Linux needs to grow. Stop telling people it’s ‘tech-y’ or acting like you’re more advanced for using it, you are scaring away people. Linux Mint can be used by a senile person perfectly.

Explain shortly the benefits, ‘faster, more secure, easier to use, main choices of professionals and free’. Ask questions that let you know if they need to dual boot, ‘do you use Adobe, anti-cheat games, or Microsoft Office’, ‘how new is your computer’, ‘do you use a Mac’.

And most importantly, offer to help them install.

They don’t understand the concept of distros, just suggest Linux Mint LTS Cinnamon unless they’re curious.

That’s it, spread Linux to as many people as possible. The larger the marketshare, the better support we ALL get. We can fight enshittification. Take the time to spread it but don’t force it on anyone.

AND STOP SCARING PEOPLE AWAY. Linux has no advertising money, it’s up to us.

Offer family members or friends your help or copy and paste the below

how to install linux: 1) copy down your windows product key 2) backup your files to a harddrive 3) install the linux mint cinnamon iso from the linux mint website 4) use etcher (download from its website) to put the iso on a usb flash drive 5) go into bios 6) boot from the usb 7) erase the storage and install 8) press update all in the update manager 9) celebrate. it takes 15 minutes.

edit: LET ME RE-STATE, DO NOT FORCE IT ON ANYONE.

and if someone is at the level of ignorance (not in a derogatory fashion) that they dont know what a file even is genuinely dont bother unless theyre your parents cause youll be tech support for their ‘how do i install the internet’ questions.

  • AdanisiEnglish
    4·
    9 months ago

    I have the opposite experience. Windows is infuriating to use. It doesn’t obey me. It updates whenever it feels like it, installs crap I don’t want and switches my defaults, all while selling my data.

    And I’m also on a double NAT, it causes me no problems.

    I’ve also never had problems compiling and running random projects. Hell, it’s a hell of a lot easier than on Windows.

    I also did begin to use it at a young age, which probably helped.

    I think ultimately it’s not a technical problem, but a familiarity problem that hurts adoption. Things don’t behave the same as people are used to so they disregard it. I guess that’s why Microsoft licensing Windows to be used in schools and then schools using it exclusively is so insidious. They’re hooking people young and then so many people are locked in indirectly. It’s deliberately increasing their dominance with plausible deniability.