This part of Linux, I don’t like to talk very often but sometimes I do really feel some of the aspects related to Linux is real pain. Here are the five points which I come across on a daily basis, almost.
Update: Due to significant debate on this article, as seen in the comment section at the bottom of this article. For that reason, we’ve updated this article with latest information at:
5 Things I Dislike and Love About GNU/Linux
1. Choose from Too Many Good Distros
While reading several on-line forum (a part of my hobby), I very often come across a question like – Hi, I am new to Linux, just switched over from Windows to Linux. Which Linux Distribution, I should get my hands dirty with? Oh! forgot to mention, I am an Engineering Student.
As soon as someone posted such question, there is a flood of comments. each distribution’s fan boy tries to make sense that the distro he is using leads all the rest, a few comments may look like:
1. Get your hands upon Linux Mint or Ubuntu, they are easy to use specially for newbies like you.
2. Ubuntu is Sh** better go with Mint.
3. If you want something like windows, better stay there.
4. Nothing is better than Debian. It is easy to use and contains all the packages you may need.
5. Slackware, for the point, if you learn slack you learn Linux.
At this point, the student who asked question really gets confused and annoyed.
6. CentOS – Nothing like this, when comes to stability.
7. I will recommend Fedora, Bleeding edge technology implementation, you will get a lot to learn.
8. Puppy Linux, SUSE, BSD, Manjaro, Megia, Kali, RedHat Beta, etc,……
At the end of discussion, the discussion forum may be used as a paper for research based upon the facts and figure provided in the comments.
Now think the same in Windows or Mac – One may say are you Insane? Still using Windows XP or Vista but no one will try to prove that windows 8 is better than XP and XP is more on a User Friendly side. You won’t get a fan boy in Mac as well, who is trying to jump into the discussion just to make his point sounds louder.
You may frequently come across points like – Distros are like religion. These things makes the newbie puzzled. Anyone who have used Linux for a considerable time would be knowing that all the distros are same at the base. It is only the working interface and the way to perform task differs and that too rarely. You are using apt, yum, portage, emerge, spike or ABS who cares as far as the things are done and user is comfortable with it.
Read Also: 10 Linux Distributions and Their Targeted Users
Well the above scenario is not only true in forums and groups on-line, it is sometimes taken to the corporate world.
I was recently being Interviewed by a company based in Mumbai (India). The person interviewing, asked me several questions and technologies, I have worked with. As per their requirements, I have worked with nearly half of the technologies they were looking for. A few of last conversation as mentioned below.
Interviewer: Do you know kernel editing? (Then he talked to himself for a couple of seconds – no, no not kernel editing, it is a very different thing.) Do you know how to compile a kernel on a monolithic side?
Me: Yes, we just need to make sure what we need to run in future. We need to select those options only that supports our need before compiling the kernel.
Interviewer: How do you compile a kernel?
Me: make menuconfig, fire it as………..(interrupted)
Interviewer: When have you compiled the kernel lastly without any help?
Me: Very recently on my Debian…..(Interrupted)
Interviewer: Debian? Do you know what we does? Debian–Febian is not of our use. We use CentOS. Ok, I will tell the management the result. They will call you.
Not to Mention: I didn’t get the call or job, but certainly the phrase Debian-febian forces me to think over and over again. He could have said we don’t use Debian, we use CentOS. The tone of him, was a bit racist, it is spread-ed all over.
2. Some of the very important software has no support in Linux
No! I am not talking about Photoshop. I understand Linux is not build to perform such task. But some backbone softwares required to connect your Android phone to PC for Updation – PC Suite certainly means a lot. I have been looking for a windows PC.
I know Linux is more like a server side OS. Really? Is not it trying to make a point that, it has been used as a Desktop as well? If Yes! It should have other developed desktop features. For a desktop user security, stability, RAID, Kernel does not mean much. They should get their work done with little or no effort.
Moreover the companies like Samsung, Sony, Micromax, etc are dealing with Android (Linux) Phones and they have no support to get their phone connected over a Linux PC.
Don’t drag me in PC suite discussion. For Linux to be a Desktop OS, it still lacks several things, Little or no gaming support – I mean high end gaming. No professional Video and Photo Editing Tools, I Said Professional. And yeah I remember Titanic and Avatar Movies were made using some kind of FOSS video editor, I am coming to that point.
Agree or not, Linux still has to go a long way to be a distro for everyone.
Read Also: 13 Most Commonly Used Windows Applications for Linux
3. Linuxer have a habit of living in virtual world
I am a Linux user, and I am superior than you. I can handle terminal much better than you. You know Linux is Everywhere in your wrist watch, mobile phones, remote control. You know what, Hacker’s use Linux. Are you aware as soon as you boot Linux you become hacker. You can do several things from Linux you can’t even think of using Windows and Mac.
Let me tell you, Linux is now being used in International Space Station. The world’s most successful movies Avatar and Titanic were build using Linux. Last but not the least, world’s 90% supercomputers are using Linux. World’s Top 5 fastest computer are using Linux. Facebook, Linkedin, Google, Yahoo all have their server based on Linux.
I don’t mean they are wrong. I only mean they keeps on talking about the thing they very little know about.
4. The long hours of compilation and dependency resolution
I am aware of automatic dependency resolution and the program getting smart day by day. Still think from corporate view, I was installing a program say ‘y‘, it had one dependency say ‘x‘ which was unable to be resolved automatically. While resolving ‘x‘ I came across 8 other dependency, a few of other were dependent on a few other libraries and program. Isn’t it painful?
The rule of corporate is to have the work done efficiently with less man power and as much less time as possible. Who cares if your piece of codes are coming from Windows or Mac or Linux as far as the work is done.
5. Too much manual work
No matter which distro you choose, you have to manually do a lot a things time-to-time. Lets say you are installing proprietary Nvidia Driver. Now you need to kill X manually, may need to edit Xorg.conf manually and still may have a broken X. Furthermore, you have to make sure that the next time kernel updates, it still be in working condition.
Think of same on Windows. You have nothing to do other than firing the executables and click Next, Next, I Agree, Next, Forward, Finish, Reboot and your system may very rarely have broken GUI. Though the demerit is a broken GUI is not possible to be repaired on Windows but easily on Linux.
Hey don’t tell me its because of security implementation. If you are installing something using ‘root‘, and still needs a lot of things done manually that not security. Some may have a point that it gives you power to configure your system to any extent. My friend at least give him a working interface from where he can configure it to next best level. Why Installer laves him to re-invent the wheel every-time in the name of security and configurability.
I myself is a Linux fan and have been working on this platform for nearly half a decades. I myself have used Distros of several kind and came to the above conclusion. You may have used a different distro’s and might you’ve came to a such conclusion, where you feel that Linux is not upto the mark.
Please do share with us, why do you hate (Love) Linux? via our comment section below.
