Looks fairly similar to what you would do on Linux. Change registry to config file (unless you’re using Gnome, then it’s both). You’re right though, on Windows, people don’t usually have paragraph long commands to paste into the terminal to fix some issue. Instead, on Windows you have Microsoft support posts where a “Microsoft Community Support” non-employee pastes non-helpful boilerplate tech support copypasta which are somewhat adjacent to the user’s issue.
Linux at least gives us useful logging and the software packages have documentation that is accessible without paying for a Microsoft Support contract.
The Linux community support can actually fix your problems without boilerplate copypasta and doesn’t cost anything but you’ll get the customer service that you pay for.
You do know I made that very point about how Microsoft’s support knowledgebase is garbage these days, don’t you?
Linux Community support can help you fix your issue. Once greybeards become jaded in a given community though, you see more and more “read the man pages”… which would be helpful if not for the fact that some of them are as concise as a freight train.
Mate, don’t take it the wrong way, but you’re living in a fantasy world if you think an average user has any semblance of idea as to where logs are or how to read them.
The Linux community support can actually fix your problems without boilerplate copypasta
LOL, nice one! :D
I’ve read “just recompile the kernel” together with “just switch to [distro_x]” more times than I can count to… :D
I’m not talking about the average user. I’m talking about how the software is useful to me and other people like me.
The average user needs to be coached on how to double click or to open a PDF. Holding a conversation about any software or technical topic from the point of view of an average user is a fools errand.
I’ve read “just recompile the kernel” together with “just switch to [distro_x]” more times than I can count to… :D
Sure, ignorant people exist. If someone posts about a Windows problem they get the same generic advice as well.
The difference is that even given access to an expert, in Windows you’re limited in how much information that you can get about the problem. If you’re lucky you get an error message that matches an article in a knowledge base which will contain some rote process that allegedly solves the problem. You usually don’t get logs and you have no ability to debug (because the source code is proprietary). If that fails you can open a support ticket and hope, eventually, that someone competent can solve your problem.
Given access to an expert in Linux, you can trace the problem down to a specific line of code in a specific library and know the name and email of the person who wrote it.
In both cases, if an average user was involved they’d immediately give up and post on Reddit about how their computer is dumb.
The OP is about Linux replacing Windows. That means: “Linux for the masses”. THAT means: average users having to deal with all the Linux shit.
The average user needs to be coached on how to double click or to open a PDF. Holding a conversation about any software or technical topic from the point of view of an average user is a fools errand.
Correct. Which is why the issues I listed in my comment make Linux impossible for the average user.
The difference is that even given access to an expert
THAT is also part of the problem. If I’m a noob but know someone who “works in IT” and “uses Windows”, they’ll be able to help me.
If I’m a noob but know someone who “works in IT” and “uses Linux”, I might get help, but I might be shit out of luck. Maybe my issues is unique to KDE and they use Gnome or Xfce? Maybe I have a problem with my Ubuntu, but they’ve been sitting on Fedora for the past 20 years?
if an average user was involved they’d immediately give up and post on Reddit about how their computer is dumb.
That’s false. And, again, I’m saying this as someone who’s worked in IT for the past 20 years - if you have a problem with Windows (nowadays - this is critical), 90% of the time rebooting fixes it.
And sure, a lot of people post about how their computers are shit, because something happened, but the amount of people who can help in the case of Windows is just immeasurably larger than in the case of Linux - because of the massive fragmentation between DEs and distros.
Looks fairly similar to what you would do on Linux. Change registry to config file (unless you’re using Gnome, then it’s both). You’re right though, on Windows, people don’t usually have paragraph long commands to paste into the terminal to fix some issue. Instead, on Windows you have Microsoft support posts where a “Microsoft Community Support” non-employee pastes non-helpful boilerplate tech support copypasta which are somewhat adjacent to the user’s issue.
Linux at least gives us useful logging and the software packages have documentation that is accessible without paying for a Microsoft Support contract.
The Linux community support can actually fix your problems without boilerplate copypasta and doesn’t cost anything but you’ll get the customer service that you pay for.
Event Manager.
You do know I made that very point about how Microsoft’s support knowledgebase is garbage these days, don’t you?
Linux Community support can help you fix your issue. Once greybeards become jaded in a given community though, you see more and more “read the man pages”… which would be helpful if not for the fact that some of them are as concise as a freight train.
Mate, don’t take it the wrong way, but you’re living in a fantasy world if you think an average user has any semblance of idea as to where logs are or how to read them.
LOL, nice one! :D
I’ve read “just recompile the kernel” together with “just switch to [distro_x]” more times than I can count to… :D
I’m not talking about the average user. I’m talking about how the software is useful to me and other people like me.
The average user needs to be coached on how to double click or to open a PDF. Holding a conversation about any software or technical topic from the point of view of an average user is a fools errand.
Sure, ignorant people exist. If someone posts about a Windows problem they get the same generic advice as well.
The difference is that even given access to an expert, in Windows you’re limited in how much information that you can get about the problem. If you’re lucky you get an error message that matches an article in a knowledge base which will contain some rote process that allegedly solves the problem. You usually don’t get logs and you have no ability to debug (because the source code is proprietary). If that fails you can open a support ticket and hope, eventually, that someone competent can solve your problem.
Given access to an expert in Linux, you can trace the problem down to a specific line of code in a specific library and know the name and email of the person who wrote it.
In both cases, if an average user was involved they’d immediately give up and post on Reddit about how their computer is dumb.
But… Everyone else is?
The OP is about Linux replacing Windows. That means: “Linux for the masses”. THAT means: average users having to deal with all the Linux shit.
Correct. Which is why the issues I listed in my comment make Linux impossible for the average user.
THAT is also part of the problem. If I’m a noob but know someone who “works in IT” and “uses Windows”, they’ll be able to help me.
If I’m a noob but know someone who “works in IT” and “uses Linux”, I might get help, but I might be shit out of luck. Maybe my issues is unique to KDE and they use Gnome or Xfce? Maybe I have a problem with my Ubuntu, but they’ve been sitting on Fedora for the past 20 years?
That’s false. And, again, I’m saying this as someone who’s worked in IT for the past 20 years - if you have a problem with Windows (nowadays - this is critical), 90% of the time rebooting fixes it.
And sure, a lot of people post about how their computers are shit, because something happened, but the amount of people who can help in the case of Windows is just immeasurably larger than in the case of Linux - because of the massive fragmentation between DEs and distros.
Yes, if you take memes as literal implemented public policy it can seem like a silly thing.
I’m not going to defend the position that every grandmother and office worker should dump Windows for Linux because it’s a dumb position.
I’m not sure why you would built an entire argument on top of that premise.
Rebooting Windows doesn’t remove the advertisement, data collection, AI integration or TPM requirements… which is driving people to switch to Linux.
We’re not talking about any of that.
No such thing exists.
And thank goodness for that! I like my devices secure and sound, thank you.
[citation needed]