Stop being elitist, spread Linux!

Linux needs to grow. Stop telling people it's 'tech-y' or acting like you're more advanced for using it, you are scaring away people. Linux Mint can be used by a senile person perfectly.

Explain shortly the benefits, 'faster, more secure, easier to use, main choices of professionals and free'. Ask questions that let you know if they need to dual boot, 'do you use Adobe, anti-cheat games, or Microsoft Office', 'how new is your computer', 'do you use a Mac'.

And most importantly, offer to help them install.

They don't understand the concept of distros, just suggest Linux Mint LTS Cinnamon unless they're curious.

That's it, spread Linux to as many people as possible. The larger the marketshare, the better support we ALL get. We can fight enshittification. Take the time to spread it but don't force it on anyone.

AND STOP SCARING PEOPLE AWAY.
Linux has no advertising money, it's up to us.

Offer family members or friends your help or copy and paste the below

how to install linux: 1) copy down your windows product key 2) backup your files to a harddrive 3) install the linux mint cinnamon iso from the linux mint website 4) use etcher (download from its website) to put the iso on a usb flash drive 5) go into bios 6) boot from the usb 7) erase the storage and install 8) press update all in the update manager 9) celebrate. it takes 15 minutes.

edit:
LET ME RE-STATE, DO NOT FORCE IT ON ANYONE.

and if someone is at the level of ignorance (not in a derogatory fashion) that they dont know what a file even is genuinely dont bother unless theyre your parents cause youll be tech support for their 'how do i install the internet' questions.

scratchandgame ,

My own opinion, won't fit with post like this

Stop telling people it’s ‘tech-y’ or acting like you’re more advanced for using it, you are scaring away people

So lucky that OpenBSD never cared if anyone used the operating system or not

The operating system is for developers, to fit developers' need

That’s it, spread Linux to as many people as possible. The larger the marketshare, the better support we ALL get

the better support for single root partition... UNIX have a removable filesystem, you can use different partition for / and /usr and /usr/local and /var and /home but hardly any distro can offer that. They all use a single root partition for everything just like windows use a single C:. Spliting /home is just like spliting D:

quality is better than quantity... look at the current state of linux communities (and distros too!) make me switched to BSD

10 person knows how to code python or DOS' C (Turbo C, obsolete) might be better than 100 person that use linux like they would use windows (but think themselves smart)

And if everyone is going to use wine then you should use Windows instead. I think it is much more stable and secure to run windows apps natively

  1. copy down your windows product key

can't drop windows entirely? h-

jordanlund ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

I've been using Linux for 30 years now, certified to teach it and everything... Here's your problem:

"Stop telling people it's 'tech-y'"

Compared to Windows or MacOS, yes, it is very techy.

"offer to help them install." - If they need your help to install it they absolutely have no business running Linux.

"They don't understand the concept of distros" - If they have no understanding of distros, they have no business running Linux.

Think of it like this... if they can't wrap their head around a distro, what's going to happen when you try explaining a package manager?

I get the evangelism, but Linux simply is not for everyone, that's why Apple invented iPads.

scratchandgame ,

Compared to Windows or MacOS, yes, it is very techy.

Distros that have so much graphics like ubuntu and their linux mint isn't (much) :)

there's a guy even claimed "Linux is almost identical to Windows". That guy is a "masturbing monkey" that cannot care about anything other than privacy.

but Linux simply is not for everyone

correct. I think Torvalds would agree.

Many people have no concept of a computer, offer them running linux is destroying their business and render them jobless

And these guys are so hilarious: switching to linux but want to use windows app with wine !

Switching to linux only to decorate the desktop and neofetch!

They want to switch but never want to learn what a kernel is.

Switching to linux and claim about "free", "open source" but they hide their proprietary games

scratchandgame ,

I’ve been using Linux for 30 years now, certified to teach it and everything

I'm curious what have you learn and certified to teach? I want to learn all of them :)

jordanlund ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

I don't know that you can learn "all of them", there are new ones popping up all the time.

I started with Unix in 1988 because I wanted to play on the Internet and back then you either learned Unix or you didn't go.

