Why We Need to Change the Way We Introduce People to Linux

In this video, I discuss what we, the Linux community, need to change about our approach to introducing people to Linux, and why.
Although this video is targeted at those who are already part of the Linux community, it also contains some important information for people looking to switch to Linux.

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[rethil]

My strategy after years of failures when trying to bring ppl to Linux is:
- So, you're using Linux, how is it?
- Awesome
- Would you recommend it then?
- NO
- Why?
- <proceeds to describe in what way Linux is not windows, and typical problems new user can experience>
- So why are you using it?
- <proceeds to describe strong points of Linux, and why I don't have those problems I described previously cuz I paid with my time to learn and forge new habits over time>

At that point if that person tries Linux probability that he/she will stay with Linux is pretty high.

[trajectoryunown]

I usually start by telling them "Linux is not Windows. It's completely different. You probably won't be able to use some of the programs you're used to, but there's almost always a replacement that will work. Unless you absolutely *have to* have a certain Windows-exclusive program for work or school or you aren't willing to give up something specific, this isn't nearly bad as it sounds, but it does take some getting used to."

(Lots of people lose interest here, especially gamers and creative folk like artists and musicians who heavily rely on proprietary software and aren't willing to abandon it to learn something new. That's perfectly acceptable and a great point to end the discussion. That doesn't mean they'll never use Linux. Quite the opposite, in fact. If their preferred program every gets Linux support, they'll probably be the one to bring it up again. But if you keep trying to press them, it's going to turn them off to Linux as a whole. Just don't be "that guy". You know the one, you see them in half the Linux memes, particularly in the FOSS space. All that might be fine as an occasional joke, but if you're constantly dogging on their OS and software, it makes the whole Linux community look like it's full of jerks.)

DESKTOP ENVIRONMENTS
If they're still interested after the laundry list of disclaimers, I tell them not to feel overwhelmed by all of the apparent options because almost every distro is basically the same as far as they'll ever care to know. Instead, I tell them to check out all the the really cool desktop environments on YouTube and Reddit to find out which one they like the look and feel of. (Leave the minimalist installs, compositors, and window managers out of the discussion. They need a functional OS immediately upon installation, not some multi-week project for their computer science finals.) I also note that almost all of the DEs are VERY customizable, so if they enjoy a good deal of what one has to offer but really dislike this or that, they can probably alter it with little effort or install some program to make it more ideal for them.

It's also important at this point to really drill it in that any program that comes with any DE can be *easily* installed with any other too. If they like the Thunar file manager but aren't fond of Xfce, if they really like how simple and intuitive Gnome Disks is but don't want to run GNOME, that's absolutely not a problem. All they have to do is install it. (And unlike some other operating systems where the word "install" carries a lot of extra baggage with it, installations are almost never an involved process here on Linux. Rarely even requires a reboot. 😸)

WHICH DISTRIBUTION?
Since pretty much any desktop environment can be installed on any distro, as can any program, the user interface shouldn't affect what distro they choose hardly at all. So this actually turns out to be one of the easiest decisions to make, but someone new to Linux won't yet have the knowledge to make that call themselves. Not yet anyway. So ask some questions:
1) How much do you want pre-configured for you? (If you're having this discussion, a more specialized downstream fork like POP!_OS, Garuda, or Nobara would be ideal. Forget "vanilla" anything. Just make sure the distro has the features they want, any software configuration for their programs managed for them, and won't be more buggy than they'll be willing to contend with. Note that might be better for some people if one or two features are missing entirely than to troubleshoot minor issues every once in a while.)
2) Do you want a large amount of supported software, or are you okay with the essentials plus a few other well-known programs? (Basically just asking if they frequently try out new and/or niche software.)
3) Do you want your OS and programs to always have the latest updates available? (Do they want new features as quickly as possible, or are they usually content to use their programs as-is once they get used to them?)
4) Are you okay with reinstalling your OS every 2 years? Every 5 years? How about just updating in perpetuity, never needing to boot from a flash drive again? (Stable, LTS, or rolling release?)

Once they've made a decision on the desktop environment and answered those questions, that seemingly enormous ocean of distros will rapidly evaporate, leaving only a few drops.

TLDR;
At the end of the day, introducing someone to Linux is a legitimately involved process. It's not like suggesting some new program where someone can just download an installer and figure it out from there. It's an entirely new experience. They're going to need active guidance. You'll need to be patient and receptive to their needs and preferences. Because you've already got many months or even years of experience, you can help new users avoid all the troubles you faced along your own journey. Most importantly, you can't let your personal ideals get in the way of helping them find something that is ideal for them. That means you're probably going to have some learning to do yourself too.

[parnashwind]

Let's see how long it takes for the "It is not Linux, it is GNU/Linux" comment. 😆

[SusanAmberBruce]

At the beginning of the day I installed mint cinnamon and at the end of the day I installed MX Linux, I figured out how to have a dual boot system with separate drives for Windows 11 and MX Linux, I also use Windows 7 and Windows XP and mint xfce from a virtual machine, being flexible is key to having a good computer desktop experience in my opinion, I am now learning how to migrate all my games and software from Windows to there own SSD drive, I am also building my own network drive for for all my data, but theres a long way to go yet in getting a system I'm totally happy with.
My advice is go slowly as you establish what you can do and don't limit yourself to any one distro experience be it Windows or be it Linux 😊

[ThePhenoixFID]

algorithm have brought me here. I'm a new Linux user and I'm still trying to figure things out.

well, using Linux for browsing and documentation is the easy part but in gaming which makes things difficult.

[FarmerRiddick]

Much needed commentary! Thank you Drew.
The average person out there just wants to power it on and it just works.
Switching operating systems takes some getting used to like, having been driving in the U.S for forever, knowing only an automatic to being dropped off in London with a manual stick shift and expected to drive in their style, their side of the road, with their math and signage. Intimidating, to say the least!

