Technology
This is the official technology community of Lemmy.ml for all news related to creation and use of technology, and to facilitate civil, meaningful discussion around it.
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I have a feeling that this year is going to be the year of the Linux desktop.
If there is a recommendation that satisfies:
All without needing to use the terminal, then that will likely win the battle.
Pretty much anything beats Windows in that regard.
I mean if you REALLY can't find a FOSS alternative, Bottles has been extremely successful and easy for me...
This is the biggest hangup for me. Even if there is a GUI, most instructions will send you into the terminal nonetheless.
Fonts have looked like shit on Linux for years, if not decades. The poor UI and lack of polish has been a big problem in design communities for a long time, and to many it's one of the reasons why Linux is less favourable to Mac and Windows.
For all the deserved shit that Windows gets, it "just works" without ever needing to touch config or a terminal. Until a Linux distro and window management system can get this part right, it's silly to call it a desktop replacement for the average person because it's not trying to be.
I dunno what to tell you except that it's not a problem now.
Most people don't need to use anything other than a browser, which works fine.
You think the average joe does browse this environment?
My guy, we are on lemmy. This ain't reddit.
My point exactly. I've watched people break down over the start menu changing, or being unable to do anything after switching to a Mac. If you think the average person will go through this shit you're mistaken...but I'd expect nothing less from Lemmy. It's a bit like Slashdot from 20 years ago...
I had to explain to users where to find the windows key or how to start a search in the start menu.
Many can't comprehend typing if there is not a textbox...
I don't see anything wrong with fonts or the UI in Linux rn. I had tried Linux multiple times back in the 2000s and early 2010s and you are right, it used to look bad compared to windows and macs.
But if I am being very honest here, Linux looks better than both windows and mac currently. Either GNOME or KDE Plasma easily look much better, just pick the one you prefer. There is also Cinnamon.
It is not hard at all to find the one you like. As I was installing Debian 12 there was a list with checkboxes to select the GUIs I wanted installed and I just installed all of them, then whenever you startup, on the login interface where you have to insert your password, there is a dropdown list to select the interface you want to use, and you can change back and forth between all of them as much as you want, this is so much better than windows by itself (if you want to have options to change the look of windows that is a lot more work, Linux on the other hand has a bunch of well tested, trustworthy and cohesive interfaces ready to go, you just select them on a list.
For me I like GNOME better, thousand times prettier than windows 10 that I was using before. Most people seem to prefer KDE Plasma tho. Just have a look at them, ain't no way you will come out thinking they lack anything compared to windows.