Why do new people give up on Linux?

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Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by /dev/urandom »

In this case you did clicking, not writing code.
wyrdoak

Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by wyrdoak »

/dev/urandom wrote:In this case you did clicking, not writing code.
Oh,Come on now cut and paste is ergonomic too. :wink: I can remember having to rewrite a whole subroutine because of an error in one line. Cut and paste would have been great back then. :) Come to think of it that's why I started stacking subroutines was because I didn't have cut and paste. I loved when I found the program "Sidekick" and learned I could use it to create batch files.
/dev/urandom

Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by /dev/urandom »

Even C&P does not require a single click. :mrgreen:
But we're nitpicking now.
wyrdoak

Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by wyrdoak »

/dev/urandom wrote:Even C&P does not require a single click. :mrgreen:
But we're nitpicking now.
Your right, Borland Sidekick was during the Gelasian Pleistocene period:lol:
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Wolfen69
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Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by Wolfen69 »

Asimov wrote:He forgot one think: be force to reinstall every 3 years. Just when thing run finally smoothly . You are force to open a new can of worm.
Ummm, I used to reinstall windows every month or 2 for various reasons. One of the main reasons I switched to linux. And guess what? There are new versions of windows every couple of years now. Pulease.

Plus, you make it sound like reinstalling every few years is such a hardship. :roll:

I for one, like new shiny new releases. Keeping the same install for 5 years is out of the question. I am not a corporation that needs the same OS for years. I am a regular computer user that plays music, surfs, gimp, and most other everyday tasks.
vrkalak

Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by vrkalak »

Why do people, or at least, new people give up on Linux . . .
You want to install program A. When trying to install it, you're told that program A needs program B and file X to work. You spend a good amount of time looking all over the internet for program B and file X. Then you install file X and try to install program B and you're told that program B needs program C and files Y and Z to work.

Then you spend, again, a good amount of time on the internet looking for files Y and Z and program C. You find the files, install file Y and try to install file Z. When installing, you're told that file Z conflicts with file W that is already installed on your system. When trying to remove file W, you're told that your favorite program, program D, needs file W in order to work. If you remove file W, you must also remove progam D and all the other files and programs that need them.

You're also trying to install program C that was needed in order to install program B. You're told that program C needs the libraries of Desktop Environment Q, and that you have those libraries but they're too old so you need to upgrade them. If you upgrade, your Desktop Environment Q and all the programs integrated with it stop working unless you upgrade them, too.
It's not really like this, but it seems this way sometimes, when you are new here. :lol:
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eiver
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Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by eiver »

It is exactly like this. This is the very reason, why I never got involved with Linux development (I mean the system itself or one of open source applications that run on it). The dependency hell puts me off every time I download the source code of a project and prevents me from getting involved with it. Some projects have instructions, how to compile the source, but they never work. I always encounter a dependency I am unable to satisfy and have to give up. I am left with tons of garbage, I installed trying to make it work. Even if something is packaged and one only wants to get a binary (because some critical bug was fixed upstream), installing it is sometimes impossible. I encountered this situation with Wine once. A new version of an application should not force one to reinstall the OS, this is sick. I can only justify this, if the change inside the OS is huge. (For example I accept the fact that a Windows program won't run under DOS, or that Linux users who still use kernel 1.0 may have some trouble, but thats it).
animaguy

Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by animaguy »

I can see why dependencies are a hassle but I give up on the program I am trying to install before I would give up on the distro, not to even mention Linux as a whole.

I personally came to Linux cause I got sick of updating the anti virus and purchasing programs to speed up Windows 7. Enough was enough.

And on top of it all Windows was too slow booting up and updating. And I can go on.

I think people who give up on Linux have money to spend on Windows. Whenever I meet someone who uses Windows I already know they have a descent amount of savings in the bank and they do not want to learn anything on their own and want quick answers from paid customer service tech support.

I dont have a history of wanting to work for individuals like that cause they really do not have any patience and want proven stability.

I want cutting edge technology and Windows isn't improving fast enough.

The PC desktop ultimately has it's limits and speed and power is really the only criteria left as a legitimate variable.

There is still a healthy demand for fancy desktop customization but it eventually gets old and once you have the "perfect setup" then speed becomes the number one issue.

Whatever the purpose you have for owning a computer the faster and more powerful the cpu the more time you have to think about other stuff.

Also the open source community is starting to catch up to the functionality of proprietary software and if you are unafraid to learn the ins and outs of specific software you are interested in, expensive proprietary software and the money you pay for it gets old too.

I think it is about how far ahead do you want to invest in the future.

