this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2023
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Linux

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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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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Realistically windows is really good at repairing itself (or just getting it to a state where its usable again, to most users would be 'repaired').

Until linux has some sort of system like this, its just not worth the headache to 99% of users. The linux errors aren't even that descriptive when they happen, and could be cause by like anything.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

have you ever head windows errors?

they dont even bother to give anything else than an error code which is applicable to 482885 different roots of errors.

Indeed the repairing functionality works. but yeah. the problem will be solved. linux has moved exceptional towards usability and will continue to do so.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

But windows is frustrating and slow spyware, so there is that...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I can't speak for other distributions, but Pop!_OS has had a "Refresh Install" option for a while now that does exactly this. This hasn't happened often, but there have been a couple of times when something borked my system to the point of making it no longer boot, and re-running the installer in "Refresh Install" mode got everything back and running within 30 minutes while preserving all of my non-system files; in particular this meant that I didn't have to re-download my Steam and other locally installed games, which is significant because they are the largest apps on my system.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

100% Agree.

It will never be the year of the linux desktop, until linux is easy to use and easy to troubleshoot and fix.

and let me tell you, every minor problem requiring some kind of arcane terminal ritualism in ancient enochian that only veteran sysadmins know, is not, and will never be, easy to use or troubleshoot.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)
  • [package_name] --help
  • man [package_name]

There, I just gave you 2 ways to turn that arcane terminal ritualism in ancient enochian that only veteran sysadmins know, into a plain english service manual that any literate human being can use to figure out basically any terminal application ever.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yeah, I've done --help. It doesnt make it simple. and it doenst magically let you figure out how to solve the problem, assuming you even know what package is causing the problem.

I've gone through more than enough fixing of more than enough problems as an average, not-sysadmin person. I know how bullshit it is. Just because you are used to it doesnt make it easier for regular people to use.

Microsoft has done a lot of shit wrong, but the one thing they got right is the usability of the OS, how any idiot can be sat infront of a computer and know what they're doing with less than a day of faffing about, and can easily fix most common problems in a few clicks.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago