On Wednesday 13 February 2013 16:31:53 Ally Biggs wrote:
> Do you guys ever think there will be a day that Linux will be as popular as
> Windows in the desktop market.
It will take a long while in the consumerist "west", but the developing
countries are starting to use it. (Brazil, China, India to name but a few -
but a few who comprise a large percentage of the world population.
> Making the transition from Windows to Linux was challenging initially I
> probably will continue to learn Linux (Redhat, Debian) for server related
> tasks and use Win 7 for client tasks.
>
> The thing which bothers me though about Linux ok it's free and if you have
> the skills you can do great things but why isn't it being adopted more for
> everyday use. Also why don't the developers standardise a distribution for
> the home user i.e same package manager and packages.
Because it is free as in libre? If I don't want to use Ubuntu (and I don't) I
can just use something else. Package managers are not all identical as you
own. But how will you standardise when things are free? Vic would probably
take up arms to support the rpm system, as I would the apt. The important
point is that we have the choice.
> The problem with desktop Linux I think is when the shit hits the fan and
> something needs to be configured or a driver needs to be added your average
> user isn't going to want to sit typing commands in a terminal or spending
> hours finding the solution into a community.
There are several good GUI installers, and the shit hits the fan rather
rarely. There is a myth around that Linux drivers are impossible to
find/load, but Windows ones are easy. Last time i installed Windows XP (I
lead a life that is blessedly free of Microsoft) I had to find, download and
burn practically every driver separately. It was a nightmare. I have had
the odd problem with Linux, but nothing like that. Life is slightly more
onerous since my chosen distro Debian decided that th installer had to be
entirely free in both senses of the word, but there are still easy solutions.
> The other problem I found is the community alot of people expect you to be
> some kind of command line genius who is capable of reciting the whole
> encyclopaedia of man pages. So when you ask for help or guidance you often
> get a dismissive response.
In my experience, no-one expects anyone to know anything. They may make
incorrect assumptions, but mostly list members are extremely helpful. You do
get the occasional dismissive idiot, but they are not the norm and I haven't
noticed that attitude on this list for some time.
Say what you have done to help tourself, and say that you would need help with
any suggestion that needs the CLI, and you will get a lot of help. Older
people may forget that you have probably had very little experience of the
CLI. Those of us who are longest in the tooth had been using computers for
some time before the GUI was invented.
> Documentation is horrendous aswell especially if you are making the
> transition from Windows. Pick up a starting to learn Linux book and a
> couple of pages in you end up with the worlds worst headache.
You must have picked up the wrong books. I reckon that if I can switch to
Linux, anybody can. There is a *very* easy book in the LUG library, I can't
remember the name. When you want to know what something is, look it up in a
very easy book. That will not give you the answer, but it will give you
enough understanding to be able to look it up in something more informative.
I made the transition from Windows with an enormous sigh of relief. No-one
who has not had to live with Windows 95 can understand the true benefit of
Linux. My husband tells people: "When she used Windows she was always
getting angry with the computer. Now she is using Linux she has to find
something else to get angry about."
> So how did you guys learn Linux?
Took the plunge and leant heavily on HantsLUG. I found that they were
endlessly patient and were prepared to say things in words of one syllable,
and, if necessary, several times. I'm a slow learner compared with many on
this list, so I must frequently have driven them mad.
> Has anyone else made the transition from Windows?
Yes. And I would think that many (most?) have.
Lisi
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