Is Linux too hard?

[DKT27]

Despite booming enterprise server sales, some in the industry continue to grumble that Linux is too hard. Designed by geeks for geeks, the theory goes, Linux will never be mainstream.

Reality hasn't been kind to such arguments.

Consider the fact that Linux-based Google Android saw 350 percent growth in 2009, according to Myxer data. I've yet to hear anyone talking about Android being hard to use. My teenage neighbors bought their Android phones and have had little trouble texting, browsing the Web, and installing applications.

It's Linux. It's not hard.

Where Linux does sometimes fall down has little to do with Linux, and everything to do with the focus application developers place on Linux.

Some report having trouble installing applications on Linux, like the cutting-edge Firefox release. While some Linux defenders suggest that an easy way around this is simply to wait until official support/packaging arrives within Ubuntu/SUSE/Fedora/etc., that won't do for those of us who sometimes want to veer off-piste and use beta software.

Application developers make sure their beta software installs easily on Windows and Mac OS X. They don't pay as much attention to Linux.

The same is true for hardware vendors. Linux works very well when pre-installed on Dell hardware: just as well as Windows does. The difficulty is in getting the hardware vendors to pre-install Linux with all necessary drivers.

This, however, is an opportunity for the Linux distributions. The distribution with the best application and hardware support will win.

Red Hat demonstrated this in the enterprise server market, and is approaching $1 billion in revenues for its trouble. Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, is taking the initiative to determine for which third-party applications the Linux community wants easy installation.

Google, of course, has already done this with its Android platform. No Android user is ever going to have to learn about "sudo" or "apt-get install" or any other elements of the Linux command line.

That's how it should be. At least, for the mainstream.

Google also promises to be good for "the Linux desktop" by removing the need to worry about the operating system at all, instead focusing on Web applications. I've already had a taste of that this past week as I've been installing Ubuntu Linux on different hardware, running a range of Web applications as easily as I do on Mac OS X.

We're rapidly approaching this future when the OS takes a backseat to the applications that run on it. It's going to be an awesome time for consumers, as Microsoft, Apple, Google, and others duke it out for supremacy on the proliferating range of hardware devices that consumers and enterprises use: desktops, laptops, smartbooks, Netbooks, phones, etc.

Linux has a starring role to play in such a future. The company that makes Linux easiest will win.

Source - CNET

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My take. Linux is no-where hard. Even my grandma can operate it without any problems. And it's also made for experts. ;)

[maniac2003]

The company that makes Linux easiest will win.

I agree with that. Ubuntu is easy to use for normal day stuff, but if you want something more it's a whole lot more difficult then Windows in my opinion.

[DKT27]

And has a powerful terminal. Someone told me, Linux is real best, but it takes real guts to switch from Windows to Linux. ;)

[HX1]

I think once a person gets their head wrapped around how to add packages and what they are.. how its works and .. gets away fro the normal 'Windows' known functionality.. it can okay.. I crashed my first Linux installation trying to enable it to play an MP3 Disc.. which played on everything else.. Nothing would work.. I didn't keep it for long..and the most I have had the chance to do since then was run it in Virtual Mode.. not a whole lot going to happen there..( ran it basically fro the ISO file.. like a disc.. )

I wanted to get Mandriva and take it slow.. do the research whenever I get the chance.. maybe one day.. -_-

[Bizarre™]

It's fine to expand ones horizon regarding OS usage, but in my case, I'm not abandoning an OS I'm already used to.

[DKT27]

You mean whole Windows or XP. :P

No one is abandoning windows. Even in future, I'll use Linux only for some work. Otherwise, no matter how much windows sucks, I love it. :D

[JessicaLeigh]

I agree with DKT27. Windows is native; it's what we're used to, and what we've grown with.

[implague]

@DKT

I am agree with u though windows suxx but still im not gointo change my mind for linux

[DKT27]

BTW, how many guys know that many(most i think) of the linux distributions are 100% free?

If anyone even thinks of using linux or using it as Live CD, I would recommend Ubuntu.