With the upcoming furtherance of the Windows 11 dystopia, there are going to be a large number of people that are going to be looking for options. This is an opportunity to not only encourage people to switch, but also help them to do so without confusion and inflated superior ego's.
Keep it simple stupid.

[PrivateNaelyan]

I like the intuitive and ergonomic aspect of windows, software compatibility issues has also been a huge reason i never sersiouly considered linux as an option for my usage. But on the other hand over time windows is really shoving annoying "features" if not malwares down the user's throat and it's looking like the pretext of AI will give them even more excuses to push malware behaviors on their future releases and updates.

I'm still not yet to the point where i'll make the jump, but i'm getting increasingly closer to going over the fence and for the first time i'm starting to consider the option

[walter_lesaulnier]

I take a lot of time to explain drive naming and getting them familiar with the directories and the ones they may need to go into sometimes, like etc. And giving them a thorough understanding of permissions helps a lot.

[Dr-CthulhuOfRlyeh]

There is a reason why the Steam Deck is popular, "it's plug and play" recommend something "plug and play" to new people. Most people don't want to mess with an OS (I know I don't) they want to install it and start using it to install their apps.

I personally use Nobara and that was plug and play. Upgrading to a new version needs some improvment though and until that happens I recommend Bazzite to people which is identical to Nobara but runs off silverblue and doesn't update MESA drivers and Plasma as fast.

[psirrow]

When I first installed Linux, i tried Fedora (a long time ago). I ended up hating it, partly because I had a lot of expectations i had from Windows. I went back to windows.

What actually got me into Linux was a buddy in college who walked me through installing Gentoo. Things were so different that I actually ended up learning what i was doing.

I switched off Gentoo to Ubuntu a few years ago. I was getting sick of how long update processes were and I had stopped using a super custom setup, so a more simple setup seemed like a good idea. There were a lot of things i liked, but it just wasn't for me.

I've installed Mint on a side computer since then and I'm trying out Manjaro now. I like the a better so far, but time will tell.

Having a personalized recommendation for a distro is amazing, but even a less personalized recommendation with some basic explanations is really helpful. All of the distros I liked I went into with some kind of recommendation.

[HarakiriRock]

Not sure where this rant is coming from. Almost all recommendations I've seen for new users are Mint, Pop OS, and similar distros with Windows-esque GUIs. Never heard anyone recommend something like Arch to the uninitiated. I don't think any normie is going into Linux expecting it to be easy. You're thinking too deep into this.

[fiftytwentythree]

Very well said, sir. And thank you for saying it. I never seen any of your videos before, but this one earned my subscription. Thank you for making this video.

[SongDesire]

Im an Arch linux user, its far easier to use these days. But, I always recommend new users to use Mint. Its just the best one to use for someone new to Linux. If a new Linux user has done some research and really wants to try Arch, I would honestly send them to Manjaro or EndeavourOS. Mint is honestly the best option for someone new, though. Ubuntu these days is just so meh for me.

[panxogaming]

There's only one thing I'd like to add. Make them play with the terminal, teach them in a friendly way code structures to update, install and search apps before installing it on their computer. Also my recommendation are kubuntu, ubuntu or mint. For gaming users, Fedora KDE works well right out of the box. Teach them how to speed up dnf from the terminal. Besides the distro topic, another important thing to teach them is how to use TTY mode with timeshift in case things break.
What did I pick up as my 1st distro? Arch. Not for beginners, it just worked for me, love it and is my main distro now.

[kitsune]

Remember guys "I use arch BTW" is the best way. Gotta stick to the script!

[playerzero]

Its not choosing a distro that turns new users away from Linux, most people know enough to search "best linux for beginners." Its the fact that Linux elitists make it sound like you need to know how to code, memorize command lines, and remember 50 keyboard shortcuts to be able to use Linux "properly." Its the 'install via terminal' snobs, and the 'RTFM' replies when you ask a question. The average user doesn't want or even need all that, they just need an OS that can work out of the box, with an uncluttered and easy to use desktop environment, and well-rounded app support.

[ksl]

I, as a new Linux user first tried Zorin, then Elementary followed by Linux mint. I really wanted to use Zorin or Elementary because of how they look but after using them all, I personally prefer Linux mint. I would eventually want to move to Ubuntu or Fedora with a GNOME desktop environment.

[pkkyo]

Windows users will not understand what KDE, GNOME, LXQT, Cinnamon are at first. By installing, personalizing or deleting them, Linux can easily break or become ugly. In addition, although Linux's support for Chinese users is much better than ten years ago, there are still many small problems in fonts and appearance. I recommend just using a Live USB to try Linux Mint, get them interested in the good stuff beside Windows, and then slowly explain other distros to them.

[Deimos_Fresh]

When I tried Linux for the first time in 2018, I only knew about Ubuntu and hear about Debian. I did stumble a lot and tried different distros for awhile until I decided to go back to Ubuntu as it worked for me the best. I can't really recommend for new users Linux. Linux Mint is what people recommend a lot, but for me it didn't work good on two different PC configurations and my friend had a lot of problem with it too like random crashes and features didn't work properly. But if I had to recommend something, I'd recommend Linux Mint simply because for flatpaks. Otherwise I'd recommend Ubuntu easily if only snaps was as supported by developers.

[cybernit]

Too bad they didn't just have 1 Big Linux distro and then choose different desktop environment flavours, etc. Like have a Linux consortium and unify! But that would be quite a challenge; since the nature of most linux users to do their own thing, freedom. Atleast it would easier for new users with have just 1 to choose from, instead of spending hours trying to figure out who to go with.