Why don't more people use Linux?
Posted by Josh_From_Accounting@reddit | linux | View on Reddit | 272 comments
Dumb question, I'm sure, but I converted a few days ago and trying it out on my laptop to see how it goes. And it feels no different from windows, except its free, it has a lot of free software, and a giant corpo isn't trying to fuck my asshole every ten minutes.
Why don't companies use this? It's so simple and easy to install. It works just fine. And it's literally completely under your own control. Like, why is this some weird, hidden thing most people don't know about it?
Having finally taken the plunge, I feel like I'm in topsy turvy world a but.
Sure, my main PC is still windows 10 because, sadly, so much goes through the windows ecosystem so I do need access to it. But, that wouldn't be a problem if people wisened up to this option.
ousee7Ai@reddit
Who knows? And I dont't care tbh :)
NickiV@reddit
It is not pre-installed and most people don't install operating systems.
Turtlesaur@reddit
I have 30 years of experience using windows, is my short answer.
I think Linux servers are the backbone of the entire world, but Linux desktop is fine, but it doesn't really do anything game changing, other than lack of telemetry and big brother stuff.
thieh@reddit
Before the days of Powershell, Shells in Linux and other POSIX OS'es are insanely good compared to the command prompt.
snajk138@reddit
Sure, but no one cares about that. Would you buy a car based on it having a hood that was easy to open and a lot of room to work on it, or would you prefer a car where you didn't need to open the hood at all?
Jealous_Response_492@reddit
Seriously?
snajk138@reddit
Yes. For most people having a better terminal is not an advantage since they would prefer to not use a terminal at all. And it isn't really an advantage anymore since Powershell is also a good terminal, and Powershell was released 19 years ago.
Jealous_Response_492@reddit
I was more critiquing your analogy, suggesting an easy to service cars are a bad thing.
martinbk5@reddit
Not using 8GB of ram for an idling OS is already a pretty big thing. Being able to shape the OS as you like is also pretty nice thing that is simply not possible with Windows.
liberforce@reddit
Allowinh to keep your old computer working instead of having to buy a new one becaise Windows get slower as hell at each new release os game changing enough for me. My main machine is a 2016 laptop. Works fine on Linux.
Tall_Instance9797@reddit
30 years... wow. I am so sorry for you.
trippedonatater@reddit
The other half of this is: nobody's getting a kickback for installing Linux on the desktop.
SlightComplaint@reddit
Every single Linux user is getting a benefit though. Open source software is my only glint of hope I have now that AI and cloud computing are here.
Hey_Its_Freya@reddit
The nobody here means no company
aieidotch@reddit
https://www.debian.org/users/ many companies use linux, they just forget to tell…
Hey_Its_Freya@reddit
The point was about companies not getting a kickback for installing Linux, not that no company uses Linux
otto_delmar@reddit
This is the biggie for sure. I wonder why none of the big players even try to push out laptops with something like Zorin on them. Loss of sales commissions from Microsoft products?
BigHeadTonyT@reddit
Big players like Dell?
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/scr/laptops/appref=ubuntu-linux-os
MatsuzoSF@reddit
I didn't know Dell was still selling computers with Ubuntu pre-installed. That's neat.
bundymania@reddit
And it cost more than it's Windows counterpart.
LegendNomad@reddit
Is there a reason for that?
otto_delmar@reddit
Oh. Haha. I didn't know!
Plain Ubuntu wouldn't be my choice for the noob market though.
Kruug@reddit
It's easy to use, the majority of Linux software works on it without issue, when games are tested on Linux that's the distro the majority of devs target...why wouldn't you?
Ideological reasons?
otto_delmar@reddit
Not ideological reasons. I just think that Linux Mint or Zorin are more bullet-proof and also look nicer.
Kruug@reddit
Mint breaks on most updates.
Zorin paywalls FOSS.
Not sure they're any good for new users at all.
otto_delmar@reddit
"Mint breaks on most updates."
Pfffft. I happen to use Mint on one of my machines and it's never broken. I also don't recall seeing a bunch of reports to that effect in any Mint forums.
"Zorin paywalls FOSS"
Pfffft. No it doesn't. It has a "pro" version that is paid and includes a few things that have been forked from FOSS. Nobody has to use the pro version.
Please stop with your BS.
Kruug@reddit
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=444364
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=448713
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=451276
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=421482
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=417384
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=427780
Any new user will visit this page: https://zorin.com/os/download/
See what you need Pro to have? They're going to pay it out of ignorance.
SnufkinEnjoyer@reddit
I really, REALLY don't like zorin having a """pro""" version instead of simply accepting donations
ChrisRevocateur@reddit
Oh, you mean the distros based on Ubuntu?
bundymania@reddit
Now we see the problem, the linux community is constantly arguing about everything, and as this poster just shown, they won't accept Ubuntu.
DonkeyTron42@reddit
These pre-installed computers with Linux are more for marketing compatibility since they know any competent Linux user is going to immediately wipe and install some other distro.
DonkeyTron42@reddit
Stores like Best Buy don't push Desktop Linux on "normies" because the return rates would be very high.
bundymania@reddit
yap, remember Lindows??? The return rate was nearly 100%. They put out billions of free Ubuntu CD's back in the day. And it was "always something" or "now what". The closest thing to Linux is Chromebooks..
Affectionate_Fig9084@reddit
Dell, HP, and Lenovo all offer laptops with Ubuntu installed, and support Fedora. They just don't advertise them since the majority of that market uses Linux for devs and those working directly with Linux based business servers.
ChrisRevocateur@reddit
Ubuntu made deals with some hardware manufacturers back in the day and the computers just didn't sell.
MatsuzoSF@reddit
More simply, most people don't buy an operating system. They buy a computer. They usually don't care what OS is on it (some people don't even have a concept of what an OS is) as long as it does what they need it to do.
Left_Revolution_3748@reddit
I saw this type of people in my region too
Rhoderick@reddit
Interestingly, Dell does sell some machines with, optionally, Ubuntu preinstalled instead of Windows. Would be interesting to see what the sales numbers are like there, though it's obviously very early in in terms of vendor-preinstalled Linux.
HomelessMan27@reddit
Linux market share would skyrocket if manufacturers stopped preinstalling operating systems
OGigachaod@reddit
Nah, people simply wouldn't buy machines without a pre-installed OS.
kombiwombi@reddit
Every enterprise installs a OS. They either do that themselves or give their supplier a 'gold image'.
ipsirc@reddit
Dude, Linux is preinstalled on a lot of iot thing...
Alenicia@reddit
It is, but you have to go out of the way to do that (like on an online store). A lot of the people who prefer to walk into a Walmart to pick up a laptop to use then-and-there aren't going to find Linux installed at all .. and it'll be incredible when that starts becoming more of the norm.
MatsuzoSF@reddit
To be fair, Walmart has been selling Chromebooks for years. So it's not like selling computers without Windows is new for them.
Alenicia@reddit
Yeah, you're not wrong there either. I was thinking more of the kind of "my kid wants a new gaming desktop PC" or "my cousin needs something she can do her office work on" when it comes to the higher-end laptops that have higher specs.
ipsirc@reddit
A lot of people go to Walmart and buy a smart tv, a fridge, a microwave, a smart watch and they'll find Linux is preinstalled nearly everywhere. As an average person you can't avoid from using Linux nowadays. If you order at the kiosk at McDonalds, you're already using Linux.
These days, you have to research a lot to buy a device that does NOT run Linux already.
Alenicia@reddit
Oh, I was meaning along the lines of a laptop/desktop sort of experience.
Most of those people probably won't realize they've been using some form of it, but I think it'd be exciting to see it spread to the PC/laptop space too as a legitimate in-store option.
ChrisRevocateur@reddit
Every single one of those devices has UI over it that restricts the OS to only the functions meant for that device.
It's like claiming people using Android phones are using Linux. You're technically correct, but no, they aren't using Linux as a desktop OS, which is what this discussion is about.
AWonderingWizard@reddit
Your comment is not useful because use it deliberately misses the spirit of OPs question to attempt to be technically correct.
Just_Maintenance@reddit
That's not what OP questions meant right?
"Why don't more people use Linux?" is talking about Linux desktop.
