What are the main criticisms of Linux in desktop platforms?
What are the main criticisms of Linux in desktop platforms?
What are the main criticisms of Linux in desktop platforms?
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One thing that happened recently that really showcases the difference between Linux and Windows is the glibc update that broke several popular video games. These games were specifically built to run on Linux. Ironically, games built to run only on Windows could still be ran on Linux just fine. That's because those games are run through a compatibility layer that translates the Windows instructions into their corresponding Linux instructions. The games built for Linux use Linux instructions directly, so they don't need a compatibility layer.
The update to glibc changed how some Linux instructions worked and so any program using the old instructions needed to update to the new ones. Lots of Linux programs are actively maintained or at least open source, so making the change isn't a big deal. Video games tend not to be open source or actively maintained after they're released, so some of these broken games will be broken forever. When that was reported to the maintainers of glibc, they responded that they don't care if they break unmaintained, closed source software. It is the user's fault for choosing to use such software.
To me, that is the biggest difference between Windows and Linux. If someone creates a program for Windows, that program will likely still work 10 years from now. If someone creates a program for Linux, it could break next week, and the people who broke it won't care. It's a bit embarrassing that programs created for Windows work on Linux more reliably than programs created specifically for Linux.
The glibc incident though was self inflicted. The Devs relied on undocumented behaviour in the ABI (application binary interface) which then got fixed/changed after more than a decade by the Devs of said Library.
It was akin to relying on a videogame glitch to do something that shouldn't have been possible and then be offended that it got patched.
If you're considering how good software is, how it was made is irrelevant, the only thing to measure is how well it works. A criticism of Linux from a user perspective is still valid regardless of who is or isn't to blame.
I simply wanted to add context...
Yeah, sorry, my tone was too harsh there, it's definitely relevant context
Hey thanks for the apology. I appreciate it.
It was akin to relying on a videogame glitch to do something that shouldn't have been possible and then be offended that it got patched.
Let me introduce you to any% speedrunners
"Put it back! I liked it better when it was broken!"
Jokes aside though, have you SEEN GamesDoneQuick's Triforce% TAS? Jesus Turing Christ, that was amazing. It felt like the gaming equivalent of watching the Lunar Landing.
Speedruning is always witchcraft but ACE is on such a different level it's insane.
If someone creates a program for Windows, that program will likely still work 10 years from now.
TBF, that's not even always true, especially with a loss of 32 bit support. For example, BioShock Infinite no longer runs on newer versions of OsX
It someone creates a program for Windows, that program will likely still work 10 years from now
I was with you all the way until here. This statement is absolutely laughable to anyone who has messed around with older videogames. Sometimes, if you're lucky, running it in compatibility mode with the version of Windows the game was made for will work, but oftentimes you're reliant on fan patches or long installation guides showing you the exact configuration of settings necessary to stop the game from constantly crashing. At that point, getting the older game to run on Windows is just as tedious as getting it to run on Linux, potentially less.
You still are getting more of a guarantee from Microsoft, because Windows versions have typically had long lifecycles and were pretty averse to risky-changes within an OS release, but even that doesn't seem to be the case anymore with Windows 11.