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Some things the Linux Community still doesn’t get

ramkumarshankar.com — The day when Linux will take over the desktop (or at least have a significant footprint in the market) is still not upon us. That ’s because there are a number of things the Linux community still doesn’t get, slowing down adoption of the OS in the home and home office.

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  • thewump, on 10/11/2007, -5/+1Some "generalizations" that the Linux Community ( generalized ) still doesn't get.
  • anylo, on 10/11/2007, -5/+5Nice blog, dugg it because it's SO WRONG! :)

    "You’re still not user-friendly enough. Yes, you’re improving but you’re not there yet. And as much as some people might like the command line, it is extinct for the majority of people who have been brought up on Windows 95/98. The benefits of a command line are then hard to grasp. It really is time to say goodbye and move on."

    Mr. Ramkumar Shankar could give us example how easy it is to explain utterly clueless Windows newbie how to install latest display drivers. I can explain that to Linux newbie (= open terminal, copy these lines into it and there it is). Of course it could be also done with GUI (package manager like Synaptic), but it's just so much easier/faster to do in terminal.
    • lordtyros, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2*****, i'm running ubuntu and it just took me 30 minutes to figure out how to play .rmvb files. And I work in IT.
      • searayman, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1your not a very good googler then are you....
    • Luigi239, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Good point, but why doesn't the OS automatically go and get the drivers for you? A modern OS should not require babying in the form of manually getting everything to get the job done. Alot of people are afraid to get even close to the command line, no matter what people tell them. It's a whole lot easier to screw up via an unfamiliar command line then a GUI you already know how to use.
      • Kr4t05, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Because, some users don't want to rely on proprietary software, for reasons of moral preference. As for codecs, the problem is all the more complex. The US legislation doesn't allow software packages to bundle in certain codecs (MP3, DivX, etc) without paying a licensing fee. Therefore, it's up to the end-user to make that choice.

        I, overall, prefer keeping my hands on my keyboard. It's rather streamlined to just ALT+TAB into an open terminal and type "sudo apt-get install " But, I won't stab you if you prefer Synaptic/Adept. :P
    • hbweb500, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2"hit, i'm running ubuntu and it just took me 30 minutes to figure out how to play .rmvb files."

      Thats whats wrong with Linux, and I couldnt have said it better.

      Everything is a chore. Getting mp3 support. Flash. Video. Everything we love in Mac and Windows doesnt work natively in Linux.
      • searayman, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I don't think you have recently used linux....
      • Kr4t05, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1See my reply to Luigi239's comment. It's not because of the developers, but because of the legal issues surrounding it. If IP laws weren't so muddled, things would be easier to do.
  • ramkumarshankar, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5Exactly. How do you tell it to an utterly clueless Windows newb and still make it clear and understandable? Maybe you shouldn't have to do too much explaining in the first place.

    And it's amusing how everything I've mentioned seems to be taken literally and out of context of the post and other issues. I'm obviously not saying there should be no icon to start the terminal. It's good to have and should be there of course. Even the Mac has it, and they really go for simplicity. My point was some parts of Linux are still just a tad too geeky. But the new Ubuntu does a really good job at this.
  • ramkumarshankar, on 10/11/2007, -4/+4To add on, one way to improve could be to get a hundred users who, I don't know, are not Linux savvy and stick them in front of a Linux box. When they start making weird faces, check to see what could be wrong.
  • hoelzro, on 10/11/2007, -8/+2Buried for being inaccurate.

    It's not that we don't get it....it's that a lot of us don't care.

    Yeah, it is just an OS. But I really, REALLY like it.

    I like my command line. I don't care if it's user-friendly or not. Linux is an OS for those proficient with computers; most of us know what an i386 is.

    I will agree with the snobbish attitude that we often exude.

    I don't care if Linux is adopted by the masses; it works for me and that's great. I give friends Live CDs to see if they like it, and if they don't, they don't. It's not about getting my friends to use Linux; it's about getting them to use the operating system that'll suit them best, which they may not have discovered yet.
    • Luigi239, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4But that's not the point of the article. Basically, it says Linux is fine for the Power User, like you. The truth is, in Windows or OS X, you don't need to work in the command line at all. You don't need to know what an i386 is. What the article does say is that Ubuntu is trying to get people who don't know what these things are, and never want to touch a command line, but right now this isn't possible, and why Linux won't go mainstream.
      • rm999, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1hoelzro

        Its attitudes like yours that hold back Linux. The more people that get into it, the more likely people will program for it, the more likely Linux won't die out. Linux STILL hasn't hit the tipping point to popularity.

        This threading thing is broken, I can't reply to hoelzro :/
      • hoelzro, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Did you actually read my comment?

        "I don't care if Linux is adopted by the masses"
  • Dankoozy, on 10/11/2007, -3/+5The commandline and GUI can co-exist peacefully. its not about having 'one or the other' or 'getting rid of the commandline'. the solution to this is more GUI frontends and more of those are being made every day
    • Luigi239, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Exactly, it's just that a command line shouldn't have to be used at all, and should only be available if you would like it. Kinda like taking a page from OS X, there is a terminal, it's just that you should only have to use it if you want to. You are not going to convince people to switch to a new operating system if they need to learn a bunch of Linux commands.
  • digitallysick, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3I disagree with

    # Push the right buttons. I think Linux has been badly mistaken with the approach they’ve taken so far. The idea that being unhappy with Windows will drive people over to Linux is wrong. To be fair, while that might work, Linux needs to give more thought about how to make these people who do make the jump, stay there.

    Switching operating systems is not a simple solution to problems. Fixing the problem is."

    Yes, switching your os is the solution to the problem. If you dont like your cell service, you switch carriers right? Or do you keep dealing with the same problem over and over. Main reason i switched is because i enjoy the challenge of learning new things, i want to be able to be in full control of my hardware/software. Plus i get the added bonus of having alot more options, I got sick of seeing the windows task bar with a start button for all those years.
    • searayman, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1The reason why I switched was because my windows machine after a month or two of buying it got significantly slower. I also have a mac which did not get significantly slower after havign it for more then a few years, so I figured it had to be Windows beign crap. So I got linux and it hasnt slowed down a bit!
  • deadbaby, on 10/11/2007, -4/+5"I wonder why it’s so hard for some Linux users to realize that someone might use software just because they just happen to like it. I just like Microsoft Office, is that a crime? Using it doesn’t mean I’ve sold my soul to the devil. But well, nice try though. Suit yourself. Regardless of what you say, OpenOffice simply feels archaic in comparison."

    I don't care what software you use at all. I find it hilarious you're got this crazy notion that there's an army of Linux users fawning over your software choices. Get a grip.

  • stouffer67, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Solution to the whole OS war - stop crying about it, everyone has their own preference.
  • POPULATIONPASTE, on 10/11/2007, -0/+0They could start naming their goddamn applications in a sensible manner. All these "k" and "g" prefixed names are ridiculous and just add a generic vibe to kde and gnome respectively.
  • searayman, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1The article states:

    "# And you know what? We aren’t dissatisfied with Windows either, we just want to get our work done.

    If there’s a problem, we fix it and get on with our lives."

    I think he speaks for himself I know alot of windows users who are dissatisfied with windows. ALso if you Just want to get your work done, a simple llinux system without all the cool effects will help you get your work doen better then a windows machine, because you will have less down time.
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