The future is good for open source cause those who invest in learning the basics of Linux will always have an edge on those who are crossing their fingers that Windows 8 doesnt turn into another Vista catastrophe.

People give up on Linux cause they can either afford too or are unsure of the long term benefits.
jmcook79

Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by jmcook79 »

I think once people have to deal with Windows 8, they won't be so quick to give up on linux. I used the latest release preview (which is the last one before the final release) for a week just to try it. It's a total nightmare to anyone who prefers the traditional desktop...It even makes Unity look conservative lol.
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Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by antcj »

As a Noob linux user ,couple months , i can tell you right off whatmy issues were. And im only listing my hassles, not princess.

I suspect that as time goes on i will forget the initial issues i had and wonder what all the fuss was about, and i suspect that goes for most,but maybe the powers that be , ie the good people developing and making the distributions available, need to look at these reasons.

anyway
networking,file shares,partitioning(default one partition as well as asking a noob to do stuff with sda and root and ext, is scary stuff ),wireless drivers,installing software.

I would say from personal experience, get the first 3 working out the box, and the "give up" rate would be less.

And yes MS windows for me on my main computer is gone.
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Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by gosa »

Once in a while I like to come back to this thread and read the opinion of you guys. Of course this is often triggered by my own experiences running into obstacles - something that still happens after 2 years with Linux (Yeah, I know - I'm quite still "young".)

Anyway - A new observation for now is:

- To many compromises.

Let me elaborate:

The other day I decided that I wanted to start over with a new, fresh install for my primary home computer. So far I'm running an install of LMDE x64 on it - I've had that same install for a bit over a year now. I am running Cinnamon as a DE and everything seems to be working just like I want (more or less - there are some tiny things I can live with.). Even so I decided on trying Maya - same DE and also the x64 version.

So I ran my install, and:
- Knowing that Maya is still at Kernel 3.2.x I also added Kernel 3.4 to that install - the reason for that is that my TV-card isn't supported in kernels before 3.3. Everything seemed to work ok at first, but...
- This created a problem when I wanted to use Jockey to install Nvidia drivers - I don't know for sure, but it seems like Jockey don't like the new kernel.
- So I went for sgfxi instead, just as I do in LMDE. One down, a "a few more to go..." This seemed to work ok at first, but...
- Next up was Playonlinux. This I "want" for running Microsoft Office - I'm not saying that Libreoffice is bad, I'm just too old to start learning yet another solution from the start (I feel I have enough moving from Lightroom to either Darktable or Aftershot pro) The problem here is that Playonlinux can't seem to find any x86 libs for OpenGL (don't remember the expression) which it tells me is needed if I ever want to enjoy any of my GOG's. I searched the forum and tried adding multiarch. I also found a thread recommending removing the Nvidia drivers from Nvidia and use the ones from Jockey instead.
- Well... that kind of pulled me back a few steps - to right after I realized Jockey don't like my new Kernel (or so I believe).

So now... without being too proficient solving the above, I've taken myself all the way back to thinking aobut starting over from the beginning again - this time with the x86 version of a Cinnamon-spiced Maya and a pae-kernel. (That was two days running between a sick daughter and my computer that I won't get back)

All the above I can deal with only because I just don't feel good about going back to Windows again, but I imagine that I'd probably turned my back to run away if I've had that happen to me just when I made the move two years ago...

To many compromises...
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Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by AlbertP »

About the new kernel and proprietary drivers, you need newer driver versions if you have a newer kernel. You can add this PPA for newer proprietary drivers, then Jockey should work with any newer kernel as well: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x-swat/+archive/x-updates
(AMD users may sometimes need to wait, AMD is often late supporting new kernels)
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gosa
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Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by gosa »

AlbertP wrote:About the new kernel and proprietary drivers, you need newer driver versions if you have a newer kernel. You can add this PPA for newer proprietary drivers, then Jockey should work with any newer kernel as well: https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-x-swat/+archive/x-updates
(AMD users may sometimes need to wait, AMD is often late supporting new kernels)
Tried that one and got presented with an error that directed me to a log that looked like it could probably be turned into a book thicker than a "standard" bible...
- So I went back to my idea with sgfxi.

But thanks anyway for the tip!
MrD

Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by MrD »

As jmcook79 hints at, although not clearly enough, the issue here has expanded to be Windows vs Linux.

The traditional desktop was hard enough to get a Windows XP user over to Ubuntu Gnome desktop. Many users refused to open their minds and realise the buttons say different things on them, even if Clem went and put the taskbar and buttons in roughly the same place (over vanilla ubuntu)

Now with Windows 8 and Unity, us Linux Mint users who have continued with the traditional desktop style may have to realise that in a year or so, most of the new generation of Windows users will become used to Windows 8's interface.

