If Linux is So Good, Why Don't More People Use It?

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The more I use Linux, the more I think about how things could be on Windows... and how they are not. So, come with me into the shower! WAIT- I mean, come with me as I have some shower-thoughts about why Windows 11 is the way that it is...

See, I'm just writing more words here because I'm supposed to do that... You're supposed to watch the video... well, really... I know you're just going to set your phone down, or put this on while you're driving... and that's fine. I didn't do much while editing this. I grabbed a few clips from my latest Fedora Linux video and some clips from my latest videos on Windows 11 being bad and dumb and all that; just listening is totally fine by me. I mean, I know nobody is reading this which is why I'm going to start talking about rotten bananas again. Nobody can stop me. Oh, also, Microsoft is greedy and doesn't care about the customers. This is the biggest difference... greeeed dictates the direction of the OS while user experience takes a back seat. While over in Linux world, we have 10000 different versions all doing different things... and, when you look at most of these distros, you'll realize... these nerds hate money!

OK... thanks for reading. Go eat a box of socks.

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[SirBlade]

Because normal people don't us an OS, they use applications. As long as the OS works somewhat familiar, doesn't cost too much, and doesn't get in the way of running said applications, normal people don't care one-bit which OS their device has.

[NoToeLong]

Part of the problem I feel is that people recommending Linux overcomplicate it for the average person. I've seen many "Install Linux Super Easy" videos still talking at length about kernels, the terminal, distros, desktop environments, package managers, etc., which scares away casual users (who would otherwise have no problem using Linux because their needs are so simple), something very rarely found in Windows/MacOS tutorials.

The average user is also used to Windows/MacOS making the choices for them and otherwise staying out of the way, so the huge amount of options with Linux is intimidating, especially when guides spend minutes listing off 20 different distros. Ultimately if you want more average people using Linux, you'll need to make most of the decisions for them and keep everything very basic (choose a distro for them and provide a direct link to it, show them exactly how to set everything up, avoid using the terminal as much as possible, avoid talking about anything that isn't strictly necessary, etc).

[cookieface]

The real reason is that most people don't have reason to start using Linux.

[MarzioBonfantiStanziola]

OpenSUSE user here - for 12 years.
Honestly, one of the biggest issue I see with Linux it's its community.
Linux community is full of "talibans" - "if you're using [place any distro or desktop environment here] you might as well use Windows!".
Also the kindness and the helpfulness (I'm being sarcastic here): when a newbie is asking for help, at least 80% of the answers are different variation of "RTFM".
Last but not least, the smart a**es - "I don't use editors, I use vi".

Depressing... 😮‍💨

[LostinSpacetime]

There is a major point that is easily overlooked, since most people are not aware of it. I'm a sysadmin for several schools, and people (teachers, parents, students) often come to me with a multitude of problems, some directly related to Windows and for whom Linux would be a great fit. Even when I offer to install Linux and support them, many still hesitate, and while some can be explained by the extra effort necessary to learn something new, there is also suspicion.

For most people who don't understand what open source software is and how it is created, the idea that something that is free can also be good and doesn't have a hidden agenda, is almost unimaginable. That's why when they hear about a thing that is supposed to be good, free, and they've never heard about, they react with some form of disbelief or suspicion. This is very difficult to handle since they are not even aware of it. This is even more evident when one tries to explain what open source is. Most people cannot get rid of the feeling that there has to be some form of catch.

[skaruts]

You're right on the first point, but for the wrong reasons. It's not people being lazy or whatever, it's just a matter of motivation. People just aren't motivated to learn about something they have no interest in. The computer is a tool, and the less complexity and barriers stand between them and their goals, the better. People will always prefer the more comfortable tool. Life evolves to be economic about resources. It's hardwired.

[jshowao]

The problem is, I am one of those working people that just wants to come home and not do anything, and I still use Linux.
The problem for me is just time. I have so much stuff I have to do at work, that I often work long hours and dont have time to play with Linux a lot.

[herrberg]

I have been a Linux user since 2006. Mostly with Ubuntu, Debian or Linux Mint on used ThinkPads and Intel Macs. My knowledge about it is limited, but it does everything it is supposed to do. It just works and lets me use my computers without any worries about the system.

[mrpikachu]

A newbie Linux mint user since 3 months ❤

[nope]

Normal people dont have any reason to bother with linux. Its fun to tinker with and has some niche situations where it excels, but for 99.9% of users we just need something familiar that just works.

[junechevalier]

Most Linux users I know are hobbyists. They love tinkering with computers. I did use Ubuntu back in high school, but now that my job is a 3D artist, I'm required to use other OS, because there's more documentation there, more support for troubleshooting and stuff, faster updates, so forcing myself to use Linux feels like sabotaging my own career lol

[monethousand]

I've used Linux for more than 15 years on my servers and all that, but I only decided to switch to running Linux on my main after the last couple disastrous Windows 7 updates (which I didn't install. yeah, back then Windows actually gave you the option) that allowed telemetry and a bunch of other stuff if I remember correctly. I actually went through with it for good once the good ol' W7 reached its end of life. A windows install have not touched my computer ever since, not even as dual boot. As for my distro, I use Debian on my main. I know, pretty vanilla, but that's what I want. Debian is just an all around solid distro.

[Spladoinkal]

I feel like it's a chicken and egg thing. The biggest reason for people not switching to Linux is lack of support. But the reason there's lack of support is that there's not many people moving to Linux.

[chrispemberton]

Been on Linux for years now and I walked my almost 80 year old father in law through installing Linux on a laptop he has over the phone. It took about 45 minutes and he was shocked how well it worked and he told me that it hadn't run that fast in years. He went down a Linux rabbit hole after that.

I also converted my mother over to it and she hasn't had any issues at all. It is not for everyone, but when Windows starts changing and doing things without your permission, people get angry enough to try any alternative.

[dominicskywalker]

Imagine you're a medium/large software company and you're going to release AND offer support for some major software. You have 3 operating system platform options to choose from:

1. The operating system that has a major version released every year and is officially available on specific hardware. It's free for their clients to upgrade but when it comes to features, they come and go at the manufacturer's whim.
2. The operating system that is free to get with the option to pay for official support (if you really need it). It comes with a wide variety of options for their clients but with slightly different codebases and workflows for each one.
3. The operating system that comes with a paid perpetual license with free official support for their clients. The manufacturer focuses on backward compatibility and similar workflow but has a closed relatively consistent codebase.

As a software company with a budget, what option are you going to put your money and effort into?

[hoid]

I started using Linux Mint about a month ago. Haven't looked back.

[KabukeeJo]

Until Linux is as easy to use as Windows and has and has the game and driver support, it will never replace Windows. And the many distributions just confuses most people.

[JohnnyElihue]

I'm loving the Linux videos btw. I hope these videos work out for you, and you can keep making them.

[RiasatSalminSami]

People not wanting to put in the effort is understandable. Many people have long hours of work and very limited amount of free time. And some of them are on jobs that doesn't require you to be expert on pcs, meaning it will take even more time to figure things out. All of that can lead to a very frustrating experience when you just want your pc to work so that you can use it in those limited free time of yours.

[rvamark]

New Linux user here. About a year ago I realized that my desktop and my very old Duo Core laptop were going to die on Windows10 eventually, so I decided to try Linux Mint on the Duo as a learning process. It had been REALLY SLOW on Win 10, but is much quicker on Mint, and I am actually enjoying using the terminal for many tasks...sort of like my old MSDOS days! 😁 I also have several raspberry pi's around, but the use of Mint has been the thing that has accelerated my learning process. I am having fun again!!!