I feel like average linux-user here really overestimates the skill level of a typical random computer user lmao.
I installed linux mint on my extra laptop to test it out (going to switch because end of win10 support. Didn’t before because I just had no reason blah blah), and oh boy. It’s not difficult, but there’s no way someone pretty average tech-skill-less could learn to install it by just reading instructions - and this isn’t even just because of the OS itself. I had only simple trouble, like how to get to BIOS, which was not a linux issue but old lenovo being a bitch and took me like half a minute to resolve. But just something like that would absolutely stop someone not knowing what they’re doing, because an install guide wouldn’t help with that - you have to have some pre-knowledge of what to even search for to find solutions. Not to mention the possible OS issues themselves, like me having to install, delete and re-install wine because of some weird bug happening and it installing itself only partially despite me using the recommended terminal commands to install it… etc.
And many couldn’t install windows either if they had to first burn it to a stick and go from there, so I’m not trying to bash linux itself (at least mint would indeed be super easy to use for even a skill-less grandma moving from windows). Saying “just learn” is just about as helpful as “use linux” - to move a lot of people to linux from windows, probably most of them will either have to get help or have it already installed. So they’ll just stick with win11 because it’s what’s they’re going to have
Maybe they do. I work with users directly and yeah most are not willing to learn if it’s framed that way, but they all do learn. They learn quirks of the OS and installed programs over time because their jobs demand it.
If you search “how to install Linux” or “how to install an OS” you’ll be met with a shit ton of documentation and videos on YouTube with plenty to go off of, followed by comments of people that have already had the problems and questions you’ve had. Only when you get to truly complex things will you start to have a harder time researching your issue.
It’s just a matter of will and circumstances. All of the people that work in the parts of European government that are switching over to Linux will undoubtedly learn, the same way they’ve had to learn windows and windows based programs/installers.
The reason I know how to install an OS is likely the same reason anyone else does. Problem occurred on windows years ago, after reading enough about the problem, discovered its best to reinstall Windows, searched how to reinstall Windows, and after windows shitting the bed more than once on my PCs and friends and families, it’s a learned skill that I’ve developed out of necessity for what I or they were trying to do.
The same applies on the other side of the fence, that’s all I’m really trying to say here. It’s the same problems (aside from enshittification, selling user data, etc.) with slightly different solutions.
If you search “how to install Linux” or “how to install an OS”
I don’t really disagree with you, but I think this kinda highlights part of the problem: there’s many people that don’t even know what an operating system is. Just as you said, they can learn and they probably will learn when they have to, but a lot of people don’t have to, so they’ll just stick with win11 even if they struggle with it’s stupid shit. We’re going to hear this complaining about win11 for years to come, and telling people to switch to linux will just cause the type of irritation described in the original image there…
I admit that personally I’m in the weird spot where my father worked in IT in the 90s and the tech kinda came home with him, so I don’t exactly know how people usually learn this stuff. I just grew up with it
I feel like average linux-user here really overestimates the skill level of a typical random computer user lmao.
I installed linux mint on my extra laptop to test it out (going to switch because end of win10 support. Didn’t before because I just had no reason blah blah), and oh boy. It’s not difficult, but there’s no way someone pretty average tech-skill-less could learn to install it by just reading instructions - and this isn’t even just because of the OS itself. I had only simple trouble, like how to get to BIOS, which was not a linux issue but old lenovo being a bitch and took me like half a minute to resolve. But just something like that would absolutely stop someone not knowing what they’re doing, because an install guide wouldn’t help with that - you have to have some pre-knowledge of what to even search for to find solutions. Not to mention the possible OS issues themselves, like me having to install, delete and re-install wine because of some weird bug happening and it installing itself only partially despite me using the recommended terminal commands to install it… etc.
And many couldn’t install windows either if they had to first burn it to a stick and go from there, so I’m not trying to bash linux itself (at least mint would indeed be super easy to use for even a skill-less grandma moving from windows). Saying “just learn” is just about as helpful as “use linux” - to move a lot of people to linux from windows, probably most of them will either have to get help or have it already installed. So they’ll just stick with win11 because it’s what’s they’re going to have
Maybe they do. I work with users directly and yeah most are not willing to learn if it’s framed that way, but they all do learn. They learn quirks of the OS and installed programs over time because their jobs demand it.
If you search “how to install Linux” or “how to install an OS” you’ll be met with a shit ton of documentation and videos on YouTube with plenty to go off of, followed by comments of people that have already had the problems and questions you’ve had. Only when you get to truly complex things will you start to have a harder time researching your issue.
It’s just a matter of will and circumstances. All of the people that work in the parts of European government that are switching over to Linux will undoubtedly learn, the same way they’ve had to learn windows and windows based programs/installers.
The reason I know how to install an OS is likely the same reason anyone else does. Problem occurred on windows years ago, after reading enough about the problem, discovered its best to reinstall Windows, searched how to reinstall Windows, and after windows shitting the bed more than once on my PCs and friends and families, it’s a learned skill that I’ve developed out of necessity for what I or they were trying to do.
The same applies on the other side of the fence, that’s all I’m really trying to say here. It’s the same problems (aside from enshittification, selling user data, etc.) with slightly different solutions.
I don’t really disagree with you, but I think this kinda highlights part of the problem: there’s many people that don’t even know what an operating system is. Just as you said, they can learn and they probably will learn when they have to, but a lot of people don’t have to, so they’ll just stick with win11 even if they struggle with it’s stupid shit. We’re going to hear this complaining about win11 for years to come, and telling people to switch to linux will just cause the type of irritation described in the original image there…
I admit that personally I’m in the weird spot where my father worked in IT in the 90s and the tech kinda came home with him, so I don’t exactly know how people usually learn this stuff. I just grew up with it
I gotcha, and yeah, most people avoid learning at all costs, it’s kind of insane.