So, how apart is Unity from W8?

And how much further is LM's choices of desktops from W8? Can we ever hope to attract new users when all they've experienced is W8?
Asimov

Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by Asimov »

Wolfen69 wrote:
Asimov wrote:He forgot one think: be force to reinstall every 3 years. Just when thing run finally smoothly . You are force to open a new can of worm.
Ummm, I used to reinstall windows every month or 2 for various reasons. One of the main reasons I switched to linux. And guess what? There are new versions of windows every couple of years now. Pulease.

Plus, you make it sound like reinstalling every few years is such a hardship. :roll:

I for one, like new shiny new releases. Keeping the same install for 5 years is out of the question. I am not a corporation that needs the same OS for years. I am a regular computer user that plays music, surfs, gimp, and most other everyday tasks.
That's the problem. You're a windows user. Your expectation are low!

On a Mac, upgrading is like installing in application in Windows. That's all! The funny thing is that BSD OS are able to do that for at least 3 decades. You don't change your monitor, you don't change your keyboards, etc. In practice, all the the configuration of your machine is already inside your hard-drive. there's no need for an human intervention.

My problem is not the upgrading, my problem is no one make it easy. if upgrading every 6 months become the standard, it's time to come with something more smart than the actual system. You know the swap partition is now so big that is possible to put inside a mini version of Linux with a small desktop ...
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Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by exploder »

The biggest reason people give up on Linux is hardware support. Hardware support in Linux is by no means terrible, most things work without having to do anything. The problem is that when new hardware comes out, it immediately supports Windows and Linux support comes later. Hardware issues are very difficult for new users to try and deal with. Ubuntu seems to be having a better relationship with hardware vendors these days and things are getting better. As Ubuntu gains popularity things will improve quite a bit and they do have the attention of hardware manufacturers now.

Another issue is with applications like Netflicks that refuses to support Linux. A lot of people seem to want things like this and are turned off by the fact that they can not have this if they run Linux. Everything takes time, I look at where things are today compared to where they were 10 years ago. Linux has got so easy to use, package management is so simple and convenient that anyone can understand it. New interfaces have peaked peoples interest and many can really see that Linux has a very bright future now.

I gave up on Windows years ago, so it works both ways. Linux is not for everyone, just like Windows and the MacOS aren't. Android has put Linux in the hands of many people and they do not even realize they are running Linux. Times are changing, people want something fresh and different and Linux distributions are delivering that. Also, I figure if someone has taken the time to check out Linux they can not be that satisfied with Windows. Maybe Linux was not right for them at the time they tried it but they just might take another look in the future.
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Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by Emegra »

I am probably the perfect example of an average user, I'm 52 year old I didn't do computing at school PC's weren't around then, but when they did come around (maybe the late 1990's for me)I was still young enough to learn new tricks and the only option was Windows

I remember booting up my first PC and how facinated I was with it, I didn't know what a registry was a file system or a driver,I didn't have to I had a friend who was an IT technition and I can't tell you how many times I had him come round and fix something I screwed up which when I think back were really easy fixes, the point is going back in time windows was a huge learning curve for someone like me and many like me, computers were a mystery, but through time Windows became familier and comfortable and as windows evolved from 95 to 98 then on to XP (in my humble opinion the best OS microsoft ever produced and still is) it became easier and easier to use or at least that's how it seemed.

Almost exactly a year ago I tried Linux Why? because I was bored and wanted something new to learn, Was it easier to use than windows ? NO, Did it do anything windows didn't ? NO, Did all my hardware that worked in windows work in Linux ? NO, Was I able to run all the applications I needed ? NO, Did I find alternatives to all the applications I needed ? NO, So why do I use Linux exclusively on my PC today and would never contemplate returning to Windows? for me the answer is probably philosophy, the fact that since installing Linux my PC feels like it's truely mine, I can do what I like with it, I can configure it in such a way that will make my PC look like nobody elses and I can live in the knowledge that I no longer contribute to the disgusting profits made by the Microsoft corporation or Apple (collectively around $7 billion in the first quarter of this year).

Using Linux has made me learn a little bit about how a computer works but more importantly the computing industry and how companies like Microsoft and Apple vie for the power to enslave people in what I've heard called "walled gardens" but they're not walled gardens they're concentration camps with barbed wire perimiter fences patrolled with viscous guard dogs ready to rip out the throats of anyone who tries to get in, ironically these concentration camps are easy to escape from, but all too many people choose to stay enslaved out of fear, fear of the unknown or some misguided sense of loyalty.

