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What are the main challenges in Linux adoption for New users, and how can it be addressed?
(lemmy.ml)
this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2023
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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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I’m an artist who is never switching to linux unless they fix my major gripes (which seem like it’ll never happen just looking at the answers here lol).
Allergic to GUIs
Not having easy to access and understand toggles/settings are actually a friction point for most users—I think people who are tech inclined seriously need to remember and understand this. Needing to dig for a command to do simple things IS the OS getting in the way in my experience. I’ve seen screenshots of elementaryOS which seems to get this but my next issue is:
Software and hardware compatibility
I also keep hearing about AMD driver issues which is no good for my pc.
Overall, as much as I hate windows and microsoft, it’s easier to put up and debloat the garbage that comes up over dealing with the issues above. Because when it works, It Actually Just Works. There’s more google-able tech support answers for it too instead of me needing to ask for help every time I encounter something.
Things that are easy to do does add up eventually, which again, is why needing to use the terminal often is not at all an ideal average user experience especially if this could be cut down with some mouse clicks. I think distros could address this if the devs actually care about the non-tech nerd user experience, but I don’t know if the software support/compatibility will ever be fully dealt with.
edited to fix formatting
I work with programming so my experience of linux is obviously a bit different than an artist trying out linux for the first time. What are things you remember having to use the command line for? Installing packages is the most obvious one but there are graphical front ends for many package manager. Editing config files maybe? I wonder if part of the problem is that most tutorials when you google explain how to do things on the command line rather than how to do it through a gui.
I agree that part of the problem is the tutorials and average linux video shows mostly terminal usage. I’m aware of distros that do have GUI front ends like elementaryOS as mentioned, but again I am not going to install linux due to my program requirements for work not having official support. I try to keep up with some linux OS vids/posts because I think the development is interesting to see, but in the end it really is not built with the “average user” in mind no matter how many people keep saying it is lol.
I use programs in windows with only terminal support and config/json files I have to edit myself but it does remind me how much more convenient a GUI is. But devs and other tech people don’t find it worth the dev time to implement. That’s fine but it’s weird to expect widespread use when convenience is considered a waste. Sorry if I keep repeating myself but that’s genuinely a big point in the matter haha
Fair!
I don't think it's just about saving dev time (though that is also a big part of it) but also that many people, such as myself as well as most people who make open source programs, genuinely think that the terminal is more convenient than a gui. This is a niche position though and as you say an obstacle to mainstream use.
I do wonder how far away we are from a linux for casual use that you can use without the terminal, since there are already a couple of gui tools for common tasks. In my mind, the average casual user mostly uses maybe their browser, spotify, office products, steam (which may require installing a different graphic card driver, which isn't very user friendly), some messaging platform and photoshop or something. Honestly this shouldn't be that hard to do with just gui tools, modulo the graphic card drivers. Comparability with various programs is a problem though, you might have to settle for libre office and gimp instead of ms office and photoshop for example.