Unix is interesting because when Bell labs came up with it, they were told "Look, you can have a monopoly in the telecommunications industry, or you can have a monopoly in the computer industry, PICK ONE."

So they picked the telecom industry, but at the same time they went "Hey, here's this computer OS, see what you all can do with it!"

So you ended up with Unix System V, HP-UX, Irix, BSD Unix, and so on and so on. They were all Unix but all also a little bit different.

Roll forward to the early 90s and Linus Torvalds going "Hey! Imma make my own Unix!" and then THAT splintered into all the Linux variants we have today.

When the early days of Linux happened, my reaction was "Well, I already learned Unix, how hard could this be?" :)

The problem was, there was no easy way to collect everything you needed for an install, so I waited until someone put out a CD with all the files I needed, I think that was 1993? 1994? Something like that.

Anyway, my first was Slackware. Since then, I can't tell you how many I've used. Different situations call for different things. I was a Redhat admin for awhile. I installed YellowDog on a PS3 for fun. MacOS X is not Linux, but it's underpinnings are based on BSD Unix so it's kind of a kissing cousin. Apple does a lot of goofy shit, but it's not insurrmountable if you know Unix.

My certifications were done around 2000/2001 through a company called SAIR and I'm not even sure they exist anymore. They got absorbed into Thomson Learning in 2002.

It was a great experience though. Wouldn't trade it for anything. I made some good money administering Avaya Definity and Intuity phone systems running Unix.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avaya

scratchandgame ,

I don’t know that you can learn “all of them”, there are new ones popping up all the time.

The core remains the same. And if I'm not stupid, everything I learned in Linux (yeah, kernel things) can be easily adapted to OpenBSD which I'm using.

My dad always urge me to learn things "around assembly" (binary math, how the kernel operate). I wanted to know how to get started with these :)

jordanlund ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

The core is the same, the shells are each a little different. I remember juggling 3 different installs and having to keep a cheat sheet to keep them all straight. :)

scratchandgame ,

Do you know how can I get started with things around the kernel?

jordanlund ,
@jordanlund@lemmy.world avatar

So when it comes to kernel modifications, I'm old school...

"If it's not broken, don't fix it." :)

https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/balancing-if-it-aint-broke-dont-fix-it-vs-release-early-and-often

Unless there's some VERY specific need, some security hole that needs patching, some critical flaw that is failing, in general, DO NOT mess with the kernel.

That being said, there are tons of good guides you can find just by googling "linux kernel modifications", but also specific guides for your installations. RedHat makes it dead simple to do stuff like this.

But before you do it:

  1. Make sure you have a specific need you're addressing.

  2. Make sure you have all the necessary backups you require.

  3. Have a roll back process in case something goes wrong.

  4. Have a diagnostic testing plan.

scratchandgame ,

So when it comes to kernel modifications, I’m old school…

what I actually need is understanding the kernel.

At least process, memory management, ipc, handling device, etc.. Reading "The design and implementation of the 4.4BSD operating system", but I think I need to read something before reading that book.

iriyan ,

In order for MS and Apple/ios to block people from booting linux on "their" machines, they came up with the secure-boot scheme. Commercial puppets and traitors of open free software rushed to be part of the scheme so all the rest of the linux distributions couldn't boot but their systems could.

Now we are accused of being elitists and not alarm new users of true garbage distributions?

If anyone is stuck trying to disable secure-boot and couldn't it is their own damn fault for buying garbage machines. Gigabyte (not Gigabit) has created some monstrosities of bios software that look like a video game and it is hard to count in how many places you have to disable the crap in order to boot open and free linux.

dylanTheDeveloper ,
@dylanTheDeveloper@lemmy.world avatar

Windows has fallen billions must use Android and IOS

jackpot OP ,
@jackpot@lemmy.ml avatar

grapheneos

Kristof12 ,
@Kristof12@lemmy.ml avatar

Billions need to switch to linux to save the planet

_sideffect ,

I was just about to install Linux mint (once I free up space on my drive, that is)

jackpot OP ,
@jackpot@lemmy.ml avatar

get the edge version if youre running new hardware and use the update manager the second you first boot

_sideffect ,

Im installing it next to my current install of windows, but I'm going to make a new partition

I never heard of the edge version

csm10495 ,
@csm10495@sh.itjust.works avatar

I wouldn't do this since I don't want to be even more tech support for people I know.

