1w ago

15 Signs Linux Is Not For You

itsfoss.com 15 Signs Linux Is Not For You

If you recognized yourself in a few of these points, that doesn’t mean Linux isn’t for you. In fact, you can count it as an invitation. It just means you’ve spent a long time in an ecosystem that treats you more like a product than a participant.

You love giving your data away
You enjoy being tracked by your operating system
You’re happy when your computer tells you “no”
You prefer someone else deciding what you can run
You feel uncomfortable if you get to have options
You’d rather battle corporate tech support
You’d rather rent your software than own it
You think ads belong on your desktop
You love being lied to about what’s “industry standard”
You like rebooting for every little update
You’re uncomfortable when software is transparent
You think community-made tools can’t be “professional”
You want intrusive AI everywhere, whether it helps or not
You think the command line is only for hackers
You never really wanted your computer to be yours anyway

Linux @programming.dev

15 Signs Linux Is Not For You

itsfoss.com /signs-linux-is-not-for-you/

27 4

95 comments

This is just masturbation.
- No, because at least with masturbation, you have something to show for it at the end.
  
  YEOMK
- No that's exercise

Oh, it's just a list of pro Linux items but in reverse psychology... Kay.
I'm already a Linux user, I was kinda curious about a listing of actual reasons Linux might not be for someone.
- Not just reverse psychology, I can't imagine anyone agreeing with most of these. It's definitely got a holier-than-thou attitude. Like who is this even written for other than people who already use Linux and just want to feel smugly superior?
  
  Linux users? Being holier than thou? Say it ain't so!
  I use arch btw
  
  Exactly, it just reads like a smug rant.
- actual reasons:
  want to use some specific program or game only available for another os
  lazy, dumb or afraid of computer stuff.
  can’t decide from 10,000 different distributions
  
  You forgot the real actual reason: I don't care about computer stuff. My current computer does what I want and I don't care to switch.
  It is okay not to have the interest in computers. I could probably change the oil on my car but I don't care and don't want to do the work, so I don't do it (the mechanic does).
  
  Perfectly valid. 👌
  
  #2 is the cause of #1 & #3 so you only really listed 1 reason.

As a long time linux user, antagonizing people who are unsure if the switch is right for them is very clearly a poor interpersonal choice that will not result in the change we wanna see in the world, or more people adopting linux
Fuckin seriously, we can do better than this circle jerk. As someone who cares deeply about software being kinder to people it pains me enormously how much of a dump stat interpersonal skills are for so much of the Foss community
If the authors wanna pat themselves for linux they can do it without creating a unempathetic, condescending, preachy culture that alienates people.
Just call the article "things we love about having switched to linux" so it finds the right audience and its fine, but this shit sucks and its exactly the kind of crap that has made so many of my friends resistant to hearing what I think is good and special about Foss software. They hear me out anyway, but I'd love for it to not be a fucking uphill battle because Foss people routinely emulate the same preachy, condescending, unempathetic interpersonal apprach that everyone bemoans about the worst vegan spaces online
- Well said
  
  I'm really glad it seems like my thoughts have been appreciated, I was kinda mentally preparing myself for people to be unhappy with me
  I find this kind of stuff frustrating enough I needed to edit my first version of the comment cause it was angrier, but I want people to actually hear me out and think about the culture we cultivate in the foss space. It really matters.
  There are so many issues people care about (eg. Software freedom) specifically because we want a world that is kinder to people, and then we act on that value or interest in a way that isn't kind to people. A little empathy goes a looong way
  Thank you for the kind words, I hope you have a lovely day :)
- Your points are valid, and if I saw this on a site like pcmag, medium or whatever, i would totally be on the same page. Still, how many "on the fence" people are likely to be here, on Lemmy, subscribed to a linux forum?
  I chose to take it as snarky humor for the "in crowd". Benefit: keeps my blood pressure manageable.
  
  My thoughts were more about the article itself than it being posted here. Being an article it could really easily be something that comes up when someone is trying to figure out whether they can make the switch and are doing their research on pros and cons
  I think personally I also just really don't enjoy snarky in-group humor, it feels like it often just fosters resentment for those outside of the ingroup. So I do kinda have a bias in general
  
  Im not subscribed to this forum, it appeared on the front page. Dude was right when he said linux users are the vegans of the tech world. I play video games with my friends almost every night, linux would complicate how I stay in touch with the people in my circle.
- Indeed

This is exactly the kind of shit that keeps people from switching to Linux y'all know that right?
- Yeah, I read this as: YOU ARE FUCKING STUPID, I AM MUCH BETTER THAN YOU
  That is really a good way to communicate.
- Yeah no its cos it breaks all the time.
- Why should I care? Linux has enough users as it is, development is sustainable. I don't want all users to switch at once because that would flood forums with noobs asking silly questions.
  It's their loss if they don't use Linux. Why should I encourage them to do so? Just to have some shitty Electron apps more which I don't use?
  It's much more painful for me that the places I work at don't use Linux. They won't be swayed by such an article anyway.
  
