly isn't more important code than XFree86. Obviously, this metric isn't perfect either, but LOC really, really sucks. Please refrain from using it ever again in supporting any argument.
Last, I'd like to point out that we Linux and GNU users shouldn't be fighting among ourselves over naming other people's software. But what the heck, I'm in a bad mood now. I think I'm feeling sufficiently obnoxious to make the point that GCC is so very famous and, yes, so very useful only because Linux was developed. In a show of proper respect and gratitude, shouldn't you and everyone refer to GCC as 'the Linux compiler'? Or at least, 'Linux GCC'? Seriously, where would your masterpiece be without Linux? Languishing with the HURD?
If there is a moral buried in this rant, maybe it is this:
Be grateful for your abilities and your incredible success and your considerable fame. Continue to use that success and fame for good, not evil. Also, be especially grateful for Linux' huge contribution to that success. You, RMS, the Free Software Foundation, and GNU software have reached their current high profiles largely on the back of Linux. You have changed the world. Now, go forth and don't be a nag.
Thanks for listening.
What the fuck
Marketing costs money.