LTT: 10 ways Linux is just better!

[NickHeavy]

IOS, Android, OSX, Windows….. Now for Linux’s time in the spotlight. We reached out to our community again and you gave us lots to work with. Let's see why Linux is just better!

 

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[Aegelward]

I'd be curious to see something with Linus and some of the other staff at LTT trying to be Linux exclusive for say, a mont, And while there's plenty of similar content on Youtube nobody quite as mainstream as Linus has done it and perhaps he'd have a more relatable take on it. 

[FlaredAverage]

Can we get something like the Mac vs Windows role reversal competition Linus did with iJustine but with Linus performing Server Admin tasks on a Linux Sever and Anthony on a Windows server?

[Yogi_DaBear221]

I came here because I read 10 Ways Linus was better and it just a Linux post

[FlaredAverage]

22 minutes ago, Aegelward said:

I'd be curious to see something with Linus and some of the other staff at LTT trying to be Linux exclusive for say, a mont, And while there's plenty of similar content on Youtube nobody quite as mainstream as Linus has done it and perhaps he'd have a more relatable take on it. 

The points in the video were pulled from the community not Linus' personal experience. Plus Anthony already is a daily driver Linux power user.

[LevitatingBusinessMan]

I'd just like to interject for a moment.  What you're referring to as Linux,
is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux.
Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component
of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell
utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.

Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day,
without realizing it.  Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU
which is widely used today is often called "Linux", and many of its users are
not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project.

There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a
part of the system they use.  Linux is the kernel: the program in the system
that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run.
The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself;
it can only function in the context of a complete operating system.  Linux is
normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system
is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux.  All the so-called "Linux"
distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.

[LevitatingBusinessMan]

I think the video covered just about everything important. It was a good video.

 

I think there could have been elaborated on how different Desktop Environments can change the experience with Linux, but that's really the only thing I'd add to the video.
Good stuff.

[mr moose]

31 minutes ago, LevitatingBusinessMan said:

I'd just like to interject for a moment.  What you're referring to as Linux,
is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux.
Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component
of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell
utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.

Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day,
without realizing it.  Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU
which is widely used today is often called "Linux", and many of its users are
not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project.

There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a
part of the system they use.  Linux is the kernel: the program in the system
that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run.
The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself;
it can only function in the context of a complete operating system.  Linux is
normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system
is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux.  All the so-called "Linux"
distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.

No one really cares for semantics, Linux is the colloquial name for an operating system based on the Linux kernel.  If you try to force people to start being specifically correct in such language you will only cause confusion,  most language evolves to communicate a complete idea rather than a specific (that is why scientific papers are so often criticized in amusingly ironic ways).

 

EDIT: also I don't know why your post requires me to scroll sideways to read it (copy paste from somewhere else maybe?) but it's really annoying to read on a laptop.

[NickHeavy]

11 minutes ago, mr moose said:

No one really cares for semantics, Linux is the colloquial name for an operating system based on the Linux kernel.  If you try to force people to start being specifically correct in such language you will only cause confusion,  most language evolves to communicate a complete idea rather than a specific (that is why scientific papers are so often criticized in amusingly ironic ways).

 

EDIT: also I don't know why your post requires me to scroll sideways to read it (copy paste from somewhere else maybe?) but it's really annoying to read on a laptop.

Just so its clear to folks. The copy pasta is essentially a joke from some time ago.  The source.... well a version of it.  

 

[mr moose]

5 minutes ago, NickHeavy said:

Just so its clear to folks. The copy pasta is essentially a joke from some time ago.  The source.... well a version of it.  

 

Is this some kind of hip youth thing I don't understand? 

[Leslieann]

Seriously, stop spewing this to people who are not already Linux users. Kist stop.

They are still trying to figure out if Linux is worth trying and here you are already discussing semantics, worry about that later when they might actually care. So long as they are not on Linux, they really just don't give a damn and it just looks bad. It doesn't matter if it's a joke or not you're sabotaging yourself to those outside of Linux. Stop doing it.

 

I also really wish they had started with a desktop interface rather than starting off showing so much command line, it just confirms many peoples biggest complaints about Linux. Command line is great but it takes a bit to learn how good it is, remember, Windows users are stuck in gui land, the idea of typing commands is foreign to them, and frankly, it's not necessary to get going.

 

Things non users want to actually know:

Can it run my games? Yes.

Can it run Crysis? Yes.
Can it run Office apps? Yes

But that command line... You don't need it to get up and going.

 

At this point there's not actually much people have not gotten to run on it, though the difficulty of doing so is not always pleasant. That said, a lot of things are actually easier than on Windows, even native Windows stuff.  At this point I'd say it's a wash, give Linux another year or two and that could bend greatly into Linux's favor.

 

I'm glad to see LTT doing more Linux, it's come a long way, but us Linux users need to stop making these mistakes every time we try and show Linux to non Linux users.