But if you take it out of context then sure enough, most people use Linux.
fluffyzzz1@reddit
Lol. Most people don't know that...
fancy_potatoe@reddit
And there are barely any options with good Linux on the market.
pg82bln@reddit
Because the average consumer thinks in "where do I have to click" patterns, unlike us Linuxers, who ask "what do I want to achieve, and what is the right tool?"
Not blaming the average consumer. Not everyone can be an expert in everything.
maxm@reddit
Because it can be hopeless. None of the creative software i use runs properly in Linux. Either it doesn exits, or have parts broken.
Careful-Major3059@reddit
A lot of professional tools don’t work on linux and do not have viable linux alternatives
ChrisRevocateur@reddit
This, and anyone trying to claim GIMP is a good enough replacement for Photoshop is on something.
leonderbaertige_II@reddit
Photoshop is relevant to about in the low single digits of Windows users (maybe 1-2%) so not a significant amount.
bundymania@reddit
GIMP is free for Windows and there is a reason almost no corporation uses it. Same with LibreOffice.
NinaMercer2@reddit
Why use adobe in the first place? 60 dollars just to cancel your subscription is CRAZY.
LemmysCodPiece@reddit
Because it does things that no other competing software does. In the photography world Photoshop is the defacto standard and nothing else really comes close.
NasralVkuvShin@reddit
That's what I was thinking. I respect GIMP, but even photopea is far more functional, stable and fast. And that thing is a browser based photo editing tool. But I really wish GIMP became better, I really want to see it compete with photoshop
Haxorzist@reddit
I don't like gimp but there are other programs such as Krita which are really good but Photoshop is such a large package so unless you find a replacement for everything you need it will be hard.
Also people (at large) really really hate migrating to a different programs (anything really) even if it would be better (personal observation).
CyclopsRock@reddit
And in professional environments you don't just give software a quick once-over and make a switch; You'll typically have a whole pipeline built around the software. You need to be able to open up old project files, and send or receive files with 3rd parties whose software choices you have no control over etc. So often even if everyone does want to move over to something else your hands are tied.
Careful-Major3059@reddit
Krita is more of a CSP replacement, Affinity apparently works fine on Linux now though so there’s that
114sbavert@reddit
How does Affinity work though? Do you mean via Proton?
Careful-Major3059@reddit
Wine, Proton is for gaming, it didn’t work for AGES, to the point Linux discussion was banned on their forums, but when it became free a working method got released almost instantly 😂
114sbavert@reddit
I am completely out of the loop. I did not know affinity is now free.
Careful-Major3059@reddit
Acquired by Canva, they promise your data is not used to train their AI tools but 🤷♂️
ari_gutierrez@reddit
They don't have "viable" alternatives because there's a way to get it "for free" or "cheap enough"; and that's enough. There are a lot of people using old versions of photoshop, Illustrator, 3D Studio, AutoCad or SolidWorks. The indutry standards are set, and you can still get there one way or another.
How many of those who say "gimp is not good enough" are legit Photoshop users? Ask them to stop using PS because of legalities.
Careful-Major3059@reddit
What are you even trying to say in that first paragraph, AutoCad or SolidWorks are not compatible with Linux, neither is Revit or Rhino to add the list. These are professional tools that do not work on Linux with no viable alternative, and if you are in a field that requires these programs, you will not be using a wacky alternative that has almost none of the functionality, sure PS you can get around with GIMP I suppose, the others have NOTHING that compares
ari_gutierrez@reddit
You're right; but IDK you're from, but here in Argentina piracy makes difference. Maybe not AutoCAD or SolidWorks; but there's a lot of people that uses Photoshop as a glorified Paint; maybe they only use it because of the variety of brushes or things like that. They got it "for free" from a friend, or the local repair shop installed it cheap. There are still lots of places to get pirated software and content dirt cheap, like flea markets: just grab your pendrive, or we sell you one, and fill it with the stuff you want.
I've just convinced to my wife to use OnlyOffice, because she needed "Office" to do her writings, but she didn't wanted to pay the price of a full office license... She considered to put a pirated copy in her laptop and my answer was "OK, don't ask me for anything that happens to your computer if you do that". After that, I've asked her about her needs: she needs basic writing and spreadsheet usage; being available for offline usage; and distribute her documents in office-compatible formats or PDF. I've shown her both libre office and onlyoffice, which covers her needs, both for free, and she chose onlyoffice because its UI is closer to the latest Offices.
And even though my daily driver is a mac; every piece of software into it is FOSS; because is what I'm used to. My laptop runs Arch/Omarchy
BTW, I'm considering to build a private NAS and server; because my wife is liking the idea to have a private Immich server, "a private google photos without the cost of a subscription".
ari_gutierrez@reddit
but is kind of recyprocal dependency: they're not available because Linux is not an alternative for this kind of usage;
deadlyrepost@reddit
I think the "Gimp is not good enough" is equal parts honest and a meme. A good few people who use Adobe software would have tried Gimp, because that's how badly Adobe sucks, and found that it doesn't work. I think it's a fair thing to say. It's nowhere near a drop-in replacement, and Photoshop has enough nooks and crannies that basically every workflow is broken on Gimp.
OTOH, it's a meme in that a bunch of people who say "Gimp is not good enough" aren't professionals or use Photoshop enough that it would matter if they switched. Some are just trolling, some do use Photoshop but really could use Gimp for everything, but don't want to leave "just in case", because they know eventually they'll hit a point where photoshop becomes important, and some have just not tried Gimp but repeat the common wisdom.
I will say though, in the FLOSS community should not advocate for Gimp only, we should talk about ecosystem, and the fact that you're probably better off using multiple tools instead of the sporkhammer that is Photoshop.
no_mall_in_lacey@reddit
this is the one. even when you can get it up and running (whether natively or via a compatibility layer), proprietary software on linux frequently lacks the polish and support it has on windows
DoubleOwl7777@reddit
its not preinstalled, so its not used. most people dont care, or dont know what an operating system even is.
thieh@reddit
Meta, Google, Oracle, IBM all use linux as part of their OS ecosystem. Even banks do. There are a few banks sitting on the Board for Linux Foundation.
accelerating_@reddit
The crazy thing to me as a SW dev for systems that run on Linux, most of the devs use Apple laptops. We (should) know how to use Linux and they have to jump through hoops to develop on OS X, often resorting to working in a cloud VM instead of locally. AFAICT their sole gain is battery life.
I much prefer the Linux desktop as I'm in control and mold it to my needs but I'm on the quirky fringes.
DFS_0019287@reddit
Yeah, the use of Apple machines to develop software that's going to end up running on Linux mystifies me. It shows the power of brands, though... people are willing to pay more for substandard hardware and software just because it's a "cool" brand.
martinbk5@reddit
Well it’s not really just because it a cool brand. M MacBooks are currently the best laptops in terms of performance and power usage. I know this will get downvoted here, but this is based on actual data. As a personal preference I have never found a laptop with a better trackpad, screen, speakers and battery life. As for the OS that’s a totally different topic. Pretty limited but not different than Windows.
ari_gutierrez@reddit
Most of Devs IN THE US! The cost of a Mac compared to a PC is higher outside the US borders compared to PC; and even though a Mac is a robust development platform and also an aspirational object, costs are high enough to at least reject it as an option half the times at least. With similar costs, it will be a no brainer.
kombiwombi@reddit
The major reason is the demand for Linux syadmins. So there is no cheap Linux sysamdin for the junior tasks, and the senior systadmins didn't join to handhold laptop users.
Sataniel98@reddit
+ Microsoft.
https://github.com/microsoft/azurelinux
durbich@reddit
Have you ever seen a Linux ad?
Specialist-Delay-199@reddit
https://youtu.be/QSdRTOh2jeA?si=JEGkLuMLI0WPKO0Q
TheWorldIsNotOkay@reddit
Microsoft got its software -- first MSDOS and later Windows -- pre-installed on most PCs throughout the 80s and 90s due to monopolistic business deals (which the US government later sanctioned them for, though by then it was too late). Once that snowball started rolling, it was hard to stop the momentum. People aren't likely to want to change something as fundamental as their operating system, even if there are objective benefits. (Just look at how resistant people tend to be to even switch browsers.)
