this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2023
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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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Don't get me wrong. I love Linux and FOSS. I have been using and installing distros on my own since I was 12. Now that I'm working in tech-related positions, after the Reddit migration happened, etc. I recovered my interest in all the Linux environment. I use Ubuntu as my main operating system in my Desktop, but I always end up feeling very limited. There's always software I can't use properly (and not just Windows stuff), some stuff badly configured with weird error messages... last time I was not able to even use the apt command. Sometimes I lack time and energy for troubleshooting and sometimes I just fail at it.

I usually end up in need of redoing a fresh install until it breaks up again. Maybe Linux is not good for beginners working full time? Maybe we should do something like that Cisco course that teaches you the basic commands?

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Once everything is set up, linux is easy. But... that installation process can still go very wrong. eg. The last install I did was Ubuntu 22.04. The version of systemd that shipped with it had a bug that caused the system not to boot. Replacing systemd with a working version fixed that issue. Then it turns out that 5 of the graphics card driver's dependances were held back (something recent that Ubuntu does, I forget why) so the driver didnt work. Force installing the dependancies (drop to root before KDE started) fixed that.

So yeah if you set things up for someone of course its going to be easy to use. It SHOULD be easy to use after 30 years of development. But that initial setup process is often not user friendly.