[Tristerin]

1 hour ago, LevitatingBusinessMan said:

I'd just like to interject for a moment.  What you're referring to as Linux,
is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux.
Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component
of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell
utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.

Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day,
without realizing it.  Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU
which is widely used today is often called "Linux", and many of its users are
not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project.

There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a
part of the system they use.  Linux is the kernel: the program in the system
that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run.
The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself;
it can only function in the context of a complete operating system.  Linux is
normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system
is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux.  All the so-called "Linux"
distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.

The Copy Paste seems strong here.

 

20 minutes ago, Leslieann said:

so much command line

This is what keeps me from learning Linux.  I don't have a ton of time.  I web surf here when I pop onto a PC, or game when I have time (2 kids, to much work, blessed) and that's very little.

 

Im learning Linux through Manjaro and while the layout is friendly, that sudo line...Its a LOT to take in, when you don't have a LOT of capacity (I understand that ose what I fill my time with, but was hoping to learn Linux quicker than I am, which is very slowly)

[shinobi007]

where do I find this script that was talked about @9:17 in the video?

[Egad]

I think the big note to hit on is the portability.  Specifically you can boot off a memory key or that in general Linux is very dual boot friendly (if you want Windows and Linux on the same box).  I run a Linux Thinkpad at work for developer.  My old gaming rig at home is Linux, serving as my NAS, my Plex box, and the gaming box plugged into my TV.  I've been forcing myself to stay booted into Linux on my personal laptop, a MSI GS65 Stealth Thin, but that's a struggle.  

 

My big take away is that Linux is totally worth as having as a boot option.  As Linus mentioned with Windows forcing you to set a 6 hour, I think, inactive period that it can reboot during is a giant pain to have it as a server.  I used to run Plex on Windows and if I stayed up late for a marathon on Battlestar or something I'd have to deal with a reboot.  It's also a great secondary desktop option since if you can't get a game working under Proton you can just Steam in home stream it off your primary Windows based gaming rig.  

 

That being said the stability is only 100% guaranteed if you're staying in community norms.  For example my Thinkpad on Linux is insanely stable.  No complaints.  Conversely my personal GS65 has a weird issue where sometimes it boots without detecting any wireless or bluetooth (a reboot fixes this).  Sometimes it won't boot at all, citing an error with the wireless card.  This can be fixed by booting into recovery, where the wireless card is properly detected 100% of the time, connecting to wire, and waiting 10 seconds.  Then reboot and it works great since that little venture into the recovery reset whatever was pissed off.  This continues to occur even after I swapped my standard Intel wifi card that the GS65 came with for the same card the Thinkpads at work have.  I just shrug my shoulders, but it's a biweekly occurrence and no amount of Googling has given me a good angle on it.  

 

The Thinkpad is likely much more stable in that the Thinkpad line is the #1 choice of Linux developers, with a Dell being #2.  The MSI GS65 Stealth Thin was a niche laptop to begin with and I can only imagine how fewer people bought one and then tried to toss Linux on it.  The same for server configurations and other use cases.  The aspects of Linux used by the core development team or funded by people who want Linux for their server clusters is rock solid.  It's still the wild west as you move off those nodes and Valve still has lots of unclaimed land to tame for gaming especially.  

 

That being said, I think Linux is worth it when you're looking for a OS for your secondary rig.  Or even if your primary rig, if next time you're building and you're going to all nVME storage, seriously consider tossing your old SATA drive in the bottom of the case and having PopOS on it.  Try to boot it it and play around with it.  But at the same time don't force yourself to stay booted into it if you can't launch stuff or the emulation overhead off Proton is too much.  There is nothing wrong with going "Forget it" and rebooting to Windows.  

[NickHeavy]

Linux is a big ol' onion. The more you cut into it the more layers you end up peeling back. There is soo much information to a point where every point will  have a counter point eventually. 

This video and the others in the series preceding it were all based on the positive things  brought up by the respective communities. They are meant to introduce new comers to the platforms while also giving the die hards some winks, nudges and easter eggs.   

1 hour ago, Leslieann said:

Seriously, stop spewing this to people who are not already Linux users. Kist stop.

They are still trying to figure out if Linux is worth trying and here you are already discussing semantics, worry about that later when they might actually care. So long as they are not on Linux, they really just don't give a damn and it just looks bad. It doesn't matter if it's a joke or not you're sabotaging yourself to those outside of Linux. Stop doing it.

If you watched this video and felt this way..... that's on you.  I can't change that. 

[greenmax]

4 hours ago, Yogi_DaBear221 said:

I came here because I read 10 Ways Linus was better and it just a Linux post

Yeah me too LOLOLOLOL

I thought what lies!

[Leslieann]

1 hour ago, Tristerin said:

This is what keeps me from learning Linux.  I don't have a ton of time.  I web surf here when I pop onto a PC, or game when I have time (2 kids, to much work, blessed) and that's very little.