Linux is technically older than Windows. The first stable version of Linux was released in 1994, while Windows 95 didn't release until 1995, obviously. (Versions of Windows prior to Win95 weren't actually operating systems, but graphical desktop environments running on MSDOS. Though that's a distinction a casual user wouldn't necessarily be aware of, so this gave Windows even more of a head start.) But for at least the first decade of its existence, Linux wasn't really user-friendly or targeted at casual users. Setting it up and using it required a level of technical knowledge that Uncle Joe who just wants to be able to check his email and edit a few spreadsheets wouldn't have. While there were "mainstream" distros going back to the mid-90s, it's really only been in the last couple of decades that various distros have put a greater amount of focus on making Linux something that's viable for the general public -- something that Uncle Joe, with his limited technical skills, could install and use on his own.
Currently, yes, modern Linux is now arguably more user-friendly for casual users than Windows, but Windows had a lot of time to get established as the dominant OS for personal computers. On the other hand, Linux used that time to quietly take over pretty much every other domain of computing, since Linux runs the overwhelming majority of servers, supercomputers, embedded systems, mobile devices, and other computers that aren't laptops or desktops.
mailslot@reddit
Windows 95 wasn’t a real operating system either. win.exe runs on DOS and you can exit to DOS.
Specialist-Delay-199@reddit
The DOS layer was there mostly for compatibility and legacy purposes. Windows 95 had its own facilities (that survive to this day) for memory management, disk operations, power handling and everything else to make it a complete operating system. DOS served as the bootloader more or less.
With Windows NT, the last bits of DOS were finally erased away.
teleprint-me@reddit
This is mostly true, but the first version of dos was created by patterson around 1980.
Later, gates would make a deal with patterson and then ibm in 1981. Theres a law suit on this later on, but the first official ms dos was in 1986.
Linux wasnt released until 1991. It would be a few years before it matured enough to release an initial distro. GNU was around 1986 as well, I think.
But I would say 2018 to 2019 is when linux became desktop friendly enough to daily drive for normal tasks.
Everything else you said seems on point if I recall it correctly.
TheWorldIsNotOkay@reddit
What I said is mostly true, if you ignore that it's entirely true. None of what you wrote invalidates anything in my comment. You just restated what I wrote and added details that were irrelevant to the conversation.
I didn't mention how Microsoft "developed" MSDOS because it wasn't relevant to the conversation. I only even mentioned MSDOS in the first place because the IBM PC-compatible trend helped explain how MS eventually got Windows on so many computers.
I also didn't discuss Linux prior to its first stable release because it was similarly irrelevant. Linus didn't consider it usable until 1994, and I'm not going to second guess the guy that Linux is named after. Red Hat and SUSE released the first versions of their distros in 1994 after the release of Linux v1.0, so 1994 is a much better starting point than when Linus announced his hobby project in a Usenet group.
And while maybe you don't realize that normal people don't mean "precisely 20 years to this day" when they say "a couple of decades", "I would say 2018 to 2019 is when linux became desktop friendly enough to daily drive for normal tasks" is effectively restating "it's really only been in the last couple of decades that various distros have put a greater amount of focus on making Linux something that's viable for the general public". The last I checked, it's currently 2025, which makes 2020 a "couple of decades" ago, and certainly less than "a few decades ago".
Also, while I'm no Ubuntu fanboy, in terms of Linux's accessibility to the general public I don't think you can dismiss the significance of Ubuntu's release in 2004, or of Dell releasing the first laptops with Ubuntu pre-installed in 2007 since most people weren't tech-savvy enough to install their own OS. So I'd say that from the year 2025 to somewhere between your 2018 and 2007 is definitely a "couple of decades". Ubuntu was the first Linux distro I felt confident enough to install on own computer in 2005, and I was a full-on computer nerd studying computer science in college. Linux simply wasn't an option for the average user until it was available as a pre-installed OS from a major vendor.
But everything else you said seems on point.
TheSodesa@reddit
Microsoft is why more people are not using Linux. They literally paid every pre-built PC and laptop manufacturer out there to include Windows as the default operating system on all of their systems. The long-term goal was to force people into using Windows and get them so used to it that they would have no motivation to leave.
Klapperatismus@reddit
Because the very point of something being widespread is that many people have a payoff from shoving it down your throat.
viperabyss@reddit
Because a lot of software don’t run on Linux.
Plus, it’s very hard for end user to have software or driver breaking because of a kernel update, then be told “noob” or “RTFM” when seeking help on forums.
ari_gutierrez@reddit
Piracy made software available on windows, and that's a huge reason of why people don't abandon windows. It's not only a matter of technical availability, it's also a sort of price availability.
Why people says that gimp is crap? Because they compare it to Photoshop; and I bet that at least 95% of who affirm that use Photoshop illegally. People don't feel that are paying for windows because it comes pre-installed, they've already paid the price.
viperabyss@reddit
I'm sure average Windows users pirate high end software, like Photoshop and AutoCAD... /s
People use Windows because it's easier, they're more familiar with it, and it's more compatible with the software of their choice.
ari_gutierrez@reddit
IDK where you live; but here in Argentina is pretty common to see pirated copies of windows, Office and Photoshop; also it was pretty common to crack gaming consoles to allow the usage of pirated game copies.
And yes, you're right about this 100%; but if it's were easier to get pirated mac software, mac will be more popular than windows. Piracy eases access of lots of software, games included.
firedrakes@reddit
So so very true.
helgaardr@reddit
You basically answered yourself. People tend to avoid solving problems they do not have, so as long as windows works well enough for them they keep it.
As for companies, they have no business rolling two systems for the same stuff, unless they gain something from it. And for the millionth time, migrating platform costs, it's not just license savings. Migrating legacy applications and data, user training and missing apps cost money to companies, it's not "let's just wait the app is available"
Left_Revolution_3748@reddit
Because the monopoly of Microsoft
And anti-cheat games
And the knowledge of people in technology
shortish-sulfatase@reddit
It’s not a hidden option lol it’s just most people aren’t interested in installing anything themselves so how is a company going to manage something for you if it’s all ‘completely under your own control’?
RDOG907@reddit
The shortest and most distilled answer is that is that it is free and not a paid service.
Phydoux@reddit
No idea. Ive been trying to get my dad to switch but he says he installed this package on windows 7 and he still gets updates. So, no telling what viruses os Spyware is on his PC...
moistnoodel@reddit
I have a co-worker who is interested in linux but even after me explaining linux and how versatile it is, he is still un-sure i feel most ppl are afraid of change and feel like they can‘t adapt
ari_gutierrez@reddit
First of all, that's not a dumb question... If it were a dumb question, it will have a complete yet simple answer.
First of all, it's mostly about standards. Linux become the industry standard for unix first, and then become the internet server standard because of its implementations of services such as mail, dns and http server (apache). Then, for development is one of the industry standards because of the availability of software. Reasons? One of them, availability of reliable software.
But for end users? First, lack of availability of industry standard software. Photoshop, Illustrator, Office, Games, and so on... But also "cheap" availability on windows: Piracy does it part also...
Let me put this straight with an example: how many people you hear saying that gimp is crap? Lots. How many of them actually have licensed their PS copy or pay a subscription? Very little. Industry does not go THAT far with piracy, because being the industry standard becomes first. "It's better to have the half of something instead of the whole of nothing". Industry goes behind those users that are easier to catch: corporate ones, because they pay the bills and they're a mile better to catch. This will be a mile better to see if most of this software were licensed in a way similar to WinRAR: you as a final user just skips the banner and use the software without limitations; but corporate users are those who pay for it. Also, check out how difficult is to catch end users consuming piracy: for Netflix as an example, is a kind of groundhog day in that aspect...
Also, there's a lack of standard in open source for desktop computing. When free software is good enough, sooner or later has the chance to be the standard; and more if it's the first in line. Linux is standard in servers because was first reliable, and then it was free. OBS Studio is industry standard because is good enough to stream screen content when no other reliable solution was available; something similar happened to VLC, or VirtualBox. VSCode turned an industry standard because it was first reliable.
