this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2023
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I've tried to switch to Linux multiple times since 2008. Usually Ubuntu. I've even tried Linux Mint. I can never commit to the switch, I always get buggy behavior, crashes, hardware incompatibility, lack of apps (FL Studio, Adobe, WeChat for PC, etc). There are also dozens of tiny issues, like the sensitivity of the mouse/scroll wheel that feels different from Windows, even after adjusting the relevant settings. Also, for volume adjusting, the volume slider doesn't make a sound when you change the volume level, unlike on Windows. How is it that not a single Linux distro includes this functionality? I am totally comfortable working in a Terminal if I have to, but every time I follow a terminal walkthrough I get errors; I search the error messages online and I get reading threads talking about bugs that are a decade old, there is never a solution. I am so jealous of people who can immerse themselves in Linux, I just can't do it. I need my stuff to work out of the box, and for 15 years and many attempts to switch, it has never been the case. I can't tell if I'm not smart enough, or I just rely too heavily on proprietary software, or I don't want to dedicate the time to manually fixing problems with terminal commands and scripts.
My first 4 months or so with Linux sucked. I literally broke a keyboard once out of frustration. I often find myself wanting to scream "can you just fucking work for once?" More often than I'd care to admit.
I've been at it for about a year and a half and I've learned more about computing in that time than in the 30-odd years before. I'm starting to get the hang of bash, I've figured out the cause of, and fixed, problems without reading anything online (Google is fucking broken and it's not getting better so it's often not an option anymore anyway).
It can be hard. And frustrating. But it's freeing to realize just how fucking stupid Microsoft made me. And the privacy issues always bothered me (in the process of degoogling ATM) but they bother me more now than they ever did. It's fucking gross. And it's appalling that companies collect what they do.
Point being your criticisms are all valid but if windows is a Honda Civic then Linux is a rusted out Porsche in the backyard. It's going to take some effort to get it where you want it but when you do baby it'll purr.
Really like this. This is my exact experience just a few months ahead. Try duck duck go i found it much better for finding answers also fuck google
Try Qwant
Duck duck go is just bing and Google.
I pay $10/month for kagi. It's really not where I want it to be but it's the best game in town so far.
I think you brought up a good point in that Microsoft conditions people to expect a certain behavior from their PC. Some of that is ease of use at there expense of privacy, forced unavoidable updates, and individual software solutions that handles their respective updates.
The KDE desktop environment definitely plays a sound when you change the volume. I use my Logitech G Pro X wireless headset on Linux and Windows and just change the volume using the dial on the unit and it behaves the same way in both OS.
Though, to be fair, I do share some of the frustrations you mention. I'm mostly on Apple products apart from my two desktop PCs (one is Linux/Windows dual-boot, one is Linux only) which I own solely for gaming purposes and some hobbyist programming. I usually try to get non-Linux native applications running but if it proves to be too much of a hassle I simply boot into Windows or use my MacBook. I like to treat Linux as somewhat of a hobby and I totally understand that most people would rather have something that "just works", especially when it comes to proprietary creative applications like the Adobe suite or DAWs. That being said, it's extremely exciting to see the massive strides Linux on the desktop has made in the last couple of years. It has come a looooong way, honestly; especially for gaming. And I always support open-source projects/foundations - I'm donating to KDE/Arch/Wikipedia on a monthly basis - because I believe in the core values and advantages of FOSS and other community-driven foundations even though I'm far from a Richard Stallman.
This is the reason I have a lot of respect for people who are not in IT or Tech field, career wise, but still managed to deep dive into linux.
Even will all the ease of access that the current linux ecosystem offer, linux still is a tinkerer's OS. You have to deep dive into the basics for some problem. That's hard, even for someone with tech background.