Why is Linux so frustrating for some people?
Why is Linux so frustrating for some people?
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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I stopped trying to learn linux. Windows isnt perfect but in general it just works. Want a program? download and install the exe. drivers are PnP.
I do tech support for a living. At the end of the day i just want my stuff to work. I dont want to do more work. Same reason i replaced my Ubiquiti APs with Eeros and stick with a simple hardwire topography where possible.
It's funny you say that. I find the Linux way of getting software way more intuitive. Just hop in the terminal and use the package manager. When I used Windows, I always felt like I was doing something shady when I was getting a .exe. With drivers, I've only had an issue once; everything else was pre-compiled into the kernel. On Windows, I had driver issues a lot. For those reasons (and others), I switched full time to Linux almost a decade ago.
Totally anecdotal, of course, but I just thought it was funny how our experiences were complete opposites and sent us in complete opposite directions for the same reason.
I'm convinced most of this stuff is FUD. I've seen people throw up their hands in despair at the first sign of trouble with Linux and go running back to Windows, but they'll grit their teeth and put up with all kinds of issues with Windows.
When Linux breaks, it's because Linux sucks. When Windows breaks, it's because software breaks sometimes.
Oh for sure! Sometimes it's not even when something breaks but just a normal thing that's different. I used to be a Linux evangelist, and when I convinced my to mom to simply try Linux, she was upset when she had to enter her password to do something (I think it was an update or something) rather than it just doing it. She was mad that it prompted for a password rather than "just updating."
Explaining that giving permission is much safer than just running everything as Admin did nothing. She hasn't used Linux since.
You can set it up so that it doesn't require a password, but of course it isn't a good practice. I was using a Fedora distro on one of my laptops that didn't ask for a password out of the box. You needed a pw to log in but not for updates. It made me uneasy.
Yeah, I didn't even get to say that I could change it (though I don't recommend it) before she wanted to throw the whole thing out for not being "user friendly" enough.
My little anecdote. I was watching a YT video where the guy spent 10 minutes explaining where to go to download and install python, git, and something else. The entire time I was cringing thinking that's a one liner.