Is Linux too complicated, or is it just a wrong first impression ?
2,719Some comments lately made me think about Linux, and who its users are. Is Linux that hard ? Am I biased for having used it too much, and things that seem easy to me are actually out of reach of regular users ? Here are a few thoughts !
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Linux carries around a reputation of being complicated.
People often associate Linux wit the command line, thinking that it doesn't have a graphical interface.
These different issues can be explained quite simply.
First, the command Line issue. While it is true that Linux has a most effective terminal, and that everything can be done without a graphical user interface, you don't NEED it to use Linux. You can get by without it, 100%. The problem here is that most tutorials and help guides resort to giving command lines to solve problems. Instead of typing a long worded paragraph explaining where to click if you're using GNOME, and different instructions if you're using Plasma, etc..., it's often much more simple to just give a command line that will work for almost everyone.
Users that look for help don't really know that, though, so they go on thinking that the only way to solve issues is by using a terminal. In the end, it reinforces Linux's image of complexity.
Now, as per having a GUI, Linux is actually the most graphic system there is, with so much choice to make your desktop look like anything you want. There are probably more options to configure KDE than there is on Windows, and if you prefer the Mac OS X way, GNOME, elementary OS or Deepin can suit you perfectly. This much choice can seem daunting at first though. People who want to try Linux for the first time just want to use "Linux". They don't know the concept of distribution, of desktop environment, of package manager, so they end up confused, or downloading the coolest looking distro, which is often one that isn't as well supported or has more issues than others.
Another misconception is that Linux will just work as Windows or Mac OS X. It's often billed as "it's like X but it's free and you can do anything". This is not a good way to onboard new users: they come in expecting things to work like they did on their previous OS, and they expect the programs they used to work as well. But once they're on their Linux desktop,, there is a learning curve, that can be quite steep, or very low, depending on which option they picked.
And the software.. if they'll find the staples, like Firefox, Chrome, VLC, Spotify, and others, it's quite easy for a newcomer to imagine that MS Office, Photoshop, and others will run just fine. Which they don't. Switching to Linux often means switching to other programs. This seems obvious, but it's often ignored by users moving to Linux, and it's not something that is made very clear either. Linux has a lot of alternatives, that are good enough for regular users or prosumers. For professionals, switching workflows and tools might be too complex or downright impossible.
Now Linux is also scary: it has to be installed. How many users have ever installed an OS ? Windows and Mac OS come preinstalled. When they are completely broken, eyou either use their built in tools to repair them, or you take them back to the store. Installing an OS is not an intuitive step. You can easily get confused by the terms here: formatting, partitionning, mounting, using hard drive space... There is a fear of losing all data, of wrecking the whole computer. Even the simple act of creating a Live USB key is not that easily accessible to users that are not that experienced.
So, in the end, is Linux's reputation totally undeserved ? Not completely. All these steps and issues can be side-stepped and explained, the proof is in us: we made it. But should these steps and issues be explained more clearly, or should they even need an explanation ? Saying to someone: "just switch to Linux, it's like Windows but free, and you can do everything you like with it" is the wrong way to present things.
Linux needs to be explained, and some warnings must be exposed as well: it is not the same as what you're used to. The programs will be different, installing apps will be different, your way of getting help online, the interface won't be the same. You'll have to install it, so backup your data just in case...
This needs to be explained if we're ever to get rid of that "Linux is too hard" or "Linux doesn't work" reputation.
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