this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2023
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Linux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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I think they're trying to say that a lot of the time reading the documentation treats you as if you're an expert in that particular topic, but if you can find a good guide it will usually give you all the information and commands you need to accomplish what you wanted to do. They go on to say they prefer guides that respect the user's intelligence while not making things overly complex.
Unfortunately I am not an intelligent user.
I often try to follow commands in guides and then it gives me a generic error like "command not found" and I have no idea what to do with that information or where to go next.
It doesn't necessarily mean you aren't intelligent but perhaps you're trying to do things you would do in Windows without having a foundational knowledge of Linux. Linux is not a drop-in replacement for Windows, it's a totally different operating system with different ways of doing things.
In this example situation you are talking about it's the equivalent of if I asked you to edit an image in Photoshop but you didn't have it installed. That's what "command not found" is trying to tell you. It's not found because it's not installed on the system.
I never needed a "foundational knowledge" of Windows, though. Like there are some basic things you have to learn but I used it for 30 years and no one ever asked me to open a terminal, which is the first thing everyone tells you to do in Linux.
I understand what it means, I just don't know what to do with it.
Of course you need a foundational knowledge of Windows before you are able to accomplish certain tasks. You are not born with the knowledge of how to operate a computer. Even people who have not used computers before struggle with basic tasks. If I ask someone who is new to Windows to install Photoshop will they be able to accomplish it with no prior knowledge? You have to know you open the web browser, navigation to the proper website, download the installer, run the installer, find the menu shortcut, etc.
As for how to install programs on Linux it does depend on the distribution and the application you wish to install but let's take Ubuntu for example. If I want to install VLC I would type
sudo apt install vlc. If I want to install Firefox I would typesudo apt install firefox. Instructions should be available online with a quick search.Yes, that's part of the problem. Not only do I have to find a solution for whatever is being fucky at the time from some obscure forum where someone figured out a solution, but I have to find someone who has done so on the same distro as me. Otherwise all the commands people throw at them just return a generic error.
Then people tell you "don't run these commands if you don't know what they do!". Okay well fuck me I guess because I have no clue what I'm doing at any given time and no one explains it.
I understand and that's definitely a valid criticism of Linux. It's not a drop in replacement for Windows and it's definitely not as user friendly or targeted towards a general audience. Due to the flexibility of customisation, and the sheer amount of different distributions it is hard to provide individual support without knowing all the details of your system. It's not like Windows where in general you're probably running one of two versions.
And while being a criticism to some, it is also a strength to others.
If you ever get stuck on something feel free to shoot me a message and if I can I will try and provide advice.
I appreciate the offer. I just don't have time to become a coder. I already have a job. I just want a computer that can complete some basic tasks without constantly having compatibility issues or becoming borked in some way.
Linux people are passionate about Linux and will tell you all the reasons to switch. I'm here to tell you to stick to what you already know. There's no point changing your entire operating system if you don't have the time to invest in a totally new way of using your computer.
It does make me curious why you even decided to install Linux though. Something must have made you take that step.
Because Windows is ass and constantly trying to force bullshit onto my computer. And the whole thing is basically spyware now.
You are speaking and acting like you can't have an BSOD with an unknown .exe downloaded somewhere,
Lmao,
I haven't had a BSOD in 10 years.
Yes. You do. And I'm really not interested in having this debate again because it always ends the same: denial.
And what's that?