 

Im learning Linux through Manjaro and while the layout is friendly, that sudo line...Its a LOT to take in, when you don't have a LOT of capacity (I understand that ose what I fill my time with, but was hoping to learn Linux quicker than I am, which is very slowly)

 

Linux isn't harder, it's just different.

Mac users seem to switch easily, that's not necessarily because Mac is easier but because they get tossed into the deep end and they sink or swim, so long as you can just reboot or close a VM you are never forced to actually learn the more difficult things on Linux so you stay in the shallow end. You spent how many years learning those common Windows things you do, you will not be as proficient at Mac or Linux right away, that's just how it is. I spent years playing with Linux in VM, dual booting and on servers, when I finally committed to Linux and forced myself to find answers I learned more in 2 weeks than I did in 5 years because I had to figure it out. It sounds harsh, but you're playing with Linux, not using it.

 

Also, give up the idea that Linux has to replace Windows perfectly, replace is a fallacy. Mac users don't complain because like I said, sink or swim, they just spent how much on their new computer, they have skin in the game to make it work. Changing your OS is a trade-off not a perfect replacement and so long as people hold Linux to that "perfect replacement" standard they will forever be stuck on Windows. The same applies to Mac or switching back to Windows, they all have strengths and weaknesses and for every loss there is a gain. Find the good, deal with the bad and decide which works best for you in the end.

 

 

By the way, keep a handy text file with your commands on a thumbstick so you can access it anywhere.

I haven't met too many Linux users who don't have a cheat sheet of some sort, Windows users are probably thinking "Ah ha! See it is harder!", it's not always because we need it, it's often because it's faster.  Think about the last time you went hunting for drivers after an upgrade, needed to find a file, or had to find that one registry tweak that makes that fixes that game you like or any other myriad of problems.

[YellowJersey]

I made the switch from Windows 7 to Linux Mint (then 17.1) back in 2015 and have never looked back. I was shocked how easy the transition was.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

On 2/24/2020 at 4:46 PM, Tristerin said:

The Copy Paste seems strong here.

 

This is what keeps me from learning Linux.  I don't have a ton of time.  I web surf here when I pop onto a PC, or game when I have time (2 kids, to much work, blessed) and that's very little.

 

Im learning Linux through Manjaro and while the layout is friendly, that sudo line...Its a LOT to take in, when you don't have a LOT of capacity (I understand that ose what I fill my time with, but was hoping to learn Linux quicker than I am, which is very slowly)

The one thing I did NOT like about this video was Linus harping on using the command like it was necessity. It's entirely possible to use a distro like Mint Cinnamon and never need to use the command line. The rare times I ever needed to use the command line, I was able to find good directions online and just copied and pasted them in. I also kept notes so I could repeat it if ever necessary.

 

Making the jump from Windows to Linux is hard simply because Linux and Windows are drastically different under the hood and Windows users have to unlearn a lot. Still, it is doable. There are plenty of Youtube videos on it. Joining a Linux forum or two is also very helpful (I've had my ample asset bailed out several times by Linux forum members).

 

Another reason many people have problems switching is they are used to using certain programs to do certain things and want to take those programs with them. Sometimes that is possible but most of the time, it's not. You have to reconcile yourself to using different programs to accomplish the same thing and/or even adopting new workflows.

 

Yet another reason so many people have trouble switching is they try to do it cold turkey. It's better to install a distro on a spare machine and ease your way into it.

 

 

 

 

Also, I wish people would quit calling me no one.

[greenmax]

27 minutes ago, Lady Fitzgerald said:

The one thing I did NOT like about this video was Linus harping on using the command like it was necessity. It's entirely possible to use a distro like Mint Cinnamon and never need to use the command line.

Nuances are not important for Linus when spitting out videos as fast as he does.

[Cole_Wuz_Here]

I would like to see Linus use Linux

[SpaceGhostC2C]

5 hours ago, Leslieann said:

"Give Linux another year or two and that could bend greatly into Linux's favor."

 - Blaise Pascal, 1642.

[mr moose]

5 hours ago, Leslieann said:

 

Things non users want to actually know:

Can it run my games? Yes.

Can it run Crysis? Yes.
Can it run Office apps? Yes

But that command line... You don't need it to get up and going.

 

 

can it run games? depends on the games and the hardware.

can it run crysis? depends on the hardware.

can it run office apps? depends on the apps, run of the mill stuff like word yes, custom commercial business which is written almost purely for windows only, then no.

 

Most of the people who say they don't like the command line are people who could learn how to use it, but just don't want to. Can;t blame people for having preferences and wanting things to be easier.

[xnamkcor]

I question the inclusion of "did it first" as a reason it's better. I'm sure somebody's pride is better for it, but it doesn't help the user any.

[mr moose]

33 minutes ago, xnamkcor said:

I question the inclusion of "did it first" as a reason it's better. I'm sure somebody's pride is better for it, but it doesn't help the user any.

Windows style point and click GUI, buy Xerox products as they did it first.   Or we should all be buying Swedish phones (Neonode N1m) because they were first to create slide to unlock.