But Linux in desktop is DECADES behind: Both KDE and GNOME are decades around, since the 2000s, but never reached maturity to be reliable. First, KDE looked promising, but the usage of QT, a privative toolkit, to develop it, fired a kind of "holy war", splitting efforts, and being the GNOME reason to exist. Linux per se became a standard, because it focalised lots of efforts. FreeBSD and OpenBSD were also there; but Linux focused the needed effort to be a better solution and become the standard. But, it's 2025 and the guys of desktops don't realise that: KDE continues trying to be "bleeding edge", and GNOME to mature half way, being bland. Something similar happened to lots of the GNU/FSF software: parts of it became standard when the efforts properly focused.
Nowadays, with Win11 being too restrictive and "soldering" IA too deep, there's a sort of opportunity for Linux to gain adoption; but again, the desktop people is way too distracted re-engineering and over-engineering the wheel. PewDiePie gave Linux some momentum, but there's not enough to sustain that traction, sadly.
BTW, my daily driver is a mac mini; but most of the software I run is free/open; being almost the same I use in my laptop running Arch/Omarchy: the only difference is in the window management, because ironically, there's not a good tiling WM in Mac... But sadly, corporate soft like slack, zoom or citrix has no support on Linux. And let me point the last point: support. They are available on Linux; but for corporate use, they tailor installers containing encryption keys, and they make them only for the OSes that client corporations grant/pay for. As an example, in my previous work, these software was only available for Windows, MacOS and ChromeOS... because they've started to replace laptops with chromebooks... But Linux was out of the list. And even though you open these installers to take the keys out and inject them, when you have problems connecting to these services, they reject you service because you're using a unsupported platform. And in this case, you have your boss hurrying you up to connect by yesterday; so, using Linux turns unreliable.
Metasystem85@reddit
People think if it's free it's bad. Their is a stupid legend about linux that it's complicated to use...
jqVgawJG@reddit
It's not user friendly enough
Particular_Traffic54@reddit
You need very specific requirements to be able to not use Linux:
No need for the MS Office suite
Don't want to play most competitive shooters
Willing to learn a new OS
No need to run/develop/maintain native windows software, like anything in dotnet framework/windows forms/ etc.
Willing to sometimes use the command line
Having a work environment that tolarates anything outside of mac/windows
I personally stopped using linux on my personnal tower cause my main games are apex legends and valorant and I want to start playing these again. I use Fedora on my work laptop and it works great.
Haxorzist@reddit
CyclopsRock@reddit
The "problem child" is always Excel. The rest are fine.
They're referring to building software for Windows but from a Linux machine. It's possible but more difficult.
I suspect they mean things like Windows domains and (more specifically) Group Policy, where for certain uses there simply isn't a Linux equivalent for managing large numbers of machines, users etc.
thieh@reddit
Not anymore. Now you have Power Automate chaining Teams with Excel, outlook and all sorts of other shit in a monstrosity of a "flow".
SuAlfons@reddit
Alternatives to Powerpoint also are weak.
I like to make the background of bitmaps transparent with one click. Or color tone an image to the colors of the template. Or have flexible positioning of standard elements on layout masters. (The handling of templates in Powerpoint is a great mess, until you miss it in Libre or Google Drive)
thieh@reddit
Using Powershell to batch print PDF's is quite liberating.
Careful-Major3059@reddit
Why are you mentioning games for point 7 when they are clearly referring to CAD
NasralVkuvShin@reddit
I was also thinking that libre is a great tool, but apparently, advanced MS office users find it absolutely useless. I'm guessing they know something about office software that I don't, but Libre was more than enough for my daily office paperwork tasks
itasteawesome@reddit
On 6, many companies where technology is not a core aspect of their business don't want to have to hire people who know linux deeply. That kind of engineer potentially has google level job offers where they can get paid hundreds of thousands a year vs the windows admin level where the ceiling is honestly much much lower. When I only knew windows tools I was willing to accept jobs under 100k, by the time I was strong in linux and windows I wasn't really willing to talk to companies offering roles under 200k a year. The OS wasn't the only factor in that, but collectively the skills i had were just more valuable on the open market. Whatever they save in license costs is potentially lost in employee costs, unless the company sells a technology that requires the kind of efficiency gains where linux shines, and even there they might decide to stick to windows for rank and file employees and only allow linux to devs who run the platforms where reducing resource usage maths out.
CCCBMMR@reddit
Am I the 1% of something? If so, who do I get look down to?
DFS_0019287@reddit
Yeah, another one-percenter here too.
Bad-Booga@reddit
Fear of change and a lack of knowledge about Linux. I have recently been trying to install Windows 11 on an old work PC that a college took home from work. Needless to say, it wasn't easy and I ended up giving him a newer PC that I made up out parts I had. During the process I did discuss putting Linux on his old PC. His biggest concerns were based purely on a lack of understanding about Linux. One question was., "what browser would I have use," to which I replied, whichever one you want. I have now said I'll set up a user friendly distro on a laptop for him to try out. Hopefully this will show him that from a user perspective that they are more alike than dissimilar.
Technical-You-2829@reddit
I'm content with Windows 11, so there's that
GarThor_TMK@reddit
People in general are fundamentally lazy. They will always take the easiest path forward.
The computer comes with windows, windows is what they're used to, everything works, everybody is happy, and nobody questions the status quo.
It takes a lot to move them from that incumbent onto something new, that is hard and inconvenient...
AgitatedSquirrel69@reddit
It’s an app issue, lacks lots of creative apps.
nvpham@reddit
My home server and 30 of my VPS all are using Debian 13, but for Desktop/Laptop I avoid linux, because its Desktop Environment sucks. We need spend a huge amount of time tinkering it to make it work. For example, I installed Debian 13 XFCE on my Mini PC, leaving it playing music. After like 10 mins, the screen was off, and I could not find a way to turn it on. I must press hard-reset button, music was still playing though.
Petsoi@reddit
I discussed this with a friend, who bought a new laptop with Windows 11. On the question, why did he not install Linux, his answer was, that he thought Linux was a system for experts.
I doubt that most people who use Windows have special requirements. The most important reason is, they know it, they assume, everything will work out of the box and they can ask anybody for help as it is mainstream.
Physical_Royal_1427@reddit
its too daunting at a distance, even the easiest distros like mint sometimes have things you have to go the extra mile for in comparison to windows.
not to mention windows and mac are pre-installed in a vast majority of systems.
there's also certain software being unsupported and nvidia support not being there yet (thanks nvidia.)
I also think it could be an issue with distros in general, there's so many to pick from and choosing the wrong one could easily make someone's taste for linux sour easily depending on their mindset.
Global-Eye-7326@reddit
Been on Linux since 2007. I rage quit on WinXP. The good thing is, I don't care if others use Linux. We're lucky to find each other here on Reddit and also there's AI to help us out.
antprdgm@reddit
I work IT engineering in a Windows dominated place so I need Windows (or Mac with a Windows backup) everything on my laptop for proper troubleshooting and compatibility. I can’t daily Linux because not even MacOS has the best MS Office support, much less Linux. And an emu isn’t an option for me. So, until M$FT gets their shit together and at least makes the files available so I can compile Office myself, Winblows or Mac it is.
Ivan_Only@reddit
I’m sure it’s been mentioned here but for me it’s gaming. That’s the only reason I have Windows on my main desktop. People will say, “Just run Wine…” but I don’t have the cycles to invest into getting that working amongst all of the other stuff I have to deal with on the daily.
Klutzy-Ganache3876@reddit
Most people even don’t know How to install a software in windows!!
BrokenZX81@reddit
Installing an operating system is a HUGE barrier to entry for way over 99% of people. The entire process from choosing a distro to creating a bootable usb to booting it, testing it, installing it is completely alien to most people.
Add to that there no motivation to do so. They have a computer that works, has Office , plays ALL their games, why go through all the effort of installing a new OS where their preferred applications don’t even work.
Gamers have even less incentive to move. Yes we can say that 90% of games work (if you don’t mind tinkering or accepting glitches for about a quarter do them). But the MOST popular games simply don’t work. That’s Fortnite, GTA online, Many of the latest shooters.
