The Problem with Linux
So this isn’t going to be me simply regurgitating about one of those Linux sucks articles. They are great and if you read them you’ll quickly understand the hook. There are problem with linux that you hear about all the time. Things like, Linux doesn’t have that one game that I play or hardware support is a nightmare but I think these are just fillers for what would otherwise be a rather sparse list of truly technical issues. Surely various package formats and sheer choice anxiety of desktop environments can give the impression that the desktop Linux ecosystem is fragmented and while duplication of effort seems like a setback but that’s what makes Linux great. There’s nobody at the top making decisions that directly impact the end user choice and talented developers have the ability to apply their skills anyway they see fit.
Do none of the desktop environment suit your needs? Why not make your own! But that’s where the first real point on the list comes up and keep in mind that I may say things you disagree with, it’s possible to have civil conversation in the comments.
Linux seems unapproachable
Whether it’s by design or not when the average PC user hears the word Linux; highly technical and complex systems come to his mind. This is a major set back for us as a community because there are distros that focus on user experience and they more or less hit the mark. In fact I believe if you take someone who is not familiar with Windows way of user interface and give them Ubuntu to use, with minimal coaching they will be able to open a web browser and just about every thing they need to do. This perception of complexity exists in minds of your average PC user. Linux isn’t that complex just different from windows and it is pretty darn easy to learn.
Bad attitudes
When I had desire to become a Linux user, it was a different world. It was nearly a decade ago when I tried my first distro and I had my fare share of people telling me to read the manuals before diving into this new world. I became a Linux user in spite of that hostile unhelpful and frankly isolationist behavior. Things are better now for sure but there are still some extremist attitudes held by some. While I won’t point fingers, I will say that we as a community should aspire to be better than this. These attitudes only divide people and shoo away new users from Linux.
The longer I’ve been a free software user the more I realized how dangerous and harmful proprietary offering can be. We need more unity in free software and open source world. It’s perfectly valid to do your computing with open source software.
Linux is everywhere and nobody knows it
One of the major problem with Linux is that most of the people don’t know that they use Linux on a daily basis. Linux would get more traction for desktop use if people understood how prevalent Linux is. It’s everywhere from retails kiosk to set of box, from raspberry pies to super computers, from your phone to your TV, even the international space station. If there was more awareness of ubiquity of our favorite kernel we’d see greater adoption in Linux world. People are more likely to do something or try something new if they know other people are also doing it. One of my goal with this domain is to raise awareness about Linux and help people try it when they otherwise wouldn’t have.
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