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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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Is Linux (dumb)user friendly yet? (lemmy.ca)

submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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So I'm building a new computer before the end of the year and lemmy is obviously pushing me towards Linux.

I am not computer savvy, I have a family member that will help me set up my PC, but I do not want to be calling/messaging them every day when I want to open a program.

Basically my question comes down to: can I operate a Linux PC these days without needing to troubleshoot or type code.

I use my computer about once a week for a few hours I would say, so any time spent troubleshooting is time wasted.

Thanks!

EDIT: since a lot of people are asking what programs I typically use, I'll just list my most used programs.

Word, Excel, ect(I'm fine with alternatives)

Spotify

Gimp (would have been a make or break, so I'm glad it's supported)

Brave browser (browser is a browser)

Steam

Discord

I would say that while I could figure out how the kernels work, I'm at a point with computers these days where I don't have the time. My priorities fall with a seamless daily experience. If I have the time to figure something out I can, but ideally my day to day usage being unbotherd is what I'm after.

A lot of the comments so far have been helpful! I'm definitely going to give Linux a fair shot with my new build, probably start with Mint.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I'll be slightly contrarian to others and give a different perspective: you may find yourself hitting some roadblocks, I'll try to explain.

I set up Linux Mint for my elderly parents. The key thing is, I set it up for them, functioning as the administrator for that machine, making sure they had a non admin account and configured their desktop to only show the shortcuts they cared about (firefox).

It worked fine, and I only got calls once every few months. They got scared if some popup occured, or if they accidentally saved something to their desktop that they wanted to get rid of. I don't know if that really meets the definition of seamless, and I don't know if you'd even consider those problems.

The other thing that can happen, is hardware interfaces. I know that you've listed out your use case. I'm just saying that if your birthday rolls around and someone buys you a 3d printer where you "just plug it in", you're going to be in for a long troubleshooting day, if it isn't natively supported.

With Steam games, you can often get away with enabling proton, but... Small issues like being able to select multiple drive folders have sent me down long troubleshooting avenues as well. And when I use the word troubleshoot, I'm inevitably referring to the command line.

Lots of people are encouraging you to try, and you can make that decision. I just want to toss out that it might not be seamless. But I don't think Windows is seamless either. It's just what most people are used to.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I don’t think Windows is seamless either. It’s just what most people are used to.

This. I've never used Windows 11. Apparently, they are removing the Control Panel. If I can't figure out how to fix a problem that comes up, I'm going to have to search for the answer and test out solutions. This is no different from Linux.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Hardware support is also two-sided.

For example: game controllers.

On Linux, any first-party Switch, Playstation, or Xbox controller works out of the box. Most 3rd party controllers also work out of the box. Even Wii remotes work once paired over bluetooth (and the pointing works but takes some setup).

On windows, xbox controllers work out of the box, except for very old ones which require a driver. 3rd party pc controllers will tend to work out of the box (or sometimes with a driver), but wired Switch and Playstation controllers need hacky workarounds to work or to get full functionality. Wireless controllers can often be paired with bluetooth, but I've had hit and miss luck with windows and first party Sony/Nintendo controllers