This part of Linux, I don’t like to talk very often but sometimes I do really feel some of the aspects related to Linux is real pain. Here are the five points which I come across on a daily basis, almost.
Update: Due to significant debate on this article, as seen in the comment section at the bottom of this article. For that reason, we’ve updated this article with latest information at:
5 Things I Dislike and Love About GNU/Linux
1. Choose from Too Many Good Distros
While reading several on-line forum (a part of my hobby), I very often come across a question like – Hi, I am new to Linux, just switched over from Windows to Linux. Which Linux Distribution, I should get my hands dirty with? Oh! forgot to mention, I am an Engineering Student.
As soon as someone posted such question, there is a flood of comments. each distribution’s fan boy tries to make sense that the distro he is using leads all the rest, a few comments may look like:
1. Get your hands upon Linux Mint or Ubuntu, they are easy to use specially for newbies like you.
2. Ubuntu is Sh** better go with Mint.
3. If you want something like windows, better stay there.
4. Nothing is better than Debian. It is easy to use and contains all the packages you may need.
5. Slackware, for the point, if you learn slack you learn Linux.
At this point, the student who asked question really gets confused and annoyed.
6. CentOS – Nothing like this, when comes to stability.
7. I will recommend Fedora, Bleeding edge technology implementation, you will get a lot to learn.
8. Puppy Linux, SUSE, BSD, Manjaro, Megia, Kali, RedHat Beta, etc,……
At the end of discussion, the discussion forum may be used as a paper for research based upon the facts and figure provided in the comments.
Now think the same in Windows or Mac – One may say are you Insane? Still using Windows XP or Vista but no one will try to prove that windows 8 is better than XP and XP is more on a User Friendly side. You won’t get a fan boy in Mac as well, who is trying to jump into the discussion just to make his point sounds louder.
You may frequently come across points like – Distros are like religion. These things makes the newbie puzzled. Anyone who have used Linux for a considerable time would be knowing that all the distros are same at the base. It is only the working interface and the way to perform task differs and that too rarely. You are using apt, yum, portage, emerge, spike or ABS who cares as far as the things are done and user is comfortable with it.
Read Also: 10 Linux Distributions and Their Targeted Users
Well the above scenario is not only true in forums and groups on-line, it is sometimes taken to the corporate world.
I was recently being Interviewed by a company based in Mumbai (India). The person interviewing, asked me several questions and technologies, I have worked with. As per their requirements, I have worked with nearly half of the technologies they were looking for. A few of last conversation as mentioned below.
Interviewer: Do you know kernel editing? (Then he talked to himself for a couple of seconds – no, no not kernel editing, it is a very different thing.) Do you know how to compile a kernel on a monolithic side?
Me: Yes, we just need to make sure what we need to run in future. We need to select those options only that supports our need before compiling the kernel.
Interviewer: How do you compile a kernel?
Me: make menuconfig, fire it as………..(interrupted)
Interviewer: When have you compiled the kernel lastly without any help?
Me: Very recently on my Debian…..(Interrupted)
Interviewer: Debian? Do you know what we does? Debian–Febian is not of our use. We use CentOS. Ok, I will tell the management the result. They will call you.
Not to Mention: I didn’t get the call or job, but certainly the phrase Debian-febian forces me to think over and over again. He could have said we don’t use Debian, we use CentOS. The tone of him, was a bit racist, it is spread-ed all over.
2. Some of the very important software has no support in Linux
No! I am not talking about Photoshop. I understand Linux is not build to perform such task. But some backbone softwares required to connect your Android phone to PC for Updation – PC Suite certainly means a lot. I have been looking for a windows PC.
I know Linux is more like a server side OS. Really? Is not it trying to make a point that, it has been used as a Desktop as well? If Yes! It should have other developed desktop features. For a desktop user security, stability, RAID, Kernel does not mean much. They should get their work done with little or no effort.
Moreover the companies like Samsung, Sony, Micromax, etc are dealing with Android (Linux) Phones and they have no support to get their phone connected over a Linux PC.