As for updates ending - most people could not give less of a shit- and frankly they are going to be absolutely fine to continue not giving a shit. For all the scaremongering the actual risk to a home user is extremely low. They are almost certainly behind d a router Firewall, and have up to date AV (defender will still give w10 updates ), and the sensible ones use at least Ublock lite if not UBo . It would require some extreme combination of bad luck and probably deliberate idiocy to encounter malware as the result of updates ending.
Despite what Linux die hards think, most windows users never have malware problems and they aren’t about to suddenly start now.
WalrusSwarm@reddit
I think we’ll see a Linux boom once people realize they can use AI to troubleshoot and make scripts for whatever they want.
sweet-tom@reddit
Think twice with your wishes. With success comes other downsides like more crackers and malware.
New_Public_2828@reddit
Especially since there's a really easy cli install for your LLM of choice
2klaedfoorboo@reddit
I’m unsure personally on if I’m going to do it (I’ll admit technologically I’m not very proficient) cuz the whole like installing applications thing and stuff like that seems quite difficult (also compatibility issues between libreoffice and ms office (although at least they use the same formats))
I don’t game though so i might tbh
jeff1074@reddit
It can’t run the popular multiplayer games people want to play right now such as battlefield valorant rain bow 6 ect.
alphachan123@reddit
Same problem for me until I convert my desktop to dual boot (Windows + Linux Mint). For daily uses, such as doom scrolling and watching videos, I use Linux Mint. When it comes to work-related stuff that forces me to use Windows (Azure remote desktop being the worst offender), I reboot my desktop to Windows.
SoloEterno@reddit
Fear, laziness, zero time to learn new thing, zero time to fix something that should be running fine in the first place, analysis paralysis due to all the different distros, no real single popular flavor that is actively sought out, not enough marketing by the companies, not enough brand recognition in terms of saod companies (I had no idea there were actual Linux full blown corpos and not just some community type group projects in a basement).
Though a lot of this could be addressed by just using Mint.
goishen@reddit
MicroSoft has brainwashed people into thinking that "tHeY'rE tHe OnLy OS".
Sure, people may use Windows at first, but it just sucks.
I used to work at Proofpoint, which is a heavily Linux company. We had a saying, "When in doubt, blame Windows. It's usually correct, and just easier."
PeterHackz@reddit
it's fun at the start but then it feels a burden when you have to fix and do so many things manually every now and then.
I do use Linux myself, but my friends just couldn't handle doing everything manually everytime.
I almost bricked it trying to fix Bluetooth...
unevoljitelj@reddit
You answered yourself in the last part..
Kloppi1983@reddit
I loved Ubuntu from 2005-2009. I needed to go back to Windows at some point because of work. A few months back, I installed Ubuntu on my old laptop and couldn't get anything to work correctly. No Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or external screen. I just don't have time for that anymore.
I can't figure out what to install. I have tried to ask, but I'm just getting too many options. It doesn't really help if you just say, "Install this; it's better than this." I mean, why is it better? Why should I install that one?
It always turns into a bunch of people arguing about what some random dude on Reddit should install. I would love to install some distro on my old desktop also, but I'm facing the same problem. How do I get everything working on it?
I_Am_A_Goo_Man@reddit
Doesn't support anti cheat In games Learning curve for alot of usage scenarios Much of the community gatekeep
shogun77777777@reddit
No the main reason is that it doesn’t come preinstalled on the computer your grandma bought from the store
WileEPeyote@reddit
Which distro?
I_Am_A_Goo_Man@reddit
Your attitude is a big reason as to why people don't use Linux. You think you are superior than others.
shogun77777777@reddit
No it’s not, at all
I_Am_A_Goo_Man@reddit
It literally is. Lots of windows users are put off by Linux due to seeking advice and being met with people such as yourself who have a bad attitude instead of helping.
Shap6@reddit
what are you on about? they stated a simple fact that most people just use whatever their computer comes with. my grandma is in her 90's and i doubt even understands the concept of an operating system at all. thats not a knock against her or anyone
I_Am_A_Goo_Man@reddit
You understand Linux but don't understand people
Shap6@reddit
.... i'm not sure you do either
I_Am_A_Goo_Man@reddit
I actually go outside and don't shout about Linux like some deranged vegan unlike you guys
pfmiller0@reddit
What attitude? He just stated a simple fact. People mostly use whatever comes installed on the computer they buy, and Windows is what comes installed.
I_Am_A_Goo_Man@reddit
He was obviously being an asshole about it. I didn't say that wasn't true. What I said was that alot of people are put off switching to Linux due to the community being full of assholes
shogun77777777@reddit
lmao in what way was I being an asshole???
I_Am_A_Goo_Man@reddit
Your whole comment history is just you being a dick on reddit
MatsuzoSF@reddit
I think you're projecting hard here. Nothing that person said came off as rude or condescending unless you substitute "your grandma" with "drooling idiot" or your choice of insult.
I_Am_A_Goo_Man@reddit
Yep you probably also have the superiority complex too
MatsuzoSF@reddit
Now I know you're just rage baiting lmao
pfmiller0@reddit
He was not being an asshole about it. Not even slightly.
I_Am_A_Goo_Man@reddit
Yes he was but you're gunna lick his arse anyway because you both have a similar outlook.
LateNightProphecy@reddit
This.
And usually anyone who does install comes from a very specific category, the power user.
oxez@reddit
You have it the other way around.
Anti-Cheat software developers decide not to support Linux.
What exactly in the Linux kernel is making you think that "Linux doesn't support anti-cheat" ?
raven2cz@reddit
Because most people don’t know how to install an operating system and honestly, they don’t even really know what it is. That’s not a joke, it’s reality.
In today’s newer companies, however, the situation is changing quite a lot, and the vast majority of technical employees are already using Linux at least in our case, it’s over 60 percent. So times are gradually changing.
When it comes to home computers, the main issue is gaming...Linux has only started to support it properly in the last few years, so before that it simply wasn’t possible. Of course, it takes time for people to catch up.
The key factor here is driver support, and manufacturers have been largely ignoring the Linux world. And until the market share grows, they’ll keep ignoring it. Change is coming slowly.
Present-Trash9326@reddit
Windows is preinstalled and most people know Windows and don't go to the trouble of choosing a Linux distribution, installing and setting it up and then learning the system.
If Linux were preinstalled on many more PCs, then Linux would have significantly more market share. But it still rises very slowly.
octahexxer@reddit
Corporate corruption and lobbying vs sweaty nerds.
Weary_Swan_8152@reddit
Because "Linux is a cancer…and a threat to the American way of life" (Steve Balmer, 2001)?
penjaminfedington@reddit
Because they can't buy a $200 linux laptop at walmart
bundymania@reddit
And I bet the return rate on those $200 linux computers if Walmart did sell them would be near 100%.
Josh_From_Accounting@reddit (OP)
I got this $75 laptop off ebay and flashed it. Works better than those $200 suckers, I bet.
penjaminfedington@reddit
same, but john q public will swing by walmart after work get some steaks and a chromebook for their kid. They just want to plug the thing in and have it work.
Dashing_McHandsome@reddit
Desktop Linux is used very much, but Linux absolutely dominates in many other areas of computing. The internet runs on Linux. All major cloud providers use it. Services you use every day use it. Your modern life depends on Linux in many ways that are not visible to you.
So why is it used in all these other areas without many people knowing about it? There's an army of skilled professionals building these services. We are very skilled at using Linux and we hide the details from you.
bundymania@reddit
It's not easy to install and people who dual boot will almost always have their Windows Boot Manager disappear sending in panic... And don't say that doesn't happen because it does. And the fact that linux preinstalled computers cost more than their Windows counterparts. Computer companies would love it if they didn't pay for a Windows license, so that also tells you something. Chromebooks have been somewhat successful although their marketshare has staginated at best.
claire_puppylove@reddit
at least for companies it's because of spyware (sorry, "management software") being windows only.
DadLoCo@reddit
I mentioned Linux to one of the cyber security team at work and he’s said “Something something Communist”
Requires-Coffee-247@reddit
Yep, people assume IT vendors support Linux. Hell, they barely support macOS. It’s all Windows.
Requires-Coffee-247@reddit
They don’t know what an operating system is, let alone what “Linux” is. I have a colleague that calls her MacBook Air her “Chromebook.”
AnalysisParalysis85@reddit
Habit
Most people's first experience with PCs is through the family computer which in most cases is windows.
