You could install Mint on your mother's computer and don't tell her, and she'd probably still think she was using Windows until it came time to install new software. Linux For Normies has come a long way, especially recently. It could be ready for mass adoption very soon, if not already.
I agree. My mom has been running Mint for 9 years with no problems. My tech illiterate friend who has an nvidia gpu on the other hand needs a lot of handholding. He would never be able to make a transition on his own.
I feel like Linux works for hardcore users and extremely casual users, but it doesn't work that great for medium savvy users.
Like sure if I'm barely using the computer for anything other than a web browser then it'll work fine.
And if I'm willing to do a whole lot of research I can also make it work for power user setups (at an even better outcome than Windows).
But if I'm just a gamer who's smart enough to do some modding and run a couple of game servers and maybe some other utilities, but I'm not incredibly tech savvy otherwise? Not a great fit.
I do like Mint, but now I'm thinking Bazzite might be better for a beginner or average user because all those configurations and default apps/packages meant to make gaming easier also trickles down to having things "just work" for a casual average PC user. ๐ค
I just installed Linux mint on my laptop... and fuck me, it is easy as all hell to use. Made me wonder why the hell I took so long to do it! I'm doing some backups on my desktop in order not to lose anything important (and save time) while installing it on my PC... I intend to format my old drive as I move on. So-long Windows!
until it came time to install new software.
That is the big giveaway. I used the term "It's free" too many times when setting up software for them. "I used to have to pay for all of that."
I did exactly that, because our Surface Laptop Go (!) became very slow with Windows 11. She thought there was an update and uses it without any problems, some parts are even more intuitive to her now.
Pop! OS is even slicker.
I am very happy working in Linux as my daily driver, while my husband is bugging me to switch his desktop and laptop over since he is frustrated at how awful the UI in Windows 11 is. But I know he has a low tolerance for frustration and while he has decent technical skills, he tends to accumulate the absolutely most peculiar technical problems I've ever seen. I mean, I'm rather savvy with Windows and he comes up with problems that take me a long time to figure out - issues that would be difficult to cause even if you were intentionally trying to break Windows.
So I don't really know what to do here. He likes my Garuda setup because I've shown him how customizable KDE Plasma is, but the amount of weird shit dealing with the AUR that I have run into, stuff that I can solve fairly easily but a layperson would likely not be able to handle, makes me want to put Mint on his system even if he'll find it less suitable.
Honestly, mint isn't bad or anything. I'm running an endeavoros sway build for my computers, but I recently installed mint on a laptop I was giving my rather tech illiterate sister. It was quite snappy and had a pretty cohesive interface, I was actually kinda impressed by how smooth of a process it was and how usable it was. I used to recommend installing Ubuntu on if they weren't the most tech literate, but often it had some issues, but now mint is pretty much a go to. I fully expect to be the tech support if necessary, but I kinda suspect that it won't be super necessary these days if you set it up right from the get go.
My wife got into a tizzy with Windows so I put Linux on her laptop, and everything has been good. We went GNOME since it is simplified, so she can't get into trouble. I find Zorin OS has some nice layout options, even though it is GNOME it can look very different.
My suggestion would be PopOS. Also, I have an Nvidia graphics card. Literally never had to install any driver separately. It's all packaged for me, which I like. Rock solid and LTS release basis. Became a Windows refugee in 2021, never going back.
As someone like your husband, I use garuda too and definitely recommend he use something else (probably something like kubuntu), but my main recommendation is that if he's not willing to switch it himself (ideally as a dual boot) he's not ready to switch. I don't bother my computer expert wife with my bizarre problems, just like I didn't on windows.
Personally I'm never switching back to windows. Though seriously, your husband should probably have something either simple or immutable and be prepared to do his own tech support.
Times have really changed, especially in the past five years. Even completely tech-agnostic people use GNU/Linux in my family. Reason is "Because it just works." no more Windows installing things that you hate. No more advertisements in the start menu or file manager. No more screenshots every five seconds. No more Windows slowing down the computer gradually. A relative's computer was unusable because of Windows, because it has slowed down the computer so much that the start menu took 10 seconds to open. All she did was her net banking, text editing and some very light photo editing. Ever since switching to GNU/Linux, her computer works again normally. And all of the tech questions about weird things like programmes randomly not starting have disappeared.
Also, nowadays you really never have to touch the command line. You can use an App-Store-like experience to install your programmes, just like you would on a phone. It also handles all updates automatically. This alone makes it such a better, "normie" operating system than Windows. Hit "update all", and it updates all of your packages for the system, the kernel itself, drivers, the apps themselves, literally everything. Because try explaining grandma, she needs to update the system, then the drivers, then every single application separately. Now you can tell Grandma instead: "Press this button and wait for 20 minutes."
