spoiler
Switch to Linux!
Linux users when I trap them in my basement dungeon with no natural light (they are suddenly begging to have windows)
Unironically the Linux posting works, it eventually got me to switch.
China said Linux good so everyone turn in your; routers, phones, smart home appliances, and never use any web services again.
He's laughing at you if you don't :xinternet:
Linux. The operating system you get when you want to spend all day and other days making your os operate
Idk, I've been on the fence but the LTT series showed me that the polish still isn't there for users who don't want to troubleshoot issues in the command line. I am capable of doing that kind of stuff, but I really don't have an interest in it if I'm not getting paid. It just eats into my already limited free time.
at least you CAN make it operate
if windows decides to fuck up you're just fucked
a standup set where the comic just talked about linux for half an hour would be really funny tho
In 2011 I installed Ubuntu on my then-80-year-old grandmas computer and she figured it out, shit's only gotten easier to use since then. It's never been that hard
Answering for Linux Mint:
Are they compatible with most hardware?
Like 80% chance it works with everything on your computer, higher on a desktop. You can check this with a live USB. As a non-technical person, I would suggest trying it with a live USB for an afternoon, and giving up if anything doesn't work. (That 20% chance still can get very technical.)
Are they compatible with most software?
It'll run a browser, Steam, LibreOffice, and like 80% of games. If you have some other specific thing you're looking for, you'll have to ask about it. Generally there is a free program that does whatever it is you're looking for. If you want to use a specific program that's Windows only, you can install WINE and it'll make most Windows stuff also work fine (but possibly looking a little odd, and save/load menus through WINE tend to start you in a dumb folder instead of your home directory).
Also installing software on Linux is easier than it is on Windows. You just go into a program called Software Manager, find it, click install, and enter your password.
Do they require a manual to use it?
The most technical part is setting up a live USB, which you'd be doing in Windows. (A live USB is also how you install the thing.)
And if they do need a manual, is it in layman’s terms that your granny could understand?
It's largely the same UI as Windows, but it looks a little different, there are no ads in the start menu, and the auto-update fixes things instead of adding advertisements.
How often do you need to troubleshoot?
Pretty high chance during the first week or so. Basically never afterwards.
How likely am I to get help for these online without being treated like an idiot?
Largely depends on your attitude asking for help ("I get X error when I try to do Y, what can I do?" is fine). But mostly any issues you have should be something you can find an answer to on Google.
Again, highly recommend trying it out with a live USB for an afternoon; if it just works out of the box you're going to have a good time, and if it doesn't then you tried.
people don't stick with windows because they like it they do it because they don't know how to change the OS
I like it. I've used it for 30 years and I'm definitely not going to change it just for 'coolness' factor. I'm forced to use a mac for work and it sucks ass so much.
We must resuscitate the downbear immediately. This hexbear dot com visitor likes windows.
the 'pretty much' doing a lot work there. The 20% or so difference is enough to annoy the fuck out of me.
I'll switch to Linux once mainstream companies make programs for it regularly and I don't need to VM.
The only way we get this is if a lot of people pre-switch or a few big companies/ orgs say nope to windows/ Mac.
The main thing those oses have going is Office and Outlook/exchange.
Exchange is very important for data retention policies and has a ..usable interface for it.
Linux will get consumer software if/when it’s easier to manage than windows.
Also the current trend is towards doing work in a vm you remote into via Citrix or similar. As you can’t lose company data if it was never on your machine aside from recording the screen.
linuxphiles are to technology what vegans are to food
Death to America
i updated debian, and gnome display manager broke. all the stack overflows I read told me how to fix it with the command line... but I don't know what my username is, so I can't log in to run the commands. yes, I tried root, debian doesn't have it. i've spent the last month doing everything on the windows partition, because I don't have the time off work to bunker down and fix it. As much as Linux was genuinely and fully better, I can't recommend it to people because I know i'd end up having to do their tech support and i don't even have time for mine
Oof, that's rough.
You can recover by using a bootable USB, just like when installing it. And by recover, I mean get access to your disk and figure out what your username was and so on. Of course, this will take time and probably involve a small rabbit hole, and you know your own schedule + time, but if you do have the time and inclination it's possible and I'd be happy to help.
PS If you don't want to deal with cli stuff, I recommend Pop! OS to people. It's basically Ubuntu but without the horrible decisions of the last 10 years. Debian is great, I use it on all my machines, and I can see why people recommend it, but it's definitely not an "avoid the command line" distribution.
You forgot the time-honored tradition of calling Microsoft "em dollar sign."
My hottest take - Linux is great if all you want to do with a PC is browse the internet and the things you do on your smartphone and on a Personal level.
It’s not as good for gaming as Windows. Valve and Epic are trying, as is nvidia and AMD but It is what is for now.
It’s not great for many PROFESSIONAL THINGS THAT USE COMPUTERS compared to Windows. As the lack of Adobe /Microsoft support makes it rough. Make a doc and send it, maybe in Word the formatting is fucked due to ms bullshit. It’s Microsoft fault, but it’s your problem.
