this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2023
348 points (96.8% liked)

Linux

47952 readers
1873 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

Rules

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] julianh@lemm.ee 143 points 1 year ago (4 children)

#1 is just not being the default for 99% of devices. If someone gets a new computer, why would they go through the effort of installing a new os when the one it comes with works fine? Hell, I bet at least 50% of people in the market for a pc don't even know what an OS is.

[–] jimmy90@lemmy.world 44 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Agreed. Android and chrome os are used happily by 10s of millions without any idea it's a Linux distro

[–] julianh@lemm.ee 25 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I bet if small, cheap netbooks came out running mint or fedora or something people wouldn't even or know or care that it was Linux.

[–] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

In middle school I had a USB drive with Linux Mint installed on it which I was using on school PCs. We only used those PCs for internet browsing and office. Not a single soul noticed it wasn't Windows. Teacher only noticed 2 differences, "You have different version of Office installed here." and also gave me a note for "Changing wallpaper" which was strictly prohibited for some reason.

[–] SexualPolytope@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

which was strictly prohibited

It was probably due to some goober like me changing it to Scarlett Johansson's bikini pics. I'm sorry.

[–] BaconIsAVeg@lemmy.ml 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] jimmy90@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Absolutely. In fact i think everyone is hoping steam os will be the distro to make the big push onto desktop because of the gaming and another just works kind of interface

[–] julianh@lemm.ee -3 points 1 year ago

...the steamdeck isn't a netbook.

[–] PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Indeed, many Netbooks come with a firmware dual boot. Besides the crappy Windows lite edition, there's a tiny instant-on Linux too. Most people don't use that, but it's there.

[–] PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Indeed, many Netbooks come with a firmware dual boot. Besides the crappy Windows lite edition, there's a tiny instant-on Linux too. Most people don't use that, but it's there.

[–] snooggums@kbin.social 15 points 1 year ago

Which actually means Linux is being successfully adopted by the general public in a similar way to windows as a general use system that doesn't require a lot of technical knowledge.

Fully customizable distress will never be popular with the general public. They want systems that just do the general stuff and have it work automatically.

[–] DharkStare@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

Of course they know what an OS is. There's only two of them: Apple and Microsoft.

[–] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 12 points 1 year ago

I bet at least 50% of people in the market for a pc don't even know what an OS is.

70%*

[–] thecapyking@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

my first thought actually pointed to common OS on work devices, being Windows i’d assume a majority of the time, i’d imagine a large portion of the older population were introduced to computers in a workplace setting. But your answer makes a bit more sense.