this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2024
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Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I hear it didn't go well in the German government, something about the cost of training and skyrocketing tech support calls for basic tasks.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago

The Germans also fell prey to Microsoft telling them that they would give them all the free copies of Windows they might need and build a new facility providing a ton of jobs in their area if they would abandon the Linux thing.

The city in question also built their own distro based on an older version of an existing distro rather than going from off the shelf.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago (2 children)

That sounds like a bad transition plan. For sure there's some lessons to learn from that experience.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

One of them main reasons for that, I think, is how the average non-tech computer user perceives UI/UX, when they have been exposed to only a single type of interface for most of their lives (most probably Windows).

And even though they tend to pick up different UIs in mobile phones fairly quickly, that seems to not be the case for computers.

Back that up with earlier versions of middle-school computers studies in being mostly like:

  • How to print a file in Microsoft Word?
  • How to copy a file to USB drive? (with the implicit - using Explorer on Windows XP)
    And you have most of the population thinking that's the only way to do it. That was the case with me until I learned programming.
[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Tbh, most people above a curtain age struggle with even that.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago

Well, of course one can't expect someone with 0 exposure to similar stuff in their learnable period to be able to pick up those things. Just one of the limitations of the human brain.
On the other hand, people who tend to be more imaginative would probably be able to do better in that regard.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago

They seem to be pushing for it still. Did you hear about that grant the German government gave to gnome?

GNOME Recognized as Public Interest Infrastructure