Don’t drag me in PC suite discussion. For Linux to be a Desktop OS, it still lacks several things, Little or no gaming support – I mean high end gaming. No professional Video and Photo Editing Tools, I Said Professional. And yeah I remember Titanic and Avatar Movies were made using some kind of FOSS video editor, I am coming to that point.
Agree or not, Linux still has to go a long way to be a distro for everyone.
Read Also: 13 Most Commonly Used Windows Applications for Linux
3. Linuxer have a habit of living in virtual world
I am a Linux user, and I am superior than you. I can handle terminal much better than you. You know Linux is Everywhere in your wrist watch, mobile phones, remote control. You know what, Hacker’s use Linux. Are you aware as soon as you boot Linux you become hacker. You can do several things from Linux you can’t even think of using Windows and Mac.
Let me tell you, Linux is now being used in International Space Station. The world’s most successful movies Avatar and Titanic were build using Linux. Last but not the least, world’s 90% supercomputers are using Linux. World’s Top 5 fastest computer are using Linux. Facebook, Linkedin, Google, Yahoo all have their server based on Linux.
I don’t mean they are wrong. I only mean they keeps on talking about the thing they very little know about.
4. The long hours of compilation and dependency resolution
I am aware of automatic dependency resolution and the program getting smart day by day. Still think from corporate view, I was installing a program say ‘y‘, it had one dependency say ‘x‘ which was unable to be resolved automatically. While resolving ‘x‘ I came across 8 other dependency, a few of other were dependent on a few other libraries and program. Isn’t it painful?
The rule of corporate is to have the work done efficiently with less man power and as much less time as possible. Who cares if your piece of codes are coming from Windows or Mac or Linux as far as the work is done.
5. Too much manual work
No matter which distro you choose, you have to manually do a lot a things time-to-time. Lets say you are installing proprietary Nvidia Driver. Now you need to kill X manually, may need to edit Xorg.conf manually and still may have a broken X. Furthermore, you have to make sure that the next time kernel updates, it still be in working condition.
Think of same on Windows. You have nothing to do other than firing the executables and click Next, Next, I Agree, Next, Forward, Finish, Reboot and your system may very rarely have broken GUI. Though the demerit is a broken GUI is not possible to be repaired on Windows but easily on Linux.
Hey don’t tell me its because of security implementation. If you are installing something using ‘root‘, and still needs a lot of things done manually that not security. Some may have a point that it gives you power to configure your system to any extent. My friend at least give him a working interface from where he can configure it to next best level. Why Installer laves him to re-invent the wheel every-time in the name of security and configurability.
I myself is a Linux fan and have been working on this platform for nearly half a decades. I myself have used Distros of several kind and came to the above conclusion. You may have used a different distro’s and might you’ve came to a such conclusion, where you feel that Linux is not upto the mark.
Please do share with us, why do you hate (Love) Linux? via our comment section below.
If you are an adult do not even consider Linux. It is a steaming pile of disappointing crap. It is not meant to be used in the world of the end-user. For mainframe servers along with a team of nerds to maintain it, it’s ok.
Speaking of yourself as someone who obviously can’t use Linux I am sure, I use Linux Mint and haven’t used Windows for 20 Years, I did test windows 10 at one point but gave it a miss as viruses are not my thing, neither automatic updates nor blue screens either. still, everyone to their own I guess.
Just a passing comment I hate Windows with a vengeance but I would never relate to Windows as a steaming pile of disappointing crap and label people who use it to be nerds, I guess I have more respect for those who use Windows than you do yo those that use Linux.
Typical bullshit from those who can’t use their computers for high-level tasks, like photography, DTP, or even usable file management. Linux is painfully dumb. It is entertaining a lot of nerd people, but it is highly unusable at daily work.
That’s it, it is unusable for productivity.
Those, who are happy that they understand what is happening behind the Linux curtains, are satisfied, but the story ends here. There is no usable software under Linux that can be used for productivity, even in a simple environment like an office. Sorry, but this is a fact.
