this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2025
101 points (98.1% liked)

Linux

56360 readers
466 users here now

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

Rules

Related Communities

Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0

founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] lambalicious@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 1 week ago

Why do I feel like narrowing down the options would not be that bad?

Perhaps because you miss Microsoft or Apple? In a rather misdirected way?

Half the point is there are multiple ways to do things - and mind, Windows is like that too (you can get to some settings though the new Control Panel, the old Control Panel, the Regedit, the Powershell...). Just about the only thing in Windows you are forced only one vision of is the desktop itself, but as soon as you double-click an icon, all bets are off.

Also if what you want is getting behind "tried and tested, universally accepted technologies"... that's what sysvinit, ALSA, X11 and automake / build-essentials; no need for systemd, Pulseaudio, Wayland and Snaps. Pulseaudio was basically a stillborn deformed baby whereas I've never seen ALSA fail since 2002 (to the point even today I have to "fix" Flatpak not having audio on Pipewire unless Pulseaudio sits behind it by just seating both of them behind ALSA). I don't even have to begin on Wayland, it started as just vaporware; Systemd is largely an attempt to microsoft-ize Linux system management; and Snaps make me want to snap.

As for newbies... others have addressed the point but honestly, if someone gets scared and whiny at the "choose your starter" screen of the game, they're not gonna last any in a Pokémon game nor would I want them around whining about things they couldn't even be bothered to be here for.