My mom has used windows for as long as she has had a computer and still doesn't know what the start button or the windows key are.

I've explained it millions of times.

I'm not signing up for more of that than we need.

Dra ,

Insert link to linus daily driver video

model_tar_gz , (edited )

I’m a Linux user and fan for a lot of years now. Software engineer by profession.

It’s not ready for widespread adoption to the less tech-savvy masses.

It misses some functionality that is really hard to get right but is absolutely expected to get right. For example: graceful suspend and wakeups. It happens so often even to me that I close my Linux laptop for the day, next morning open it up to a bunch of warnings and error messages about Bluetooth adapters or whatever the device of the day that wants to malfunction is that prevents a sound S2 S3 sleep.

I don’t get freaked out about it. But grandma sure would. And yet my 10 year old MacBook Pro gets it right every single fucking time; completely flawlessly. This is the bar of usability that Linux has to achieve for widespread adoption as a true, polished, personal computing experience.

edit: meant S3 sleep.

funkless_eck ,

It also doesn't help that doing anything in Linux requires weird little guys like "mv" or "mkdir" or "chmod 777"

Dirk ,
@Dirk@lemmy.ml avatar

I stopped having Linux discussions years ago. If people approach me and ask for my opinion I tell them to try Linux Mint and make backups before installation.

Gallardo994 ,

Ah shit here we go again

Squizzy ,

I got Linux mint and I'm shit at it, terminology and step by steps are lost on me. It definitely needs a significant time commitment.

randomaside ,

You know back in the day they used to sell Linux distributions on the shelf at software stores. I remember seeing a boxed copy of mandriva next to windows. Home computing used to be a hobby for some but that means there was commercial support at some point.

I do think that home users of "Linux" will need a commercial alternative that supports all their apps. ChromeOS looks like the current best alternative. If you can get people into chrome books, you're one step closer to getting them onto Linux.

jackpot OP ,
@jackpot@lemmy.ml avatar

what are the catches of chromeos

PseudoSpock ,
@PseudoSpock@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

You mean, besides being chromeos? ;)

force ,

everything. everything about it sucks. it's like the chastity cage of OSes, even moreso than Apple OSes

chepycou ,
@chepycou@rcsocial.net avatar

@randomaside @jackpot I'd disagree, chromeOS really is the worst

MrFunnyMoustache ,

As much as I want more people to use Linux and divorce from Microsoft, I don't want to be someone's tech support guy, I've done it as a teen and as a young adult; I never want to do it again. When my parents have trouble with their computer, they don't call me, especially since I live in a different timezone and it gets inconvenient... they take it to a technician to get it sorted. If they take a Linux computer to a technician, they will likely just install windows on it and call it a day.

luca ,

I see this more as a thought experiment. You can't really tell other people what they should use. I can't also do that at my workplace. If someone comes to me for help fixing their PC I can of course tell them just use Linux, but most of the time I need to reinstall the OS it came with. The Linux culture is intrinsically elitist, that's just the way it is. That's not to mean that you need to be a jerk about it, I use Arch btw, use whatever fits your needs.

Some time ago I got a mini PC for my dad who was curious about the web and stuff and I haven't hat a shred of a doubt that it would be Linux. To satisfy my own curiosity, I used it as an excuse to do some distro hopping and tried a lot of distros to try and find a balance between ease of use (from a standpoint of an elderly person) and my own nerdyness. I ended up installing a KDE based distro because the UI can easily be customized, resized and simplified for his needs. But let's be honest, not anybody is willing to spend hours searching and trying different operating systems and tweaking and stuff. Also the web sucks nowadays for people that are not used to it, for example how should I explain all the stupid cookie stuff, or the ads in between articles. Come on just be nice to people.

jackpot OP ,
@jackpot@lemmy.ml avatar

im confused, whats the thought experiment here?

luca ,

Well, you've said it yourself, don't force it on anyone.

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • random
  • linux@lemmy.ml
  • All magazines
    •