It is said that you make a comment that is not true if you hate Linux don’t use it no one is forcing you to do so, I have used Linux for years, that said yes Linux has its fair share of problems but the software is brilliant, GIMP, BLENDER LibreOffice, AND MANY MORE PROGRAMS THAT MAY I ADD ARE FREE, you don’t have to use these pieces of software so stop cribbing about it go to windows where you can be exploited to your heart’s content.
Wow, Norm, sad experience. I came from Windows 7 to Linux Mint a year ago, and man, things were very easy in Windows. Install is next, next, I agree and install. No broken packages. No random freezes (ok it happened but less often and because of my only 4GB of ram). Full hardware support (I recently spent over a day configuring my headset mic. Sure this wouldn’t even be necessary on Windows).
Now think these problems (mine and yours) happening so a casual home user that just learned how to make a bootable media!!!
RedHat sold to IBM in 2019. IBM is no friend of opensouce. I have been running Linux on the desktop for close to 12 years. I have installed them all venom to ubuntu to BSD (all BSD distros). Since the introduction of systemd everything is harder. it is a complete a total disaster.
Last night I moved back to WIN7 as my main desktop after being off of it for 8 years. I did a new install and I am back on win7. Linux has fallen. I believe in the not too distant future it will be part of win10. I’m getting off that train.
You went a dead platform. Win7 is an unsupported OS. Should’ve gone for windows 10.
But these days it won’t work for you unless you get an SSD. I hate win7 with the wrong version of AMD/ATI drivers. Now it BSODs on boot and reboots.
One thing I hate about Linux is that you fix a problem and it all works, then they update the kernel and low and behold one of the programs stops working, then your off on the same old crap of fixing it again.
In mint 20.1 they no longer support pip 2 so now if you have a favorite program you use tough, You can waste a lifetime in Linux by compiling, fault finding, hours of info finding that does not help. So back to windows 10 where your working on a project and the dread of automatic updates crash your machine windows total garbage.
I love Linux but some of the comments have a valid response its time Linux got its self together so we can use the operating system instead of trying to get it to work all the time.
This statement I made was on Linux Mint 20.1, I am now using Mint 20.3 and it seems that most of the problems I had are gone, to prove the point I have installed the AMD Radeon pro duo 32GB video card, the Epson XP-8500 Inkjet printer with ink-level software, and Blender runs a treat with this card.
I can say I have never had Linux Mint crash, if Linux was not available I would stop using a computer, and I will not sell myself to Microsoft under any circumstances, I hate the term Linux mint is OK for newbies does that mean that driving a car like a mini cooper is for newbies but for professional drivers you need to go to a porch.
What a load of garbage a statement of stupidity, Linux gets work done gets you from A to B that’s it same with all operating systems except Microsoft Windows gets you to pay for the software and takes your privacy away from you in the process.
Besides all the good parts of Linux, here is what I hate.
Based on the above, I won’t recommend Linux to any of my family/friends
If you cannot use your Bluetooth because of pairing may I say and this may not be the case in your circumstances that I have a pair of JVC headphones and to pair them I have to press and hold the on button till it states that it is paired then connect through Bluetooth software on Linux, just a thought hope it helps?
For Linux to be a desktop operating system, there needs to be one company (let’s say Linux Corporation) that makes somehow money to keep up with the needs of making the operating system, and this company needs to put out a “Founders Edition” Linux that will cover everything, they also need to find a way to have libraries for everything, every distribution should be compatible with each other, like have a mega distribution that can switch things around, if Linux can run Windows in simulation, then it sure should be able to run every distribution as well.
This official Linux distribution should be the basis for all users that will include everything, the average user should simply hit icons like in windows, without having to ever know the command line exists. And then give the ability to alter the OS as the power user pleases, this way they can still feel the freedom to do their os exactly as they wants.
Free things never work, if nobody makes money directly off a product then that product will never get the attention it requires to become the best.
Even in Windows you sometimes have to use the terminal.
Nobody wants to admit that Linux is a pile of garbage. The people who use Linux have wet dreams about using GREP and the
|character. If you’re actually trying to do things with computers beyond the very basic level of computing Linux is almost always an impediment.It’s true that supercomputers use Linux, but the truth of supercomputers is that they don’t run real software. They run math equations and algorithms, the operating system used is irrelevant for those applications. When the operating system is irrelevant, you use what is freely available, easily modified, and commonly known, which happens to be Linux.
