I have used linux for a couple of years now and it was one of the most bumpy beginnings (and ends) i ever had with software. There was little a moment that wasnt marred by some kind of problem.
I could write a book on all the problems i had encountered and some of them happen several times, but here are some highlights:
- monitors not being all recognized unless its plugged in in a VERY specific order
- monitor 2 not having the correct colors
- audio not coming out of the correct source, the default source changing when something else that can sue it is plugged in, and also changing after a restart
- gaming, proton barely EVER worked, rated gold or platinum on protondb? fuck you it wont even start for you
- wine is not much better, lutris also fucked up several times
What broke the camels back today:
I stream, on wednesday my controller stopped working so i couldnt continue to stream, an hour after i stopped? the controller started working again great right? no, today the same shit, controller doesnt work.
Linux continues to have awful roadblocks that make even the most stubborn user (me) switch back to windows for now
But ah i am not dont yet, getting support from other users is about as much a fools errand as it is for windows, just sprinkled in with a lot more brown nosing elitism. And i imagine i will get similar comments here cause lemmy has the same circlejerks reddit has.
As long as linux continues having the most mundane problems with NO solution anywhere it wont get anywhere, if it werent for steamdeck it would still hover around at below 3%
See i like linux, i like how the ui feels and all, but i just cant anymore, i want shit to actually work and linux just cant provide that yet
I’ve been using Linux since 2004, in various distros, exclusively as my desktop for any computer I own or control.
I nonetheless agree with you 100%.
Linux¹ is an OS that appeals to a very narrow spectrum of a very narrow subculture of people. As a desktop OS for the general public it is basically a disaster area. If video doesn’t fuck you up, audio will, or Bluetooth, or networking, or any number of other sharp corners and rusty nails sticking out. You either get used to fixing these (and then never touching them ever again once solved … and hope the next kernel update doesn’t fuck you over!) or you get the joy of sifting through a myriad of subtly incorrect and/or out of date “help” articles online. (Documentation?! Don’t make me laugh. You wouldn’t like me when I laugh.)
There are a few reasons for this. Of these, one is out of the control of the Linux community. The rest are the Linux community’s to fix, however. But they won’t. (The reason for this is one of the items listed.)
So why do I still use Linux, given all my negativity above?
¹ Before some Yahoo tries to “own” me by pointing out “BUT ANDROID IS BASED ON THE LINUX KERNEL TOO!!!111oneoneoneeleventy!”, here I’m using “Linux” as a shortcut for "Linux on desktop systems as a desktop OS. That Android thing is not the killer line you think it is. It just makes you look intellectually dishonest.
all of these points are very valid but holy shit
“works for me, so it must be your problem”
especially this one resonated with me, cause literally (and i do mean literally) every single problem i would mention online had at least one yahoo doing exactly this
I had never considered this…
This is the big one for me.
Entirely agree with this whole comment though.
Strong agree, especially on the documentation front.