  Are you serious? Do you really believe linux can't get any better or that linux is perfect for you?
  The more people that use linux the more donations it gets from people and the more people use it.
  Also if you think linux is so awesome isn't it nice to other people to share that awesomeness with them?
  As well the more people that use linux the more apps will be supported on it. Can you say with full confidence that there isn't a single windows or macos app that doesn't work perfectly on linux that you don't want? Even if linux is perfect for you, you rely on the kindness of open source maintainers to maintain linux, can you really not reserve any kindness for other people?
  
  I'm a bit less nihilistic about it, though. I acknowledge the benefit if being a small enough "market" that the enshittification doesn't hit Linux like a tsunami as you alluded.
  More users means more bullshit money grubbers, more dishonesty, more incentive for greedy hackers to attack.

And here I was, thinking this was a well thought out article with actual, legitimate reasons why someone wouldn't want to use Linux. Instead, it's this smug, autofellating, condescending bullshit. Roland Taylor has some issues.
- I mean, #6 is accurate for me. I don't have a humiliation fetish, so I'd rather pay people to tell me what I'm doing wrong instead of braving the barrage of belittlement that comes from asking for crowdsourced support.
  
  And that's completely valid and fair. Different strokes for different folks, as they say. But I do have to stress that I'm not so much criticising the bullet points as I am the general tone of the article. #6 should read like your reply, but instead it feels like the reader should feel bad for not wanting support from humans as opposed to an automated system.
- You expected better from itsFoss? It has always been this way and it will always be
  
  I'll have to take your word for it. Truth be told, I don't read much of their articles. And it looks like it's going to stay that way.

This is exactly the kind of shit that turns people off.
- Good.
  
  muh sekrit club!

Please, article writer, be a little more passive-aggressive.

This article likely came from a very sad and self-righteous place
- Shh we're trying to circlejerk here! Keep your voice of reason down and grab some lotion

You start making weird passive aggressive lists to shame people into your preferred.....whatever...

Oh shit! That's what we were missing all along! That's what has, all this time, been keeping adoption down and preventing the year of the linux desktop! A condescending prick talking down to people! We should have figured this out a long time ago! Thanks OP for setting us straight! Now our numbers are sure to skyrocket!

Back on the 90s (I know, I know) the joke was that of your VCR was still blinking 12:00 Linux was probably not for you.
- Maybe this was true then, but my microwave never once knew what time it is
  
  Same, too many clocks, all getting out of sync, and some on power strips that get turned off periodically.

I enjoy the snark, but also agree it's condescending. Folks, take it as cynical humor, and don't be so harsh.
Anyway I commented to say that #10 is creeping into at least some distributions.
My Ubuntu sends security updates that frequently impact system libraries and thus demands (politely) a reboot.
Gnome software does it all the time, but a regular "check for updates" will often install without demanding reboot. I suspect the update won't be in effect until reboot, though.

10: But honestly, with an immutable distro you are not that far off 😀
- Its nice that it doesnt pester you at all to reboot or threaten to do it for you though. I reboot maybe once a month to apply whatever updates came through since most of my stuff are flatpaks that get updated live anyway.
- I've been running Fedora for a few weeks and if I update it every time there's updates available, I'd be rebooting nearly daily, because it insists on rebooting for "system packages", where debian and even Arch based distros did not require restarts for most things.. I'm not even using an immutable version of Fedora
  
  You can change that setting in your App Store (eg. Discover for Plasma)

"Well if you don't buy this car you are a moron who can't see how much better this car is. So keep driving that piece of shit car you dumbass. So, have I sold you on this car?"

You can't be trusted with keeping your desktop secure (because Linux sure as hell won't do that for you).
You need software that can't run on Linux even via compatibility tools (Multiplayer AAA games don't count).
You have access to extended security updates for Windows 10.
- Massgravel ftw, then I'm full on linux cause fuck 11.

I just wish there was an OS that was bloated to heck and back, and tried to shoehorn AI into weird places.
- Nah, that still feels like too much freedom. What if I get lost?

You own an AMD GPU and want to use your fancy HDMI 2.1 monitor / TV

If you have a job or are student you'll know that using Linux usually results in a direct increase in corporate tech support battles.
- ... On the desktop. It's de rigeur for servers.
  
  I'm aware, but that's not what this article is about.
- If you have a job
  Where you work remotely on your own computer connecting to a corporate network.
  That doesn't affect most of us with jobs...

