Excluding Developers, Programmers, IT Specialists, ‘Technical people’ & etc. there are not many ‘normal’ Linux users who know more about Linux than me. Heck, most of the ‘normal’ Linux users don’t even know what all the functions ‘n capabilities of a ‘basic Wheel Mouse’ are.
The ‘basic Wheel Mouse’ hardware issue isn’t the only hardware issue that ‘normal’ Linux users will experience, which is why Linus Torvalds says: ‘For the last 20 years, I kept hearing how Linux on the Desktop would go mainstream in “five years.” “One of the problems Desktop” Linux has is it’s not made for “normal people, and by normal people I mean, obviously nontechnical people…”‘
Printers, scanners, AMD processors ‘n AMD Motherboards ‘n AMD Graphics, GPU’s, etc. are all going to cause ‘normal’ Linux users problems, at least eventually, and they will spend hours trying to fix the problem/s and/or just switch to another Linux Distro. Linux hardware issues are a main reason for the term: Distro-Hopping.
- Example: I know one Linux user who has several or so computers, but is unable to use her favorite Linux Distro (EndeavourOS) on a recently upgraded main computer.
- Another Example: Personal experience this time. Have tried to upgrade Fedora 33 Cinnamon SPIN (installed on a USB) over the past couple days, on the AMD Ryzen ‘CM130‘ computer, and it has taken forever…it starts, then says it failed because of slow mirror problems (?!?). Today, after more failed attempts, I decided to try the upgrade using the ‘Antec Jr.‘ Intel computer. Bingo!! Quick success of the upgrade on Intel. Fedora has worked great on that AMD Ryzen ‘CM130‘ computer, up until I tried upgrading it…this kind of stuff happens wid Linux Distros all the time, i.e. work one moment then fails the next moment. Puppy Linux has been the rare exception to that problem…
Linux is ‘A terminal-centric’ OS, i.e. a keyboard-based OS meant for Developers, Programmers, IT Specialists, ‘Technical people’ & etc. to use command lines ‘n such in the Linux Terminal and Console environment.
Linux doesn’t build a Desktop OS – ‘It builds *HUNDREDS* of Barbie Doll & Lego *TOY* OSes!’
From what I have seen, most ‘normal’ Linux users don’t even want a printer or a scanner, and they don’t care about having a fully functional ‘basic Wheel Mouse’. They just want to be able to change clothes ‘n such on their ‘Barbie’ Doll & ‘Lego’ *TOY* OSes, in their favorite Desktop Environment (DE), and seem totally oblivious to what a modern Desktop OS is and/or does.
- Think I’m being unfair or harsh on the so-called Linux “Desktop OS”?
Here’s something else that Linus Torvalds says – Why Linux Hasn’t Succeeded on Desktop: ‘I still wish we were better at having a standardize desktop that goes across all the distributions … It’s more of a personal annoyance how the fragmentation of the different vendors have, I think, held the desktop back a bit … It seems to be that Chromebooks and Android are the paths towards the desktop.‘
However, Linux has other uses for ‘normal’ Linux users, and I’ll have more on that later…
What is a “modern Desktop OS” *AND* where might such be headed?
The Amazing Things You’ll Do in the ‘Metaverse’ and What It Will Take to Get There
Tech visionaries foresee a vast, immersive world that mirrors and extends the real one, allowing people to do and be what previously could only be imagined
Some people have wondered why Microsoft has a fairly strict hardware requirement for the new Windows 11…some of the same people had also wondered why Windows 95 had such strict hardware requirements. Yes, Microsoft has been dragging the entire Desktop/Laptop OS computing world into the future, for decades, because that is what it took to get here…here in 2021.
Some thirty years later, like DOS was back then, Linux is still ‘A terminal-centric’ OS.
Linux hasn’t been able to get a ‘basic Wheel Mouse’ to scroll more than 1.5-2 lines per “one notch” click of the mouse wheel for over thirty years. Here’s a YouTubie link from Orca to me:
Even experienced Linux users like Derek Taylor seem to have no understanding of basic mouse scrolling, have absolutely no clue what auto-scrolling is, and etc. The modern mouse does a lot more than just point ‘n click…
- As a Desktop/Laptop OS, Linux is basically a bystander as we move further into the future…
Special *PURPOSE* Linuxes
As I mentioned earlier, “Linux has other uses for ‘normal’ Linux users,” besides the failed attempt/s at an actual modern Desktop OS. I have listed some on the Special *PURPOSE* Linuxes page.
- Some people ‘n Nations are poor, and depend on old donated computers that have some Linux Distro on them in order to teach children about computers. Perfect use of an old computer ‘n Linux.
- I use Puppy Linux, Fedora Cinnamon SPIN, CloudReady Linux, GParted ‘n Clonezilla a lot in my various computer ‘n OS testings, and as secondary OSes that I install on USB’s. Never hurts to have a backup portable secondary OS plan.
- Because laptops come wid a touchpad ‘n don’t require a mouse, Linux can also be useful on them; however, even on my Linux Laptop I have CloudReady Linux installed as the first boot in a dual-boot setup, simply because it is more secure ‘n stable ‘n has better hardware recognition than Fedora Cinnamon SPIN.
What is it about the term “Open Source” that makes Linux users claim that it is safe to use?! See the *Linux Security Issues* page for more info…
Google OSes are late to the OS game, but they have easily passed Linux in security, reliability, and popularity by ‘nontechnical’ OS users.
Conclusion
Have slowed down on my posts recently…mainly use the *Karmi’s Daily Blog Log* page to keep up wid my thoughts, plans ‘n other happenings. According to the stats, there have been only 3 visitors to that page since I created it, about a year ago. As mention in the 10/15/2021 log there, ‘Search Engines send 30-Times more than the next highest “Referrers” – WordPress Android App, which sends about twice as many as the WordPress Reader, and then Twitter’ to this blog. Was never meant to be a social blog anyway, so Search Engines are just perfect for me.
‘Heads uP!’ on a possible post arriving in the next 2-3 days, i.e. I purchased a Windows 10 Pro OEM key for $12.99 (code WYNE) yesterday, from a new (?!?) site, which may be a part of an old site I had used in the past – new site: VIP-URcdkey, & old site: URcdkey. Long story there, I suppose, but that old site had stopped selling Microsoft Windows products, and I had been looking for a new site that offered them. For $12.99, thru my PayPal, it was worth a try just to test this offer out.
Didn’t have an extra computer to test it on, since I have recently upgraded my 5 desktop PC’s & the new Dell laptop to Windows 11. Soooooooooo, just brought in a bunch of old AMD parts, a AMD MoBo, the old Ryzen 5 3400G APU, another AMD CPU (in case), 2 old power supplies (in case), and a home-built Test Bench Computer Case (old converted Dell case) to give the new $12.99 OEM key a test. Probably took longer to find the parts than it will take to put together. 😉 Will do a post on it if it is successful.
Oh, I had an almost fully assembled retired ‘Antec Sr.’ in the same storage area, needed just memory ‘n a power supply, but its Intel® Core™ i5-6600K Processor isn’t upgradeable to Windows 11, and I have another possible plan for that upgradeable Ryzen™ 5 3400G with Radeon™ RX Vega 11 Graphics in the future.
LINUX IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES – you never know what you’re gonna get!
Linux Newbie - since 1996 