Trying to shoehorn Linux into being a desktop OS is like trying to turn a Subaru into a race car. What you end up with is something that the kids think is cool, but put it on a race track and it will get obliterated…
“Nobody wants to admit that Linux is a pile of garbage.”
– A pile of garbage that’s everywhere.
“they don’t run real software. They run math equations and algorithms”
– math equations and algorithms are real software.
“If you’re actually trying to do things with computers beyond the very basic level of computing Linux is almost always an impediment.”
– What’s a very basic level? Offimatic + web browsing? That’s what most pc users do, but it doesn’t matter, and do you think money is not an impediment? If I want to do some math, document creation, drawing, gaming, multimedia edition (there’s a distro perfect for all of my needs in my home studio), or almost everything you can think of, I wouldn’t want to spend a lot of money in professional software that I’ll use sporadically. Neither I would search for cracks, keygens to get some malware ruining my machine.
And for science (i don’t think that you understand the complexity of the software in this field), I simply would need to run Linux, or run Linux in a Virtual Machine because the computing efficiency can’t be achieved on windows. ( neuronal networks, fluid mechanics modelizations, FEM, parametric CAD, etc etc.),
The only reason I need windows is Autodesk software. Because they think every windows VM (or dual boot windows machine) is a window and not a Linux or Apple machine and, they think that develop versions for some $3000/year clients doesn’t worth it.
I totally disagree with you that Linux is a piece of garbage, and as for the wet dreams comment it is obvious that you have a very low language vocabulary, that’s why you still read kinder-garden story books.
Why not just keep using Windows give up your privacy and be happy with that instead of insulting Linux and Linux users, we won’t miss you and I’m sure you won’t miss us.
What I really hate about Linux is that system software, part of the distributions (which in my opinion should be fast, lowest memory/CPU footprint) is still written in script languages made for non-programmers like Python.
I don’t like Python daemons sitting in my RAM memory as much as I’d hate Java or PHP or BASH daemons if such is part of the OS. The OS must keep the system resources for the user processes and user well-being, not consuming most of them for itself.
Use Wayland and desktops for Wayland. X 11 is old UNIX crap. This will make the choice easier. Next year Gnome, Plasma, Enlightenment, Sway, Lxqt, Mate, Budgie 11 will work for Wayland.
Norm, you’re exactly right, these are the sort of problems even experienced Linux users have, that discourage them from recommending it to family and friends. Even simple things are such a headache in Linux.
The devs spend too much time comparing their distro’s appearance and not enough time getting things working consistently. Flatpaks, Snaps, AppImages, and more, just shows there is no harmony in the Linux marketplace or underlying OS.
I love Linux but the hassle is not worth it for most people, and that’s how many Linux nerds like it.
I would like to disagree with you as I am a 20-plus-year Linux user and I love Linux, but sadly you are right about many formats, but I can say the Linux community needs to start using AppImages instead of Flatpaks, Snaps, as Appimages are the easiest way to run software without installing it.
But you do make a sensible remark about Linux I agree with.
Look at all the comments about Linux then compare the cost of Windows and the corporate software that now has implicated a rent to use, soon only the rich will have a computer, LET LINUX DIE AND YOU WILL HAVE NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, JUST A THOUGHT.
I just started using Linux. I first wiped out a Dell XPS1330 that my wife was having problems with while running Windows 10 (she was constantly having issues nearly every time she got a MS update. Lost a bunch of documents one time but we were able to recover them from backups on a NAS).
Anyway, she was fed up with Windows so after a bit of research, I wiped the machine and loaded Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.
Since I was totally new to Linux and associated software, it took me a while getting LibreOfficeWirter configured so that it would read and write documents in Open XML (.docx & .xlsx).
It also took a while getting our Canon Pixma-892 multi-function wireless printer to not only print but also function as a scanner. I also had to set up drive sync to our NAS so that all of our documents could be stored in one place but synced to all of our devices. I brought across her bookmarks from Firefox which she had been using for years while on Windows. All in all, other than the NAS drive sync, the laptop was pretty easy to configure.
