• udon@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Totally next to the linux guy. In fact, I was in such a situation on the train before. I was just there working and the person sitting next to me noticed I had a linux desktop (in fact, GNU/Linux, btw). They were curious and vaguely interested in switching to linux for a while, so we had a nice conversation about this.

    I would not bring this up myself, but it’s cool that this happens sometimes (i.e., once in a few decades of life so far)

    • cheddar@programming.dev
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      3 months ago

      Totally next to the linux guy. In fact, what you’re refering to as Linux is GNU/Linux, or as I’ve recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX. Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called Linux, and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project.

    • Here4CatPics@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      This is the good interaction, I had the bad version:

      Long ago in highschool I was interested in Linux but was thrown off it by the “Tech” group of kids who, even though we went to the same nerdy Star Trek club, told me I would be able to understand it.

      I get that hurt people, hurt others; but duck those guys from 20 years in the future.

      I’m getting back into interest for Linux cause I just got a Steam Deck and I’m curious as to what else I can do with a full desktop.

      • udon@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Good luck! The way I see it: Linux has its issues, but so do Windows and Mac OS (and others). The cool thing with Linux though is that for many problems you can create/find some form of error logs, google them, and someone online will help you. In most cases they have solved that problem already.

        Windows problems often feel like black magic: Something doesn’t work, but all you can do is knock on your laptop, turn it off and on again, and pray. Unless you’re lucky and find a shady program online that you can download and install, hoping the programmers mean well.

        With Mac OS, you can often solve problems by throwing money at them. But sometimes that doesn’t work and then you can’t do anything about them and just have to accept the one way to use your computer correctly.

        So in that sense I don’t think Linux is “harder”. There are problems of course, but you learn to think differently about them and are often able to solve them.