The difference is night and day. Old computers work normally again. You don't need such overkill configurations like most Windows computers have to just run your text editing on net banking. By now it is objectively better.
If you're new, just use one of the many pre-configured options. No need to tinker with your system if you don't want to. Just install one of the literally hundreds "just works" distros that package everything for you.
Lastly, I'm going to say it is no exaggeration if I say installing GNU/Linux has solved literally every single issue people in my family had with computers. Because now it just works. No bloat, no nonsense. Just a computer.
Edit: typo.
Yes, I totally agree in that specific use case it is really great. As written in a different comment, my mom has been running Linux Mint for 9 years with absolutely no problem, because she doesn't use it for other things than email and browsing. She never had to touch the terminal and everything just works.
On the other hand I have a friend who was sick of Windows and I convinced him to start using linux and of course nvidia didn't work out of the box. Then there are some compatibility issues with x11 and certain nvidia gpus and with wayland for other gpus - I didn't know this before installing. So after installing and leaving I basically left him with a laggy mess. So we had to figure out how to fix that. He also have very few ram and during the install we only setup 1gb og swap - which was what the setup recommended. Then after I went home we had to figure out how to increase his swap size. Again this was my bad.
But what I am trying to say is that as a normal person going blind into linux, they would experience the same hurdles and not knowing where to start looking for solutions. So I really don't think it is ready for mainstream use - unless we as friends and relatives are willing to act as tech support for whoever wants to transision.
I find the "it just works" line ironic.
Because that's usually what Windows has going for it. Meanwhile any Linux distro I've tried so far has me search for how to install a specific thing and try 5 different results, because of course the command to copy&paste on the first few doesn't work. Doesn't help that most sites and people tell you to install software this way instead of using some software centre / app store where you just click on an install button.
My hot take: If you have to use a command line EVER to do ANYTHING - it's not ready for non-technical users.
I know this is an annoying take, but Mac OS is considered the most user friendly OS because of its limited hardware choices and fewer command line interactions.
But nowadays you don't need to do that anymore. Every distro has its own app store. You can install the applications you like with one click and update them all, together with the entire system and drivers, with one click as well. It doesn't get much simpler than that.
My hot take: If you have to use a command line EVER to do ANYTHING - itโs not ready for non-technical users.
Then I guess Linux is as ready as Windows for the non-technical folks... the only difference is that with Windows is not like you get a CLI to do something, you just don't get that something period.
They why do I need to use the CLI to fix my mother's Mac at least 3 times a year?
Linux is in no shape for a non tech literate person just to jump into.
The tech illiterate are not typically the ones complaining about Microsoft; they mostly have zero clue about what's going on. Stop choosing perfection as the threshold for usability.
Linux is great for two kinds of people:
Ones who only use web browser, and maybe listen to music/watch movies on their computer (so probably majority of people);
Ones who have time and energy to tinker with their computer, because doing anything that's beyond the before-mentioned tasks will eventually make user do CLI stuff, to fix shit.
I don't know, I once installed xubuntu on my parents old laptop, my dad who knows a little bit about computers hated it. My mom who knows nothing about computers liked it. My dad knows just enough to get spyware and shit
but I also recognise that Linux is in no shape for a non tech literate person just to jump into.
I mean idk. Either you are on the high side of tech literacy and then Linux is easy and does everything you want and more, but even on the low side its pretty good. I imagine that if a chromebook is good for you then just a vanilla Ubuntu/Mint will do. There does seem to be a valley in between where Windows, thanks to its propritary 3rd party catalog, just cannot be replaced.
Heck, I have a tech literate friend who can't handle Linux but I think if you're willing to be tech support like my husband is for his parents, the transition is easier.
This is the answer imho. If you really think people should transition to Linux, then you also really need to accept being tech support for those people you recommend it to - depending on how tech literate and tinker adverse they are.
Nah, my wife runs NixOS. She has zero technical background or computer skill. I asked her what she needed installed and filled in the config file, did the rebuild switch. Shes been on it for 5 years now, zero issues, it all just works. She didn't like KDE because its too much like Windows with menus and options that confused her, so I put GnomeDE on it. She's happy, and if it dies sinces it is a 15year old laptop, I can replicate her system with the config.
While I agree with the sentiment that some Linux distros are used friendly, what you're describing isn't a good example of that. Not everyone has a technical spouse who can be their sysadmin.
The ideal is that a non technical person maybe stumbles a little trying to install it. Then, they can use it with the same amount (or less) of struggle they might have with windows.
It sounds more like you run NixOS for your wife
Ubuntu was, and still is, to a new user, just as easy to set up as it is to break. Every Debian based distro that tries to "fix" the outdated packages "problem" suffers from that.
thanks for using Leebra!
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I donโt know how to feel about this. Because the intelligent guy is totally me, but I also recognise that Linux is in no shape for a non tech literate person just to jump into.
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