There are just too many problems with running Linux

[Dapper Dan]

Look at all these thread titles made by people needing help! Why are there so many problems?? Can't running a computer be easier than this??

Please help i'm lost
DVD's won't play
Help with wireless internet
Browsers not accessing internet
Linux and Vista Compatibility
Question about fonts
Very Strange OS Bug (have picture)
Keyboard can't work
Desktop Problem
Very anoying problem
Cant See desktop Icons.
Remapping keys!
Making a compact flash drive boot correctly!
Random freezes
Loss of Connectivity
File Folders Look Like Files
Issues with detecting network
Home network problem
Cannot move windows or icons
Partitioning an external hard drive?
How do I kill a system process?
Cannot open Outlook attachment.
File permissions
Automatically clear print job queue on log-off
Can't get bluetooth to connect
Screen resolution increase
Weird keyboard input.
Program will not go away
Laptop Lagging Problems
Menu Bar Problem!
Command not found.
Folders in "My Videos" Disappeared!!?
Cannot delete an active window from desktop
Remote access
Apache and php install

Looking over this list, it appears to be a typical bunch of issues we deal with every day here at Linuxforums. And we all know Windows users don't have the kinds of problems Linux users do, right?

Wrong.

Every single one of the above thread titles came from one of the more popular Windows help forums on the Internet.

It is not my intention to bash Windows or to try and point up its shortcomings. Windows mostly does what it is supposed to do very well. My only intention is to demonstrate that Linux is not the only operating system where you run into these types of issues. Sometimes I think we lose sight of that. I know I do from time to time. So the next time you feel like you want to throw up your hands and scream...

"There are just too many problems with running Linux!"

...maybe refering back to this thread will help you feel just a little bit better.

[Simpatico]

Good message, and good for you. You were gonna get slammed.

[Agent-X]

Making a compact flash drive boot correctly!

Yeah, so totally a Windows problem.

Anyway, create a pareto chart.
Do some statistical analysis around the forum.
Find what the major problems are.
Decide which ones are for the newcomers.
Find ways to tackle them.

We could find ways to change our rhetoric around here.

[mdnayeem]

I remember one quote about Linux
"Linux is very user friendly, its just particular about whom to make friends with"
I think the first part of this quote is very true
and second part? May or may not be

[HROAdmin26]

I think too many people are hearing "Switch to Linux! It's a free OS to replace Windows!" And that's *all* they're hearing...

The fact is, as most people here know, Linux is an OS designed by and for *serious* computer users. It expects and assumes a certain base knowledge. And it does not "work like Windows."

The main difference is fixing/changing things in Windows is usually a lot of mouse clicking, while Linux is command line. So "fixing" things in Linux is harder for the average PC user - who has NO previous command line understanding.

I am all for a "simplified" distro for everyday users, but I hope that's not at the cost of "dumbing down" the Linux kernel and other distro's - such as bloating the kernel, etc. That is already an issue that we've seen over the past few years...

[Agent-X]

I think these problems occur because people are new. In Windows these problems aren't always existant. At least, I knew these problems were in the older Windows, but the new Windows versions don't create as many problems. I don't get .dll problems in XP like I did in 98 and 95. Ugh. I dual boot, but I've learned Linux crashes a ton less than Windows.

I've voiced my opinion long ago about how distros should add more wireless support, and guess what, THEY DID!

The problems are mostly tied to people trying to obtain information to solve their problems. I suspect if people read more about Linux networking internals, then they could get online and find an answer much faster.

I see all of it related to getting on the web to find an answer.

The best thing I think we could do is help people get on the web, then give them just a bunch of resources so they don't keep asking the same questions that others before them have asked.

[elija]

I see all of it related to getting on the web to find an answer.

And knowing how to phrase your question so the search engines
will find relevant results

And knowing which of the gajillion results that come back are
trustworthy

And being able to ge online. Which is no good if your network
card isn't working

Also, how easy would it be to get Windows up and running if the
hardware manufactuters didn't support it so well?

[SkittleLinux18]

To add my thoughts to this thread, I think people should be encouraged to learn all they can because there is joy that comes from learning something and becoming an expert at it. This forum site seems to be very good about that. I always see people offering encouragement.

As for the silly issues that are always repeated, I don't know what to do about that. I think that is more an issue of people not being familiar with how forums work. I have never posted a thread (to my knowledge at least) without making sure I couldn't find one already about it. That didn't come from being an expert at Linux. That came from forum experience and understanding forum-etiquette. For those of you who do not know what I mean by that, see link below:

Forum Etiquette & Guidelines - Everyone Please Read

(Some of them are kind of funny)

[fingal]

To add my thoughts to this thread, I think people should be encouraged to learn all they can because there is joy that comes from learning something and becoming an expert at it.

Yes, very much so... It's more fun to be able to create your own experiences than it is to be told what to do, and to pay for the experience of being patronised by some faceless people.*

Btw, great thread Dan: for a while I really thought all those Forum titles were from here!

* When you can come here and be patronised by us, for free.

[SkittleLinux18]

Yes, very much so... It's more fun to be able to create your own experiences than it is to be told what to do, and to pay for the experience of being patronised by some faceless people.*

Btw, great thread Dan: for a while I really thought all those Forum titles were from here!

* When you can come here and be patronised by us, for free.

To add to that, I hate it when people make you pay for something that isn't your own. I would rather get something I can........ you know, I clicked the "Quote" button with something in mind that I wanted to say. But between then and now, I have forgotten what it was. That's probably because I started thinking about Windows.
Windows really has the ability to make someone forget their own thoughts and creativity.

Kjots anyone!!!!