Many, perhaps most people don't want to think about software. It should just work and you shouldn't have to mess with it. If something is broken, they will ask for help. Somewhat cumbersome procedures are okay as long as they always work and don't change.

I don't see how that fits all that well with a do-it-yourself, volunteer ethic. It fits better with a service-based approach where people just hire others to help if they need help. But then you're competing with Apple stores.

Or, alternately, you can buy a Chromebook for a less tech-savy relative. It's a rather practical solution.

The place where open source really works is with young people who want to get involved. There is a big enough community to sustain it, but not enough to really take over.