The Problem with Linux

Okay. Challenge accepted.

Now this isn't gonna be me simply regurgitating one of those Linux sucks videos. They're great, and if you watch them, you quickly understand the hook.

See, there are these problems that you hear about all the time — stuff like Linux doesn't have that one game I play or hardware support is sometimes spotty. But I think these are just filler for what would otherwise be a rather sparse list of truly technical issues.

Sure, the various package formats and the sheer choice anxiety of desktop environments can give the impression that the desktop Linux ecosystem is fragmented. And while the duplication of effort can seem like a setback, that’s kind of what makes Linux great.

See, there's nobody at the top making decisions that directly impact end-user choice. Talented developers have the ability to ply their trade in any way they see fit.

Do none of the current desktop environments suit your needs? Why not make your own?

But that's where the first real point on this list comes up.

1 – Perception

Whether it's by design or not, to the average PC user, when they hear the word Linux they think highly technical and complex. I think this is a major setback 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's not familiar with the Windows way of user interface and sit them down in front of, say, an Ubuntu installation, with minimal coaching they'd be able to open a web browser and do just about anything they need to do.

I think this perception of complexity exists in the minds of your average PC user — people who are familiar with Windows.

That’s why I’ve been working on developing the show Linux Literate — to both show that Linux isn’t that complex (just different from Windows) and that it’s pretty darn easy to learn.

2 – Bad Attitudes

When I had the 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 fair share of people tell me to read the f***ing manual — before I even knew how to do so. 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. And while I won't point fingers, I will say that we as a community should aspire to be better than this. These attitudes only serve to divide people.

Look — the longer I’ve been a free software user, the more I’ve realized how dangerous and harmful proprietary offerings can be. But we need more, not less, unity in the free software and open-source world.

It’s perfectly valid to do your computing exclusively with free software — but you don’t have to be a wanker about it.

The thing is... Linus Torvalds is notorious for having a rather hostile demeanor in mailing lists and such. But when you watch his lectures or his Q&A's, he seems rather pleasant and respectful.

I'm sorry, but to me, the impulse to behave in a rude and hostile manner online is just wrong. You should try to imagine the person on the other side of the screen — in the comments, in mailing lists, on social media.

They're people.

Anyway, enough preaching about that.

I think we'd get more traction with desktop Linux if people understood just how prevalent Linux is. It's everywhere — from retail kiosks to set-top boxes, from Raspberry Pis to supercomputers, even the International Space Station.

I think if there was more awareness of the ubiquity of our favorite kernel, we'd see greater adoption in the Linux world.

I Believe in the Future of Linux

Why do I believe this? It has to do with the fact that people are more likely to do something — or try something new — if they know other people are also doing it.

One of my goals with this channel has always been to raise awareness about Linux and help people try it when they otherwise wouldn't have. And I'd like to think we're making good progress.

I'm so glad to be part of this community. And despite the problems I've outlined here, the fact is — we're at a point now that I could have only wished for 10 years ago.

The progress we've made, and the growth and maturity our community has seen, lends itself to optimism.

I can't wait to see where we go over the next decade and how we solve these problems together.