Therin lies the problem with Linux adoption, fear of the unknown or just plain ignorance, all too many people don't know what an operating systems is let alone what Linux is, they think a computer is windows and windows is a computer, and as long as they can log into Facebook what else is there to know

A while back I installed Linux as a dual boot on my Office computer (I still need windows for some specilized programs) to see if I could switch over,one day my secretary said to me "What's this Linux thing that shows up when I reboot the computer"? I said "it's another operating system", then she said "What's an operating system ?", A good friend of mine once asked me "why do you use Linux?" it seemed a reasonable question so I said " well because it's faster than windows. it's more stable, it's more secure, it's more configurable and it's free" (I didn't go into the open source philosophy thing) I then said "why do you use windows ?" he said "What do you mean ? " I just laughed "never mind" it's like it's reasonable to ask someone "why do you use linux" but it's just plain stupid to ask someone why they use windows, they just do.

The point is people who use Linux choose to use Linux for various reasons but most people who use windows dont choose to use windows they just do like I did back in the nineties.

So from what I see having used both operating systems one system is really no better or worse than the other both do the same job just as easily as each other and although I believe Linux is the better system it's not so much so as to make it a compelling reason for people who dont know what a .iso is let alone how to burn one and install it to change over, so the moral is you have to want to use linux to use Linux otherwise you use windows.

Since starting to use Linux I have become passionate about it and it's developement and I admire the many developers and programmers who contribute to it. I also admire the people of these forums who share their knowledge helping others like me and I lament that I can't do likewise and although I understand the need for greater adoption do we really want the ignorant hordes adopting and destroying our operating system and our philosophy
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Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by AlbertP »

Asimov wrote:My problem is not the upgrading, my problem is no one make it easy. if upgrading every 6 months become the standard, it's time to come with something more smart than the actual system. You know the swap partition is now so big that is possible to put inside a mini version of Linux with a small desktop ...
Upgrading every 6 months is not necessary at all. Mint 13 is a long term support release which is supported until 2017. Other releases have one and a half year of support: you need not upgrade your Mint 12 computers yet, even though 14 is around the corner.
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Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by eiver »

Upgrading IS necessary - older releases though supported do not have the latest apps in their repos. Windows XP is 11 years old and it is not supported anymore - that still does not prevent me from installing the latest VLC 2.0.4. On the other hand I cannot easily install the latest VLC on the still suppored LM9, because it is still in version 1.0.6 in the repos. Trying to compile from sourse is a route to hell, as you suddenly discover, that you need a ton of dependencies you don't have and the ones you do have have too low version. The whole idea is rotten. What is even worse, there is no way to roll-back and the package upgrades are not tested enough. If there is not enough resources (people) to do proper testing, then there must be a good rollback mechanism, so that people won't have to sit around with a Clonezilla CD all the time.
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Re: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Post by altair4 »

We are in an infinate loop when it comes to updating our Linux systems and I don't know of any way around it until someone takes control of the madness. To me - and this is just for me:

[] Debian is out of the question. Too many things to fix or tweak and life's too short at this stage in my life. Pointing it to Debian testing means you are always running in a beta state and pointing it to stable means nothing gets fixed.

[] Long term support means absolutely nothing and I offer the following bug report as an example: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1054495

** A bug report was submitted on cups for Ubuntu 12.04.
** The bug was closed as a fix was found and implemented in 12.10.
** The bug is still not fixed for version 12.04 - the LTS version of Ubuntu and therefore Mint.
** The bug was reopened by someone else with a plea to the developer that fixed it for 12.10:
Task opened for Precise. Its really up to Till if its worth the time to backport the fix. This is definitely the kind of hardware enablement fix that we tend to push for in LTS releases though.
There's a couple of ways to view this. This should be fixed by cups developers not Ubuntu developers but if you are going to have it fixed by an Ubuntu developer then it's not up to Till if he wants to fix it. It's up to whatever adult is in charge of this to determine if Till fixes it it or not. And if not why not. And if you have no intention of fixing it then don't call it an LTS. In any event it's not fixed to this day. I have a workaround for this particular bug but it should not be up to the user to fix this.

So the way I see it we have to follow the "if you don't like the OS you have now wait 6 months and there will be another one" process. Some bugs will be fixed new ones will take their place.

Linux is not a product like Windows or OSX that has some level of adult supervision and all the parts are owned by the same organization. It's a randomly assembled collection of software projects at different states of development that is "released" because ... well ... because it's been 6 months since the last release.
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