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Comment by benbristow | Hacker News Reader

On Windows 11 I just search for 'Mouse' in the start menu and one settings menu (the new settings UI) showed up with a nice slider. Even lets you swap the primary mouse button from left->right if you're wanting to do that.

That was just one example though. I'd argue like 90% of searches for Linux help have an answer which contains 'run this in a terminal'.

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On Ubuntu 20.04 I just search for 'Mouse' in the activities screen and one settings menu showed up with a nice slider. Even lets you swap the primary mouse button from left->right if you're wanting to do that.

That was just one example though. I'd argue like 90% of searches for Linux help have an answer which are easier to apply and fix the problem better than when the same happens on windows.

That’s just not true though. Configurations that still require terminal commands on Linux are on par with stuff you’d have to use regedit for on Windows. And I’d take a config file over the windows registry any day.

And on GNOME 40 I can search mouse, and go directly to gnome-control-center with a nice slider for mouse speed. It also even lets me swap the primary mouse button to the left or right button.

> I'd argue like 90% of searches for Linux help have an answer which contains 'run this in a terminal'.

Why is this even bad if 'run this in a terminal' actually fixes the problem?

Because it's not user friendly in the slightest, and for the average user they perhaps wouldn't know if the command is malicious or not. I remember when I was younger (like 5/6 years old!) and would accidentally reboot Windows 98 into DOS mode and almost start crying thinking that I'd broken the computer and would have to ask my dad who would reboot the machine.

I work in development teams (.NET mainly so most are GUI-centric) where full-blown developers get uneasy with PowerShell/CMD.

User friendly seems to be a euphemism for enabling users to persist in ingorance.

I mean you're not wrong, but they often say ignorance is bliss.

> On Windows 11 I just search for 'Mouse' in the start menu

Same here on XFCE, it will give you the link to mouse configuration.

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