_leftface_@reddit
From a business point of view:
You can see why it's challenging to force Linux (although I try as much as I can).
mfotang@reddit
The computers you buy come with Windows but not for free. The cost of Windows is factored into the cost of the computer.
When buying a computer sometimes (Lenovo and DELL, iirc), you get to choose the operating system. Select Linux and the price drops; select Windows and price goes up by something like $159.
while1_fork@reddit
There are a lot of reasons - why people in general might not want to use Linux
Lack of native ports of popular applications, MS Office, Photoshop etc.
Poor driver support, it could be printers or modems or gpus etc
Lack of native ports for games, but Proton is changing that.
Fixing issues might be a steeper learning curve.
Lack of standardization, every distro is a little different.
painefultruth76@reddit
Because corporate Active Directory systems give more control to Enterprise operators.
LDAP systems are available for Linux based systems, but you need a much higher degree if tech expertise to not Eff it up... AD you can have an entry level admin maintain a significant portion of the system.
Until we get to a point where we have a user friendly Active Directory type system... linux is going to be second fiddle for developers... all those lovely things we can do with Linux from the CLI, or a boot disk, u notice you cant do from a windows or Mac disk...
kombiwombi@reddit
This is actually a good example of the impedance mismatch between Windows and Linux. There is no way you'd run a Linux corporate rollout from a directory system. You'd use Ansible, tracking the changes in a Git forge, using a CI system for the deployment.
painefultruth76@reddit
You underscore my point... you cant have a junior or entry level admin perform those tasks... you need an easy button, day to day system, to bring them up to speed on what "normal" is and what to do when SHTF...
kombiwombi@reddit
A junior can easily add a MAC address to a YAML file in a Git forge and commit. Which is all that is needed to bring a new workstation up.
They can't lay out the infrastructure, but not so you let juniors near the essentials of AD.
thieh@reddit
They have FreeIPA on docker so the bar has been reduced somewhat (There is a web interface to do basic maintenance). Running Samba on top of that may require different skill sets.
painefultruth76@reddit
You ever broken freeipa? I have... and how long did it take to get it working with a separate Samba server?
rebootyourbrainstem@reddit
Active Directory is as much a pain as a benefit to Microsoft right now, with how complex AD has gotten and how difficult to secure it is.
If you have an old, untested AD environment, it's likely that a single compromised laptop will lead to the entire organization getting ransomwared.
painefultruth76@reddit
Undoubtedly... that's not my point. We aren't talking about a single sysadmin running an enterprise... we are talking about a group, with entry and juniors... a properly run enterprise has one of those juniors or entry level running vulnerability scanners and patch scanners... and yea, that's the way things move... there's a reason you dont self-host off a res account anymore...
Nerdlinger42@reddit
Do you mind elaborating on the security flaws of AD? I'm curious
Inevitable_Score1164@reddit
This. SSSD+AD is easier, and companies/governments often have extremely old AD environments that would be a nightmare to convert to something else.
painefultruth76@reddit
Well.. to an extent, except MS forces them to continue upgrading or pay out the nose to continue vulnerability patching... with Linux, I guarantee there are 12 year old unpatched systems running on 30 year old equipment... there's no juggernaut in the room forcing updates, for better or worse.
And despite what many in our community believe, there are significant exploits open in EVERY system. Linux just doesn't currently have the user base to attract the majority of high level predators, and our average "mean" skillset is higher than windows or Mac users. As our community grows, the average tech skillset goes down... and human error, phishing us a good example, opens doors firewalld and ufw cant close.
Jumpy_Salt_8721@reddit
Your question was “Why don’t more companies use this”. There’s two reasons, Microsoft 365 and Active Directory. Companies can control everything for their employees using tools Microsoft and other vendors have available.
As for why OEMs don’t ship Linux, it’s because they want to put bloat ware on the computers.
Latatte@reddit
Windows is refined and just easier to use. I've been using PC's for a long time and I'm struggling with Mint.
mfotang@reddit
If you started out on Mint instead of Windows, and had to try out Windows today, you might struggle too. Someone asked me to check why her Windows PC was no longer producing audio. I sat in front of Windows and wondered what monstrosity I was looking at. That says more about me than about the quality of Windows: I am simply not familiar with the operating system.
Latatte@reddit
Yeah, it's just so foreign to me. I was expecting it to be more like Windows but found it to be quite the opposite. Which makes it a bit of a tough position since I really do not want to switch to Win11.
New_Public_2828@reddit
Damn. Mint was seamless for me. Sorry to hear that for your case
DFS_0019287@reddit
Laziness, familiarity, and fear, probably. And of course, the network effect as all kinds of niche pieces of software are written only for Windows because "everyone" uses Windows.
I think we are starting to pry the network effect loose a tiny little bit, though. More and more software manufacturers are at least keeping an eye on Linux adoption.
Then, of course, there's MSFT strong-arming manufacturers to pre-install Windows and charging them per-machine for Windows licenses even if they don't actually install it.
Espionage724-0x21@reddit
Ask again in about a year, and wonder why it didn't happen with Windows 10 or even 8 with Tiles and MS accounts :p
yosbeda@reddit
Yeah, just to clarify, when you say Linux in your thread you mean Linux desktop, right? Because on servers and other platforms, Linux actually dominates the market. It runs something like 96% of the top web servers and basically all of the world's fastest supercomputers. It's really just the desktop space where it hasn't taken off.
I think a huge part of the problem is industry standard software support. Big names like Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.) and Avid Technology (Pro Tools, Media Composer, etc.) still completely ignore Linux desktop. Adobe has straight up declined Linux support requests going back over a decade, even though people keep asking for it.
The thing is, most professionals aren't interested in tinkering with their tools like a race mechanic tweaking an engine. Their mindset is more about driving the car, not building it. They just want to open their software and get to work. When the industry standard tools don't exist on Linux, most pros stick with what works, even if Windows or Mac has other downsides.
It's kind of a chicken and egg problem. Not enough professionals use Linux desktop, so software companies don't bother supporting it. And professionals don't switch to Linux because their essential software isn't there. Until that cycle breaks, Linux desktop will probably stay niche, even though the OS itself is rock solid.
IAmJacksSemiColon@reddit
This week I installed Linux on my ex-work laptop. The audio wasn't working so I installed new drivers and then it wouldn't boot, so I had to start over. I installed a different set of drivers and it worked. Then I noticed that the two finger scroll on the trackpad was too sensitive by a factor of 10. I tried to tone it down but there isn't a way to do that built into gnome. I found a workaround in a script that I could run at boot and it prevented my laptop from booting.
I'm willing to put up with this kind of bullshit and spend a couple days getting my laptop to work properly. Most people aren't.
Ok-Freedom-444@reddit
Which Linux version did you install?
ReptilianLaserbeam@reddit
Manufacturers already have contracts with Microsoft to deliver windows preinstalled in most machines, that’s why. The regular user won’t even modify their display settings, let alone install a whole new OS.
Capable-Package6835@reddit
Some counter arguments:
Windows is "free" too. I know, you pay for the license and it is included in the price tag. However, stores are so clever, you never feel that you pay for it. They make you believe that when you buy a $800+ laptop it comes with Windows "for free".
With Windows you don't even need to move a finger, it's pre-installed in most purchases. In the case that it's not, it's not hard to install either.
Overrated benefit. Most people really don't care. How many people want to read and curate the list of installed packages on their machine? Most don't have time nor desire to do that. As long as it works and it's not slow then it's good, few cares beyond that. If it is a work laptop from a company, you care even less. There's a trojan or any virus running rampant on it? Not my problem, it's IT problem.
uraurasecret@reddit
I don't know the current situation. I needed to find hardware drivers when I used Linux desktop many years ago.
undrwater@reddit
Right now, as relates to drivers, Windows and Linux are close to parity for "mainstream" hardware.*
Linux is much better for "legacy" hardware.
tysonfromcanada@reddit
necessity: if whatever they are using meets their needs then they'll keep using it
DonkeyTron42@reddit
Companies don't use Desktop Linux because in the corporate environment it would be a support nightmare.
repulsive-kat@reddit
It's not pre-installed on most devices, you have to seek out ones that have it.