Most of these are not about the Linux kernel, but about distro / personal choice. Android tracks you and doesn't make you use the command-line a lot. Fedora / Ubuntu (and others?) like to reboot for every little update.
- I've had Fedora encourage me to reboot, but I don't think I've ever had it do so without consent (excluding when my laptop battery died).
  
  CachyOS suggests a reboot but also doesn't demand.

ItsFoss is getting shittier by the day

Sorry but AI is coming to Linux too so fear the 13^th 🤣
- Of course there is AI on linux. I installed it. What isn't there is AI that the user doesn't want.
  
  Have you missed the Fedora nonsense?
- Its a choice on Linux.
  
  *for now 😅
- i mean maybe some distros will add something, i don't know. and i don't care because i don't have to. shit like that is deinstalled faster than an llm can print an emdash.

Cool and all but stop the rebooting hate
I just installed some random drivers, I guess without rebooting. Window is intransparent af, but I think so.
Reboots are very important and should be done with updates. Atomic systems make sense!

#3 is what does it for me. There are few things more enraging than something I own refusing to do what I'm instructing it to do.

You’re happy when your computer tells you “no”
This also an affliction of the GNOMEs.

The penguin drawing kinda looks AI.

Here's a few more.
You want to use multiple monitors without messing around.
You don't want to run an emulator for your games.
You like being able to share software with people.
You need corporate software for work or your own business.
You're looking for a computer that 'just works'.
- Most of these points are fair, but.. wine is not an emulator!
  
  And yet you knew exactly what I meant.
- The monitor thing is very dependent on distro, I didn't really have any issues at all with Linux mint or nobara
  As others have said wine/proton is not an emulator and some games run even better on Linux, that being said a lot of AAA games have DRM that prevent you from running them on Linux, that would be your real argument there
  Don't like being able to share software? A ton of software on Linux is FOSS and available on windows, not all of it of course, but you could say the same about Mac
  Depending on the corporation and software, you can use Linux, but yes, most places are windows shops, so that is difficult
  But yeah,a computer that just "works" I concede most distros will not get you there. Nobara is definitely a bit unstable but I can deal with it because I was in IT for 6 years. Although immutable distros are close, but they definitely still take some knowhow to use, and have their limitations
  Edit: misread part of the comment
  
  A ton of software on Linux is FOSS and available on windows, not all of it of course, but you could say the same about Mac
  Wine question 2.0: Does WSL count as Windows?
- A computer that "just works" nowadays is an android phone, windows has so much broken due to them replacing devs with AI that you can't justify that as a reason nowadays.
- Just never works
- I don't understand the first two.
  
  The first one is because at least on Mint, on the machine I have, multiple monitors just don't work, and I've been told it's not just me, it's X11. The second is the need for Wine or Bottles (or whatever Valve has done).
- 16: I've had more headaches getting multiple monitors to work in Windows than I ever have in Linux. Try connecting 2 monitors of wildly different resolutions in Windows and witness the abject failure of windows to handle that elegantly. Your mouse can slip off into a "void" where no monitor exists, and yet your content can just disappear to, dragging the mouse between monitors slips the cursor way off and to the right, screenshots are a mess, etc. etc.
  17: I only play games in Linux and I never use emulators... unless it's for things like SNES.
  18: I don't know what you're getting at with this one. Software is way more shareable in Linux. You just say "it's in your package manager" or "install this Flatpak". Windows and Mac on the other hand have half-assed app stores and a culture of "just go to ${URL} and click "download, ok, ok, ok" which inevitably leads to stuff breaking and no discernible way to determine what failed 'cause your machine is full of rando installations.
  19: This is fair, though most high-profile stuff like CrowdStrike works for Linux now.
  20: I cannot begin to tell you how much Windows and Mac don't work. Like, at all. Just today I spent an hour on a call with another developer stuck in Windows trying to get a JDBC driver to work. The constant ambiguous error messages, useless documentation directing you to "just go to ${RANDOM_SITE} and install some-cryptically-named-executable.msi that craps out with error messages about missing runtimes... the whole operating system is hot garbage and that's before you factor in the missing keyboard shortcuts, flaky monitor support, creeping AI, and ads shooting into your eyeballs. The only way Windows "Just Works™" is if you redefine "works" entirely.
  
  For #18, here's how my sneakernet software sharing goes: Windows: I copy the installer exe, or a zipped version of the software as installed to a flash drive. The person can then run the software from the drive, or copy it to their own PC. No Internet required, no outside connection called for.
  Linux: after determining that they have the right distro type for the software, I have to walk them through either getting it from a GUI repository client, apt, pacman, flatpak, snap, or whatever other cockamamie thing it's on. They have to install it from the central authority - which is not sharing the software. It's suggesting that someone else connect to the Internet and download a thing.
  If it requires the Internet to for a typical user to share software on media, your operating system is hostile to freedom.
- #20 is what it is

95 comments