My wife used the laptop for about two weeks before we sat down and had a talk about how things were going. She said she missed some of the functionality that was in MS Office (2007) but for the most part it was stable and she was getting fairly use to it.
Then the other day she went to print 10 copies of a document for a class and we couldn’t believe how long it took. 5 minutes between each copy. It took just short of an hour. I have no idea where to start to try to figure out what the problem is. I guess I’ll remove the printer and try re-installing it first.
Regardless of the printing issue, I decided to buy a 500Gb SSD and pop it in my office desktop PC, install a fresh copy of Ubuntu 18.04 and give it a try. I knew this was going to be a huge task because this desktop does a lot. It runs a video surveillance system for our home, it of course has all of the normal Office productivity requirements which LibreOffice can somewhat fulfill.
I also have a ton of other applications associated with ham radio. I managed to find some Linux apps that fulfilled some of these functions and was able to get a couple of them to work under WINE. There were a few apps that I just couldn’t stand using the Linux equivalent and ended up Installing the Windows 10 Pro software license I had on VirtualBox with Ubuntu being the host. At lease now when a Windows 10 corruption occurs, it is an easy task to import the Win10 image and I’m back in operation in under 15 minutes.
Some of the ham radio interface issues I ran into were quite difficult to address because there just wasn’t much useful info on the web. I felt I was constantly on a wild goose chase. I have 6 different USB/Serial CAT interfaces going to various equipment and 3 different audio devices each with input and output signals going to multiple applications.
While this was somewhat difficult in Windows, it was a pita in Linux. Especially when some of the apps were Linux, some were in WINE and 2 were in Windows 10 in VirtualBox – all talking to USB/tty ports and audio devices in Ubuntu. Now I’m trying to figure out how to address virtual COM ports. Another 3-4 day project I’m sure.
So, I’m fairly new to Linux. I have to admit it has been an extremely difficult journey.
Some things that I still have trouble with and despise are:
I can see why Linux hasn’t really taken off and become very popular with the desktop crowd. You still need to be a computer nerd to use Linux. Nearly everything you want to add to or configure in Linux takes forever to figure out and quite often you find yourself in Terminal pounding out command lines rather than running a simple GUI.
I think the majority of folks out there that are sick of MS just want an OS that is intuitive and easy to use. For simple things, Linux can fill that need but for many requiring a more complicated configuration, it does not and will not until its developers stop focusing on the colors of the desktop and how pretty they can make it and start focusing on providing easy to use gui apps to address basic functionality. Devices such as USB/tty for example.
2 months and counting, I’ve only been at this for about 2 months and there have been several times when I have almost thrown in the towel and thought of saving myself all the grief and just return to Windows.
I don’t want to admit how much time I’ve spent messing around getting this machine setup. While it may seem to work fairly well, I’m still not 100% sure I’ll remain a Linux user. Many of the things I’ve had to do to get things working might break as soon as I decide to install a major upgrade.
We’ll see! So the jury is still out. I haven’t given up, I’m just growing tired of messing about trying to get things to work rather than actually using the machine for it’s intended purpose.
Norm
This is the price for freedom I guess. I use Debian or XUbuntu with XFCE desktop. Sometimes I have weird problems, but I almost always manage to solve them by not asking but cleverly reading lots of answers.
You must not blindly slap commands in the terminal, but should know what you’re doing and how to check whether it worked. I even managed to fix a weird Nvidia driver’s problem by reading what others have done and then hacking a suspend/resume script out of this.
I use Linux Mint and find it the best that Linux can offer, I will never use Microsoft as long as I live, that said your comments are valid, I have used Linux for many years but you are right, don’t give up.
Microsoft is a data mining piece of software and Windows has more problems than Linux BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH IS ONE OF THEM, I have never had a Linux crash so Windows will always be a no-no for me.
If people are not happy with Linux why not support it and make it better with donations so the Linux operating system can move forward, that’s all I can say.