Those who can install it will choose not to for either misconceptions or real issues with Linux, such as program and hardware compatibility.
Windows is just fine for most people.
mcAlt009@reddit
Most people can't even reinstall Windows. They just buy a new laptop or take it to get repaired.
AngrehPossum@reddit
Adobe photoshop. They need to port it. I need it for my very expensive hobby. My main OS is Ubuntu Mate which I use for everything else (but printing because Cups is a mess)
fenix0000000@reddit
Well, now we have almost Affinity software working on Linux, for free.
AngrehPossum@reddit
No its not. Not even close. You need a power hungry virtual machine and that's not good. I need raw power for images and video processing. This software does not "run" on linux at all.
TheRealHFC@reddit
Not everyone is willing or capable to be tech-savvy. You really have to have a purpose to use Linux. If you know anyone who's first OS was Linux, it would be different.
Expensive-Vanilla-16@reddit
Because it's not a common choice when buying a computer. Windows, Apple, and now android are the most common operating systems that come on computers and devices.
Most specialty softwares are written for use with windows only and that's why it's dominant in businesses. That and windows is more familiar with people for reason listed above.
LordChoad@reddit
because, and i know this may come as a shock, but most people dont care
parsim@reddit
They care enough to complain about Windows, though. It is an enduring mystery. Neal Stephenson wrote an essay on it in 1999 that is still true today: In the Beginning Was the Command Line.
New_Needleworker994@reddit
Poor UX and no software are the fundamental issues holding it back from being regarded as a legitimate consumer OS.
HypnoticPolygons@reddit
When I first started to use linux it was Manjaro i had lotsa questions that all had google it. I have now switched to a gaming oriented distro called Cachy their discord is full of helpul people. Which I have learned alot in return and have been able to help others who are new to linux. Mainly what it boiled down to me was the snobiness of "you dont know how to use linux Ive been on it for 10 years" type thing
TrickEye6408@reddit
Most of the computer using population is not tech savvy. They struggle to follow directions and don’t think logically enough to do basic troubleshooting. Linux isn’t widely known enough to have the local Best Buy selling computer with Linux installed. If you look at Mac OS it’s based on unix(FreeBSD kernel). It’s as close as you’ll get to popular Linux installed mainstream.
DividedContinuity@reddit
Its a combination of things. People sticking to what they're used to, systems shipping with windows oem, ecosystem lock in, and for enterprise/ business use its just a lot easier to deploy and operate the microsoft platform - of course, linux gets used for servers, but hardly at all on the desktop.
This is something no stakeholder but the user wants, and even then most users will sacrifice control in a heartbeat for convenience. Thus linux is niche.
ChocolateDonut36@reddit
the same reason why people still buy cellphones, they don't care how much these companies spies on you, how much they limit your experience or how much anti consumer they are, if it can use a web browser they'll buy it.
Dwedit@reddit
Light users whose only main program is the Web Browser will have no trouble switching to Linux.
It's the power users that get stuck on Windows.
LemmysCodPiece@reddit
Partly because generally end users don't install their OS. They buy a PC, it comes pre-installed and they use that until the PC becomes slow and then they buy a new PC and the cycle starts again.
But mostly because it would be a support nightmare. Any PC manufacturer would have to provide direct support to their users. They could use an OS that is universally supported or one that isn't. Linux isn't universally supported. Also, call centre operatives that are trained to support Windows are "ten a penny", whereas ones that are trained to support Linux aren't.
MountfordDr@reddit
What do you need to do in Windows that you cannot do in Linux? Our household has been Windows-free for at least 18 years and no one misses it. I do have to use Windows for work but that switches off at 5pm and doesn't come on again until the next day. It is never used for any private matters. All our internet activity is done on Linux or Android. There are more than adequate office-type applications, document processing and publishing tools; photo, video and audio applications to manage and edit them; communication tools and applications; systems and software development tools... the list goes on. The only thing Windows has over Linux is probably games but I can't really comment as I don't do any gaming.
Corporates do not like to use Linux because most users are IT agnostic and have been brought up on legacy processes designed on Windows, so they do not know any better and don't care. There is also an absence of a single entity to take the blame for failings. With Windows, it is Microsoft and there is a phone number to call and someone to beat over the head. Who do you blame when Linux goes wrong? It's free, open-source and the GNU licence basically says you are on your own if anything goes wrong. CEOs and senior managers do not understand IT and don't like to rely on anything that they cannot hold someone responsible for.
Neither_Course_4819@reddit
Not saying these folks here are wrong buuuuut they are...
Linux is complicated.
Thanks for coming my Ted Talk.
Seriously, most people don't have time or desire to tinker with obtuse idiosyncratic software and currently Linux absolutely dominates the obtuse, idiosyncratic, and overly complicated market.
I think when you gain a good amount of technical knowledge or if it's natural to you - you can't see the reality of the challenges.
I am a highly technical designer - stood up my own homelab, got my NAS running on Unraid... I can grep a file directory and write passable code in several languages...
When I went looking for a Linux OS to start building my next design/development workflow on even I was overwhelmed...
For instance, I installed Ubuntu Studio the other day - my first non-server based Linux OS... where did I file the option to see the file/folder system?
Was it a file explorer? No... Was there a drive to click as an entry? No... Was there a file or folder in any of the dropdowns? No... Was there anything called anything like I was looking for? No...
What was it called, do you think... ? Yep, "Dolphin" WTF is that BS
Truth is Linux folks love complication, tinkering, and idiosyncratic BS - Hey, I build electronic devices, have a century home that requires fine wood working skills, I'm going to install a new battery in my Prius, and I'm coding a UI for basic vector editing...
Why do I have to struggle for the absolute minimum of what a computer is used for in Linux?
It's literally how Apple became an empire... they made Unix a usable OS.
Not a popular opinion but Linux, as good as it is, is not for humans... it's for techies & tinkerers
NasralVkuvShin@reddit
With all due respect, I disagree. For the past years, linux made a huge progress towards being a more user friendly environment. Some out of the box systems work great, the only big issue that pushes people away is the lack of proffessional software. You can't just run photoshop, ableton, or any other specific program(either that or it runs horribly under wine). So believe me, if linux somehow magically was compatible with any windows app, it'd be far more easier for the users to switch.
Neither_Course_4819@reddit
My perspective and experiences are not for you to disagree with... do you think you get to disagree with other people who have different valid experiences of their own?
Do you think your opinions erase the needs of other people?
They don't.
CoronaBlue@reddit
At this point, I think software compatibility is a big sticking point for most people. People don't want to alter their workflow, but if you use Linux there is a good chance you will have to alter some portion of it.
Most people just want their computer to "work" out of the box, and for various reasons, you can't always trust Linux to do that.
schizm0369@reddit
because for me. . mac
ChocolateSpecific263@reddit
because they dont need it, what they wants runs on windows for example, why buy mercedes if you have audi?
rahcas@reddit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_debt
NasralVkuvShin@reddit
This might be the best answer yet
parrot-beak-soup@reddit
Consumerism rots brains.
Dangerous-Safe-4336@reddit
It would make a lot of sense in a large corporate environment because of the built in security, and they use custom software anyway. I use it in my business because it's more stable, and on the few occasions when I need to use Windows, I can run it in a virtual machine.
Most people will not want Linux on their personal machines.
NasralVkuvShin@reddit
From my 5 years of experience of using different distros (which is fairly not that much) it's generally the community. Don't get me wrong, I know some really sweet and genuine people in the linux community, but from what I've seen, most of the users are very arrogant and toxic. You didn't find a thread that solved your problem? Downvote and an insult. You didn't list your system specs? Downvote. You asked an obvious question? Downvote. Many linux users think that newbies should know everything, and following some "arch wiki"(insert any guide page) will be the answer to all of their questions. But firstly, you do not learn linux simply by reading wiki, you learn by asking questions, making mistakes, USING your system AND reading the wiki. Secondly, we've all been there, and being a complete douchebag simply because someone is not as experienced as you are is simply wrong and straight up disrespectful. Linux must be for everyone, and people who use it must understand that if they want to see more people using the system, they must be more welcoming and helpful. I myself try to be as friendly as possible, but some people just don't care about it. This is my experience, and it may be different for everyone else, but that's the consistent problem that I personally noticed.
