this post was submitted on 07 Jan 2024
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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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I like the idea of ditching Windows because of all the telemetry but I just need a machine that’s going to do what I need it to do without a fucking battle. Everything on Linux is just so difficult, it’s like every time I give it a go I wind up spending hours trying to figure out how to do something that would take ten seconds on Windows. I wanted to make a desktop shortcut that would run a script with root privileges. On Windows that’s right click, drag, and select the option to make a shortcut. Takes a few seconds. Took me ages to figure it out in Ubuntu, mostly because it wasn’t working as it should. Yesterday I did an apt upgrade on another machine and it wiped out the WiFi. I’m still working on fixing that and now I’m looking into compiling my own drivers.
Interesting, I feel like this describes what windows itself does to a pc
It's definitely not normal to lose wifi working drivers with an update. I would say it's very rare in fact. As far as what you're saying takes ten seconds on windows, no it doesn't. You would still need to run as administrator and (I think) type your password, which probably takes longer than opening a terminal and typing sudo
You still have to type your password when you type sudo...
I know that, that's literally the point of it..?
Funny, for me it's windows that I'm constantly battling.
Be it having to constantly restart and do updates that take forever.
Searching online and downloading then clicking through installers for software I want, rather than just going into an app store.
Having to manually remove ads from my start menu
Remove as much telemetry as I can (that of course accidentally gets reset by some updates)
I have dark mode set, yet so many programs (even first party MS stuff that's part of the OS!) doesn't respect it, so I get randomly blinded at night
Each individual app running their own updater services in the background
Having to remember to run disk cleanup every once in a while because temporary files and old update files hang around for ages, eventually slowing my system down and taking dozens of GB of space
There are some good things - Win11's window tiling is genuinely excellent, for example. But man, overall, Windows is just difficult and tedious to use. The only reason people use it is because it's the default. Not because it's good or it's easy.
On linux you also have to just click drag and choose "make a link".
I felt the same when I started using Linux.
My whole computing experience was on Windows, and when I switched, I expected Linux to be working the same and being a 1:1 replacement.
Just don't expect it to be the same.
Even if it sometimes looks like it (e.g. Mint oder KDE-based distros) it absolutely isn't similar.
People don't have the same expectations on MacOS, so why should we on Linux?
And if you really don't like it at all, then stay on Windows. No shame at all. Use the right tool for the right task.