Linux

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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.

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Is linux good for someone tech illererate. (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Now i've been considering moving to linux. I don't have much of a history using a computer and find it tougher to use than my phone. But I also really appreciate the foss movement. I've currently got an old laptop running windows 11 I think and it would prolly speed up with linux too. But I'm afraid I'd fuck smth up trying to download linux, understand it or while using it. Is it worth switching and how different is it to a windows experience.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

This is pretty much my take. For tech newbies that essentially only need a browser, linux mint is great. On the other extreme, if you want to tinker, get your hands dirty, then you probably already know what distro you want.

It's toughest for the people in between who need some more advanced os functionality or need programs that aren't natively supported, but otherwise don't want to know more about their os than they have to. Not because Linux doesn't have that advanced functionality (and more!) or because there aren't alternatives and workarounds for those programs, but because of the learning curve.

For someone already tech illiterate, the learning curve is almost a moot point. For the tinkerer, it's practically a feature. But for the people in between, it can a real obstacle.