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this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2024
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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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If people didn't come out of the woodwork to tell people welding was so simple that their 5 year could do it then maybe they'd be less turned off by the time and effort it takes to learn it.
i think there is a fundamental reason why linux is a good operating system. It's the same reason that vehicles from the 70s and 80s are so beloved, because they're easy to repair. Hell you could probably rebuild one in your garage, sure you'd need some level of knowledge to do so. But it's all out there, and very easy to access, and same for the parts.
I think linux is very similar in this regard, part of what makes it so good, is being so familiar with it. Windows doesn't let you do this, because it doesn't want you to. Linux does, because you're supposed to, and i would argue that telling people linux is a "turn key" solution is rather irresponsible when inevitably, they'll want to do something weird or have to fix a weird problem which will require them to go digging around somewhere.
I also don't think the basic concepts of linux are all that complicated, two weeks and a vm to install arch and you've got most of the foundational concepts in your head already.
A vee emm you say?
Can I get that on the app store?
...
You gotta set the bar far, far lower. Hell being able to set up a VM easoly in a Windows home license machine is still something relatively recent, without using specialized software.
If Linux only appeals to tinkers then it will see about as much market share as 80s cars as well, and peak at single digits.
If you are someone technically inclined, I totally agree with you. But I think the newer distros in the past few years that are basically good to go after install, and feature application stores linked to reputable repos, etc, are the way forward. This takes a lot of the confusion and, frankly, fear out of attempting to use Linux for your average user.
i think the distros that "just work" are a great way to get into linux, but i do still think it's something that you need to familiarize yourself with. It's like driving a car, if you want to go somewhere in the US, you're gonna need to know how to do it.
True. But by the same token, if you attain a similarly high level of knowledge about Windows, you can do much of the same stuff. Including debloating it.
I mainly say this because I would love nothing more than swapping my relatives machines to Linux, but when something breaks it can be BAD and they are missing that basic background thst 3+ decades on Windows has earned them.
you can debloat windows, yeah. But it might also install malware on your system, or irreversibly break windows as microsoft is well known for not breaking things
you could try and debug issues, i guess. Good luck. You could use a software repository, there are three to choose from!
Windows is theoretically built in a modular manner that prevents things from being weirdly placed and hard to track down, but it isn't adhered too!
Most problems with windows, are ironically, not really a problem with windows. But a problem with microsoft specifically, or the way that software is developed for windows.