ImOldGregg_77@reddit
Most computer users are barely computer literate
NinaMercer2@reddit
Box no come with parakeet, come glass.
It's really as simple as that. It's not pre-installed like 90% of the time.
Lmaoboobs@reddit
I want you to spend 1 day working at an IT Help Desk.
Then comeback and re-evaluate your question.
alexthecatYT@reddit
Many applications not supported or when they are they are missing many features.
Puzzled_Hamster58@reddit
How much tinkering do you have to do on Linux to get every thing to work. How much software is not close to the level of a windows counter part etc.
Tons of reason
damik@reddit
No real marketing. People also associate free with bad quality.
andrisb1@reddit
Most software doesn't support linux, so most people use windows.
Most people use windows so most software developers don't bother supporting linux.
And the circle continues. Hopefully it can be slowly broken.
eldragonnegro2395@reddit
lo que pasa es que hay gente que prefiere que controlen sus dispositivos a que ellos mismos los controlen. Por eso es que les gusta vivir arrodillados defendiendo y viviendo bajo las mentiras de Microsoft.
ohlaph@reddit
Most computers don't come with it. Plain and simple.
fluffyzzz1@reddit
even the word linux is scary
AmarildoJr@reddit
The experience is still lacking in many fronts, specifically in usability and OOTB experience for newcomers.
sarlol00@reddit
No marketing for FOSS.
thephotoman@reddit
Honestly, it’s a combination of factors:
And I know I can reliably find 50 Linux users nearby. Hell, the cabal leaders came together in meatspace this week, and the conversation began with reminiscing about microcomputers, then moving onto Linux and then guns and the Boys flailing (because we may be nerds, but this is Texas, and I live in Cowboys territory despite not being a fan myself).
calinet6@reddit
Because it’s more complicated than you think, and most people are not nerds.
CreepySmiley42@reddit
I still dualboot but do 95% on linux. It's just much smoother in most tasks and my workflow is much faster. The only reason I still have windows 10 installed is Photoshop and multiplayer games with easy anti cheat.
SeatSix@reddit
Android is Linux. A significant numbers of servers in the world run on linux. Most of the internet's backbone runs on linux.
For desktop usage, too much choice is a problem. Going with windows means a single company for support. Configuring (or even finding) drivers for peripherals like printers is more difficult. Chicken/egg problem. Manufacturers don't bother with support for linux because user base is too small. And user base is small because of said problems.
Corporations buy a lot of PCs and they want a corporate face to provide support, not the FOSS community. Many more people walk into Best Buy and buy a computer. They don't want to do work.
dddurd@reddit
it's not a dumb question. it's because laptop vendors preinstall windows. Typical companies also depend on crazy windows server features to control many things.
NEK_TEK@reddit
I've tried using it as my main OS off and on for many years now but I seem to always run into weird issues that I usually need to google. I stopped wanting to do research to use my computer so I went back to windows. I know it sounds cliche, but windows just works. If I need Linux (which I do for programming) I just use WSL2. I can do everything I need in one OS instead of jumping back and fourth when I want to game or program stuff.
kaitenblackwind@reddit
I'd say the biggest hurdle for me is the only gaming capable PC in my home is used by my family. So I'm not just making considerations for myself but also the rest of my household.
DeGamiesaiKaiSy@reddit
Long term user here. Was introduced to Linux back in 00 at uni, been using only Linux since '07. I guess the encounter with the CLI was love at first sight.
On your question: Why should they? Most people don't like solving problems with their PC/OS, they want it just go work and when it doesn't take it to a PC guy to fix it.
RedHuey@reddit
Because the gaming community has oversized influence. Most of them don’t want to screw around with the computer, just game. A portion of them cone to Linux and are vocal about not liking it out of the box. Gamers hold Linux back, IMO. If it were not for them still using computers, Linux would be a lot more viable.
darkwyrm42@reddit
A lot reasons, actually. Because it's not preinstalled, a lot of home users don't know it exists or don't have the technical skills to evaluate if the change will meet their needs.
Many businesses don't because their line-of-business software is Windows-only or because many IT shops won't support it. There's also training and hiring challenges, too.
Beautiful_Crab6670@reddit
Because either:
1- Baby duck syndrome (i.e "If it is not identical to Windows, I'm not using it.")
and/or
2- It doesn't come preinstalled on most machines.
Winser_F@reddit
This is literally how I felt the first time I installed GNU/Linux, welcome to this new world
the_bighi@reddit
It’s not that easy to install, even with a GUI installer. It doesn’t have a lot of important software that people rely on. It’s less stable. The most popular brand of GPUs isn’t as well supported. The interface of most Linux apps look like it was made by a teenager in 1990. It lacks basic features that Windows and Mac has for years, like HDR (although it’s close to stable in lots of distros now).
oneiros5321@reddit
Depends on the sector...
I work in VFX, and in a bit more than 10 years, I have only been at one studio where Windows was used instead of Linux.
But the reality is that a lot of tools some company needs are simply not available on Linux.
Another reason why everyone uses Windows is simply that it's what comes by default when you buy a computer.
Additional-Sky-7436@reddit
The correct answer is that old people that make decisions some want to learn anything new. Even when Microsoft makes a reasonably meaningful change to Windows or office people flip out on them.
celeb0rn@reddit
report back in a year if you're still using linux as your daily driver.
Rhed0x@reddit
You answered your own question at the end of the post.
Anonymo@reddit
Most of these posts end the same way.
"Well I require certain things to work so I use Windows, but why doesn't everyone else use Linux?"
Farados55@reddit
This question is asked so much and not removed enough
Jwhodis@reddit
Linux doesnt pay to be pre-installed on devices
Comfortable_Relief62@reddit
Network effect means that there’s little end user adoption. Its usage in corporate and academia means that people are generally intimidated by it. That same culture also kind of does make it intimidating (higher bar of knowledge required to adequately support it). Corporations also largely don’t adopt it for desktops due to poor management solutions (alternatives to Active Directory).
Also the end user software packaging is dog water (don’t take my word for it, take Linus’ word).
XIVIOX@reddit
For the average person who lives on this planet, they will always flock to the most popular thing. It's why Google Chrome is still the most used browser, even if it's one of the worst Chromium browsers, so they won't go over to Linux because it's not the norm.
A lot of people don't really think about these things because it doesn't interest them. Just like some people will ALWAYS click "Accept cookies" or use 1 email address for everything.
A lot of companies use professional tools that aren't available on Linux, for example Photoshop or one of the most popular, MS365.
edilaq@reddit
Las empresas no lo usan debido a que muvhas herramienttas de datos y sistemas de informacion solo son compatibles con Windows.
Por ejemplo yo trabajo con MS SQL Server, SAP business One y Crystal Reports, y si bien para entrar al SQL Server en windows a traves del dbeaver, con Sap business One no ocurre lo mismo (tiene una version web pero implica adquirir licencias adicionales) y Crystal reports no tiene equivalente en Linux, asi que no podria hacer mi trabajo.
Bueno y como podrian decir algunos, SAP tiene versión de Linux (SAP HANA), pero los costos de implementacion y soporte al menos ahora, son 2 o 3 veces lo que cuesta implementarlo en Windows, y tener un servidor Windows server con licencias terminal server para cada uno de los usuarios sale tan costoso como tener equipos con windows instalado.
GNU/Linux esta bien para usuarios domesticos, pero en entornos empresariales esta todavia un poco alejado, mas que nada por no tener aplicaciones empresariales compatibles.
sparkcrz@reddit
Only a few hardware vendors have it pre-installed and when people ask tech support to format the computer they just reinstall windows because it's what the customer had.
spiteful-vengeance@reddit
Plenty of professionals do (and plenty can't due to software requirements), but not being signposted or offering any hand-holding support scares off a lot of people.
By signposted I mean there aren't a lot of indicators to affirm things like hardware choices (ie branded in such a way to indicate minimal problems, like "plug and play").
Mobile-Tsikot@reddit
How do you get support for free software? And how about timely patches and security?
baffled-magpie@reddit
Companies and governments have very specific programs and workflows they've been using for years and they can't afford to turn all that on its head.
And individuals usually simply don't care.