[HX1]

Yeah this was one of the reasons I was originally attracted to it.. ( Long story short ) someone distracted me during a reinstall procedure.. I hit the '4' key instead of the '1' key.. when I did I wiped the hard drive and OEM certificate... I didn't want to hassle with WGA BS... So Linux Ubuntu looked right for it.. ..After reformatting and going through it all installing Symbian.. The hard drive failed.. ( wasn't going well at alllll.. ) Did find out about a few things and get to play some..But free was what attracted me to it.. Since then I have found a way to run ll OSes within Windows..

I think its better to expand knowledge of the OSes.. and know what your doing on more systems.. which cover a wide range of systems, configurations, and environments.. But for a personal choice in what I have gotten comfortable with .. and settled with I will probably say Windows.. been using it since Windows 95.. ( the OS that would fit on a floppy - almost )...

The thing I find interesting is that many programs are written on Linux based systems.. and even more eye opening is that TON of server program and modules are also created on Linux boxes... So its something to think about..

[DKT27]

If you are learning something, you should never overlook Linux. Trust me, I've tried only once, yes, once, and I'm saying all this great things about. Actually, I did wrote an review for my try, but I'm still confused to post it here or not.

Before I tried it I thought how would it be, would there be a pointer as efficient as in windows. :P How would it look etc. etc.. But if you are known to windows, linux is never gonna be hard. :)

[Bizarre™]

Nothing is hard, as long you apply yourself to it ^_^

[DKT27]

I know it's hard but I wanna apply for PM's job. :lol:

Just jokin, I know what you are referring it to. :)

[Bizarre™]

@DKT27:

Work with Haantjuh at McDonald's

[DKT27]

I'll eat at Mc. Not work there. Direct promotion to PM or nothing. :P

[HX1]

Atleast he's working... :thumbsup: more than I can say for a lot of people right now..

[implague]

ohh for a second i thought ubantu gives us jobs too withits free OS :sneaky:

[Hottwire]

You mean whole Windows or XP. :P

No one is abandoning windows. Even in future, I'll use Linux only for some work. Otherwise, no matter how much windows sucks, I love it. :D

I agree with DKT27. Windows is native; it's what we're used to, and what we've grown with.

I'll admit I don't like the problems in windows and I hate using it knowing how much it sucks, but when I've sat down and used MAC and Linux I've been fine, took a little longer than it did to learn Windows but I'm finally getting it. And Even though I will eventually get hold of them both, Unfortunately I know I am stuck with a Windows based Home system, because of some of the stuff i do that just isn't available on Mac or Linux

[bigjohn]

Most CAM CAD software won't work on Linux.

[DKT27]

Are you sure? Most of the windows based software can be installed in Linux in a few easy steps.

Lemme mention a big thing. Linux is not all about the GUI, it's in the terminal, it's really great.

[implague]

dontu ever heard about wine

wine makes windows apps work on linux

its tasted :dance2:

[Bizarre™]

@implague:

There are programs that can cross-platform, but Windows programs are designed to run better on Windows.

[someone]

Well the difficult I think is a per case.... depend of the distribution.... Opensuse is great, but need some of work to play media files and install for example Virtualbox (but have a one click solution to install XEN). But in this 2 cases in the forum have tutorials and sometimes one-click solutions too. Others like for example slackware, can cause alot of pain... Mandriva, Fedora(selinux can cause some work) and Ubuntu (mainly) is more easy. The differential for Ubuntu i think is being one of most used distros, you can solve your problems more easy... most of the time, with a simple forum search you found the solution for your problem. For a first time I high recommend Linux Mint. Based on Ubuntu, have alot of improvements regarding usability, stability and other features (here there is a review from a Linux system expert from wilderssecurity : http://anonymz.com/?http://dedoimedo.com/computers/linux-mint-helena.html)

Personally i like Linux for Host machine. +- 700 mb of download, normally take 3-4 gb of space in the HD, take 30-40 minutes for install, (without need to disable dangerous/useless services and lose time "tweaking" things) normally use less than 200mb of ram and little CPU and provide high security out of the box. Install a VM software, put your windows there and that's it.

[DKT27]

For Linux wiki says:

Web statistics from late 2009 suggest that Ubuntu's share is between 40 and 50%.