Problems with Linux

linux.oneandoneis2.org

4 points·vinutheraj··5 comments

Interesting, but the main problem with Linux (and mainly the distros) is that until you have someone making someone else or many someones do the unsexy, janitorial tasks that no one enjoys doing, then there will always be exceptionally shoddy, underdeveloped part of any distro based on it.

As the model stands now, I don't see any way around this, and I say that as someone who uses Linxu on my boxes exclusively.

The article agrees with you:

"People only work on what they want to work on, when they want to work on it. Most people don't see any need to make Linux more attractive to inexperienced end-users: It already does what they want it to do, why should they care if it doesn't work for other people?"

Actually this is the source (haha) of ESR's standing in the community: he looks after /etc/termcap, which is something that no-one else wants to do (and doesn't require much if any coding ability).

This is also linux's great strength!

It means that in a diverse ecosystem it will always be a small player, so not too attractive to malware writers.

That advantage would go away quickly if linux got more than say 20% marketshare.

Possible middle ground: 'geeks' setting up custom linux boxes for friends and family, such as a checkpointed vmware player running ms windows on top of a linux distro, on every reboot it wipes all changes to the virtual windows box and starts afresh.

> Windows "Power Users" frequently have more problems with Linux than people with little or no computer experience

I would agree with that. Recently switched from Windows to Linux at home after about 10+ years as a hardcore Windows fan. Finding it very difficult to adjust to not knowing how to do things, but I am fully aware that this is down to gaps in my knowledge (part of the reason why I converted) and not down to faults in the OS.

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